California 4-H Youth Development Program

What California 4-H Youth Development Program does

California 4-H Youth Development Program is a publicly funded youth development program operated as part of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) division. It engages youth ages 5 to 18 and adult volunteers through structured clubs, projects, and events, and is described as the largest youth development program in the nation. Program design is anchored in the research-based 4-H Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development, which claims measurable wellbeing and competence outcomes for participants.

The program is delivered through UC Cooperative Extension offices located in all 58 California counties, with the State 4-H Office in Davis (2801 Second Street, Davis, CA) serving as the main administrative headquarters. It distributes content and recruits participants through multiple channels including the California 4-H Grown Blog, a 4-H Resource Center, state and national events, and project-based programs managed by trained adult volunteers. The legal and governing entity is The Regents of the University of California.

California 4-H does not operate as a commercial enterprise and has no disclosed revenue. It is funded through government appropriations, university allocations, grants, and donor contributions to the 4-H Foundation, and it offers programming at no cost to participants. As such, the program has no pricing model, no customers in the traditional sense, and no proprietary technology systems; its core assets are its statewide extension distribution network, its brand and research-backed framework, and its volunteer ecosystem.

Name

California 4-H Youth Development Program

Legal name

The Regents of the University of California

Website

https://4h.ucanr.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California 4-H is a publicly funded University of California youth development program serving youth ages 5 to 18 and adult volunteers through UC Cooperative Extension offices in all 58 California counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Programs

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intramural & Recreational Sports Programs (EDAJAJAB), Youth-to-Adult Bridge & College Readiness (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAK)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Cooperative extension services
• Positive youth development
• Volunteer mentoring programs
• Community education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Davis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: As a division of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), a public university extension program, California 4-H is funded through government and university allocations rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

California 4-H is a free youth development program that engages youth ages 5 to 18 and adult volunteers through community-based clubs, project-based learning, and state and national events delivered via UC Cooperative Extension offices in all 58 California counties. Programming is grounded in the research-based 4-H Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development and is offered at no cost to participants as a public university extension program.

Product overview

The California 4-H Youth Development Program is a youth development initiative by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, not a technology product company. It does not offer products or services in the traditional technology/software sense. The program provides youth development programs for ages 5-18 and volunteer opportunities, delivered through UC Cooperative Extension offices in every California county.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California 4-H Youth Development Program Free youth development program engaging youth ages 5 to 18 and adult volunteers through community-based clubs, project-based learning, and state and national events grounded in the 4-H Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development. Delivered at no cost across all 58 California counties via UC Cooperative Extension offices.
• 4-H State and National Events State and national 4-H events that provide California 4-H youth with competition platforms, leadership experiences, and youth development opportunities beyond the local club level. Open to enrolled 4-H members and delivered as part of the broader California 4-H program.
• 4-H Project-Based Learning Programs Structured 4-H projects that allow enrolled youth to explore interests and build real-world skills through hands-on learning, supported by trained adult volunteers and UC Cooperative Extension staff across California.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4-H'ers are 2x more positive about wellbeing
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement USA: National youth organization delivering work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy programs in schools and communities. Comparable to California 4-H's college/career readiness and real-world skill-building projects.
• National 4-H Council: The national private nonprofit supporting the 4-H youth development movement in the U.S. Operates the same 4-H Thriving Model and brand, providing fundraising, marketing, and national program resources that California 4-H leverages at the state level.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: National youth development organization delivering club-based, project-driven programming for girls. Comparable in delivering structured curricula, badge/project systems, and volunteer-led local programming across California.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization operating club-based programming for school-age youth, with a strong California affiliate network. Directly competes for the same youth, families, and donor/grant funding California 4-H relies on.
• Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America): National youth development organization offering structured, project-based programming and outdoor/recreational activities. Competes with California 4-H for the same youth and volunteer pool, particularly around outdoor and skills-based projects.
• National FFA Organization: National youth organization focused on agricultural education and leadership development through school-based chapters. Highly comparable to California 4-H's agricultural and civic engagement projects, serving an overlapping audience of youth and adult volunteers.
• Camp Fire (formerly Camp Fire Girls and Boys): National youth development organization with club-based, project-driven programming and a strong emphasis on out-of-school learning. Comparable to California 4-H in mission, program structure, and target demographic.

Emerging players

• Police Activities League (PAL): National youth development network offering sports, mentoring, and educational programs through local chapters. Comparable to California 4-H as a community-based youth program, though with a narrower age/scope focus and law enforcement affiliation.

Regional players

• Cal Aggie Alumni Association (UC Davis-affiliated youth programs): UC Davis-affiliated alumni and youth engagement programs that overlap with California 4-H's agricultural and STEM project areas. Shares the institutional and geographic adjacency through the UC system, particularly around agricultural youth programming.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: Large, established youth-serving organization offering after-school programs, camps, sports, and recreation across California. Operates as a broader portfolio of services where 4-H youth development is a more specialized offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ucanrspanish
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-4-h-youth-development-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California 4-H Youth Development Program