Activities & Events

Albany County 4-H offers a wide variety of workshops and events that are available to all youth. Please see our calendar events for upcoming opportunities.

County-Wide Events

4-H Trunk or Treat
Friday, October 25, 2024 |5:00 - 7:00 pm | CCE Albany County parking lot
4-H youth and families are invited to join in the Halloween fun for an evening of trick or treating and Halloween activities! There will be a youth costume contest as well as a decorated car contest. If your family would like to bring a decorated car to hand out candy, please RSVP to Rachel at rcl227@cornell.edu

2024 Achievement Night and Holiday Make & Take
Friday, December 6, 2024 | 5:30 - 8:00 pm | CCE Albany County
Join us to celebrate the achievements and contributions of our 4-Hers throughout the 2023-2024 4-H year. We will be celebrating with a potluck dinner and awards ceremony followed by a fun holiday make-and-take. 4-Hers will have the opportunity to make holiday gifts for their loved ones and then take them home. Please reach out to 4-H Educator Rachel Sakadolsky at rcl227@cornell.edu to RSVP or with any questions.

Public Presentations
April 4 & 5, 2025
This program is one of the most beneficial of all of the 4-H Programs. All 4-H members are encouraged to develop a demonstration or illustrated talk based on some practice, skill or knowledge learned, preferably through a 4-H project. Youth then give a presentation or demonstration in front of a team of judges who evaluate the young person and provide constructive criticism. Youth who graduate or “age out” of 4-H have commented that the Public Presentations Program is an experience that has helped them with successful job and college interviews.Please contact Barb at bes13@cornell.edu for more information.

State-Wide Events

ABC (Agri-business Career Conference)
October 17 & 18, 2024
This career exploration conference is open to all youth ages 14 and over who wish to become more aware of opportunities with agriculture and the academic requirements for professional positions available in the various agri-businesses. It will feature mini-tours to farms and business in the Cobleskill area as well as seminars, guest speakers, and guided tours of the SUNY Cobleskill agriculture facilities. The conference is co-sponsored by NYS 4-H, SUNY Cobleskill and the NYS Farm Bureau Foundation for Education.

Capital Days
2025 Dates TBD
Join us as we get acquainted with our state government and connect with other teens from across the state! Hear from both a state senator and assemblyman as you learn how our legislative branch works. Explore our judicial system by meeting a NYS Supreme Court judge, enjoy a live presentation from the Department of Corrections, and activities from the Cornell Law School. Finally, learn about the executive branch and local government. Then choose an agency you can interact with that you would like to know more about: Department of Ag & Markets, Department of Parks & Recreation, Department of Education, and Department of Environmental Conservation. Add in live games and the chance to win prizes!

Registration fee for youth includes a conference t-shirt, and other program materials that will be mailed prior to the program. There is no fee for adults to attend, though they may pay the registration fee to purchase the t-shirt if they wish.

STAR (State Teen Action Retreat)
May 2-4, 2025 | location TBD
STAR (State Teen Action Retreat) is a premiere youth voice opportunity, open to youth ages 13-19, modeled after the National 4-H Conference. We invite 4-H teen leaders to apply to serve as a planning team member, they select an adult partner and serve to plan the STAR event. STAR is a fun-filled weekend which helps to invigorate 4-H programming across NYS and showcases positive youth development, experiential learning, agriculture, sustainable food systems, STEM, and civic engagement workshops. Roundtables are modeled after the 4-H pillars and help youth to do a deep dive in the topics outside of the hands-onworkshops. We also have a community service, keynote speaker, dinner/dance and ice cream social.

Career Exploration
2025 Dates TBD
4-H Career Explorations aims to expand possibilities for youth by connecting them to Cornell University; sparking interests in careers and career pathways; developing academic, leadership, and life skills; and providing opportunities to experience college life.

This is a 3-day conference open to all NYS youth entering 8th grade and up. It includes two program tracks –

• University U: For teens entering 8th grade and up. Youth are introduced to Cornell through campus tours and explore a variety of topics in six different departmental workshops. Youth are randomly assigned to these UU programs.
• Focus for Teens: For teens entering 10th grade and up. Youth spend 3 days with a specific department. Youth select their Focus for Teens programs and programs are filled first-come, first-serve.

Last updated September 12, 2024