Hamilton County 4-H Archery Club:
Grades 4th-12th. Learn the basics of archery or improve your skills in the sport by participating in the 4-H Archery Club. Grades 4th through 12th in Hamilton County can join this club in the fall and practice throughout the school year. Archery Club practices are held once a month during the fall and twice a month during the spring. Club members compete in the 4-H Archery Jamboree (state competition) in the spring.
Archery Preview Day is held in August and is required for all new members. There is no cost to participate in Preview Day, but advance registration is required in order to participate. To find out about the next Archery Preview Day, sign up for the monthly 4-H email newsletter.
All practices are held outdoors on Saturdays and are supervised by 4-H-certified shooting sports instructors. There is a $60 annual fee to participate in the 4-H Archery program, which is due before the first regular practice (which will be held after Preview Day). Archery equipment is available to Club members for use during practices and at the state 4-H Archery Jamboree at no additional cost. 4-H Archery Club members also participate in additional 4-H competitions during the school year.
4-H Gardening Club:
This 4-H club for grades 4th-8th in Hamilton County is a registered 4-H Junior Master Gardener program and uses the 4-H Junior Master Gardener core curriculum from Texas A&M to teach youth about plant and soil science, insects & plant diseases, and more. Art projects and experiments on plant topics, along with actually planting and growing things in the backyard and at the Extension office make this a very hands-on group! There is no cost to participate in this club.
Meetings are held at the Extension office (6183 Adamson Circle in Chattanooga) once a month, 4:30-6:00 p.m. on the last Monday of each month (with adjustments for holidays). Email hamiltoncounty4H@tennessee.edu or call the Extension office (423) 209-8560 for more information. New members (and their parents) are always welcome at meetings.
Tennessee Smart Yards for Teens
January 13 – March 31, 2026. Register by January 10 at at https://tiny.utk.edu/Hamilton4HPay or at the Extension office. Cost is $25.
Hamilton County Master Gardeners and Hamilton County 4-H present Tennessee Smart Yards for Teens!
Students in grades 8th through 12th will learn:
- Selecting plants to suit their yard
- Managing soils to promote plant root growth
- Managing yard pests
- Making rain gauges
- Making bird houses – service project for Chattanooga Bluebird Society!
- Testing storm water runoff and reducing it in your yard
- Identifying and eradicating invasive plants
- Testing soil and soil compaction
- Irrigating your plants and lawn efficiently
- Composting and vermicomposting
- Choosing and using fertilizers – best practices
- Identifying keystone native plants for wildlife that will work in your yard
The TN Smart Yards program is available to all yard types – from downtown dwellers with balcony gardens to rural homeowners with acreage! Program leaders are the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County’s Smart Yards team members. Smart Yards for Teens is a new program, offering the popular adult TN Smart Yards program to teens for the first time! Each meeting will include fun, hands-on group activities and discussions in a friendly atmosphere. This is a great way for teens with an interest in horticulture, plant science, environmental science, or wildlife habitats to enjoy working and learning with other teens with similar interests.
Program Dates – all meetings are 6:00-7:30 p.m.:
The UT-TSU Extension Hamilton County Office is located at 6183 Adamson Circle in Chattanooga. Parking and building entrance are in back of the building.
- January 13, 2026 – Extension Office
- January 27, 2026 – Extension Office
- February 10, 2026 – Extension Office
- February 24, 2026 – Extension Office
- March 10, 2026 – Extension Office
- March 24, 2026 – Extension Office
- March 31, 2026 – rain garden at Red Bank Community Center (3653 Tom Weathers Dr., Red Bank)
Questions? Email HamiltonCounty4H@tennessee.edu