Leadership, Citizenship and Ethics


4-H Honor Club

4-H Honor Club of Tennessee badge

The Hamilton County 4-H Honor Club is open to all 5th – 12th graders in Hamilton County. Honor Club meets once a month in the evening at the Extension Office during the school year. Check the Hamilton County 4-H email newsletter for details on the next meeting. More information about 4-H Honor Club is available at the Tennessee 4-H website.


4-H All-Stars logo of a clover and a star

4-H All-Stars

All 9th – 12th graders in Hamilton County are eligible for 4-H All Stars. You must be a Tennessee 4-H Honor Club member and submit an application for initiation into 4-H All Stars (note: you do not need to be an All-Star to attend the All-Stars Conference). The 4-H All Star motto is “Service.”  More information on upcoming events for the 4-H All Stars is available at the 4-H Eastern Region website.


4-H Citizenship Club

4-H Citizenship Club logo, showing a 4-H clover and an American flag

4th – 12th grade students in Hamilton County are eligible to participate in the Citizenship Club, which meets one Tuesday each month during the school year. The next meeting of the 2023-2024 school year is February 13, 2024 at 5:00-6:30 p.m. at the Extension Office (6183 Adamson Circle in Chattanooga). The Citizenship Club will be participating in community service projects on Monday, January 15 (at the MLK Day of Service) and Saturday, January 20 (wreath retirement at the Chattanooga National Cemetery) – for more information or to sign up to help out, please email Extension Agent Maria Sabin.

This club helps youth participate in 4-H contests, the County Fair, and fun March Extension month activities. Come find out how you can be involved in 4-H this year! To join the Citizenship Club, just come to a meeting and enroll in 4-H. You can enroll in 4-H online (there is no cost, and you can enroll at any time) or fill out a form at the meeting. For more information, email HamiltonCounty4H@tennessee.edu.


Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference (SRTLC)

The SRTLC is a conference for teens ages 14-18 in the southern region interested in learning leadership and citizenship skills.

Please contact the Extension office (423-209-8560) for additional details, dates, and information if you are interested in attending or presenting a workshop or roundtable at the SRTLC. Dates for the next SRTLC will be published in the Hamilton County 4-H email newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter by emailing us at HamiltonCounty4H@tennessee.edu.


4-H Health Rocks!

Health Rocks! is a decision-making program primarily focused on youth grades 6-8 but contains lessons that can be adapted to benefit youth of all ages. The program is taught to help young people learn skills such as critical thinking, how to manage stress, how to handle peer pressure, and how to communicate effectively. Special emphasis is given to avoiding the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs that are likely to cause harm or addiction. 

The program includes components that bring youth and adults together as partners in developing community strategies that prepare youth to make healthy lifestyle choices. Health Rocks! was designed with the belief that programs that incorporate life-skill development and decision making will truly reduce drug use and other high risk behaviors in young people.  Personal, social skills, and abilities help youth become more resistant to substance use.  Ultimately, we want to have children who are already forming their opinions about tobacco, alcohol, and drugs to make healthy choices to resist pressures from peers and other factors.

To schedule a 4-H Health Rocks! event at your school or other community group, please contact the Extension Office 423-209-8560.