4-H goes online

This summer, Jay County 4-Hers will have animals in the barns or projects on display at the fairgrounds.
But their journeys will start online.
Jay County, in conjunction with clubs throughout the state, has introduced the 4-H Online enrollment system for 2015.
“What’s really neat is it prevents them from having to make several trips into the office to add projects, change their address — it will all be available there online,” said Cara Kobza, Jay County’s Purdue Extension educator. “I feel like in the long run it’s going to really pay off for us.”
Instead of filling out paperwork to enroll as had been done in the past, Jay County 4-H members instead will head to the Indiana 4-H Online website — http://in.4honline.com — via their desktop or laptop computer, tablet or smart phone.
The first step involves setting up a family account with an email address and password. Users then add member profiles, whether for youth participants or adult volunteers.
From there, 4-Hers can view the available projects and then sign up.
They can also add themselves to the clubs and groups in which they participate.
Enrollment is complete with the $15 membership fee, which can be paid online with credit or debit card or by check or cash at the Jay County Purdue Extension Office.
Brenda Benter, who signed up her three children on the day the new program launched, became an instant fan of the new system.
“It was immediate. We didn’t have to fill out paperwork and bring it in,” said Benter. “I just logged on and the kids looked at what they could sign up for and we signed up for it.
“It’s just a lot more convenient.”
The online system also offers flexibility, allowing families to add or subtract projects as needed.
Benter’s daughter, 9-year-old Courtney, came home from school Thursday saying she wanted to take part in a food-related project in addition to those for which she had already enrolled. They planned to make the change that evening on the website.
“I like that too,” Benter said. “We don’t have to go back in to the 4-H office.”
The new system will also allow 4-H leaders to monitor their members’ projects, send group emails and/or texts and schedule events.
Indiana was the 19th state to adopt the 4-H online enrollment system, which had been used in others for about five years. Since then, 20 more states have joined, with Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan all taking part and more than 1.57 million participants registered.
Enrollment, which is now standardized across the state, began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15.
Getting all of Indiana’s counties together on a common timeline is a positive, Kobza said, especially for those who take projects to neighboring counties. It will also allow for easier evaluation of programs.
“You had 92 counties that we kind of doing things 92 ways,” Kobza said of the previous system. “When you’ve got everybody to some degree standardized, it’s easier to compare the data of what impact your program is having.”
Jay County’s 4-H volunteers were the first to sign up for the new system during the summer. Participant enrollment is the next phase, followed by animal enrollment in the spring and then the fair in July.
Kobza noted that she expects the system will make organization for the fair contests and projects easier.
“Other educators … said it is wonderful,” she said. “So we’re really excited. It’s very user friendly.”
In an effort to help newcomers acclimate to the system, Jay County 4-H has six more enrollment open houses scheduled in addition to one that was held Nov. 6.
The next open house will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Jay Community Center. Others are scheduled for 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Pennville Community Center, Dec. 8 at Bryant Fire Department, Dec. 15 at Salamonia School House, Dec. 18 at West Jay Community Center and Jan. 5 at John Jay Center for Learning.
Jay County 4-H junior leaders are also leading promotional sessions at each of the county’s elementary schools.
There is generally some apprehension with change, Kobza said, but noted that she believes this move will be great for the local 4-H program.
“They’re going to get more benefit out of this,” she said. “I think they’re going to be more satisfied with it.
“It’s going to help us provide the best customer service we can.”