'Hands, for larger service'

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The third H in 4-H stands for “hands, for larger service,” and that spirit of service is one of the first things that caught Tim Tanner’s attention when he became director of the University of Missouri Extension 4-H Center for Youth Development in September.

After two months on the job, Tanner says he’s been especially impressed by Missouri 4-H’s deep commitment to community service. Each year, 4-H members across the state take part in projects that strengthen their communities while building leadership skills, from collecting food and raising funds through the statewide 4-H Feeding Missouri campaign to planting trees, supporting local food pantries, and organizing supply drives for animal shelters.

“Pairing thriving youth learning environments with the land-grant service ethic is a powerful combo pack!” Tanner says.

That combination — practical learning paired with service — has guided Tanner’s work throughout his 23 years in youth development. In previous roles, he helped develop new programs, strengthen local partnerships and encourage youth-led learning in everything from leadership to workforce readiness. Now, he’s eager to see what that same approach can accomplish in Missouri.

Tanner has been traveling the state, meeting with 4-H staff in each of Missouri’s eight regions. Then he will be connecting with youth, volunteers, and partners. Those collaborative conversations, he says, will help lay the groundwork toward building a durable, long-term vision for Missouri 4-H.

For Tanner, the work all connects to a simple principle that he calls his personal North Star: “People want to be part of something good.”

That idea, he says, fits naturally with the youth-led, land-grant service ethic that has defined 4-H since its earliest days. In the early 1900s, the adults of that era were stuck in a rut and not making the best choices as they settled the American West, he says. Along the way, university faculty and other officials discovered that youths had a unique ability to lead their families, farms and communities toward a better future. “Ever try to argue with a teenager when they are right?” he says.

Organizing these motivated young people into clubs led to what we now know as 4-H. Nearly 125 years later, the program continues to build life, social, workforce and leadership skills in youth from all backgrounds, preparing them to play that same essential role in guiding their communities forward.

About Missouri 4-H

Missouri 4-H grows today’s youth and prepares tomorrow’s leaders. With a blend of time-tested traditions and innovative hands-on learning, Missouri youth explore and find their spark in programs ranging from agriculture and conservation to aerospace and career development. Through clubs, programs, camps, in-school and after-school experiences, University of Missouri Extension faculty, staff and thousands of volunteers guide youth in developing essential skills, building confidence and fostering connections. Together, they inspire young people to make a real difference in their communities, their country and the world.