California 4-H Youth Development Program
The University of California's statewide youth development organization, active in every California county, offering hands-on projects in agriculture, animal science, STEAM, leadership, and healthy living through local community clubs. Members ages 5-18 take on individual and group agricultural projects, often exhibiting livestock and produce at county fairs.
You might also like
California FFA Association
The California state association of the National FFA Organization, a school-based agricultural education and leadership organization serving over 108,000 student members across 366 chapters statewide, from urban Bay Area schools to rural Central Valley programs. Members combine classroom agricultural instruction, a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project, and FFA leadership activities, competing in career development events from local to national levels.
NSBE Jr. / Pre-College Initiative
NSBE Jr. is the K-12 arm of the National Society of Black Engineers, running local chapters (including one at Richmond High School in the Bay Area) that provide hands-on STEM activities, mentorship, competitions, and college/career preparation for students interested in engineering. Students without a local chapter can join as an 'At-Large' member nationally.
SLEWS Program (Center for Land-Based Learning)
The Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship (SLEWS) program engages cohorts of about 30 high school students in hands-on habitat restoration on working farms, ranches, and open spaces across Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Butte counties. Over three to five field days per cohort, students plant native vegetation, build irrigation systems, conduct ecological studies, and hear from natural-resource professionals about careers in agriculture and conservation.
Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program (California Wing)
Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force; its Cadet Program lets youth ages 12-18 train in aerospace education, leadership, and emergency services, including orientation flights in CAP aircraft. California Wing operates dozens of local squadrons across Northern California offering weekly meetings, encampments, and flight training opportunities.
Civil Air Patrol California Wing Cadet Program
Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, operates cadet squadrons throughout Northern California offering weekly aerospace education, STEM activities, orientation flights, and leadership training for youth.
Peninsula Gem & Geology Society
A Los Altos-based nonprofit club promoting geology, mineralogy, and lapidary arts through monthly meetings, guest speakers, workshops, and field trips open to the public. Students can attend meetings and field trips to learn rock and mineral identification, and use the club's lapidary shop.