Trash to Treasure: Crafting with Youth on a $0 Budget
4-H and Youth Programming
Alissa Hevesh
Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent
University of Florida
Sebring
Abstract
Modern 4-H programs continue to diversify club offerings while managing limited resources. To offer new club opportunities, Highlands County 4-H responded to requests from parents and members for creative programming by reimagining unused materials as an instrument for sustainability education. Alissa Hevesh, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, and Kati Lawson, 4-H Agent and County Extension Director, collaborated to design a youth-focused natural resource and sustainability education initiative delivered through a 4-H club model while also addressing the practical need of repurposing years of accumulated materials from the 4-H lab. The program team intentionally formed a craft-based club because sustainability served as their primary thematic focus. Crafty Clovers is a 4-H county club that was created to address several areas for Highlands County 4-H and Extension including: 1) provide sustainability and natural resource education to youth audiences 2) fill a void in 4-H club offerings, and 3) clean out years of 4-H clutter from the 4-H lab. The Highlands County Crafty Clovers 4-H Club meets monthly from September through April and aligns with the 4-H teaching model by providing hands-on learning experiences. By creating this sustainability-based educational strategy, youth of multiple ages can practice creativity and sustainability on a regular basis and have revealed positive behavior change (as indicated by 100% of members in 2025-2026 (n=14) self-reported they learned ways to be sustainable in their daily lives). Additionally, this educational opportunity has fostered community among parents of members and operated on a $0 supply budget for the entire two years of operation. This club offers a replicable model for fiscally-strained counties or for new agents who are not sure how to fund clubs. It is also ideal for involving natural resources and sustainability agents in 4-H programming. This presentation will feature the craft projects Crafty Clovers has completed, lessons learned about running a $0 budget club, and how this club is expanding program capacity in Highlands County’s 4-H Program while teaching youth to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Authors: Alissa Hevesh, Kati Lawson
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Alissa Hevesh Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent, University of Florida, Florida, 33875
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Kati Lawson County Extension Director & 4-H Extension Agent, University of Florida, Florida, 33875