Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service opens new Texas 4-H headquarters

The headquarters serve as a statewide hub for curriculum innovation, training and volunteer engagement, as well as cross-program collaboration. The space is designed to support both long-standing programs and emerging program areas, from STEM and leadership development to entrepreneurship and workforce readiness initiatives.

Founded in 1908, Texas 4‑H is the largest youth development program in Texas and the nation. Operating as part of AgriLife Extension and The Texas A&M University System, Texas 4‑H delivers programming in all 254 counties and reached nearly 520,000 youth ages 8-18 last year.

The renovated facility represents a key milestone in a broader capital campaign by AgriLife Extension and the Texas A&M Foundation, creating opportunities for donors to invest in the future of youth leadership and development in Texas.

A ribbon‑cutting ceremony on April 30 brought together Texas 4‑H leaders, Texas A&M System representatives, elected officials and community partners to celebrate the opening and reaffirm a commitment to developing confident, capable young Texans.

Texas A&M System Chancellor Glenn Hegar ’93 said he saw firsthand how 4-H programs impact youth and families growing up in Texas.

“This is a great day for Texas 4-H, but it’s also a great day for Texas,” Hegar said. “This new headquarters will strengthen the most powerful and proven youth development pipeline in the nation – one that prepares young people for post-secondary education and entrepreneurship, meaningful careers and purposeful lives. Texas 4-H is dedicated to shaping confident, capable and service-minded youth to lead our state’s future.”

Regent Kelley Sullivan Georgiades said 4-H programs have impacted so many families’ lives, including her own.

“The programs that take place within the walls of this incredible new headquarters and across the state of Texas inspire our next generation of leaders,” she said. “Nothing is more critical than supporting these young people and, as the land-grant university in our great state, The Texas A&M University System is proud to invest in their futures.”

Also in attendance was special guest state Rep. Trent Ashby, who delivered remarks. Ashby spoke about his enthusiasm for the future of Texas 4-H and discussed how its programs positively changed the trajectory of his life. He is now a 4-H parent and serves on an advisory committee for the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassadors Program.

Texas 4-H’s home in The Texas A&M University System

Jeffrey W. Savell, Ph.D., vice chancellor and dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences, said the new headquarters will strengthen a mission that has changed lives for generations.

“Texas 4-H is a true expression of the land-grant mission,” Savell said. “The land-grant mission is really a call to service, and this headquartersis a visible symbol of that call. It’s a symbol of preparing the next generation to take great care of one another and the place we call home, and to do good in this world.”

The 23,300‑square‑foot renovated facility marks a major investment in the future of youth development in Texas, said Rick Avery, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension director.

“The headquarters for Texas 4-H represents a significant investment in both the people and the systems that support youth development across our state,” Avery said. “By creating a centralized hub for training, innovation and collaboration, we are strengthening our ability to deliver high‑quality, real‑world learning experiences to young people in all 254 counties.”

Courtney Dodd, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension associate director for health, families and youth programs, said the ceremonial opening celebrates more than a new building.

“This is about so much more than a building,” Dodd said. “It’s about the young people across Texas who grow in confidence, responsibility and character through Texas 4-H. That kind of impact doesn’t just stay with them, it carries into their families and communities for generations. This new home strengthens that mission and helps us reach even more youth as they discover who they are and what they can become.”

Montza Williams, Ed.D., AgriLife Extension Texas 4-H program director, said it is an exciting day for the 4-H staff, county educators, the volunteers and the youth who will utilize the building each day.

“While 4‑H begins at the local level, this new home is where our statewide network will connect and collaborate, learn and grow together,” Williams said. “It will allow us to expand innovative programs, elevate youth outreach and ensure that Texas 4‑H continues to prepare young people for leadership, careers and lifelong success.”

Texas 4-H: Shaping leaders statewide since 1908

Texas 4‑H is the largest youth development program in the nation and delivers programming in all 254 counties. The program reached nearly 520,000 Texas youth last year.

Support Texas 4-H

This headquarters marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for Texas 4-H. Join us to support youth development in Texas.

Give now