Since she became a member of Cupertino's Rolling Hills 4-H Club five years ago, Hannah Tomlin, 12, has witnessed a goat giving birth to two kids and a chicken lying headless in its coop at the club's farm at McClellan Ranch Park.

Tomlin's mother, Judy Howell, says observing animals' life cycles provides good educational opportunities for children.

"Many girls think they can't get pregnant easily," she says. "But my daughter will know it's not true because five months after breeding, the goats will have kids."

Although she lives in San Jose, Tomlin, a seventh-grader at Miller Middle School, is no stranger to ranch chores. She goes to the ranch four days a week to check on her four chickens and three goats—Popcorn, Patches and Raggedy Ann. She cleans the chicken coop, trims the goats' hooves and feeds the animals.

"I like milking the most," says Tomlin, who plans to make cheese with her goats' milk this year. "I feel a sense of accomplishment."

Tomlin and her mother have been trying to breed Raggedy Ann and Popcorn for the past two months. They are considering doing artificial insemination for their goats to improve the quality of the breed next year.

Learning about animals is only one of the many opportunities provided by 4-H, an international organization for youths ages 5 to 19. The club offers members a chance to get involved with a variety of projects that involve everything from beekeeping to computers.

The club's pledge explains what the four H's represent: "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger services, and my heart to better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

In the United States, 4-H clubs are administered through county cooperative extension offices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and volunteer councils at county, state and national levels.

Cupertino's Rolling Hills 4-H Club, established in 1971, is part of the Santa Clara County 4-H program within the University of California 4-H Youth Development Program. It has 80 members, most of whom are from Cupertino and Sunnyvale.

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer Hannah Tomlin hugs a chicken she is taking care of. Tomlin says she knows a whole lot more about poultry than she ever did before.

If members have questions about their animals, they can call any school under the University of California system for advice.

"4-H offers hands-on learning," says Lonnie Toensfeldt, who has been one of the club's community leaders for 25 years. "The children learn about animals by raising them. It is a good place to appreciate learning because they find that learning is fun here."

4-H is not a religious organization, and it welcomes both boys and girls.

4-H also puts great emphasis on leadership. Rebekah Clarke, president of the Rolling Hills 4-H Club and leader of the club's goat project, says the club is run by the youth with the help of parent volunteers and advisors. Nine elected youth officers meet once a month at Monta Vista Recreation Center to discuss club activities. Parents and members also join the meeting to share their projects.

"We learn to be independent and resourceful," Clarke says.

Marla Yonamine, the mother of club member Laura Yonamine, says the children-run meetings are always interesting and it's normally the parents that need to remember to behave and remain quiet.

"At one meeting, a father demonstrated how to trim their steer for a showmanship competition by trimming his son's hair," she explains. "At another meeting, all the kids brought their animals to introduce to other members. It's a lot of fun."

Marla says 4-H is a club where the whole family can have fun.

"Most of the parents volunteer at the club," she adds. "Since the club is not segregated by age, older children and younger children can grow up together in the group. And it is not segregated by gender, so girls can learn woodworking and boys can learn cooking. It provides an inclusive environment."

Before Laura Yonamine joined the poultry project at her local 4-H Club, she had only superficial knowledge about chickens, even though she kept two hens, Delaware and Ebony, in her backyard in Sunnyvale.

"I just knew that chickens have feathers, lay eggs and are birds," says Yonamine, a seventh-grader at Sunnyvale Middle School. "But now I know their body parts, how they lay eggs, and what an egg is made of."

In addition to learning about animals, the young members can apply the skills and lessons attained through the club for the rest of their lives.

"I am still using the skills I learned at 4-H every day," says Timothy Oey, a Sunnyvale resident who was a member for nine years and is now the marketing project leader of the Rolling Hills 4H.

Oey, 41, credits in part his skills as an electrician and carpenter to his 4-H training. He can also cook, sew and garden—more skills he learned through the club.

"The biggest skill I use repeatedly is public speaking because I have to do a lot of presentations for my job," says Oey, a program manager at Adobe.

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer Laura Yonamine (left) and Hannah Tomlin, give 'Baby' some TLC.

Now his two sons are following in his footsteps as 4-H members. Tandre, 10, is participating in quilting and computer projects, while Torian, 7, is involved with a project that exposes young members to the club's various classes.

"4-H is a lot more than raising animals," Oey says. "It teaches citizenship, leadership and life skills."

For more information about 4-H Clubs in Santa Clara County, visit www.scc4h.org.