Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to establish Texas 4-H headquarters
State-of-the-art facility to expand leadership, learning opportunity in nation’s largest 4-H program
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service announced a new Texas 4-H Youth Development headquarters at Texas A&MRELLIS, a 3,200-acre applied research campus in Bryan.
The renovation of the 23,300 square-foot facility, slated for completion in 2026, will serve the needs of youth, volunteers and educators across Texas. It will feature state-of-the-art classrooms and conference rooms, office space and a dedicated recording studio to advance youth education, leadership development and innovation.
Rick Avery, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension director, said the new headquarters represents a strategic investment, supporting AgriLife Extension’s commitment to the future of Texas 4-H and the next generation of leaders.
“Texas is home to the largest 4-H program in America, and this facility will serve as more than just a headquarters – it will be the home for transformative programming in youth development,” Avery said. “This headquarters enhances our ability to provide opportunities that make lasting impacts in the lives of Texas youth.”
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service announced a new Texas 4-H Youth Development headquarters at Texas A&MRELLIS, a 2,400-acre applied research campus in Bryan. (Courtney Sacco/Texas A&M AgriLife)
First headquarters for Texas 4-H
Founded in 1908, Texas 4-H is the state’s largest youth development program and is part of AgriLife Extension and The Texas A&M University System. Texas 4-H provides programs in all 254 counties and reached almost 520,000 youth ages 8-18 last year.
Although already deeply embedded across Texas communities, the program has not designated an official headquarters until now.
“The headquarters will mark a new and exciting chapter for Texas 4-H and the youth our programs impact,” said Courtney Dodd, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension associate director for health, families and youth programs. “It represents our commitment to the youth of Texas but also to our future as a state and society by developing strong leaders for tomorrow.”
Montza Williams, Ed.D., AgriLife Extension Texas 4-H program director, added Texas 4H programming will continue statewide, but the new headquarters will provide a designated place for the continued refinement and development of programs. “This headquarters gives Texas 4-H a home,” he said. “It gives us a space where we can optimize what we do and how our 4-H programs develop and prepare kids for the path they choose in life. That is what Texas 4-H is all about.”
About Texas 4-H
Texas 4-H offers hands-on learning and leadership opportunities across the state. Programs include agriculture and natural resources, STEM, health, family and community development and civic leadership.
The renovation and designation of the facility on the RELLIS campus as Texas 4-H’s first headquarters signals a new chapter for the state of Texas. To learn how to support Texas 4-H as it continues to grow and invest in the future of Texas youth development, contact Natalee Kovar, assistant director of development at the Texas A&M Foundation, at nkovar@txamfoundation. com.
