Texas 4-H Roundup 2026 showcases the next generation of Texas leaders
Nation’s largest 4-H event unites thousands of youth at Texas A&M for competition, leadership and STEM
Thousands of Texas 4-H members gathered at Texas A&M University for the 2026 Texas 4-H Roundup, where competitions, leadership experiences and hands-on learning opportunities encouraged youth to explore new interests, develop valuable skills and envision their future.
Hosted by the Texas 4-H Youth Development Program, the annual event brought together more than 4,250 youth, volunteers, parents and Texas A&M AgriLife personnel from across Texas.
Did you know?
Texas 4-H Roundup is the nation’s largest 4-H youth leadership event. Thousands of youth come from every corner of the state for the annual gathering that is part competition, part celebration.
Youth from all 12 Texas 4-H districts compete in qualifying and invitational competitions in agriculture and livestock, family and community health, leadership, natural resources, and STEM. Participants also participate in educational workshops, a college and career fair, awards assemblies and networking opportunities.
This year’s theme — “Explore” — challenged participants to explore their roots, their brand and their horizons.
“Explore is about discovery — understanding where you come from, defining who you are and imagining where you’re going,” said Montza Williams, Ed.D., AgriLife Extension 4-H program director. “Roundup is an exciting time for Texas 4-H to come together to celebrate our senior-level members and the power of youth leadership, lifelong learning and friendships. This year, we wanted every young person to leave having explored something new about themselves and their future.”
Texas 4-H Council celebrates 75 years of exploration
Founded in 1908, Texas 4‑H is the largest youth development program in Texas and the nation. Operating as part of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 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.
This year’s Roundup carried an added layer of significance: the 75th anniversary of the Texas 4-H Council. To mark the milestone, the program hosted a Texas 4-H alumni reunion, bringing former council members back to campus to share their stories and reconnect with the program that shaped their paths.
For Williams, the reunion was a living illustration of the “Explore” theme — proof of what happens when young people are encouraged to discover and blaze their own trail.
“Seventy-five years of the Texas 4-H Council means 75 years of young people exploring who they are and what they’re capable of,” Williams said. “Having those former members back on campus — hearing where 4-H took them, seeing what they built — that’s the most powerful thing we can show today’s youth. These are people who explored their potential through 4-H and never stopped.”
The reunion also underscored 4-H’s continued investment in young people’s futures. The Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation awarded more than $2.7 million in scholarships to youth at Roundup this year, said David White, Texas 4-H Foundation director.
“These scholarships represent an investment not only in individual futures but in communities across our state,” White said. “When you pair that investment with 75 years of alumni who came back this week to say, ‘This is what 4-H made possible for me,’ the message to today’s members is clear: this program will open doors you haven’t even imagined yet.”
The exploration continues
Jeremiah Cook, assistant director of tourism for Visit College Station, a sponsor of Roundup 2026, said the energy 4-H members, their parents and the volunteers bring is felt around the city.
“This year’s ‘Explore’ theme comes to life everywhere you look, with young people discovering new interests, building connections and celebrating what they’ve accomplished,” Cook said. “After 80 years of hosting, that energy still gets us every time, and we’re proud to help welcome these youth and their families to Aggieland.”
From the statewide competition floors to celebrating 4-Her achievements to quiet moments of connection throughout the week, Texas 4-H Roundup highlighted the program’s mission: equip young Texans to lead with confidence, build community and drive innovation.
“Explore isn’t just a theme for one week,” Williams said. “It’s what Texas 4-H does every single day across this state. We help young people explore their roots — where they come from and what shaped them. They explore their brand — who they are and what they stand for. And we help them explore their horizons — where they’re headed and what they’re capable of. When you give a young person permission to explore all three, you don’t just change their life — you change their community, and you change Texas. That’s the power of 4-H programs.”
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