Out of school time programs, like 4-H, have been shown to have a positive impact on youth, but behavior change in extension programs is most likely to occur if youth join and stay in the program offered with more frequency and duration over time. In-depth information is needed for a program to address the factors that are most important for keeping youth engaged in a program. The present study focuses on first-year experiences in 4-H in California and Idaho from the perspective of youth and parents or guardians (“adults”). Participants were asked why they enrolled in 4-H, their overall experience, what they liked best, and what they would change. Though there was an overall positive experience, youth and adults provided rich data on improvements that could be made in the local programs. Strategies for improvement will be discussed.#2016Conference