Transcript Transforming the Lives of Youth Why 4-H Matters Cathann Kress Director, Youth Development

Transforming the Lives of Youth
Why 4-H Matters
Cathann Kress
Director, Youth Development
National 4-H Headquarters
CSREES, USDA
I pledge:
My head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service and
My health to better living,
for my Club, my Community, my
Country and my World.
Our pledge identifies both our:
Guiding Principles
Intended Outcomes
Guiding Principles:
The Essential Elements
Belonging
Positive Relationship with a caring
adult
An inclusive environment
A safe environment
Independence
Opportunity to see oneself as an
active participant in the future
Opportunity for self-determination
Mastery
Engagement in Learning
Opportunity for Mastery
Generosity
Opportunity to value and practice
service for others
I pledge my head to clearer thinking…
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDEPENDENCE
To develop responsibility,
youth need to know that
they are able to influence
people and events through
decision-making and
action.
I pledge my heart to greater loyalty…
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BELONGING
Current research emphasizes the importance for youth to have
opportunities for long-term consistent relationships with adults
other than parents. This research suggests that a sense of
belonging may be the single most powerful positive ingredient
we can add into the lives of children and youth.
I pledge my health to better living…
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
MASTERY
To develop selfconfidence youth need to
feel and believe they are
capable and they must
experience success at
solving problems and
meeting challenges.
I pledge my hands to larger service…
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
GENEROSITY
By participating in community service, youth connect to
communities and learn to give back. These experiences
help youth understand the "big picture" of life and find
purpose and meaning.
Intended Outcomes of 4-H
Young people who are:
Trained to think, plan and reason
Trained to be kind and sympathetic
Trained to be useful, helpful and
skillful
Able to resist disease, enjoy life and
make for efficiency
Source?
1912 USDA circular
1995 National 4-H Base
Program Outcomes
HEAD -- educational commitment and
achievement
HEART -- responsive, caring relationships
HANDS -- civic and social responsibility
HEALTH -- healthy lifestyles
America’s Promise, 1997
Marketable skills thru effective education
On-going relationships with caring adults
Opportunities to serve
Healthy start for a healthy future
Safe places, structured activities
Does 4-H still matter?
Relevant
and meaningful outcomes
Effective program principles
What is 4-H?
Programmatic
outreach of the Land
Grant University to
our youngest citizens
in their communities.
The Land Grant Idea
taken to youth.
The Land Grant Idea
Access to higher education for those
with limited resources;
Just good practical science;
Science applied to practical problems;
Education for people of the state with
problems to solve;
All this and more…
What is the Land Grant Idea?
It is a set of beliefs about the social role
of the university.



Educating and training the professional
cadres of an industrial, increasingly urban,
society;
Providing broad access to higher education,
irrespective of wealth or social status;
Working to improve the welfare and social
status of the largest and most
disadvantaged groups in society.
The Land Grant Idea
The Land Grant vision was of an
institution that could be a training
ground for democratic life and civic
practice and that could quickly move
knowledge from the laboratory to the
community.
1912, Marius Malgren, Hickory, VA
Canning Clubs
Food
Preservation
Leading Community Change
Raised 209 bushels of
corn on one acre
(Averages at that time
were 45 bushels per acre).
Led to food safety techniques
becoming standard practice.
Some things cannot be taught,
but must be experienced.
Children and youth learn best when
they can “do” – Experiential Education
Leading by Example – Youth are early
adopters and will change their
communities.
As the nature of the society that
sustains the university changes in
fundamental ways, the social role
of the university will very slowly
undergo change in response to
that new social reality.
James Bonnen, 1998
What does America need from
4-H during its second century?
The Land Grant University must be
careful to commit its limited resources
to outreach activities that are legitimate
for a university and are of major social
significance.
What is legitimate?
What has major social significance?
How will we define what this outreach
should be so that we know what we are
talking about, can manage it effectively,
and can communicate its meaning to
others?
Degree of consensus in the community
Creation and organization of clientele
(who is our constituency?)
Having command of enough knowledge
of the problem being addressed
The Land Grant Mission & 4-H
An idea – not a set of academic fields
This idea is applicable to all the academic
programs of the university.
Basic concept is that knowledge has
consequences and utility, both for individuals
and society.
Mission: to serve society by providing access
to knowledge to everyone who desires it and
can benefit from the experience.
How do we serve youth
through our programs?
Approaches to 4-H Youth Development
PREVENTION
Focus: Risks & Risk Factors
Target: Social Norms & Communities
Goal: Eliminate or Reduce Problems
Focus: Skills & Knowledge
Target: Individual Learners
Goal: Competency in knowledge or skill
EDUCATION
Focus: Developmental Needs
Target: Opportunities for Youth
Goal: Maturity
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Understanding the Different Approaches
Developed by Cathann A. Kress, Ph.D.
Community, Family, Peers,
School, Work, Leisure
Contextual Influences
EDUCATION
Competencies
1. Health/Physical
2. Personal/Social
3. Cognitive/Creative
4. Vocational/Citizenship
Needs
YOUTH
DEVELOPMENT
1. Physiological
2. Safety and Structure
3. Belonging/Membership
4. Closeness/Relationships
5. Competency/Mastery
Cognitive Changes
6. Independence/Control
over one’s life
7. Self Worth/Contribution
8. Capacity to enjoy life
Psychosocial Changes
Biological & Physical Changes
Approaches to 4-H
CONTENT
EDUCATION
Mission Areas
CONTEXT
Science, Engineering &
Technology
Healthy Lifestyles
Citizenship
Belonging
Mastery
Independence
Generosity
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Essential Elements
CONTEXT – circumstances and
conditions which surround an event or
individual; the circumstances or settings
which determine, specify, or clarify the
meaning of an event.
CONTENT – information and
experiences created by individuals,
institutions, and technology to benefit
audiences in venues that they value.
Approaches to 4-H Youth Development
CONTENT
EDUCATION
Mission Areas
CONTEXT
Science, Engineering &
Technology
Healthy Lifestyles
Clubs
Citizenship
Afterschool
School Enrichment
Belonging
Mastery
Independence
Generosity
Camps
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Essential Elements
All Youth need:
To know they are cared about by others
(Attachment, Belonging, Connection)
To feel and believe they are capable and
successful
(Achievement, Mastery, Competence)
To know they are able to influence people and
events
(Autonomy, Power, Confidence)
To practice helping others through their own
generosity
(Altruism, Purpose, Contribution)
Educational Opportunities
Opportunities to explore dimensions of the
human experience from many perspectives
(personal)
Opportunities to examine the many kinds of
social organizations that humankind has
invested (organizational)
Opportunities to experiment with the
contrasting ways in which we explore and
interpret our own lives and the natural world
around us through the methodologies and
assumptions of various fields (technical)
What does America need from
4-H during its second century?
1. To remember our central mission is
based on the Land Grant Idea
The Imperative vs. The
Important
A Covenant vs. A Contract
What does it mean to have a
COVENANT with youth?
A covenant rests on a
shared commitment to:
Ideas, Issues, Values, Goals
Covenants are a promise to
hold a vision that honors
youth
2. To create opportunities to meet
the basic needs of youth:
Belonging
Mastery
Independence
Generosity
Why meet youth needs?
If youth needs are
unmet, they become
defining factors in the
lives of youth
If youth needs are met
in positive ways, youth
develop CHARACTER
and are more likely to
CONTRIBUTE
3. To remember our UNIQUE purpose
and plans
Vision of
4-H Youth
Development
Programs
Engagement of
Resources
Needs of youth and
communities
4. To EVALUATE our impacts
Evaluation helps us understand our
current reality- where we are -
and how far
we are from
our vision -
where we
want to be
5. To make sure our
programs CHANGE
How do we change?
We must be drawn to what we want to
create not simply repelled by what we
have.
“People don’t resist
change, they resist being
changed.”
6. To remember the DREAMS of youth
4-H Study
Does participation make a
difference in the lives of youth?
What difference does 4-H Club
participation make?
Two year study
To what extent and in what ways do
4-H Clubs influence and contribute to
the “context” for positive youth
development?
Youth Development defined…
In this study, youth
development was
understood as a
process of growing
up and developing
one’s capacities in
positive ways
-Walker & Dunham, 1994
Is success related to active participation
and involvement in public
demonstrations, community service
projects, and events?
Is success due to the relationships
developed and the long-term
membership?
Findings- Members Only Survey
4-H Club youth in New York scored
higher than both the Search Institute’s
youth with club participation and
without club participation on all
developmental assets tested.
The type of club was not important.
There was a difference for youth who
remain in 4-H for one year or more.
Results?
The results show that the process of youth
development is positively influenced in
multiple ways by 4-H membership.
When membership includes some key
essential elements…
Belonging
Feeling Part of a Supportive Community
Content: Sensory, Awareness
Design Elements: Express it, let me sense it, involve others in it
Strategies:
Encourage Peer Group Cohesion (ice breakers, games, social time);
Encourage Cross-age Linkages, Staff-youth bonding;
Encourage ties with family and community;
Make small group time available to allow the development of close
relationships with peers and staff;
Encourage collaborative and cooperative learning;
Show respect for the value of diverse cultures;
Provide multiple opportunities for youth to develop relationships with
adults;
Encourage supportive peer relationships.
Mastery
Opportunities for Success – the source of self-esteem
Content: Structure, Implementation Oriented
Design Elements: Order it, sequence it, walk through, practice
Strategies:
Mix hands-on activities, projects or exhibitions, applied,
contextual or workplace-related challenges;
Supplement competition with cooperative activities or games;
Develop multi-faceted teaching approaches that include group
investigation, experiential learning and multiple outcomes;
Focus on the long-term goals of learning; provide prompt
feedback; model and teach that failure and frustration are
learning experiences.
Independence
Autonomy, Responsibility
Content: Data Oriented, Experiential
Design Elements: Free me to discover, experiment, visualize
Strategies:
Before making decisions, ask if youth could make the decision;
Include youth in planning discussions and encourage input;
Ask youth to do something instead of telling them to do it;
Give youth responsibility to carry out with a minimum of reminders;
Commend youth who recognize the limits of their independence and
seek counsel;
Help youth explore courses of action or appropriate decisions;
Never deprive youth of the thrill of overcoming an obstacle, don’t jump
in too quickly to help;
Maintain a close link between independence and responsibility;
Share power with young people through self-governance in significant
areas.
Generosity
Purpose, Usefulness
Content: Conceptual, Big Picture
Design Elements: Metaphors, Discovery, Experiential, Visuals
Strategies:
Mentoring/Tutoring programs for cross-age linkages, service
projects and community service;
Tie learned skills/abilities to how they can be used in positive
ways;
Respect and encourage bonds of friendship among young
people and between staff and children;
Use as many opportunities as possible to encourage young
people to imagine the feelings of others (discuss feelings or
motivations of characters in literature, history or social studies);
Highlight the effect of a young person’s behavior on others
(both positive and negative), reinforce gestures of caring and
concern, and ask young people to take responsibility.
Youth Development experiences become
TRANSFORMATIONAL when we provide opportunities
for young people to:
•Belong
•Master Skills through Experience
•Influence others
•Learn the meaning of service
Challenges for those who care
about 4-H
Build the unique character of 4-H and
strengthen its identity
Strengthen the value relationship between
4-H and the Land Grant University
Build a culture of philanthropy within 4-H
What does America need
from 4-H in the next century?
To be an effective
youth development program tied to
its Land Grant University
Characteristics of Effective Youth
Development Programs
Youth as resources
Ecological Approach
Caring adults and safe
environments
Belonging with rules
Flexible and
responsive
Long-term
Real work and real
responsibility
Experiences resulting
in product or
presentation
What does it take to assist young people to become
healthy, problem-solving, constructive adults?
Youth must:
Find a valued place in a constructive group
Learn how to form close, durable human relationships
Earn a sense of worth as a person
Achieve a reliable basis for making informed choices
Express constructive curiosity and exploratory behavior
Find ways of being useful to others
Believe in a promising future with real opportunities
Cultivate the inquiring and problem-solving habits of the mind
Learn to respect democratic values and responsible citizenship
Build a healthy lifestyle
Great Transitions: Preparing Adolescents for a New Century
Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development
If you were to design a youth development program
intended to assist young people to become healthy,
problem-solving constructive adults –
what would it look like?
What would it look like?
It would offer opportunities for youth to
experience belonging
It would offer opportunities for youth to
experience a “hands-on” laboratory which
connects them to the knowledge of the Land
Grant University
It would offer opportunities for young people
to choose
It would offer opportunities to experience
what it means to be a citizen
It would look a lot like
the 4-H Club.
www.national4-hheadquarters.gov
www.4husa.org
Cathann Kress
Director, Youth Development
National 4-H Headquarters
CSREES, USDA
How can we strengthen 4-H?
Remember that youth will
participate in programs that:
1) Meet their basic needs
2) Build skills and values
3) Use their skills, talents, energies and
time in ways that make them feel good
and powerful.
Challenges in developing or expanding
effective programs for young adolescents:
Participation
Access
Funding
Effectiveness
Coordination
The Future of Children: When School is Out,” David
and Lucille Packard Foundation, Volume 9, Number
2, Fall 1999
Participation: Making programs
attractive and relevant to target audiences
What do kids say they want?
“Fun and friends”
“Voice and choice”
Income, race and gender influence who
participates
Access…who can participate?
Low-income communities---rural or urban-were least likely to offer consistent
support for and a wide array of
opportunities for adolescents.
More access issues…
Logistics--transportation, location of
services (including safety issues), fees,
required expenses
Perceptions--who is perceived as
welcome in terms of race, gender,
ability/disability, etc.
Barriers to involvement...
Difficulty of identifying programs
Program costs
Required parent participation
Problem behaviors of some youth
Family pre-occupied with other needs
Youth lacked self-confidence to initiate or sustain
participation
“Increasing the 4-H participation of youth from high-risk
environments,” B. Hobbs, Journal of Extension, 8/99.
Funding….
Multiple sources with multiple expectations
Instability
Inadequacy
Inequity--”easier to obtain a million dollars to
study juvenile purse-snatching than a
thousand dollars to study youth theatre or
dance groups.”
Program effectiveness...
Reliance on “soft measures”
Failure to evaluate core services
Few “big studies”
Thorny methodological issues
Few good measurement tools
Coordination…
Competition
Duplication
Unique niches and contribution