Learning Styles  Print learners  Auditory learners  Tactile learners  Visual learners  Kinesthetic learners  Interactive learners  Independent learners  Observational learners

Experiential Learning Model

4-H Skillathons  Are participant centered  Involve "do, reflect, and apply"  The learning is facilitated  The process is facilitated  Realistic tasks are expected  Praise and recognition for learners is incorporated

Criteria for 4-H Youth Development Programming  A 4-H club: enrolls at least 5 members from at least 3 families conducts a minimum of 6 regular club meetings per year, supplemented by other activities meeting typically includes a time for a business and educational program and for social/recreational interaction.

 A 4-H club Typically elects officers or youth leaders meets in any location (homes, military base, schools, libraries, etc.) adapts to and supports mobility of youth and parents, linking them to 4-H programs in other counties and states. meets interests and needs of youth is advised by screened/trained adult staff or volunteers Criteria for 4-H Youth Development Programming

 A 4-H club: includes opportunities to learn and apply skills such as leadership, citizenship, community service and public speaking provides individual project experiences in science, engineering and technology, citizenship and healthy living provides programs, curricula and procedures based in research, which are developmentally appropriate

 A 4-H club: provides members and volunteers access to resources of land-grant universities and to county, state and national 4-H opportunities uses experiential learning as a primary teaching approach fosters youth-adult partnerships that encourage active involvement and participation by youth and adults Criteria for 4-H Youth Development Programming

 A 4-H club: provides safe and healthy physical and emotional environments

Typical Policies of 4-H Clubs  A set number of members with completed enrollment papers.  Club is organized with youth officers.  One or more appointed and trained club leaders.  An official club name is chosen.  Club rules are established.

Typical Policies (cont'd)  At least 6 regular meetings plus project meetings are scheduled.  A written educational plan for the club program is on file at county 4-H Office.  A copy of the club enrollment is kept on file with the county 4-H Office.

Enrollment Policies for 4-H Members  Enrollment of members, volunteers and leaders is required each year and is done through the county 4-H Office.  New members joining throughout the year must submit enrollment papers immediately to county 4-H Office.  Other forms such as code of conduct may also be submitted each year.

Enrollment Policies of 4-H members (cont'd)  Eligibility for competition and some project involvement are determined by birth date or grade in school.  Contact your county 4-H agent for specific policies in your state.

Enrollment Policies for Volunteers  Volunteers must also complete enrollment forms each year.  Screening and training prior to serving as 4-H leaders are usually required.  Position descriptions are provided for volunteer leaders.

Fiscal Policies for 4-H Clubs  4-H clubs do not pay taxes on income generated by the club.  Some states have membership dues to cover insurance or other specific costs.  Liability and accident insurance varies in each state. Contact your county 4-H agent for information about insurance coverage in your state.

Reporting Policies of 4-H Clubs County 4-H programs report data through their states to National 4-H Headquarters at USDA. Includes demographic summary of members and volunteers Number of clubs in the county Information about the 4-H programs

Nine Steps for Establishing a 4-H Club Step 1 -- Contact the county 4-H Agent Step 2 -- Attend local 4-H volunteer/leader training Step 3 -- Obtain county and state 4-H policies and guidelines

Nine steps (cont'd)  Step 4 -- Assess youth, parent and community needs and interests  Step 5 -- Recruit potential club members  Step 6 -- Conduct an organizational meeting

Nine steps (cont'd)  Step 7 -- Recruit project leader(s) and distribute curricula  Step 8 -- Complete and submit enrollment and other appropriate reports  Step 9 -- Assist with club rules or by-law preparation

High-context Youth Development  Experiences in which young people and adults have close connections over a long period of time.

Step 1 Identify Specific Life Skills Examples of life skills developed through 4-H club meetings: leadership communication decision making problem solving teamwork cooperation accepting differences

Step 2 Involve Youth and Leaders  Club meetings should be planned and conducted by youth members.  Youth-run meetings attract more young people to the club and keep everyone involved.

Step 3 Plan for Balance and Variety  Rule of thumb for 90-minute meeting: Business meeting15 minutes Educational program30-45 minutes Recreation, social30 minutes

Guiding Principles: The Essential Elements of 4-H Belonging A positive relationship with a caring adult An inclusive environment A safe environment Mastery Engagement in learning Learn new skills Independence Opportunity to see oneself as an active participant in the future Opportunity for self- determination Generosity Opportunity to value and practice service for others

A Yearly Plan  Clearly states the agreed upon club goals.  Informs everyone on what to expect as members.  Outlines each persons' responsibilities.  Gives everyone time to prepare for meetings and events.

A Yearly Plan (cont'd)  Promotes a balanced experience with a variety of activities.  Helps the group measure how successful they were in reaching their goals.

Constructing a Yearly Plan 1.Determine interests, needs and desires of all club members. 2. Next, put those suggestions into a plan.

Ideas for Gathering Information  Idea box  Wall parking lot or sticky board  Web-based survey  Roll call survey

4-H is for you! The activities that your club plans for the year should be the things the members of your club want to do. By completing the sentences in each leaf of the clover you will help your club plan the coming year’s activities. Clover Survey I am curious about… We could help our community by… My hobbies are… Just for fun we could…

Setting Goals For Your 4-H Club  Good goals: Reflect interests of the club. Target life skills. Are stated clearly. Are realistic, achievable and measurable. Fit within the developmental capabilities of members. Promote cooperation, learning and skill development. Provide individual and group achievement incentives.

Examples of 4-H Club Goals  25% of club members will exhibit computer projects in the county fair.  Our club will participate in two community service projects during the coming year.  Our club will recruit at least three new members during the coming year.

Club Goals (cont'd)  Our club will offer healthy snack options at every meeting during the coming year.  Our club will attend one city council meeting during the coming year.

A Typical 4-H Program Plan  Includes: Meetings on a fixed day every month. Educational trips or presentations by special guests. Recreational activities. Special events such as holiday parties. Community service projects. Project work.

A Typical 4-H Program Plan (cont'd)  Includes: Opportunities for member presentations. One club recognition activity. One 4-H promotional activity. One meeting to plan the program for the following year.

Marketing to Youth  Youth today get information from the digital world. When marketing to young people, especially teens, remember:  Youth pay more attention to digital marketing than traditional forms of marketing.  Use technology that youth use such as PodCasts, Facebook and YouTube.  Advertisements can be produced at minimal cost and posted to YouTube, while PodCasts can be made available on websites.  Sites such as Facebook can be used to create virtual groups and clubs for dissemination of information.  All of these marketing techniques can be developed and managed by teen technology clubs.

Guide to Creating Your 4-H Marketing Plan 1.What experiences can 4-H provide to your age group that they would see as a benefit? 2.What are some special events and activities that 4-H is involved with that appeal to your audience? 3.What are some strategies you could use to let your audience know about 4-H and your club?

Your Club’s Marketing Strategy List 3 things your club will do to attract members How will this be accomplished? Who will be responsible?

Transitioning Youth to New 4-H Communities  4-H agents can provide contact information for all state 4-H offices.  4-H agents can make phone calls to help the transitioning member.  4-H agents can provide other youth development professionals information to help transition youth to new communities.

Transitioning Youth to New 4-H Communities  4-H club leaders can assist youth who are moving by helping get all their 4- H records and paperwork in order.  4-H club leaders can assist new 4-H members by making sure members have all the information they need to be successful in their new club.

Reasons Why People Volunteer  To help their families  To work with youth  To learn new skills  To help the community  To meet and get to know people in the community

Reasons Why People Volunteer  To develop leadership skills  To use personal skills and knowledge  To learn more about community efforts and activities

Club Leader Role  Supports youth by providing encouragement, ideas and learning opportunities  Recruits other volunteers and parents to assist with project and club activities

Club Leader Role  Links the club to the county 4-H program by keeping communication open between the club and local 4-H agent  Makes sure that 4-H clubs contribute to and make use of community resources

Project Leader Role  Creates positive learning environment where needs of all youth are met  Provides experiences that teach the subject matter using experiential learning methods  Provides opportunities to develop life skills  Helps youth set realistic goals for projects and helps reach those goals

Skills and Attitudes of Volunteers  An understanding of youth development principles  Shares age-appropriate responsibilities with youth  Has high expectations and holds youth accountable  Recognizes the accomplishments of youth

Skills and Attitudes of Volunteers  Fair, objective, honest and sincere  Facilitates teamwork  Develops leadership skills of youth

Supporting and Recognizing Volunteers  Maintain contact with volunteers (internet, personal contact, phone)  Develop clearly focused agendas for volunteer meetings  Handle conflicts immediately  Encouragement and recognition are essential

Volunteer Recognition Ideas 1.Publicly thank volunteers. Write a news release for local paper highlighting their contributions. 2.Ask for volunteers' input into programs, events, workshops. 3.Invite volunteers to participate in staff meetings and conferences.

Volunteer Recognition Ideas 4.Ask a volunteer to speak on behalf of the 4-H program to an outside agency. 5.Promote a volunteer to a higher level of responsibilities. 6.Write a letter of reference. 7.Nominate volunteers for community, state or national awards.

Volunteer Recognition Ideas 8.Encourage youth to send thank-you notes. 9.Feature volunteers in print or media promotional publications. 10.Provide recognition tokens such as plaques, certificates, pins.

Volunteer Recognition Ideas 11.Offer perks such as free admission, parking, reserved seating, etc. 12.Have a Volunteer of the Month Award. 13.Host a banquet, luncheon, party or reception in the volunteers' honor.

Characteristics of Recognition  Recognition is a basic human need.  Recognition must be designed to build self-esteem.  A balance between intangible and tangible recognition is essential.  Adult support is essential.  All 4-H members need to experience recognition for their efforts.

Characteristics of Recognition  Recognition is more meaningful when it occurs soon after it is earned.  Appropriate recognition for individual 4-H'ers varies with stage of development, past experiences, family lifestyle, community and cultural heritage.

Characteristics of Recognition  Opportunities for self-assessment and reflection within the recognition process allow for youth to learn and grow.

5 Types of Recognition 1.Participating in educational experiences. 2.Progress toward self-set goals. 3.Achieving standards of excellence. 4.Peer competition. 5.Excellence in cooperation.

Participation Recognition  Recognizes attending, participating and successfully completing an activity.  Can take the form of a name in the paper, t-shirt, participation ribbon, etc.

Progress Toward Self-Set Goals Recognition  Not limited to the outcome at the end of the project and is useful when several steps are involved in reaching a goal. This form of recognition: Can be used with all ages Requires that goals must be realistic and reachable Progress is evaluated by youth and adults Progress is measured using young person's own goals and plans

Achievement of Standards Recognition  Recognizing accomplishments as they compare to pre-determined standards. Key elements are: Standard used to measure success is an outside source Adults must assure standards are clearly defined and youth are well informed Involves a judging system. 4-H uses a ribbon placement system The standard measures quality of work and is not a comparison to others

Peer Competition Recognition  Comparison to peers can negatively influence younger members' self- perception  Desire to win may overpower desire to learn. Help youth remain focused on the experience rather than the competition.  Rules and procedures must be clear.

Peer Competition Recognition  Negative stress, conflict, etc., can be reduced by assuring everyone understands expectations.  Adults must remember that this form of recognition is designed to promote the development of youth rather than the success of their program.  Competition should be optional. It does not motivate ALL youth.

Excellence in Cooperation Recognition  Key components: Involves all youth in the group Is measured against mutually agreed upon goals and supports looking at a variety of ideas Ultimate goal is not recognition Everyone is recognized