1. Taking Congress Home Iracking effects of state events on overall 4-H experience
Reporting on NC 4-H 2006 State Congress
Ben Silliman, Ph.D.
NC 4-H Youth Development Specialist

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Event Context
Week-long, campus-based teen event
One-day state presentation contest
Focused on citizenship, leadership, service
Approx. 85 county delegations (1-25 youth)
80+ year history; 2004 mission clarification
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Specific Events
State presentations and performances
Subject-matter and Ambassador workshops
Service learning experiences
Issues forum
State officer elections
Achievement recognition; Honor Club tap-in
Social events
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4. Youth Development Context
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Youth Development Context
Adolescence as incubator for learning on Citizenship, Leadership, Service
(Brockman, & Tepper, & MacNeil, 2002; Roebuck, Brockman, & Tepper, 2002)
Youth thrive when provided opportunities and supports that reduce risk, build assets (Gambone, Connell, & Klem, 2002)
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5. Youth Development Context
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Youth Development Context
Week-long, same-age, residential experiences can be transformative
(Garst, et al., 2006)
Relatively few events are evaluated
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Evaluation Questions
Program Content: Is NC 4-H Congress successful in achieving key objectives? (e.g., preparing youth for citizenship, leadership, and service)
Program Context: Does NC 4-H Congress provide a climate that promotes positive youth development? (e.g., through program traits related to positive outcomes)
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7. Evaluation Model: Empowerment
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Evaluation Model: Empowerment
Phase I: Mission Clarification
Phase 2: Content and Context Evaluation
Phase 3: In-depth Evaluations
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8. Evaluation Models: Targeting Outcomes Reasoned Behavior
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Evaluation Models: Targeting Outcomes Reasoned Behavior
Short-term Outcomes: knowledge, aspirations
Mid-term Outcomes: follow-up behaviors
 Aspirations predict behavior
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Evaluation Questions
Program Content: Is NC 4-H Congress successful in achieving key objectives? (e.g., preparing youth for citizenship, leadership, and service)
Program Context: Does NC 4-H Congress provide a climate that promotes positive youth development? (e.g., through program traits related to positive outcomes)
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Evaluation Measures
Retrospective: Behaviors related to citizenship, leadership, service completed in home communities, inspired by participation in previous years’ 4-H Congress)
Cronbach alpha reliability = .79
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Evaluation Measures
Prospective: Aspirations (13 items on plans to learn/do more in citizenship, leadership, service) (alpha = .88)
Prospective: Views of Program Climate
(24 items related to traits of PYD programs) (alpha = .86)
Prospective: Views of Events (17 items on perceived benefits of each event at Congress) (alpha = .88)
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Participants
339 full-time delegates, ages 13-19
(220 female, 119 male)
88% of those with parent consent
62% of all full-time delegates
55% first-time attenders
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Results: Content
As a result of participating in 4-H Congress…
Retro Pro-
…gained/plan to gain greater knowledge
of current issues…………………………… 76% 80%
of civic responsibilities…………………….. 85% 80%
…expanded and strengthened friendships 93% 95%
…learned many new ideas
in subject-matter workshops……………… 69% 80%
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Results: Content
As a result of participating in 4-H Congress…
Retro Pro-
…became/plan to become more involved
in leadership in my community………….. 82% 85%
…participated/plan to participate
in more citizenship activities……………… 79% 83%
…became/plan to become
more involved in community service…… 82% 84%
more involved in cultural activities……… 58% 69%
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Results: Content
As a result of participating in 4-H Congress… Retro Pro-
…to expand 4-H involvement (number or
variety of 4-H- related activities)…………. 82% 89%
...completed/plan to complete an application
for recognition of 4-H work (cum. records,
scholarships, national trip, Honor Club) 59% 73%
…completed/plan to complete a presen-
tation, project, or judging event………… 84% 83%
…recruited/plan to recruit others to attend
4-H Congress………………………………… 73% 88%
(Retrospective N = 187; Prospective: N = 339; Missing data 3%)
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Open-ended Comments
Community-based service represented a wide range of activities
“Hands-to-Service” most valuable as service learning and friendship network
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Results: Context
Percent who rated climate as Always/Often…
Safe and Healthy %
Supportive and Caring %
Structured and Challenging 70-89%
Self-Efficacy Promoted %
Social Norms Positive %
Supported Belonging %
Structure Appropriate %
Synergy with Community 88-90%
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Discussion
Content and Context viewed positively
Content outcomes
increased knowledge and interest in learning among participants at the H Congress
Increased citizenship, leadership, and service behavior in home communities during prior year attributed to H Congress
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Discussion
Content and Context viewed positively
Context viewed as a climate of safety, support, and challenge, typical of PYD
Evidence for balanced approach
Evidence for credibility of content outcomes
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Discussion
Positive Congress  Community Cycle:
Congress = novel supports and opportunities, positive norms about citizenship, leadership, & service, positive beliefs about making a difference…
Community = year-round self-determined opportunities reinforcing beliefs about leadership, service, and self-efficacy
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21. Implications for Practice
Continue residential experiences, with emphasis on knowledge, inspiration, hands-on learning
Friendship and positive social climate, as well as support at home support outcomes
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22. Implications for Marketing and Accountability
Evidence for impact and quality
Provides a basis for advertising benefits to prospective youth and families
Provides a tentative foundation for funders and scholarship providers
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23. Implications for Training
Quality content and context provides a sound foundation for
Training new staff
Improving the residential program and community-based extensions
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24. Implications for Evaluation and Research
Youth views of events provide valuable feedback and insight for programming
More and detailed research needed to track effects of activities and patterns of effects at community level still unknown
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