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 The 4-H Environment: Positive Youth Development
Positive Youth Development builds on young peoples’ strengths or assets. It is development that is healthy and productive for both the youth and their families. Positive youth development occurs from an intentional process that promotes positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, choices, relationships, and the support necessary for youth to fully participate in families and society. Youth development occurs in families, peer groups, schools, neighborhoods and communities1.
High-quality programming can provide valuable benefits in the form of leadership development,2 life skills development3, and civic development45. Studies confirm that these general skill areas can have numerous positive benefits for youth and their communities6. These findings support the
high educational priority assigned to these goals for 4-H YD Program activities.
"The California 4-H Youth Development Program is consistent with research in youth development." - CA 4-H Mission and Direction (2002)
4-H's unique role in youth development is that our programs are based on scientifically valid research. We analyze and document our efforts to demonstrate an impact on youth and then disseminate our findings to further the field of youth development. We use our science base to anticipate problems and develop practical solutions in the communities we serve. By sharing our efforts with other
professionals, we leverage additional
resources and expand our impact.
Youth Development Resources
 Framework: Essential Elements of Youth Development
The four essential elements are based on work conducted in 1999 by a group of evaluators from the National 4-H Impact Design Implementation Team. They identified eight elements that are critical to positive youth development. The eight critical elements help establish the base for the four essential elements.
Gambone, Klem and Connell7 report that youth who are exposed to these elements tend to do well in school, establish healthy outside interests, and develop basic life skills. These youth take responsibility and avoid risky behaviors. They are also more likely to be productive adults in their communities.
Essential Elements of Youth Develompent Flyer (PDF)
"Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments in 4-H Clubs" from University of Wisconsin-Extension 4-H Youth Development
CARING RELATIONSHIP (BELONGING): All youth need a caring, supportive relationship in their lives. Volunteer Leaders and club members provide this fellowship by showing interest in, actively listening to, and fostering the gifts of 4-H youth. 4-H clubs provide an opportunity for long-term youth development seldom found in other educational delivery modes. The multiple interactions of parents and adults working with 4-Hers that is found in 4-H clubs is unique to most other youth education
CONSTRUCTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES (MASTERY): Youth rely on the joy they receive from interests, hobbies and group participation to balance disappointments in other parts of their lives. 4-H offers opportunities to take on new challenges and learn new skills. 4-H youth develop mastery through the Experiential Learning Process by experiencing, sharing what happened, processing what was important, generalizing the experience to the real world and applying what was learned to other situations. The presence of self-confidence and positive self-esteem are today considered to be two of the most important indicators of personal wellness and success in an individual. Through the support and encouragement of caring club parents and leaders youth grow taller in their feelings of self-worth. A sense of accomplishment is achieved from finishing a project and participating in a positive evaluation experience.
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES (INDEPENDENCE): Creating opportunities for youth to develop skills and confidence for leadership and self-discipline is a cornerstone of 4-H. 4-H helps young people recognize the connection between independence and responsibility. Independence does mean greater power and influence but it is linked with responsibility for decisions made and actions taken. Today's society is busy, with worthwhile opportunities for youth in greater abundance than ever before. Being involved in a successful 4-H club means that members learn how to set priorities in developing their club program and manage the time they have available for their club wisely.
SERVICE TO COMMUNITIES (GENEROSITY): The 4-H Pledge focuses on the importance of larger service and recognizing a responsibility for the welfare of others. 4-H helps youth focus on developing concern for others and taking action to demonstrate that concern. Service forges bonds between youth and the community, and doing something valued by others raises feelings of self-worth and competence.
4-H Essential Elements Program Planning Tool
The goal of this tool is to help 4-H volunteers and staff to assess and improve their current ability to create with young people opportunities for positive youth development. 4-H offers youth supervised , a sense of with a positive group, a spirit
of toward others and a wide variety of opportunities to life challenges.
Framework: The 5 C's of Positive Youth Development
The Five Cs theory of positive youth development identifies five important characteristics that young people develop that helps them to grow into healthy and successful adults. Research has demonstrated that youth who have higher levels of these five Cs tend to have more positive behaviors and developmental outcomes compared with youth who have lower levels. Furthermore, researchers theorized that young people whose lives incorporated these Five Cs would be on a developmental path that demonstrates a Sixth C: Contributions to self, family, community, and the institutions of a civil society.
Competence: Positive view of one’s actions in specific areas, including social, academic, cognitive, health, and vocational. Social competence refers to
interpersonal skills (such as conflict resolution). Cognitive competence refers to cognitive abilities (e.g., decision making). Academic competence refers to school performance as shown, in part, by school grades, attendance, and test scores. Health competence involves using nutrition, exercise, and rest to keep oneself fit. Vocational competence involves work habits and explorations of career choices.
Confidence: An internal sense of overall positive self-worth and self-efficacy.
Connection: Positive bonds with people and institutions that are reflected in
exchanges between the individual and his or her peers, family, school, and community in which both parties contribute to the relationship.
Character: Respect for societal and cultural norms, possession of standards for
correct behaviors, a sense of right and wrong (morality), and integrity.
Caring/Compassion: A sense of sympathy and empathy for others.
4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, by Tufts, uses the 5 C's (PDF)
Report of the findings from the first four years of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. A longitudinal study that follows young people over
a significant period of time and records important changes within individual participants, as well as critical differences between participants at any given age.
References:
- 1 Smith, Allan T., (2002). 4-H Youth Development Facts in Brief Washington: USDA.
- 2 Camino, L.A. (2000).Youth-adult partnerships: Entering new territory in community work
and research. Applied Developmental Science, 4(Suppl. 1), 11-20.
- 3 Botvin,G.J. (1998). Preventing adolescent drug abuse through life skills training: Theory, methods, and effectiveness. In J. Crane (ed.), Social programs that work. NY: Russell Sage
Foundation (pp.225-257).
- 4 Flanagan , C.A., & Faison,N. (2001).Youth civic development: Implications of research for social policy and programs. Social Policy Report, Vol. XV (1).Ann Arbor, MI: Society for
Research in Child Development.
- 5 Flanagan, C., & Van Horn, B. (2001). Youth civic engagement: Membership and mattering in local communities. CYD Focus. Davis, CA: 4-H Center for Youth Development.
- 6 MacNeil, C. (2000). Youth-Adult Collaborative
Leadership: Strategies for Fostering Ability and Authority. Michigan: UMI Dissertation Services.
- 7 Gambone, M., Klem, A., & Connell, J. (2002). Finding out what matters for youth: Testing key links in a community action framework for youth development. Philadelphia: Youth Development Strategies, Inc. Downloaded March 25, 2005 from http://www.ydsi.org/ydsi/pdf/WhatMatters.pdf
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