Citizenship, Leadership and Life Skills Focus

All 4-H projects and activities should be designed to lead to the development of citizenship, leadership or life skills. no matter the subject of the project, at least one of these skill areas should be part of what members are learning.

Citizenship

In the California 4-H Youth Development Program, "citizenship" is designed in broach terms. It is more than voting and understanding how government works. Citizenship incorporates concepts of "youth in governance," "civic engagement," and uses strategies such as service to foster young people's sense of connection to communities. Our citizenship activities can and should foster the development of "generosity" as described above. They may also help develop important life skills; inspire an appreciation for the history and heritage of one's family, community, state and nation; help develop knowledge of the principles, process and structures of government; develop awareness and understanding of environmental, social, or other issues; and encourage understanding of how societal issues impact oneself and others.

Leadership

The California 4-H Youth Development Program believes that all youth have the potential to become leaders and that there are multiple ways to be an effective leader.  Leadership can be defined as "the ability to influence and support others in a positive manner for a common goal."  It is critical that youth hold the primary leadership roles throughout the 4-H program.  4-H creates opportunities not just to learn about leadership, but to practice it as well.  Participating youth should have opportunities for goal-setting, program planning, problem-solving, team-building, and decision-making.

Youth should be adequately prepared for those roles, and should have opportunities to reflect on their leadership experiences in ways that will enhance their learning.  The California 4-H Youth Development Program believes that youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, they are also the leaders of today!  Leadership opportunities for youth exist at the local, county, state and national levels, and provide increasingly challenging and responsible roles for young leaders.  Leadership development can begin as soon as a club or other group forms, so that youth can:

• learn how to become effective officers
• develop skills that prepare them for future roles
• make decisions at the local, county, state and national levels.
• At the county level, older youth can become Emerald Stars, All Star Ambassadors, or camp counselors, or they can hold other leadership positions available in their county.  As they progress, they will find many opportunities to provide leadership.

Life Skills

The University of California 4-H Youth Development Program fosters young people developing a wide range of life skills and provides increasingly challenging opportunities for them to practice those skills and achieve a sense of mastery.

For more information, look online at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/lifeskills/homepage.html

Reference:

California 4-H Project Leaders Digest (PDF Link)

Graphic - Iowa State University