When one thinks of 4-H, we often imagine kids presenting livestock at their county fair. There is so much more to this youth development program. The 4-H pledge reads "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living". It provides a scaffolding for the development of real life experiences for young people that help to evolve their personal capabilities in so many ways. We all love animals, but with hundreds of projects available, options also include STEM, agriculture, healthy living, and civic engagement. Let's explore what 4-H has to offer the youth in our community.
Down to the Basics:
Within the 4-H program, students are organized into clubs to provide structure. Most clubs meet monthly and are run using Robert's Rules of Order. Although there are adult advisors, the meetings are conducted by members elected to officer positions. Participants range from 8-19 years of age based on their birthday. This creates a natural opportunity for growth as a leader. Younger members can look up to more senior members, not just as an example of how to conduct themselves properly, but for guidance in their chosen projects too. It is amazing to watch these young individuals grow and learn together. Sometimes the commitment continues and members will return as adult advisors once they have aged out of the program.
Learning By Doing: Skills That Stick
At its core, 4-H is about hands-on learning. Participants are encouraged to explore their interests from robotics and coding, to gardening, nutrition, and animal care. Whether wiring a circuit board, showing off your favorite home grown plant, organizing community outreach events, to animal care, there is something for everyone in 4-H. Woven into every project is a need for communication, critical thinking, and record keeping. Fostering a skillset in organization, tracking progress, and reflecting on personal achievements are just some of the transferable skills young people can use in the real world to have academic and career success. Participants are encouraged to develop public speaking skills with demonstrations to club members and required presentations on their project. These facets help youth evolve life long skills in a supportive environment.
Animal Care & Responsibility: Raising More Than Just Livestock
From typical farm animals such as cattle, pigs, and goats, to domesticated cats, and reptiles, there are plenty of options for young people to choose a species they enjoy working with! Those who choose to do an animal project have a lot of hands-on work to accomplish. Animal projects involve the 4-H member taking on full responsibility for their animal. Education on proper nutrition, animal behavior, basic veterinary care, and preventive health practices are required for the success of the project. Project books provide a scaffolding for general husbandry but also opportunities for exploration of specific health topics. This allows students to grow even when presenting the same project every year. Responsibility, compassion, and communication skills develop while working alongside veterinarians, club members, and other mentors while completing the project. The 4-H motto is to "make the best better" meaning that each member will do the best that they can do in whatever is attempted. The goal in this motto is to push personal boundaries and reach achievements they may have not thought possible.
STEM: Sparking Innovation & Curiosity
There is a dire need for young people to know how to create technology, not just consume it according to the 4-H organization. Projects involving computer science open a door to build a foundation for young people interested in these continuously evolving industries and foster future career growth opportunities. The robotics programs through 4-H cultivate young people's interests in engineering and technology. Did you know Google is a featured STEM supporter with 4-H? Together, they help kids succeed in their career aspirations and provide foundational knowledge while mentoring in coding, computational thinking, and computer science.
Healthy Living: Building Habits for Life
The 4-H healthy living program is unique as it promotes the development of skills that lead to making healthy decisions and living healthy lifestyles. The subsets within this group are healthy mind and body. Keys to a confident and capable adult lie in programs focused on social-emotional health, evolving a youth's sense of self-worth, while teaching them good decision making skills. Teaching participants how choice in life help or hinder themselves, but also impact their families, and their community. The mindfulness program focus includes substance abuse prevention and mental health advocacy. The healthy body subset helps youth participants develop an understanding for healthy eating and being active in a safe environment (4-H). Fostering these principles from a young age develops sustainable habits into adulthood. Included in this facet of 4-H are teen mentorship programs. Supported by adult mentors, the teen mentorship and leadership programs through 4-H allow participants to apply skills and knowledge to make better changes for the future of not only themselves, but others they may influence.
Civic Engagement: Leading with a Purpose
The core principle in the 4-H civic engagement sector is developing youth into good citizens. These programs empower participants so they are well informed and actively engaged in their communities. Participants are required to "learn about civic affairs, build decision-making skills, and develop a sense of understanding and confidence in relating and connecting to other people" (4-H). Whether it is organizing a neighborhood clean up or advocating for local needs, members learn how to be thoughtful and compassionate citizens who care about the greater good. This extends into club meetings and activities with a community service chairperson. The individual presents opportunities within the community that the entire group can participate in. Then the club votes on if they will participate and allocate funding if needed. The process is very structured, again taking from Roberts Rules of Order. Simple needs like cards to accompany Thanksgiving Day dinners for veterans to nationwide projects like building bunk beds for children teach members how to make a positive impact in the world around them.
Growing the Next Generation of Changemakers
4-H is more than a club, it is a launch pad. Visit your local county fair to see what clubs are available in your area. If you would like more information on participating, contact your county 4-H extension office. With hundreds of projects for youth to participate in, there is something for every kid in 4-H. Through STEM, animals, civic engagement, and healthy living, young people are given opportunities to gain skills and confidence vital to success as an adult. Learning to care for others be it animal or human, think critically, support a healthy body and mind, and most importantly, heart, 4-H offers a place for kids to grow, belong, and make a difference in a positive way.