FY05 - NDSU Extension Service
PROGRAM #205 - 4-H Youth Development

Overall Situation: North Dakota is a state with an aging population. In order for youth in North Dakota to stay in the state or in their communities, they need to feel connected and invested in the community. Finding opportunities for youth to be involved will support a desire of many youth to stay or return to their communities or the state.

Environment: Declining rural populations, deficient technology infrastructure and expertise, long history of social/community norms and the adult view of youth as a recipient of services, create barriers for young people to grow to reach their fullest potential. As a predominantly rural agricultural state, North Dakota's environment can be a challenging place for youth of the 21^st century to develop the needed life skills and assets to help them become contributing and productive adults.

PROGRAM COMPONENT 
YOUTH/ADULT PARTNERSHIPS

Key Theme(s):   Asset Building- Youth Development

Situation: Youth today feel excluded within their communities. They want and need to become partners with adults in planning and implementing programs for communities and youth. North Dakota communities need to capitalize on the "Power of Youth" as members of boards and committees, technology specialists, small business entrepreneurs and contributing members of their communities. Youth need to develop a connection and sense of purpose within their community to help insure survival of the North Dakota way of life in the 21^st century.
Desired Outcomes-

Short Term: 

• Extension Staff will learn how to become a catalyst for building Youth/Adult Partnerships in North Dakota Communities.
• North Dakota Communities will develop attitudes of inclusion toward youth in community decision making.
• Youth will discover the talents and skills they possess and that their communities need.
• Adults and youth will discover and value the "Power of Youth".

Medium Term:

• Extension programs in North Dakota will serve as a model for inclusion of youth on decision making committees and teams where decisions affect youth.
• Communities will provide opportunities for youth to serve as full partners on councils and boards.
• Local communities will engage "Youth Based" advisory teams to address local community youth related issues.

Long Term:

• North Dakota Extension Service will be recognized within the state and nationally as a "Power of Youth" resource and program model in building youth and adult partnerships.
• North Dakota Communities will value and rely on their youth as a partner and resource in long term sustain-ability of North Dakota Communities.
• Youth will develop a more civic based sense of place and purpose with in their communities and as future adults in society.

Outputs

Activities: Workshops will be conducted around positive youth development concepts, building partnerships with youth and the power and potential of today's young people.

• The Group Decision Center will be used to bring youth adults to the table to discuss issues and partnership opportunities.
• Staff will receive training on positive youth development and youth/adult partnership building.
• Staff will do community assessments to gauge the current level of youth/adult partnership opportunities.
• A marketing piece will be developed to promote this extension program component.
• Assessments will be developed to measure impacts on youth/adults and communities.

Participation: Youth will be targeted for training at established events/conferences.

• Extension Staff will receive training to develop skills as catalysts for community youth/adult partnership building.
• Community decision makers, educators, citizens and volunteers will receive training from trained extension staff.
• State decision makers and extension decision making groups will be a target market for promotional literature and impacts of program efforts.

Inputs:   

Team Members:  Same as above.

Curriculum:  Creating Youth/Adult partnerships (from National 4-H Curriculum Collection) and It's A Big World Out There (North Dakota).

PROGRAM COMPONENT
4-H CLUBS

Key Theme(s):  Youth Development/4-H

Situation:   The 4-H community club program is the primary youth development delivery model in North Dakota.   Young people feel that they can contribute in a positive way in their community and teens need opportunities to focus on their interests. According to surveys conducted by the Search Institute, most adults feel that it is important to have real relationships with kids. However, approximately only 35% of adults practice the action. 4-H club programs can bridge the gap and make the youth-to-adult connection. Both youth and adults can be served by being involved in the many different aspects of the 4-H youth development program whether it be involvement in a specialty group or a club that connects them to their community.   To strengthen the community club program, volunteers need to be provided training and support.

Environment: Youth have many options for their time. They want to pick and choose from areas that interest them. Youth and adults do not want the commitment of a long term program, but are willing to work intensely on a project of high interest.

Outcomes:

Desired:  Youth will experience valuable relationships and mentorship with adults while they learn skills as they participate in club activities and community service. These learned skills will impact their adult lives.

Short term:

• Youth develop skills and gain knowledge through their club activities and projects.
• Youth belong to a group which enables them to take on a need in the community.
• The community becomes aware of the value and importance of youth involved in community service.
• Youth recognize that they can make a difference.
• Specialized clubs have started in at least two counties in two years.
• Youth in specialized clubs learned a technical or specific skill.
• All activities encourage volunteering as a way to enhance feelings of self-worth.
• Volunteers learn the steps necessary to start a new 4-H club.
• Volunteer leaders learn the needed skills for leadership of effective 4-H clubs.
• Youth leaders learn skills needed to become effective youth leaders and officers in 4-H clubs.
•  

Medium term: 

• Youth design and implement a community service learning project.
• Youth serve on community based councils and committees.
• Teens understand the social impact of community service learning.
• Youth in the specialized clubs will experience volunteerism by teaching or sharing their learned skill with others.
• Specialized clubs will be started in at least five counties in three years.
• Increased numbers of volunteer leaders share in club leadership roles.
• Volunteer leaders manage effective 4-H clubs.
• Youth officers lead effective 4-H club meetings.

Long term:  

• The number of youth involved in 4-H has increased.
• There is an increase in the number of 4-H clubs.
• The program has fostered a volunteer attitude as youth teach fellow peers skills as well as share their new found expertise with the adult community.
• There is an increase in number and retention of 4-H club members.
• Young people feel that they can contribute in a positive way to their community by working with the adult members of their community.
• Youth contribute more volunteer hours.
• Youth apply leadership skills to other settings.
• Youth and adults have developed inter-generational bonds within their communities bringing the community closer together as a whole.

Outputs:  

• Member and leader recruitment activities conducted throughout the year.
• Development of specialized clubs will be based on interests and needs of youth in the community identified by Extension staff, volunteers and youth.
• 4-H events and activities conducted at the county, district and state level in communication arts, expo, fashion, judging events, livestock and horse events, achievement days and fairs, workshops, youth activity days, outdoor skills and camps.
• County leader trainings and State Volunteer Forums held to provide volunteer leader development training.
• Assessment will be done to determine if participation in the specialized clubs involves youth that would otherwise not participate in 4-H activities and determine if participation by youth over age 12 increased.
• Youth and adults conduct a needs assessment of special populations within a county.
• North Dakota 4-H Youth Survey conducted to determine the attitudes and behaviors of children/adolescents who participate in 4-H in regard to themselves, their families, their peers, and their community at large.  The study will help 4-H determine whether the program is effective in promoting positive youth development, as well as to improve programming efforts in the future.
• State Youth Development specialists conduct 4-H staff development trainings.
   

Target audience: Youth ages 5 – 19 and adults.

Inputs:
 

Youth, parents, volunteer leaders, Extension agents, community/organization leaders, youth leadership teams/junior leaders, state 4-H youth specialists, media, other youth serving agencies, local decision makers, training professionals.
 

PROGRAM COMPONENT
SAFE, HEALTHY AND ENGAGED YOUTH
 

Key Theme(s):    Youth Development/4-H

Situation: Communities, families and young people in North Dakota today are faced with many risk related choices and situations that they seemingly have little control over.  Increased stress on rural families due to shrinking school and community populations coupled with an ever challenging farm economy increased the likelihood that North Dakota youth will make choices that place them in harms way. Surveys indicate youth in North Dakota are high risk from alcohol, tobacco and other illicit drugs. The number of children living in poverty and without insurance continues to rise. Youth and adults need to become partners in providing character based education for all school age youth. Communities must provide safe and positive activities for all youth during those times when youth are most vulnerable (after school, evenings and weekends).

Environment:

Desired outcomes: Communities will foster positive youth development with programs to identify and support the assets of the community. Youth assets will be built and strengthened through character education.

Outcomes:
 

Short term: Youth will learn about character education creating more positive experiences of youth in activities. Youth will learn GIS/GPS technology education.

Medium term: Communities will organize to become communities of character. Youth and adults will work together to educate their community on GIS/GPS technology by mapping their communities.

Long term: Youth and adults in communities throughout North Dakota will demonstrate positive supportive environments for youth development.

Outputs:

Character education training will be provided for facilitators in North Dakota Communities. Putting youth back into sports training opportunities for coaches, parents, and community members for improving the positive experiences for youth sport participants.

Adults in communities will receive training to organize character coalitions or to strengthen existing youth coalitions.

“Mapping Your Favorite Places” projects in several communities.

Education trunks will be used to enhance technology and outdoor skills training and program opportunities.

Target Audience: Adults and school age youth in North Dakota communities

Inputs ( 1 year):
 

Josephenson Institute curriculum "Character Counts".

Partnering agencies:   North Dakota Dept. of Public Instruction, local school districts, local Character Education Advisory Committees, Extension Multicounty Planning Unit Advisory committees, local school districts, ESRI GIS virtual campus courses.

Funding sources:  North Dakota Dept. of Public Instruction and workshop fees

Web site on Character Education at Josephenson Institute.