WORK IN PROGRESS . . . . .

FY01 - NDSU Extension Service
PROGRAM #205 - 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Outcomes for North Dakota 4-H Youth Development program are:
Skill Building - Youth must be provided with essential physical, intellectual and emotional skills to deal with living, learning and working environments. Leadership skills can and do enhance each of these environments.
Decision Making - Youth need to be involved in decision making that involves their well being. This provides them with the opportunity to learn and practice decision making for the good of the whole, and enhances self-worth, responsibility and belonging.
Positive Expectations - Youth need to sense positive expectations from the people around them. Peers, family members, school and community networks all provide opportunities to gain positive self-worth.
Meaningful Roles - As an important part of becoming a contributing citizen, volunteer, employee and helper, young people need the opportunity to experience many different roles in their families, among their peers, in school and community. They need to have roles as meaningful contributors.

NDSU Extension 4-H Youth Development Programs are developed to included experientially based methods that focus on the positive growth and development of North Dakota youth, volunteers and extension staff. The "Targeting Life Skills " model developed by the Iowa State University Extension Service/ 4-H Youth Development Program, will provide the foundation model for 4-H Youth Development work in North Dakota. The model and supporting terminology can be found at the following web site: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/y4h/lifeskills/

Program Planning Team: Joe Courneya (chair), Dean Aakre, Kaylyn Anderson, Colleen Boerner, Jill Brandt, Linda Crow, Polly Cummins-Chase, Jim Deal, Laura DeHaan, Lynette Flage, Tracy Freidig, Reva Friez, Julie Hassebroek, Kim Jones, Sharon Kickertz-Gerbig, Becky Koch, Carmelita Lamb, Marilyn Lesmeister, Carmel Miller, Amy Fuglestad Nahnsen, Maxine Nordick, Nels Peterson and Sharon Zeltinger.

Overall Situation
Youth need meaningful opportunities to be involved in family, school, and community in order to develop skills and confidence to become productive, caring adults who contribute positively to society. Experiential learning in areas relating to healthy lifestyles, preparing for careers, developing communication and social skills, and community involvement can provide the education and development of these life skills. 4-H is the outreach youth development program of North Dakota State University and a vital component of the NDSU Extension Service.

PROGRAM COMPONENT
ASSET BUILDING- CREATING CARING COMPETENT YOUTH

Persons Responsible
Linda Crow, Maxine Nordick, Jackie Buckley, Dean Aakre, Vanessa Hoines, Amy Fuglestad Nahnsen, state and county staff. The persons with primary responsibility for an educational effort are listed in parenthesis following each educational program.

Situation
Today's society doesn't always provide examples and opportunities for youth to make healthy life choices; therefore, by providing opportunities to youth and preparing youth workers with resources to build positive assets, 4-H youth programs will build life skills, develop decision-making abilities, foster positive expectations and create meaningful roles for youth in North Dakota. Individual character and social competencies are essential to the development of a productive individual, responsible leadership, and a caring world community. Youth need opportunities to develop the skills of communication, working with others, and getting along with others.

Anticipated Measurable Outcomes (Objectives)
Participants in the educational programs listed below will:

Educational Programs

Evaluation Plan

Educational Program

Evaluation Plan

Persons Responsible
Dean Aakre, Lynelle Jordheim-Bregel, Linda Crow, Marilyn Lesmeister, Amy Fuglestad Nahnsen, Joe Courneya, Carmel Miller, Carmelita Lamb and Polly Cummings-Chase. The persons with primary responsibility for an educational effort are listed in parenthesis following each educational program.

Situation
Staff need to have resources and training to efficiently manage the youth programming effort. They need training with the computer enrollment program, reporting procedures and requirements, and literature management. Resources are needed to promote and conduct programs. Staff training needs to be ongoing and more frequent.

Anticipated Measurable Outcomes (Objectives)

Educational Program

Evaluation Plan
A checklist will be used to record progress on each part of the educational program. Staff will be surveyed in March of each year to find out what has been helpful, what has not been helpful, and what the staff currently need. (State 4-H staff)

Persons Responsible
Marilyn Lesmeister, Linda Crow, Ellen Dunlop, Kim Jones, and other state and county staff.

Situation
Communities, families, and especially young people in ND have never before been faced with so many choices and exposed to so many dangers over which they have so little control. A local survey identified issues/trends affecting young people. Most often mentioned was chemical abuse which included tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Character/ethics, respect for self, others, and property, and personal and civic responsibility was a high ranking concern. The survey stated that young people need supervision and structured activity especially after school. This survey also indicated that violence and depression/suicide among young people needs attention. No single entity in a community can address the issues facing young people and their families. Youth/Adult partnerships need to be developed and strengthened to determine how to successfully provide programs, etc., that will make a difference.

Anticipated Measurable Outcomes (Objectives)

Educational Programs

Evaluation Plan
Appropriate evaluation methods will be screened to help determine how and when evaluation will be done.