Essential Elements of 4H Youth Development Cathann Kress Director, Youth Development National 4H Hea

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Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development
Cathann KressDirector, Youth DevelopmentNationa
l 4-H HeadquartersCSREES, USDA
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4-H The American Idea

• Creating Greater Opportunity for Youth
• Learning By Doing
• Leading By Example
• Access to 105 State Land-Grant Universities
• 7 Million Youth partnering with 3,500
  professional educators and 640,000 volunteer
  leaders
• Over 100 Years of Reaching Youth

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Approaches to 4-H Youth Development
Focus Risks
Target Social Norms
Goal Fewer Problems
Focus Skills Knowledge
Focus Developmental Needs
Target Individual Learners
Target Opportunities for Youth
Goal Competency in knowledge or skill
Goal Maturity
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Understanding the Different Approaches
Developed by Cathann A. Kress, Ph.D.
EDUCATION
FOCUS
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
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Essential Elements of 4-H
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All Youth will find ways to

• 1) Meet their basic needs
• 2) Build skills and values
• 3) Use their skills, talents, energies and time
  in ways that make them feel good and powerful.

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I pledge my head to clearer thinking
INDEPENDENCE

• Youth need to know that they are able to
• Influence people and events through
• decision-making and action.

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I pledge my heart to greater loyalty
BELONGING

• Current research emphasizes the
• importance for youth to have opportunities for
• long-term consistent relationships with adults
• other than parents.
• This research suggests that belonging may be
• the single most powerful positive ingredient we
• can add into the lives of youth.

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I pledge my hands to larger service
GENEROSITY

• Youth need to feel their lives have meaning and
• purpose.
• By participating in 4-H community service and
  citizenship activities, youth can connect to
  communities and learn to give back to others.

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I pledge my health to better living
MASTERY

• In order to develop self-confidence youth
• need to feel and believe they are capable
• and they must experience success at
• solving problems and meeting challenges.

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Why is Meeting Youth Needs so Important?
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If you were to design a youth development program
intended to assist young people to become
healthy, problem-solving constructive adults
what would it look like?
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What would it look like?

• It would offer opportunities for belonging
• It would offer opportunities to experience a
  hands-on laboratory
• It would offer opportunities for young people to
  choose
• It would offer opportunities to experience what
  it means to be a citizen

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It would look a lot like 4-H
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Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development
Cathann KressDirector, Youth DevelopmentNationa
l 4-H HeadquartersCSREES, USDA