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Help us Build a Network of Subject Matter Experts

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What is Subject Matter Expertise?

Subject matter expertise refers to the “technical knowledge and skills possessed to perform tasks related to a specific field(s)” (Harder, 2019).   While county 4-H professionals (also known as agents) often bring subject matter expertise in one or more areas to the job, the subject matter expertise of program volunteers helps to expand the availability of potential program offerings.  As an organization, 4-H strives to provide opportunities for learning evidence-based content (subject matter) and apply age-appropriate positive youth development (PYD) strategies to facilitate experiential learning via a collaborative youth-adult partnership.

What is a Subject Matter Expert?

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) “are professionals who have advanced knowledge in a specific field” (Indeed, 2020). Generally, an SME will have “a deep understanding of a particular job, process, department, function, technology, machine, material or type of equipment” (Reh, 2020).   In the workplace, being known as an SME is part of a career trajectory and this role or status is often based on a combination of education or training and experience.  In the 4-H setting, it is possible that a subject matter expert has gained expertise through informal learning and hands-on experience.  The 4-H subject matter expert may not always work professionally in the area of expertise that they bring to 4-H.   For example, a skilled volunteer may work as a nurse in their professional career but leads a 4-H sewing club where she can share a deep knowledge subject knowledge and extensive skills gained through years of practice and self-guided study.

Why is Subject Matter Expertise Important to 4-H?

In 4-H, adult staff members and community volunteers work as partners with youth members to help youth “learn by doing.”  The 4-H learning experience is based on the idea that “learning is an integrated process where the learner, the educator, the physical space, and culture all are changed by each other” (NIFA, 2016).  4-H clubs provide youth with opportunities to learn subject matter and develop life skills (Knowles and Diem, 2018).

While adults and youth may learn a new skill or acquire new knowledge together in a discovery process, the most common 4-H experience involves working with a subject matter expert who will help to facilitate experiential learning. 4-H learning is intended to be a “dynamic experience in a shifting learning ecosystem” (NIFA, 2016).  Together, 4-H staff and community volunteers work together to bring new research and best practices into the learning experience.

How Do We Find Subject Matter Experts?

One way that 4-H can provide specialized subject matter content is through partnerships. For example, 4-H has been successful in partnering with industry professionals and university faculty to implement a variety of STEM programs. A multiyear partnership with NASA has provided many opportunities for youth to explore the world of aerospace science. However, it is not necessary to be a rocket scientist to have subject matter expertise that can be helpful to a 4-H program.

In 4-H, agents have several options available to help develop volunteer subject matter expertise.  Agents may look for potential volunteers with specific subject matter expertise to match youth interests.  Another option is to engage a caring adult volunteer with a desire to learn an unfamiliar skill or acquire a new knowledge set.  For example, a 4-H agent with youth members who want to have a beekeeping club may find a local beekeeper to be a club leader.   Another way to match a volunteer with a potential beekeeping club would be to find the adult and arrange for them to attend an Extension education program on beekeeping.  Finally, it is also possible to have a volunteer with positive youth development skills that can lead a club and invite guest speakers with expertise to provide subject matter content.

Over time, youth may also become subject matter experts.  For example, youth members in Wakulla participated in a poultry science club as Cloverbud and Junior members. After several years of completing projects and participating in competitions, these youth have gained considerable subject matter expertise and have started to teach content and skills to other youth at annual workshops.

Volunteers who want to increase their subject matter knowledge and expertise will find a wealth of resources within 4-H and the larger world of Cooperative Extension.   Varied modes of learning are possible – from online seminars, to resource-rich publications, to hands-on experiential learning.   For example, volunteers had the opportunity to network with subject matter experts and have robust experiential learning opportunities during our Northwest 4-H Volunteer Forum. After the Forum weekend, volunteers shared that the the event provided opportunities for them to network and connect with other volunteers to gain access to subject matter and experiential expertise.  By popular demand, the Northwest 4-H Volunteer Forum will return in January 2023.  Watch this space for additional details on how to connect and be part of the weekend event!

How to Get Involved

Do you have a passion for a particular subject matter area, or do you have a skill that you want to share? A variety of volunteer roles with 4-H are possible.  Volunteers may serve as club leaders or project leaders, or be a guest instructor, or be a judge for a competition. We would like to build a directory of subject matter experts to support 4-H volunteers and clubs across the Florida Panhandle. If you have expertise you would like to share, please complete this short survey.

Remember, you do not necessarily have to be a subject matter expert to get started as a 4-H volunteer!  If you are a caring adult with a desire to learn new skills and play an important role in the lives of youth in your local community, 4-H can help you gain new skills to help guide youth in a transformative learning experience. We offer subject matter trainings for volunteers throughout the year on a variety of topics.

For more information about how to become a 4-H volunteer, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office.

 

Resources

4-H Learning Experience

Priorities Competencies for County Faculty

Subject Matter Expert

The 4-H Volunteer Training Series

What is Subject Matter Expert?

 

 

Healthy Living Club Activities For 4-H Members and Volunteers

Youth preparing healthy dish.Healthy Living is one of the 4-H’s.  While your club may not specifically focus on what is traditionally considered to be “healthy living” activities, you might be surprised about much your 4-H club is contributing to the mental and physical well-being of youth members. After we recognize that all our clubs have a role to play in implementing healthy living strategies across the county 4-H program, we can start to consider ways to be intentional in how we incorporate healthy living into 4-H activities and projects.

What does a 4-H Healthy Living program include?  A 4 H Healthy Living program or strategy is any activity or program component that can help youth lead lives that balance physical, mental, and emotional health.

According to the National 4-H Council, 4-H Healthy Living programs include objectives that can help “empower youth to be healthy – body and mind – with the skills to make healthy decisions and lead healthy lifestyles. Having the confidence and skills to lead healthy lifestyles not only improves overall well-being; it enables youth to tackle life’s challenges today and become leaders in their lives, careers, and communities as they grow into responsible adulthood” (National 4-H Council, 2021).  Your club focus might fit into one of the following program areas: mind, body, leadership, or mentorship.

As a club leader, you may encourage your youth to adopt goals and projects that will cover multiple program areas. Introducing healthy living during club meetings is another way to incorporate these concepts and help youth develop healthier habits.

With so many possible topics to consider, it may seem overwhelming to choose a starting point. In this article, a few suggestions will be explored.

Sleep

It may be surprising to learn that youth, like adults, are not getting enough sleep.  Regularly missing hours of sleep or experiencing poor sleep quality can contribute to a variety of issues for youth.   The Sleep Foundation is one resource to use for tips on how to encourage our 4-H members to adopt better sleep habits (Pacheco, 2021).

Some ideas for helping your 4-H youth learn about the importance of sleep and how to develop better sleep habits include the activities and lessons listed in the links below this paragraph.  Consider challenging your youth to set healthy sleep goals for one month. Discuss the potential benefits during your goal setting activity.  At the end of the month, discuss how youth felt on days when the sleep goals were met and how they felt on days when they did not meet their goal.

Activity for Teens (Intermediates and Seniors)

University of Wisconsin Extension. 2007. “4-H Get Fit, That’s It. Lesson 2: Are You Getting Enough Sleep.”  Link to activity: https://api.ag.purdue.edu/api/DepotWS/File.ashx?t=f&i=98730

Activity for Elementary School Age (Juniors 4-H Members)

The Nemours Foundation. 2015. Sleep. Kids’ Health in the Classroom.

https://classroom.kidshealth.org/classroom/3to5/body/functions/sleep.pdf

Hydration

One way to incorporate a healthy living strategy into your 4-H program is offering water at all your meetings and limiting the inclusion of other beverages. A 4-H lesson on hydration can include STEM principles as youth can calculate their daily water needs based on their body weight. A fun way to encourage water consumption is to personalize reusable water bottles as a club activity and to award points to youth who remember to bring their bottles to meetings and activities.

All Ages Lesson and Activity

National 4-H Council.2020. How Much Water Do You Need? 4-H Healthy Living Activity Guide.

https://4-h.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/4H-Healthy-Living-Activity-Guide.pdf

Other Ways to Incorporate Healthy Living into Your Club Programs

Activities designed to improve sleep and hydration are only two of many possible ways to incorporate healthy living into your 4-H program. Healthy Living activities can incorporate exercise, nutrition,  and ways to improve and maintain mental health.

Resources

Caruso, L.; Shelnut, K.; Kauwell, G. 2017. Hydration Myths. UF/IFAS Extension. Retrieved January 16, 2022 from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FY1409.

National 4-H Council. 2021. Healthy Living.  Retrieved January 16, 2022 from https://4-h.org/parents/healthy-living/.

Pacheco, D. 2021.  Children and Sleep.  The National Sleep Foundation.  Retrieved January 16, 2022 from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/children-and-sleep.

University of California 4-H Youth Development Program. 2022. Sleep for Better Living. Retrieved January 16, 2022 from https://4h.ucanr.edu/Projects/HealthyLiving/Sleep_for_Better_Living/

Delegation Skills for 4-H Members & Volunteers

 What is Delegation?

Delegation can be one of the most difficult leadership skills to master.  Otherwise capable leaders often say that the idea of delegation is a bit scary.  What if I delegate a task and it does not get done? What if I give someone a job to do and it does not get done exactly the way I envisioned? In the following paragraphs, you will read about strategies that you can adopt to become a leader who can delegate effectively with confidence.

What is delegation? Let’s start with the meaning of the word. The word “delegate” can be used as a noun or a verb.  In the world of 4-H, we use the word frequently in both forms.  We may send a delegate or contingent of delegates to conferences or meetings to represent our organization.  The focus of this article will be on the verb form of delegate.  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the act of delegating means “to entrust to another, to assign responsibility or authority.” In 4-H, leaders are encouraged to delegate to team members, including both volunteers and youth.

As a 4-H leader, learning how to delegate will be instrumental for your clubs and club members in several ways.   In your role as a club leader, you will want to delegate responsibilities and tasks to other volunteers as well as youth. Additionally, teaching 4-H youth how to delegate imparts a valuable leadership skill.

Mastering the Art of Delegation

Mastering the art of delegation is a key time management skill for 4-H club leaders. Learning to delegate tasks to other adult volunteers as well as club youth will contribute to the success of your club and support your longevity as a volunteer leader.  The one sure way to become overwhelmed as a 4-H volunteer is to make the error of trying to do everything yourself.

Skillful delegation is one of the hallmarks of a transformational leader.  In 4-H, the essential elements that serve as the foundation of our positive youth development programs are categorized into four key concepts: belonging, independence, mastery, and generosity.

When a leader entrusts a task to another volunteer or youth, the person feels trusted and valued.  Delegation is one way to help establish a sense of belonging. Volunteers and youth alike will feel like an important part of the group because they have been given a role through delegation.  Youth who are entrusted to complete a task have the chance to experience independence. Leaders who delegate also give youth an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of important life skills.  Practicing delegation in the club leadership role is a way to empower other volunteers as well as youth to experience and practice generosity through contributing time and talent to the organization and the larger community.

A SMART Way to Delegate

Delegation is a key element in setting and achieving a group’s SMART goals. The SMART goals acronym describes a process for goal setting that can be used with volunteers and youth.

S – Specific
M – Measureable
A – Attainable (or actionable)
R – Relevant (or realistic)
T – Time-bound

While SMART goals can be used for individuals to plan out projects, SMART goals are also a helpful tool to use with groups as a SMART way to delegate! A 4-H leader can use the elements of the SMART goal process as a guide to assigning tasks to other volunteers or 4-H youth.  Leaders who learn to delegate goal-oriented tasks that follow the SMART formula will find that objectives are successfully achieved.

Another way to think about delegation as a process is the P.A.T. system.  P.A.T. is an acronym that stands for Purpose, Action, and Timeframe. To delegate effectively, a leader should communicate the purpose or “why” a person is being entrusted with a task or objective.  The amount of detail you provide about the actions needed to complete the task depends on the level of autonomy you want to give the person who receives a delegated task.  As a club leader who wants to foster independence in your club members, how you determine the autonomy level to give youth is a critical step in developing young leaders. As you become more confident in your delegation skills, you may provide fewer action details and give other volunteers or youth the opportunity to make independent decisions about how to accomplish a delegated task.  Finally, establishing a timeframe for completing the assigned task gives a defined time-bound end point to the delegation process, similar to the “T” in SMART goal setting.

For youth leadership development, delegation can be a learning experience in two ways.  One way to help youth learn leadership skills is to entrust them with tasks to complete. The second way to help youth learn delegation is to assign authority to lead a team working on a project that will require delegation task for successful completion.  Teaching delegation skills is one way club leaders can enable youth to act as leaders.

Strategies to Teach Delegation Skills

In the EDIS document Exemplary Youth Leadership Series: Enable Others to Act, two exercises are presented that provide opportunities for youth to learn and practice delegation skills.  The activities outlined below appear in the linked EDIS document. These activities may also be adapted for use with adult volunteers.

Activities

Trust Builders—Participants will create an environment of trust.

Materials: Scissors, tape, pipe cleaners, paper, markers, straws, etc.

Group size: Divide the group into groups of 4–5 people.

Before starting this activity:

  • Make sure you do not mention anything about trust to the participants.
  • Gather a list of random supplies, but make sure you have a limited quantity of everything for the size of the group.
  • Create a list of tasks based on the supplies that are present. For example, cut out a green heart. Make a flag out of yellow paper and a straw. Write everyone’s initials on the flag in black marker. The number of tasks can align with the time limitations of the overall activity (i.e., more tasks, more time).
  • Divide the supplies into the number of groups present. Ensure that each group does NOT have all of the materials necessary to complete the task. Only have one set of critical items (tape, scissors, etc.).

Instructions:

  1. Tell the participants they are in a race.
  2. In a moment, they will be given a list of tasks to complete. The first team to get all of their tasks done correctly wins.
  3. Hand out a list of tasks and each group’s supplies.*

*These instructions are purposely vague so participants realize that they need to share resources to accomplish all tasks. This may not be immediately evident; however, participants will identify this is the only means to complete the activity. Do not give them parameters on how to share or barter to ensure the task is completed.

Wrap-Up Questions:

  1. How are we feeling after completing that experience?
  2. Winning group—what was your strategy?
  3. Could you have completed any of this on your own?
  4. Did everyone share equally and honestly with each other? Why?
  5. In what scenarios do we need to lean on the support of others to accomplish our tasks?

Photo Scavenger Hunt—Participants will demonstrate delegation.

Materials: Smartphones or cameras

Group size: Divide the group into equal-sized teams.

Instructions:

  1. Create a list of photos to take that are relatively easy to locate or find (e.g., a trash can, someone with red hair, a photo of a flower, participants spelling 4-H with their arms/torso, etc.).
  2. Tell the participants they are competing against the other groups to complete the scavenger hunt.
  3. Go over safety precautions or rules depending on location.
  4. Give youth the list.
  5. The first team with all of the correct photos wins.

Modification: If smartphones or cameras are not accessible, the photos could be replaced with items.

Wrap-Up Questions:

  1. The winning team—what was your strategy? Did you have one person take all of the photos or did you give each person a different task?
  2. What would have happened if we gave each person a different item they were in charge of? Do you think we would have been more efficient?
  3. Why is it important for us as leaders to be able to give other people tasks?
  4. How can we delegate responsibilities when we are faced with challenges?
Next Steps

There are many opportunities for youth and volunteers to develop leadership skills such as the art of delegation over the course of their 4-H experience.  Incorporate one of the activities described in this article into a 4-H club meeting or volunteer training! For more information, training opportunities, resources, and opportunities to become involved with 4-H, please contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office.

Resources

Delegation

Delegation defined…and applied

Great Leaders Perfect the Art of Delegation

How to Delegate Effectively: 7 Tips for Managers

How to Start Delegating Tasks Effectively (Step-by-Guide)

Seven Strategies for Delegating Better and Getting More Done

 

 

Strategies for Teaching Time Management in 4-H

Toolkit for teaching time management picture of a clock and scheduleThe “secret sauce” for successful 4-H clubs is often the not-so-secret time management skill of the club leader.  Time management is a learned skill.   This week’s  blog post will explore strategies for time management. One important detail about time management – what works for one person may not work for everyone.  Choosing time management strategies that suit the person increases the likelihood that these skills will become permanent, frequently used tools in a personal “toolbox.”

Teaching Time Management Skills

One strategy to learn a time management skill is to teach it.   Both club members and volunteer leaders can benefit from learning and practicing time management skills. Youth and adults alike can begin with some basic elements of planning to start developing time management skills.

To complete a time management activity during a club meeting, the following items will be needed: a weekly schedule template, a Post It adhesive flipchart or a white board/chalkboard, pencils/pens, scratch paper for note taking.

Write the five elements of S.M.A.R.T goals on the flipchart or white board:

S – Specific
M – Measureable
A – Attainable (or actionable)
R – Relevant (or realistic)
T – Time-bound

During this activity, participants will learn about time management, scheduling, and goal setting.   Begin the activity with a task.  Ask adults and youth to consider and write out their schedule for an average week. Use a weekly schedule template so that everyone can use a visual organizer to describe their individual schedules.  There are a number of free schedule templates online.   One free option is available from Microsoft office: https://templates.office.com/en-us/schedules.

Once everyone has completed their schedule, ask each participant to write down a personal goal related to school or 4-H.   Then, explain the S.M.A.R.T goal concept.   Next, ask everyone to consider their goal within the S.M.A.R.T framework.  Does their goal fit the five elements of a S. M.A.R.T goal? Why or why not? If their goal needs to be adjusted, what changes should be made?

After discussing several different goals, ask everyone when the time is scheduled to work on achieving this goal.  Spoiler alert: very few of the participants will include anything related to the goal in the initial weekly schedule draft.

During the next phase of this activity, introduce one or more time management strategies from the blog resource list to the group. Engage participants in discussion about which strategies might be effective for them than others.

Setting Individual Member and Club Goals

Conclude the meeting by setting short and long term goals.  What do members want to accomplish by the next club meeting?  What goals do club members want to achieve for the year? Toolkit for teaching time management picture of a clock and scheduleTime management is a skill that can be practiced and improved throughout the 4-H club year.  Be sure to schedule in time to report on progress toward goals as part of 4-H club business meetings.

Resources

 

4-H Citizenship in Action: Learning the Advocacy Process

Citizenship, sometimes referred to as civic engagement, is a pillar of the 4-H program.  A key part of guiding youth to develop as citizens is helping them to find and use their voice.  One way to help youth in this discovery and skill building process is through learning advocacy. The simplest way to define advocacy is to think about it as being a process of defending or promoting a cause. When advocacy becomes linked with civic engagement, youth can become engaged in a powerful experiential learning process.

Advocacy Opportunities

4-H members have several opportunities to learn and apply advocacy skills in programs such as 4-H Day at the Capitol, 4-H Legislature, and the National 4-H Conference. However, advocacy can be an important part of the community club experience for all 4-H youth.

In 4-H, youth have opportunities to learn communication and leadership skills that can help them to become effective advocates for themselves and others. A community service project may involve an advocacy component.   For example, youth in one county participated in a community clean up effort.  The youth were assigned to clean a small park.  While they were cleaning the park, they noticed that trash containers were not located in visible locations.

After the clean up project, youth discussed the park conditions at their next club meeting.  The youth started discussing ways to improve the park and to help discourage littering. Their club leader introduced the SMART goals planning process to the club. The officers led the club members through the SMART process to develop a plan.

Putting SMART Goals to Work

Through the SMART planning process, the club took several important advocacy steps:

  • Identified and researched an issue,
  • Engaged in goal setting and planning,
  • Reached out to decisionmakers,
  • Presented information including possible solutions.

As a result of their experience, 4-H members learned how to address a community issue, ways to engage key decisionmakers, and saw their actions make an impact when county officials added trash containers in visible locations along with public signage.

Advocacy Learning Opportunities

4-H March for Health is an event that advocates for living a more active lifestyle

4-H Virtual 5K advocates for making small changes for a more healthy lifestyle

Opportunities to have youth engage in hands on advocacy experiences may involve community problem-solving.  Youth can also learn advocacy skills by working to raise awareness about issues.  For example, February is American Heart Month.  Youth can engage in advocacy about heart health in several ways:

  • Wear red and encourage others to wear red to raise awareness about heart health.
  • Set exercise goals such as a walking goal to help improve heart health and challenge others to join your effort.
  • Promote heart healthy nutrition by asking local restaurants to feature a special healthy menu item during February.
  • Ask the county commission or city council to issue a proclamation for American Heart Month.

American Heart Month is just one example of healthy living focused advocacy.  Each month of the year has several associated health awareness campaigns. By choosing to advocate for better health, 4-H members can address two pillars at the same time: advocacy and healthy living. You can also tie this campaign into our 4-H Virtual 5K, which occurs every March and encourages youth and adults to walk or run.

Celebrate 4-H and Practice Advocacy Skills

National 4-H Week is celebrated every October and offers a great way for youth to develop advocacy skills by raising awareness about 4-H.   Ideas may include but are not limited to writing letters to the local paper, securing a prominent spot to set up a 4-H exhibit, requesting a proclamation from local government officials, or engaging in a community service project.

Tips for a successful advocacy learning experience:

  • Start planning early.
  • Use SMART goal planning process.
  • Remember to celebrate success and say thank you.

For more information about 4-H programs and additional advocacy resources, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office.

 

Resources

4-H Project Learning

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/4H/4H34300.pdf

National Awareness Months

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/health-awareness-months#march

Strategies for Engaging and Communicating with Elected Officials

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc324