We are excited to announce registration for our 2023 Northwest Florida 4-H Volunteer Forum will open on October 15th! This post contains all the details about our event- who, what, when, where, and how. We hope you will plan to join us for an inspirational Friday night and Saturday as we connect with each other, learn together, and share our successes. Our theme is “Navigating the World of 4-H.” Together, we will learn about empowering youth, inspiring hope, and helping young people reach their full potential.
WHO
Our volunteer forum is for teen and adult volunteers leading and supporting 4-H clubs, groups, or programs in the northwest Extension district.
WHAT
A weekend (Friday night and Saturday) event full of inspirational speakers, hands-on workshops, and opportunities to connect with and support other volunteers! Topics were identified based on last year’s forum participants’ feedback. Feel free to download the agenda and informational flyer. This post highlights some of the activities you won’t want to miss:
Friday night kicks off with our “Make and Take” Fair. Try out a wide variety of fun and exciting 4-H activities you can use with the clubs or groups you work with. Each time you visit a station, you can get your “passport” stamped! There will be selections to support all three 4-H pillar project areas- Healthy Living, STEM (science), and Citizenship/Leadership. During the Make and Take Fair, heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served and you will have the opportunity to test out the activities and take home samples and instructions to share with your youth, parents, and other volunteers.
After the make-and-take fair, we will have a fun icebreaker, and Dr. Stacey Ellison, our 4-H Program Leader, will speak and give a “state of 4-H” update and share strategies for inclusion and diversity. Volunteers are encouraged to network and mingle after her address.
Saturday morning will inspire! Gulf County 4-H Alumnus and best-selling author, Cedric Lennox, will share how his Florida 4-H experiences taught him about youth empowerment and how we can all be “Dealers of Hope.”
Following the keynote address, volunteers will be able to select from a variety of workshops:
Road Map to Parliamentary Procedure
Charting a Successful Sports Fishing Project
Culinary Adventures with the 4-H Food Challenge
Trek through Teambuilding
Tour of 4-H Gardening Project
Smooth Sailing with Cloverbuds
During lunch, connect with other volunteers who have similar interests as you to start building a community of practice for your 4-H clubs and groups! Dr. Jenny Jordan will share expert tips for Experiential Learning (or learn-by-doing).
After lunch, there will be more workshop selections for volunteers to choose from:
Guide to 4-H Awards, Recognition, & Portfolios
Voyage through the 4-H Clothing & Textiles Project
Hike through the “Big Book of Cloverbuds”
Survey of Service Learning
Expeditions in Entomology
A Mindfulness Pilgrimage
We will close our forum by sharing some exciting new resources- including a fundraising toolkit for 4-H volunteers (and more door prizes!).
WHEN
January 20-21st.
WHERE
Embassy Suites in Destin, Florida. No need to make a reservation- your registration is your hotel reservation confirmation!
HOW
Registration opens in 4Holine on October 15th. The deadline to register is Friday, January 6th. Check with your local UF/IFAS Extension office to inquire about carpooling to and from the event. Dress for the weekend is casual (and comfortable)- we will be at the beach!
HOW MUCH
Thanks to donations from the Florida 4-H Foundation and other partners, the registration fee for individuals sharing a suite with another volunteer is $100. The registration fee for a private suite is $150. The registration fee includes the room fee, a conference welcome bag, magnetic name tag, heavy hors d’oeuvres Friday night, breakfast and lunch on Saturday, plus workshop and make-and-take supplies. Many counties are offering scholarships, so please check with your local UF/IFAS 4-H Extension Agent about additional funding.
Do you love learning about animals and agriculture? Chick Chain might be the perfect project for you! The 4-H Chick Chain is a program where youth learn how to raise pullets (young chicks) to full-grown layers. It is the perfect way to start your own small flock of chickens to keep your family supplied with fresh eggs. This program is also designed to help youth learn about animal ethics, biosecurity, and nutrition. As youth participate in the project, they have the opportunity to practice decision-making, critical thinking, and communication skills. This blog post will give an overview of the program and answer frequently asked questions to help you decide if this project is right for your child. Enrollment for this year’s program will close at the end of September, so only a few weeks left to sign up!
What is 4-H Chick Chain?
Chick Chain is a 4-H project where youth from the 16 counties in Northwest Florida learn how to raise, care for, and show chickens. At the end of the project, there is an opportunity for youth to show their chicken as well as what they have learned while raising their animals. The short video below gives you a great overview of what your child will learn and do in the Northwest Florida 4-H Chick Chain.
What is Required to Participate in this Project?
During the months of August and September, youth enroll (or re-enroll) in 4-H and sign up for the Chick Chain project. Youth can participate through a club or as an independent member. During the months of September and October, youth set up their brooders and either hatch or begin raising pullets. There are lots of great resources on our website to help new families set up a brooder and start caring for their chicks, and your local UF/IFAS Extension Office is available to answer any questions you may have. During December, January, and February, youth will have the opportunity to participate in workshops to learn showmanship, complete their record book, and prepare for the show. First-time members will compete in a skill-a-thon during the show. Returning members can choose to complete an entrepreneurship project or give an illustrated talk or demonstration about poultry. There will be workshops to help returning members prepare. The culminating event is March 11th- the District-wide Chick Chain show in Chipley, Florida at the UF/IFAS Washington County Extension Office. Youth will demonstrate their project knowledge and be recognized for their achievements.
What Types of Chickens can I Raise this Year?
Where do I Sign up?
New 4-H members will need to enroll in 4Honline; returning members will re-enroll in 4Honline. When you enroll (or re-enroll), you will select “4-H Chick Chain” as your club, and “Poultry Science” as your project. You can select other projects if you desire, but those two items must be selected to enroll in the Chick Chain program. There is a $25.00 fee to enroll in the program- this fee covers expenses related to the workshops and show.
Who do I contact if I need help with my project?
Start with your county UF/IFAS Extension 4-H Agent. He or she has the contacts/information you need to be successful in your project. Never be afraid to ask questions or for help!
What is showmanship?
Your ability to handle your bird and your poultry knowledge is the focus of showmanship. You’ll interact one-on-one with an experienced poultry judge demonstrating the steps of showmanship, breed knowledge, and general poultry knowledge. Attitude, appearance, speaking ability, care, management skills, and willingness to follow instructions are all on stage. The best way to learn about showmanship is to watch the videos on our website, and attend one of the Poultry Perfection workshops (we have three different locations and dates to accommodate everyone). During the workshop, we will teach you how to wash, groom, and handle your bird. We will also practice talking to the judge and review what to wear on showmanship day. Showmanship classes are divided by 4-H age divisions:
Cloverbud – 5-7 years old
Junior – 8-10 years old
Intermediate – 11-13 years old
Senior – 14-18 years old
What is a Skill-A-Thon?
This is a hands-on contest for you to show off what you have learned throughout your project and is required for 1st-year participants. There may be questions on identifying breeds of chickens, how to set up a brooder, types of combs and how to choose the correct feed. You’ll learn this information during your project and at the Poultry Perfection Workshop.
What is the Entrepreneurship Project?
Instead of the skill-a-thon, returning project members can choose to participate in the entrepreneurship challenge or give a demonstration or illustrated talk. The entrepreneurship challenge is a business plan based on services or goods related to your poultry project. For example, you might create a business plan for selling eggs to your neighborhood or composted chicken manure to gardeners. We will guide you through taking your idea and turning it into a business plan that you will communicate to a team of judges.
What is a Demonstration or Illustrated Talk?
A demonstration is a show and tell presentation where you demonstrate how to do something. This might include how to set up a brooder, how to read a feed tag, or how to candle and egg. An illustrated talk is a presentation with visuals and tells about something. This could include telling about different breeds of chickens, telling how to inspect your chicken coop for disease/biosecurity, or how to judge a chicken.
Where Can I Find Project Resources?
Everything you need is available on our website! There is a handy timeline, information about setting up your brooder, feeding and caring for your animals, preparing for showmanship, and much more! You can download and print a copy of your record book, or you can fill it out online. The website is where all the most current information is housed, so you will want to bookmark it for easy access!
For more information, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Office. You can find more information about the 4-H poultry project on our poultry project page!
Did you get to do any grilling this summer? Many of our 4-Hers did! Over 100 youth from throughout the Florida panhandle participated in 4-H summer day camps that taught them food and fire safety, safe grilling, and proper cooking skills.
Day camps offered unique experiences to youth on grilling techniques all summer and helped youth prepare for our District Competition. On July 30, 2022, 28 youth from eight counties participated in the Northwest District Tailgating Contest at the Washington County Ag Center in Chipley, Florida. Youth participated in competitions in beef, pork, chicken, and shrimp divisions and were judged on their food and fire safety skills around the grill and the taste of their chosen protein. In all, $3,200 was awarded to panhandle youth for placing 1st-4th in their competitions.
Now the top two youth in each protein category will compete at the Florida 4-H Tailgating Contest in Gainesville on October 1, 2022. They will compete against youth from across Florida for an opportunity to win college scholarships. For the state contest, the first-place winner in each protein area receives a $1,500 college scholarship and the second-place winner receives a $1,000 college scholarship.
Join us as we cheer on the following NW District 4-H participants as they represent us at the Florida 4-H State Tailgating Contest:
2022 Seafood Category Winners
2022 Beef Category Winners
Beef Division
Aubrie D.-Escambia County
Aidden Y.-Walton County
Pork Division
Brooke H.-Escambia County
Cate B.-Okaloosa County
Chicken Division
Vanessa E.-Wakulla County
Jamison S.-Jackson County
Shrimp Division
Addie M.-Escambia County
2022 Pork Category Winners
Mason K.-Escambia County
2022 Chicken Category Winners
If you are interested in furthering your grilling skills, please check out the Florida 4-H Tailgate Series of EDIS documents. If you would like more information on the Tailgating Contest to prepare for next year, check out our brand new handbook! Finally, the top two winners in each protein category are sharing their award-winning recipes in this free, downloadable eBook!
Whether you are a teen helping with a day camp, or an adult leading a club- it helps to have some tips and tricks in your back pocket to teach the content you want 4-H members to learn. 4-H volunteers and professionals often find themselves teaching a wide variety of audiences with different needs for learning. Trying to meet all those needs can sometimes seem overwhelming, but this week and next, our blog will focus on six specific strategies that will make this much easier- especially with practice! This blog post will discuss and give examples of three teaching strategies that can up your teaching and facilitation game- spacing, interleaving, and retrieval practice.
Why Bother? Isn’t the 4-H Curriculum “Good Enough?”
Some 4-H curricula have teaching strategies embedded within them. Some just have activities structured to help youth learn content. Learning and applying a few of these teaching strategies will make your teaching more interesting and engaging to a wider range of 4-H members. Engagement + interest = more fun for everyone!
Spacing
The term “spacing” simply means to spread learning out over time. When information is learned over the course of several weeks, months, or even years, youth (and adults) are more likely to retain that information than if it were dumped on them over several hours or days. This is why 4-H projects are so effective- youth often stay with the same project for one or more years, learning more complex information each year until they have mastered the content. Some project work even leads to future careers.
Here is an example of how you might apply spacing to the youth you work with in 4-H: One of the things youth want to do this year is participate in the Consumer Choices contest. Rather than teaching a marathon Saturday workshop the week before the contest, start early and introduce the concepts slowly either as part of a club meeting or an extra session before or after the regular club meeting time.
Meeting #1- Explain why consumer skills are essential, what the topics for this year’s contest are, and the contest rules
Meeting #2- Review cell phone plans and portable speakers (two of the topics). Demonstrate how to fill out a judging card and practice judging situations for cell phone plans and speakers.
Meeting #3- Review ground transportation and smoothies (two more topics). Review how to fill out a judging card and practice judging situations.
Meeting #4- Explain what oral reasons are- have an older youth demonstrate or what videos of youth giving oral reasons. Next, hold a mock contest and let youth practice giving oral reasons.
Interleaving (not to be confused with interweaving)
Interleaving means switching between topics. This allows youth opportunities to practice life skills in different situations. This helps reinforce the life skills that we teach in 4-H. For example, judging contest strategies are the same- it’s just the content that changes from contest to contest. Judging contests help youth learn about different topics, but the real value is they are learning how to think critically, communicate clearly, and work as a team. Applying those same skills to different subject matter helps youth learn lifelong skills (not just how to regurgitate facts). Here’s an example of interleaving that builds on the consumer choices example above:
The youth you work with will also want to learn about robotics, so you introduce an activity from the 4-H Junk Drawer Robotics curriculum. You divide the youth up into groups of three to complete a challenge to build a robot that draws. While teaching, refer back to what youth learned about critical thinking when they competed as a team in consumer choices. What did they learn about communication and teamwork? Ask them to apply those lessons to this situation when building a robot.
Retrieval Practice
4H youth work together in a drone course. Photo taken 10-15-18.
One of the best ways to strengthen your memory is to practice retrieving that information from your brain! Many of our 4-H curricula include games that allow youth to practice information retrieval. Quiz bowls and skill-a-thon stations are two great ways to incorporate retrieval practice. Here is an example of retrieval practice that builds upon the consumer choices example:
Youth enjoyed participating in the consumer choices contest and asked if they could do more activities like that. Your local 4-H agent suggested a program called “Living on My Own” which is a financial simulation that helps teach financial literacy skills. As the youth rotate through the stations, they retrieved and practiced some of the consumer skills they learned earlier as they decided on housing, transportation, food, and other items based on their simulated salary and living situation. Being about to recall and practice these skills helps reinforce financial literacy.
One of the best things about 4-H is it is learner-centered. That means that youth can choose what they want to do and learn in 4-H. Your local 4-H Extension Office can help you find the best curriculum to support your youths’ learning needs, but the curriculum is only part of learning. 4-H supports learning (usually referred to as a project) through a variety of competitive and non-competitive events. The three strategies described in this post can help volunteers and 4-H professionals link learning between projects and activities. Next week’s post will explore three more strategies for teaching youth- elaboration, concrete examples, and duel coding.
References:
Potter, S. (2021). Educational Design and Delivery – Utilization of Multiple Teaching Strategies. 4-H VKRC Fact Sheets.
In a recent study, one of the top things 4-H volunteers are looking for are ideas for adapting activities to different age groups (Kent, 2022). Florida 4-H offers experiences for four different age groups: Cloverbuds (ages 5-7), Juniors (ages 8-10), Intermediates (ages 11-13), and Seniors (ages 14-18). One of the great things about 4-H is that the whole family can participate! This also means that 4-H volunteers often find themselves working with a variety of age groups. That might seem a little overwhelming, but this post series gives practical tips and strategies to make it less daunting. This week’s post is focused on adapting activities for intermediate-age 4-H members. In case you missed it, check out the previous couple of weeks’ posts to learn about cloverbuds, juniors, and intermediates.
What are “Ages & Stages” and Why Does it Matter?
“Ages & stages” is a phrase commonly used in youth development that refers to the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of a young person. These categories of development are based on the work of researchers such as Piaget and Erickson. Understanding these categories help 4-H volunteers and professionals provide opportunities for youth to thrive through social and emotional learning and is a key part of the 4-H Thrive Model (Arnold & Gagnon, 2020). There are several benefits of selecting (or adapting) age-appropriate activities for youth:
First, it makes learning fun! Fun is important; boring is bad.
Youth are more engaged. When activities are not too challenging or too easy, they are in what’s called the “zone of proximal development,” or ZPD (Vygotsky, 1978). This is key to helping learners master new skills. ZPD refers to skills or knowledge that are too difficult for a youth to master on their own, but possible to master with guidance from a more knowledgeable person- like their 4-H volunteer!
Youth can build on past learning experiences and create future opportunities to grow.
When learning is fun and youth are engaged, youth stay involved in 4-H!
How to Use “Ages & Stages” to help Seniors Thrive
Social Development of 14-18 year-olds (how they act)
Youth who are 14-18 years old continue to establish a strong sense of self. They enjoy opportunities to work together as a team and develop strong friendships. They are also developing social networks and beginning to think more seriously about their future. 4-H is a great way for youth in this age group to prepare for life beyond high school by fine-tuning interview and communication skills and building a network of friends and adults that have the same interests as theirs.
Typical social behaviors for 14-18-year olds include:
Strategies for supporting the social development of 14-18 -year olds
Developing their self-identity – what makes them unique
Continues to want more freedom from parental control and the power to make some of their own decisions
Still likes to participate as a member of a group but is now aware of and exploring the different roles, especially that of a mentor or teacher for younger youth.
Seeks peer group acceptance like before, plus now, status matters
Understands the benefits of sharing and working together.
Provide opportunities to share, learn and explore people’s different values, abilities, uniqueness, etc. so they can begin to identify their own
Continue to give youth the opportunity to plan, implement and evaluate 4-H activities.
Encourage youth to take on leadership roles and mentor younger youth
Foster a sense of belonging in which youth are accepted, encouraged, and supported by their peers.
Provide opportunities for youth to create groups and decide which groups they want to be in
Build-in or plan for opportunities where youth can recognize each other’s accomplishments
Cognitive Development of 14-18-year-olds (how they think)
Youth that are 14-18 -years old can think logically and apply abstract reasoning, so problem-solving and critical thinking are a way to help youth in this age group learn. One of the best ways for youth in this age group to demonstrate mastery is by teaching younger youth. Many of our project areas have opportunities for older youth to serve in a “teens as teachers” role. Another way to engage older youth is in district and state leadership positions. Florida 4-H offers several opportunities for teens to plan district and statewide events through District Council and State Executive Board. Youth in this age group will also be interested in using their problem-solving and critical thinking skills to compete at the National levels in their project area.
Typical learning behaviors for 14-18 -year olds include:
Strategies for Supporting Cognitive Development of 14-18-year olds:
Enjoys exploring ideas and these can be abstract or virtual
Learns best when new ideas are linked to their interests
Able to multi-task
Able to mentor and teach younger youth
Able to plan a whole event- especially at the District or State level
Can apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to National Contest opportunities.
Engage teens in District and National activities, teams, projects, etc.
Encourage teens to demonstrate mastery in their project work by teaching or mentoring younger youth with similar interests.
Empower teens to lead and plan a wide range of activities, encouraging them to be creative and put their own “twist”
Throughout this series, we have been using examples from each of the three pillar programs in 4-H: Citizenship & Leadership, Science, and Healthy Living. These examples are meant to help parents and volunteers see how an activity can be adapted for each of the different age groups. For examples for other age groups, check out our previous posts about Cloverbuds, Juniors, and Intermediates.
Citizenship & Leadership: For citizenship & leadership, we have been using the example of a 4-H club business meeting. Fourteen to 18 year olds are going to be more interested in learning about leadership roles beyond the club and county level- encourage them to run for a district or state office, or serve on a statewide planning committee for a 4-H event. Youth in this age group might also be interested in participating in the 4-H Citizenship Washington Focus to learn more about leadership and government at the national level.
Science: For science, we have been using the 4-H entomology project as an example. Entomology is the study of insects. Youth that are 14-18 can help lead the entomology project at the county level and compete 4-H Insectathon contest to earn a college scholarship. Encourage youth to participate in a 4-H University track to learn more about careers in Entomology. Youth may also want to participate in the National 4-H Agriscience Summit.
Healthy Living: For Healthy Living, we have been using the 4-H personal wellness project as an example. This project area helps youth learn about nutrition, physical fitness, and mental health. For seniors, they can teach a workshop on personal wellness at 4-H Teen Retreat, or apply for Community Pride funds to address a problem related to personal wellness. 4-H seniors would also be interested in attending the National 4-H Healthy Living Summit.
Using the “Ages & Stages” approach with youth reinforces the Essential Elements of 4-H: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. This is also key to helping youth thrive. However, each individual youth grows at their own pace and might not completely meet the general tendencies listed above. As volunteers and 4-H professionals, it is important to observe youth and meet them where they are physically sociality, and intellectually. Adapting activities on the fly gets easier with practice- download this set of flashcards for a quick reference guide. You can print them, cut them out, and punch them to fit on a lanyard as a handy teaching aid. Your local 4-H agent is always available to help and provide additional resources if you have questions.
References:
Arnold, M. E. & Gagnon, R. J. (2020). Positive youth development theory in practice: An update on the 4-H Thriving Model. Journal of Youth Development, 15(6), 1-23.
Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and Society (2nd Ed.). New York: Norton.
Kent, H.C. (2022). Informal learning to support volunteer performance. [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Florida State University.
Lee, F. and Go, C. (2002). Developmental stages. UC ANR 4-H Youth Development Program.
Piaget, J. (1971). The theory of stages in cognitive development. In D. R. Green, M. P. Ford, & G. B. Flamer, Measurement and Piaget. McGraw-Hill.
Pleskac, S. (2000). Educational design and delivery: Use of age-appropriate activities. VRKC fact sheet.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
In a recent study, one of the top things 4-H volunteers are looking for are ideas for adapting activities to different age groups (Kent, 2022). Florida 4-H offers experiences for four different age groups: Cloverbuds (ages 5-7), Juniors (ages 8-10), Intermediates (ages 11-13) and Seniors (ages 14-18). One of the great things about 4-H is that the whole family can participate! This also means that 4-H volunteers often find themselves working with a variety of age groups. That might seem a little overwhelming, but this post series gives practical tips and strategies to make it less daunting. This week’s post is focused on adapting activities for intermediate-age 4-H members. In case you missed it, check out the previous couple of weeks posts to learn about cloverbuds and juniors.
What are “Ages & Stages” and Why Does it Matter?
“Ages & stages” is a phrase commonly used in youth development that refers to the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of a young person. These categories of development are based on the work of researchers such as Piaget and Erickson. Understanding these categories help 4-H volunteers and professionals provide opportunities for youth to thrive through social and emotional learning and are a key part of the 4-H Thrive Model (Arnold & Gagnon, 2020). There are several benefits of selecting (or adapting) age-appropriate activities for youth:
First, it makes learning fun! Fun is important; boring is bad.
Youth are more engaged. When activities are not too challenging or too easy, they are in what’s called the “zone of proximal development,” or ZPD (Vygotsky, 1978). This is key to help learners master new skills. ZPD refers to skills or knowledge that are too difficult for a youth to master on their own, but possible to master with guidance from a more knowledgeable person- like their 4-H volunteer!
Youth can build on past learning experiences and create future opportunities to grow.
When learning is fun and youth are engaged, youth stay involved in 4-H!
How to Use “Ages & Stages” to help Intermediates Thrive
Social Development of 11-13 year-olds (how they act)
Youth who are 11-13 years old are undergoing several physical changes associated with puberty. Along with the physical changes, youth this age often struggle with personal identity. During this time, adolescents either establish their own sense of self or become confused with who they are and what they want to do in life. Helping youth discover their sparks- their own passions and interests- can help them form their self-identity.
Typical social behaviors for 11-13-year olds include:
Strategies for supporting social development of 11-13-year olds:
Developing their self-identity – what makes them unique
Self-conscious because of puberty and the concept of self-image
Wants more freedom from parental control and the power to make some of their own decisions
Still likes to participate as a member of a group but now aware of and exploring the different roles (leader, participant, supporter, etc.) in a group
Seeks peer group acceptance like before, plus now, status matters
Understands the benefits of sharing and working together.
Provide opportunities to share, learn and explore people’s different values, abilities, uniqueness, etc. so they can begin to identify their own
Engage youth in healthy living discussions about self-image and puberty
Extend the teamwork discussion and encourage youth to talk about different roles and the status we attach to these roles.
Give youth the opportunity to plan, implement and evaluate 4-H activities.
Incorporate teamwork as a component of your 4-H activities, allowing for discussion of roles, and for participants to try different roles.
Foster a sense of belonging in which youth are accepted, encouraged, and supported by their peers.
Cognitive Development of 11-13-year olds (how they think)
Youth who are 11-13 years old can think logically and apply abstract reasoning. They can also manipulate mental representations. This is a great age to introduce youth to more complex ideas- particularly related to social and scientific issues that may impact their community. One way for youth in this age group to learn is through service-learning. Where they identify a problem in their neighborhood, school, or community, brainstorm solutions, select one, and implement and evaluate it.
Typical learning behaviors for 11-13-year olds include:
Strategies for Supporting Cognitive Development of 11-13-year olds:
Enjoys exploring ideas and these can be abstract or virtual
Challenges norms, questions what is right and wrong, reasons, etc.?
Learns best when new ideas are linked to their interests
Able to multi-task
Able to plan a whole event (with supervision)
Engage in current events that have a right and wrong aspect, and ask them, “Thinking about this, can you come up with some reasons when someone could consider this wrong and when it could be right?”
Engage teens in County & District Council, activities, teams, events, & projects.
Encourage teens to identify their interests, and further explore them by allowing them to select their projects, events, etc.
Empower teens to lead and plan a wide range of activities, encouraging them to be creative and put their own “twist”
Engage teens in exploring what a positive body image, self-esteem, identity, etc. looks like – focus on many answers and this differs for each person
Ages & Stages Application Examples
Throughout this series, we have been using examples from each of the three pillar programs in 4-H: Citizenship & Leadership, Science, and Healthy Living. These examples are meant to help parents and volunteers see how an activity can be adapted for each of the different age groups. For examples for other age groups, check out our previous post about Cloverbuds and our post about working with Juniors.
Citizenship & Leadership: For citizenship & leadership, we have been using the example of a 4-H club business meeting. Eleven to 13-year-olds are going to be more interested in learning about leadership roles. Once they have some experience leading meetings at the club level, encourage them to get involved in the county and/or district leadership 4-H council. At this age, they can easily understand the proper order of a business meeting and how to make a motion. Encourage them to model this behavior to younger youth in the club. They may also be interested in leading a committee. Encourage them to be involved in planning club celebrations, fundraisers, and especially service projects.
Science: For science, we have been using the 4-H entomology project as an example. Entomology is the study of insects. Eleven to 13-year-olds can catch, identify, and pin insects to create an insect collection. This collection could be exhibited at their county or regional fair, and can also be used as part of the 4-H Insectathon contest. Youth this age would enjoy competing in a state event like this!
Healthy Living: For Healthy Living, we have been using the 4-H personal wellness project as an example. This project area helps youth learn about nutrition, physical fitness, and mental health. For intermediates, ask them to identify a problem at their school or community that has to do with personal wellness. Have them brainstorm solutions, select one, and plan a service project to address the need. After they implement the project, celebrate their accomplishments and help them evaluate and reflect upon their success.
Using the “Ages & Stages” approach with youth reinforces the Essential Elements of 4-H: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. This is also key to helping youth thrive. However, each individual youth grows at their own pace and might not completely meet the general tendencies listed above. As volunteers and 4-H professionals, it is important to observe youth and meet them where they are physically sociality, and intellectually. Adapting activities on the fly gets easier with practice- download this set of flashcards for a quick reference guide You can print them, cut them out, and punch them to fit on a lanyard as a handy teaching aid. Your local 4-H agent is always available to help and provide additional resources if you have questions.
References:
Arnold, M. E. & Gagnon, R. J. (2020). Positive youth development theory in practice: An update on the 4-H Thriving Model. Journal of Youth Development, 15(6), 1-23.
Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and Society (2nd Ed.). New York: Norton.
Kent, H.C. (2022). Informal learning to support volunteer performance. [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Florida State University.
Lee, F. and Go, C. (2002). Developmental stages. UC ANR 4-H Youth Development Program.
Piaget, J. (1971). The theory of stages in cognitive development. In D. R. Green, M. P. Ford, & G. B. Flamer, Measurement and Piaget. McGraw-Hill.
Pleskac, S. (2000). Educational design and delivery: Use of age-appropriate activities. VRKC fact sheet.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
We are excited to announce registration for our 2023 Northwest Florida 4-H Volunteer Forum will open on October 15th! This post contains all the details about our event- who, what, when, where, and how. We hope you will plan to join us for an inspirational Friday night and Saturday as we connect with each other, learn together, and share our successes. Our theme is “Navigating the World of 4-H.” Together, we will learn about empowering youth, inspiring hope, and helping young people reach their full potential.
