Selected 1998 Program Highlights

Latino Youth Take Leadership Positions
Fifty Latino youth from Holyoke sharpened their leadership skills through 4-H Youth and Family Development (4H YFD) programs such as the Teen Quest Challenge, Earth Connection, Teen Conference, and SPACES personal development training. As a result, three of these teens were selected for the Massachusetts 4-H Teen Council -- the first time Latino youth have served on this body. Teens also gained computer skills after getting access to a community-based computer at Enlace de Familias Center, the site of the local 4-H YFD office. Programs which reach out to Latino and other youth are funded by a $187,000 USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service grant which covers Holyoke, Roxbury, and Gardner. The programs seek to build linkages among preexisting youth-serving agencies and to extend these linkages to the University and other colleges in each area.

Learning Experiences in the Great Outdoors
For many of the 3,438 young people who participated in one of our five American Camping Association-accredited camps, it was a rare opportunity to learn first hand about nature, water conservation, and animal science, as well as to experience wholesome leisure activities which will pay dividends for a lifetime. Many reported a notable feeling of safety at camp and enjoyment in meeting new people in an environment free of the fears and worries of their everyday lives. Since 57 of the camping staff were international students, from nations as varied as Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic, campers also had an opportunity to experience cultural diversity.

What Did We Accomplish?
Selected 1998 Program Impacts

Through the efforts of 5,119 adult and teen volunteers, the 4-H program reached a total of 60,563 young people through clubs, summer camps, after-school programs, and special activities.

As part of a Barnstable County SOS (Sessions on Safety) after-school program, 400 children learned how to combat boredom, deal with emergencies, and administer first aid. With a grant from Massachusetts Service Alliance, 60 teens were trained how to present this information to
young children.

20 of the nearly 3,000 young people in our equine programs participated in a national competition and received awards for public speaking, individual and team demonstrations, and knowledge of the equine industry.

A one-day 4-H Science and Technology Spring Teachers' Conference drew 60 teachers from southeastern Massachusetts to attend workshops on topics such as embryology and gardening in the classroom.

As a result of an extensive survey of the needs of 50 of the state's organizations serving teens, the Massachusetts Teen-Serving,Coalition was,formed and will host its first conference, "Today's Teens -- A Profile," this spring.

Almost 300 adult volunteers around the state participated in training sessions on safety issues and ways of reducing negligence when working with youth.

The Earth Connection, a statewide environmental program, brought 250 teens and their teachers from high schools to address issues in their local school or community.

The 82nd Annual State 4-H Teen Conference drew 220 teens from across the state to the UMass Amherst campus. To increase personal responsibility and awareness of social issues, many of the teens spent time during the conference volunteering at the Hadley Food Bank, the Amherst Shelter for Adolescents, or the Elaine Manor Nursing Home.

20 preteens from southeastern Massachusetts came to 4-H Camp Nan-Ke-Rafe in Brewster to work with Extension staff, camp directors, and adult volunteers to create plans for service projects in their communities. Implementation of the plans will be evaluated in late spring.

Based at four elementary schools in New Bedford,1,386 youth and adult Master Teachers tackled projects to clean up and beautify school grounds and neighborhoods, to make others aware of vandalism, to grow and distribute food to the needy, and to visit the sick and elderly in nursing homes. The program was funded through the New Bedford Housing Authority, UMass Dartmouth Neighborhood College, and the Massachusetts Service Alliance.

During two one-day conferences, over 800 youth from Brockton, Fall River, Plymouth, Hull, and other surrounding towns learned about relationships and making healthy lifestyle choices in workshops offered by the Plymouth County Extension educator and five teens from the Plymouth County Teen Council.

About the Program

The 4-H YFD works with young people ages six through eighteen throughout the Commonwealth. By providing them, their families, and communities with resources and opportunities, the program promotes positive youth development. The program has gained national recognition for its demonstrated ability to create and sustain conditions that produce strong, resilient young people able to cope effectively with the difficult and often risky choices that confront them today.

The program's ultimate goal is to prepare youth with skills and competencies needed for adult success. Positive educational experiences are delivered in environments which are safe and nurturing, and where youth can feel connected to their families, neighborhoods, and communities. The program is available to all youth, but a special focus is on working with vulnerable youth in urban and highly isolated rural communities.

Extension's 4-H YFD program is based in the University's Department of Consumer Studies within the College of Food and Natural Resources, and is an affiliate of the department's Center for the Family. The program draws upon collaborations with faculty members at UMass as well as a nationwide network of land-grant colleges and universities.

Much of the program is delivered through an extensive network of adult and teen volunteers recruited through schools, agencies, neighborhoods, and communities. Volunteers are trained in communication skills and principles of youth and leadership development using literature, newsletters, and research-based curricula.

Youth are reached in after-school programs, in existing community groups, and in 4-H clubs. Additionally, five summer 4-H camps help young people develop leadership and group living skills, as well as an appreciation for the environment. Educators in the 4-H YFD program collaborate with schools, agencies serving youth, and other community organizations throughout the state to provide programming that meets the needs of youth in their own communities. Collaborations include train-the-trainer workshops for teachers and conferences on critical issues facing youth.

There are five major program thrusts. These include the three content areas of environmental stewardship, life skills and job readiness, and science and technology. The other two are volunteer management and teen programming.

Environmental Stewardship -- making young people aware of how the health of their immediate environment as well as that of the planet will affect their own quality of life and what roles they can play in protecting the environment.

Life Skills and Job Readiness -- educating youth on relationship-building skills, communication and decision-making techniques, resource management, public speaking, leadership, and other business skills which will enhance their future employability.

Science and Technology Literacy --preparing young people to compete successfully in a national and world economy which demands a high level of technological competence.

Volunteer Management --preparing adult and teen volunteers to lead youth, through a comprehensive volunteer management system which provides recruitment and selection procedures, and includes effective orientation, training, recognition, and evaluation plans.

Teen Programming --providing a variety of conferences and educational experiences which prepare teens to become leaders by emphasizing leadership development and practice, citizenship, community service learning, and career exploration.

Program Management

This program is managed through four regional teams with professional educators assigned to each region, as follows:

Northeast: Ashland, Boston, Danvers, Waltham

Central: Gardner, Worcester

Southeast: Barnstable, Dighton, Hanson, New Bedford, Walpole

West: Amherst, Greenfield, Hilltowns, Holyoke, Pittsfield, Springfield