It is the flurry of activity known as project judging week here at the Extension Office. We have been gathering rubrics, checking assignments, and dusting off the ribbons for this year’s still project judging. Youth have enrolled in over 500 projects such as sewing, cooking, robots, scrapbooking, and bottle rockets. These projects are all competing for awards at the county level where the best of the best will represent Van Wert County at the Ohio State Fair! Youth who participate in 4-H judging are given a taste of real world experience that is second to none. It helps them learn to communicate their experiences, thoughts, and learning with another person. While the ribbons fade, and the county fair will come to a close in September, those experiences will remain with the youth. Project judging is a good way to allow youth to experience job interviews before the time comes, and allows them to gain a level of comfort in the type of response and conversation they might have during that kind of an interview. They get to show off their talents with their project, and explain their new found passion and knowledge to caring adults who want to hear about their adventure.

You are encouraged to dress up for the occasion and bring their best attitude to judging. They introduce themselves to the judge, and are given the opportunity to explain their project as an introduction, or dive right into skills type questions. Throughout their time with the judge, they will answer, explain, or even begin conversations that otherwise may not occur with adults outside of their family and close friends. 4-H brings trusted adults with expertise to youth with passions or interests in those areas.

Throughout the years I have been blessed to experience many judging events as a member, judge, and now as a 4-H professional. I have to admit, I miss the interactions with the 4-H members as they tell me fun stories, silly things that happened – or best yet, the brutal honesty that they learned as a result of the project. I am ready and excited to see the projects as they come in the door for judging, and hear the stories about how they came to be completed. From start to finish, a 4-H project is a family affair, and a learning experience for all of those involved. So, what is project judging all about? If I had my way, I would probably reword it to a fancy show and tell of sorts. Youth show and tell about their projects – and as a result we get to award them for their hard work and efforts. 

This week marks the end of my three week series on 5 things that I feel 4-H nurtures. I truly feel that 4-H gives youth an edge in their adult lives, and the experiences they gain and unique compared to many other youth organizations (not better, not worse, unique). As a self-proclaimed 4-H nerd I can also tell you that there is a science-based exploratory side to my nature. I love to explore why things happen. 4-H gives youth the chance to gather information (qualitative, or quantitative)  about a certain topic, and then make a suggestion or hypothesis based upon that information.

At the beginning of a project youth are given information to build a base, and then work to learn more about a topic through hands on learning experiences or modules in their workbook. They answer the questions, record their findings, and build their data as they progress through their book. Once the book is completed youth have the information they are given, plus the information they investigated, and experienced to base their knowledge on. Instead of just being told that something is, they get to explore why it is, and make that happen.

While not all the projects are deeply scientific experiments or thesis – I do strongly believe that they go hand in hand with today’s flipped classrooms, and help youth to build their own self-regulatory systems to motivate themselves to constantly improve.  4-H projects do not simply complete themselves, and youth who do not experience the learning cannot successfully complete an interview with a judge. Youth must be willing to gather information, and work through the problems put in front of them in a book.

Much can also be said for the informal data collection and problem solving that can go on in a meeting or board setting also. Youth on the Jr. Fair Board must be willing to collect data (information and/or opinions) and then base them with what they know to solve a problem, or make a decision. While adults are there to guide their experiences, the idea is that youth become able to confidently make their own decisions.

4-H is more than hogs, rockets, camp, and line dancing (those are a few of my favorite things)!  There is so much someone can learn about specific topics, and the ability to then take those experiences into the workplace as an adult can make 4-H an experience that gives back for a lifetime.

Last week I introduced the idea of what I believe 4-H truly nurtures in terms of youth development. I spoke of the work ethic that I have seen youth exhibit in livestock projects, as camp counselors, and with their adult lives through college and careers. This week I am turning my focus to communications and leadership in 4-H youth. While they are broad skills, I feel that youth involved in 4-H programs are more prepared to communicate effectively, and lead (or know when to follow).

In the past few weeks we have been working feverishly to prepare for 4-H Camp. Now, we have been preparing for almost 6 months now – but the reality has set in. In just a few days camp will be upon us and many youth will be placed into our responsibility. It is the responsibility of the teen counselors and myself to communicate with campers, staff, the camp, and each other effectively to ensure that camp goes as great as possible! I would be lying if I told you that communicating with teenagers is simple – but I leave camp every year knowing that I have down my absolute best to talk to them, encourage them, and build them to their best potential while they were counselors at camp. Sometimes the best way for them to understand how to communicate is to see their peers and other adults do it effectively.

Through their communication, teens also begin to build a sense of their place in leadership. Some teens are naturals- stealing the show, talking to the masses, and laughing, while others quietly lead from the sidelines. Camp counselors are able to gain these experiences while at camp by working with our adult staff, and one another. It also shows them that they do not always need to lead – but to also be a good follower. Campers after all tend to mimic what they see!

While I have focused on one opportunity that 4-H youth have, there are many ways that all youth can gain skills in improving their communications and leadership. 4-H offers demonstrations, public speaking, parliamentary procedure, officer positions, training, and individual opportunities for youth to explore their interests. While most youth wouldn’t tell you that their 4-H demonstrations were their favorite part of 4-H – I bet most alumni will tell you that they are a more confident public speaker because of it.

I am a 4-H nerd. I scour through St. Patrick’s day gear for 4 leaf clovers, dig through the kids section at JoAnn fabrics for craft ideas, and sometimes I’ve been known to buy profuse amounts of baby shampoo, oil, or other items that would make anyone other than someone who works with kids look a tad bit suspicious (it is all for 4-H Camp I promise). Some people might even say that I ooze 4-H. It’s a part of who I am, my upbringing, and my core beliefs. So when someone asks me what 4-H is, or why should my child join 4-H, I often need a moment to step back and look in from another perspective.  I have found that I can always talk about the over 200 projects youth can choose from, or how we go to 4-H Camp, but truly for those who look at the youth development side – what can I offer for our children?

I have found five areas that I believe 4-H youth succeed in through their experiences in  4-H. 4-H youth have the opportunity to build work ethic, communications, leadership, proper data gathering, and problem solving.  Other attributes could easily be argued, and the list can always change. I think these areas cover what is important for youth to know as they enter the workforce today, and become competent members of our community.

Through the next 3 weeks I am going to talk about these areas and how I feel 4-H nurtures these attributes for youth in our community. Not all the youth that I work with are always 4-H members, but the activities and events mentioned are in fact 4-H sponsored.

Work Ethic

In order to understand how 4-H builds work ethic, one must first define what a good work ethic would look like. To exhibit a good work ethic youth must be willing to take on tasks given (or even without prompting) that need completed. The quality of work should be to the highest of their skills, and be taken seriously, as well as be open to them working as a team. Youth that show good work ethic show discipline to get the job done without being distracted.  Work ethic is something that can be innate, but is better demonstrated by trusted, caring adults (such as volunteers, and advisors).  Youth of all ages can show a good work ethic to their best abilities, and given the appropriate responsibility can exhibit those traits to the best of their abilities.

4-H Clubs gather groups of youth together in a way that guides them through community service projects such as roadside cleanup, or helping local food pantries. Through the Chicken Barbeque many youth showed a strong work ethic in making sure meals were boxed and prepared for people who were waiting on them. Teen groups such as the Jr. Fair Board work vigorously during the summer months to help prepare landscaping surrounding the Jr. Fair barns in an effort to make the fair look as nice as possible.  These projects allow youth to have positive adult (and teen) role models, and a chance to build their own work ethic. These youth are voluntarily doing these projects, with their peers. While they may be initially asked to work on something specific, I often find that they go above and beyond what is asked of them.  While there is no 4-H project about work ethic, these youth show a strong work ethic in their activities completed. Work ethic is a skill that is learned from others – such as those positive adults and teen role models.

As youth graduate I find myself writing letters of recommendation or answering phone calls for references.  One of the many things that I can write or talk about my teens is their work ethic. Employers want to know if they can get a job done, and if they will do it well. In a tough job market (even for college age youth) I am proud to speak highly of my youth with  strong work ethics. I know that their skills exhibited in 4-H activities will transfer into the workplace.

Work ethic is something employers expect. Why not allow youth to build their skills with their peers, while having fun, and exploring 4-H projects? As you can tell, my pitch for 4-H often starts with the “4-H camp is awesome, and our projects are super fun” but can easily lead to how 4-H youth are found to be ahead of their peers in many skills by the time they graduate. For more information on this research you can go to http://www.4-h.org/about/youth-development-research/

As we explore all of the areas that 4-H develops youth in – I urge you to ask a 4-H member young or old about their experiences.  As our community and youth’s needs change, we strive to also change to provide development in those areas that help them succeed.  Chances are, you will get a story about how confident they were doing something because of their experiences with 4-H.

From the time of its birth over 100 years ago the idea of 4-H has stayed the same. The main job of the 4-H youth development program is to build skill sets for youth and their families to be productive and meaningful members of their community. The approach has been to teach in a way that is experiential, or learning in a way that is hand-on and outside of the traditional classroom.

The program formed in 1902 in Clark County, Ohio. The foundation of 4-H is credited to A.B. Graham. Many of these clubs focused on agriculture, and appropriately linked up with agricultural fairs to show their skill set to those in their community.  In 1914 the Smith-Lever act created the Cooperative Extension System through the USDA and nationalized the 4-H program.  This linked the 4-H youth with knowledge of 109 land-grant universities and over 3,000 county offices nationwide.

The history of the 4 H’s gives deeper meaning to the program’s objectives. Head, heart, hands and health are the four h’s. Through those h’s,  members are encouraged to build their skills in managing and thinking (head), relating and caring (heart), giving and working (hands), and being and living (health).

Today, 4-H has grown from its roots, to accommodate that same purpose focused on community and families. In Ohio, youth complete and learn through over 200 projects ranging from the tradition livestock, crops, cooking, and sewing to science-based technology projects such as robotics, healthy living, nutrition, and career developing projects. These projects help our nation to compete in key scientific fields to help take on the challenges of the 21^st century.

At the local level, 4-H programs are guided by county Extension professionals who recruit, certify, train, and coach community volunteers. Those volunteers (over 100 in Van Wert) work with our 23 community clubs. Some of the clubs feature special focus such as the shooting sports, dogs, beef animals, sewing, rabbits, visiting other states to learn about their programs, and teen leadership.

Taking a project through a club gives members the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with their peers, and adults.  Aside from the project members are given the opportunity to practice public speaking through demonstrations, learn how to conduct a business meeting with parliamentary procedure, and build relationships with others through respectful and thoughtful discussion and decision making.

The youth exhibiting their projects at the Jr. Fair showcase still projects in the Jr. Fair Building during the fair nestled in decorated club booths. Those exhibiting livestock get the chance to show their animal for quality of market purpose and showmanship.  One of the highlights and signature programs in 4-H is the Quality Assurance (QA) program. QA trains members on 10 good production practices that all livestock producers (both commercial and person) must focus on. Good practices produce good market animals in which the public can feel confident and safe about consuming.

4-H gives purpose to youth searching for skill development (whether they realize it at the time or not). It gives the structure for purposeful socialization of youth, as well as purposeful healthy decision making. Soft skills are often sought for in the professional world, and 4-H gives youth those skills as they mature and develop into young adults.  As a 4-H professional, my goal is to develop skills, while working hard, and having a whole lot of fun. That goal is my own professional purpose, and Extension and 4-H give me the ability to do that in the community.

The opportunity was graciously given for the Educational Technology team to visit the New Mexico State University Gaming Lab in Las Cruces. We were able to collaborate, and build projects with the group while there – but I wanted to give some heartfelt reflections from the trip to share.

1. Processing Requests for App Development: Through this opportunity I was able to see the detailed process of app development from idea, to product. Coming to the table with a complete idea in hand is a nice starting point, but in turn we all must be willing to collaborate and build off of that idea to make it even better suited for Extension audiences.
2. “The brain can only absorb what the butt will tolerate”: I found this to be a beautifully said direct quote from our collaboration sessions. The time we have as professionals to share information has grown smaller and smaller, while the need for sharing the message digitally has grown larger and larger. Making what we have to say compact, and creative is a task that the NMSU gaming lab has taken seriously, and done beautifully! There is a lot to be said for building animation, games, and apps that keep the attention of our audiences. In the past it was as long as 20 minutes, but today our viewers may only give us 2-3 minutes before we lose them.
3. Atmosphere: The gaming lab is a good example of a creative, unique, and positive work environment. The spaces were open, the layouts blended from one person to the next, and the people were friendly, open, and constantly working together. While something we often do not think about, how we work together is as important as working together itself.
4. Revisiting Objectives & Expectations: There is a constant need in any technology-based project to revisit the objectives, and the expectations of the client, or group. The reality is that we need to ask this question more often, and ensure that we are meeting both to the best ability we can. The NMSU gaming lab showed us how they communicate as teams, and work to give their best abilities to the group.