A Descriptive View of the 4-H Club Experience Through the Lens of 4-H Youth

Abstract

4-H like other youth development programs should be generally marked by the presence of three features of optimal youth programming: 1. youth participation and leadership, 2. positive adult-youth relationships, and 3. skill building activities (Lerner, 2004). This paper reviews a study which examined the extent to which 4-H youth felt they had “opportunities” to engage in different learning experiences, and provide leadership to those experiences within their clubs. The study also examined the youth’s perceptions about whether their experience in the 4-H Club helped them spend more time with their parents, have a positive relationship with another adult and do things independently. An examination of whether there is a difference in life skill development in 4-H based on certain key demographic variables is also discussed. The results of this study are shared as well as implications for practice and recommendations for further research.