- Author: Marianne Bird
My favorite part of our Sacramento 4-H volunteer orientation comes when we introduce the 4-H Thriving Model (Arnold, 2018). “Think back to when you were a child or a teenager,” we ask. “Other than your parents, was there an adult—a coach, a teacher, a neighbor—who was special? What made them so?” As participants take a moment to remember, to share with a partner then perhaps with the larger group about this individual, the conversation deepens.
“I had a teacher who nominated me for an honor. She saw something in me that I didn't see in myself.”
“Every night at bedtime my camp counselor would spend a few minutes asking questions and just listening about our day. I bonded with them and our cabin group bonded with each other.”
“My high school economics teacher pushed me in a subject area completely new to me, and it was a turning point in how I engaged in learning.”
As I listen to these stories, I can't emphasize enough how important relationships with caring adults are in youth development work. In the 4-H Thriving Model, relationships are characterized as part of the “soil”—the foundational element—critical to a young person's (and I'd argue, anyone's) growth. Nutrient-rich soil grows strong plants. Or, as the metaphor goes, positive, caring adults develop healthy, capable youth.
What are the qualities of a caring adult? To cultivate strong relationships, consider the following.
- Express Care:What things can you do to help a young person feel special and important to you? Do you know not only their name, but a bit about who they are, what they enjoy, perhaps what they find difficult? Do you celebrate their successes?
- Challenge Growth: How do you engage youth in learning? How do you encourage goal setting and practice? Do you build in time for youth to reflect not just in their project, but on their leadership, teamwork, and responsibilities?
- Provide Support: What do the youth you work with need from you? Encouragement? Check-ins? Coaching? Have you asked them how you can best support their efforts?
- Share Power: How well do you build your program with young people, not just for young people? Do they share their thoughts with you? Do they assume leadership roles? How might you listen better to incorporate their ideas into your project?
- Expand Possibilities: What can you do to help youth see and connect with a bigger future? Might you bring in speakers or plan for field trips to explore education or career possibilities? For older youth, are there doors you might open or connections you might facilitate?
There is no greater compliment than when an adult looks back and says, “You made a difference in my life.” Each one of us is in a position to be that special person. What a gift.
Arnold, M. E. (2018). From context to outcomes: A thriving model for 4-H youth development programs. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 6 (1), 141-160.
- Author: Marianne Bird
Three weeks ago my colleague and I were discussing the successes and challenges with our Teens as Teachers programs. Teen participation in Sacramento 4-H YES and Cooking Academy projects exploded this year as we had 69 high-school youth delivering these weekly sessions at afterschool sites. In Sacramento 4-H, participation overall has rebounded: our camps are full and clubs numbers approach those pre-Covid. But post-pandemic programming hasn't been without challenges.
“We need to do a better job of communicating,” my colleague lamented. “I send emails, text messages, even confirm things with the teens and program staff on the phone, but often they just don't follow through. I don't know what else to do.”
I thought back to situations throughout the year: adults who would say they'd send in paperwork but didn't; young people who would commit to tasks then cease communication; a potential volunteer who left orientation excited but couldn't let us know she had changed her mind. The issue doesn't seem to be lack of communication. The issue appears to be one of engagement and accountability. It's not that people don't know what to do, but that they lack follow-through in doing what needs to be done.
Covid challenged us to work and learn in new ways. I can't help but wonder if the strategies of remote classrooms, courses, meetings and work environments have nurtured a sense of anonymity or unimportance. We know how difficult it was for many youth to connect online with their teachers and assignments. In the workplace, we've learned how to log into a Zoom meeting while simultaneously focusing on other tasks. Participants are present, but not fully. Perhaps inadvertently our virtual way of working has developed a sense of disconnection—from our commitments and from each other.
Building connection, responsibility and commitment is what we do in 4-H. 4-H clubs, camps and projects should be places where members feel like they belong, where their ideas are heard, and where they assume responsibility. We expect follow-through on tasks undertaken. Caring, committed adults—who know, understand, and support young people in their growth—are there to model accountability. 4-H is relevant now more than ever as we help youth (and quite frankly, adults too) embrace the responsibilities they take on and to understand the consequences of lack of commitment.
We lost a lot as a result of Covid. Membership, certainly. But even as membership grows we confront a broader problem of disengagement, not just in our organization, but in society in general. 4-H is an optimal place to combat the apathy the pandemic seeded. I have confidence that with time, and the power of personal relationships like those forged in 4-H, we'll strengthen commitment to being fully present to each other and the tasks at hand.