- (Focus Area) 4-H
- Author: Steven Worker
A key component for youth on their thriving pathway is cultivating a growth mindset. Youth with a strong growth mindset view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. When young people possess a growth mindset, they are more resilient, and better able to adapt to challenging situations. Through practice and effort both youth and adults increase their potential to learn and develop across the lifespan. Watch the video on growth mindset at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73KbVR6l6bU
A key method to help young people cultivate a growth mindset is to provide constructive feedback on their completed work. In California 4-H, youth members often showcase a variety of “things made, raised, grown, or improved” at county fairs, presentation events, and other exhibit venues. At these events, youth exhibit and may receive feedback from experts. Providing venues for youth to exhibit the product of their work and receive feedback can support youth in assessing their learning and set future goals and direction. Exhibition may help support a growth mindset; a belief that intelligence, abilities and personality can grow with effort and persistence. An emphasis on growth mindset is one reason many 4-H events use a criterion-based system, aka the Danish system, where youth are evaluated against a set standard rather than against one another.
Sometimes, the balance tilts, and youth (and parents) focus on the competitive aspects of events. In this, youth are seeking an extrinsic reward – 1st place – and trying to “win at all costs.” This emphasis serves counterproductive purposes: promoting performance goals (over learning goals), often reducing self-esteem, and potentially limiting the development of healthy relationships. Competition may reinforce a fixed mindset, a belief that talents and skills are mainly inherited, static, and cannot change much.
The research literature is clear: in comparing learning outcomes between cooperative, competitive, and individualist work, those engaged in cooperative tasks often experience higher intrinsic motivation, use more creative thinking, have more positive attitudes towards the task, promote greater social capital, and increase general psychological health when compared with competitive or individually oriented tasks (Johnson & Johnson, 2009). [NWC1]
As your 4-H youth begin to show and exhibit, please remember to help them (and their parents) focus on learning and growing from their exhibition, with competition as one method to assess one's skills. Help youth use evaluators/judge's feedback to learn, improve, and grow. Praise youth when they show effort, try alternate strategies, or seek help.
References
Dweck, C.S. (2006) Mindset: The new psychology of success. Ballantine Books.
Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. (2009). An educational psychology success story: Social interdependence theory and cooperative learning. Educational Researcher, 38(5), 365-379. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X09339057
[NWC1]Should we include the full reference alongside Dweck?
- Author: Saoimanu Sope
Ibrahim Yaaseen, member of the Palos Verdes Peninsula (PVP) 4-H club, grabs a hard hat and places it on top of his head. He then reaches for a bright orange safety vest and goggles to complete his safety gear outfit before joining the rest of his club members who are dressed the same.
The 4-H Youth Development Program of Los Angeles is already thinking about the future of water management and turned to the West Basin Municipal Water District in El Segundo to gain a deeper understanding of the precious resource we often take for granted.
The University of California 4-H Youth Development Program is managed through local Cooperative Extension offices. Through hands-on learning experiences, 4-H empowers youth to reach their full potential and enables them to build self-esteem, connect with their community and emerge as leaders.
Dee Keese, community club leader for the PVP 4-H club, coordinated an exclusive and interactive tour of West Basin's Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility for the club's monthly marine biology meeting in December 2022.
Eager to inspire a stronger appreciation for water, Janel Ancayan, the West Basin's education coordinator, challenged the youth to build their own water filters using materials including fabric, a strainer, and a funnel. Since no specific directions were given, the activity challenged each student's science and engineering skills, such as carrying out an investigation, designing a solution, and communicating information with team members.
During the tour, students saw firsthand the impressive equipment and essential staff members that help to produce nearly 40 million gallons of recycled water each day. At the end of the day, students left with a deeper understanding of water resources and felt empowered to do their part to conserve water sources.
“We learned that recycling water helps to conserve our limited water supply and improves the environmental condition of our coastal waters,” said Yaaseen. “We ultimately learned a great deal about how to conserve water for future generations and that water conservation is one of the most important elements in combating climate change.”
Though Keese has volunteered as community club leader for 48 years, this is only the second time she has partnered with the West Basin. “I like to mix it up,” she said. “I'm always looking for community organizations and local businesses to partner with because these are places that the kids will likely interact with since they're nearby.”
Regardless, it's leaders like Keese and programs like 4-H that encourage water stewards like Ancayan. “I'm always so humbled and inspired when teachers make it a point to come out and visit our facility. In Southern California especially, [water] is not something we think about,” Ancayan said.
Even in a drought, water continues to flow from our faucets allowing us to shower, wash dishes or water the lawn. It's no wonder why water conservation is not always top of mind, especially for consumers. Educating the public, and targeting the younger generation, however, is a great start to prepare for the future.
West Basin offers a variety of educational programs that focus on different age groups. Many of them involve hands-on learning like the Teach and Test volunteer program, a partnership with the Surfrider Foundation, where high school students test samples of coastal water for bacteria, and then publicly share their findings to contribute to water quality monitoring in the area.
According to Yaaseen, the time spent with Ancayan at the West Basin was “one-of-a-kind” and provided a “golden opportunity” to learn why water recycling facilities are important. Ancayan hopes that her time spent with students ultimately influences them to consider a career in water.
“It's not a glamorous job but I'm really passionate about the next generation of water workers,” she said. “I hope that once they see the engineering, the excitement of these scientists that work in our laboratory and everything in between, that they start to think about water as a future career path.”
For those interested in joining 4-H, visit https://4h.ucanr.edu/Members/
- Author: Mike Hsu
David Gonzalves started on Feb. 1 as director for University of California Cooperative Extension in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. UC Cooperative Extension connects communities across California with UC research and science-based solutions through agriculture, natural resources, nutrition and 4-H youth development programs.
Responsible for the overall operation of UCCE educational and applied research programs in the region, Gonzalves also will build and expand partnerships with county and city governments, public agencies and community organizations.
“David brings tremendous expertise in administration, fostering strong relationships, and building effective teams,” said Deanne Meyer, interim associate vice president for programs and strategic initiatives at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, which administers UCCE statewide. “His track record of engaging local agencies, business partners, stakeholders and community groups will be invaluable as we explore new collaborations to reach and serve more Californians.”
Gonzalves was most recently a campus building official at UC Merced. Beginning his career at the County of Merced as a fire inspector, Gonzalves worked his way up to supervising building inspector and eventually assistant development services director. Then, for the City of Merced, he filled the role of chief building official and ultimately director of development services, leading the city's Building, Planning and Engineering teams. For three years, Gonzalves served as Tuolumne County's Community Resources Agency director.
“David's past experience as an administrator in county government and at UC Merced makes him the ideal candidate for the work we do at UCCE, as he has demonstrated success in being able to successfully negotiate these two worlds,” said Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, interim director for county Cooperative Extension at UC ANR.
Gonzalves said he looks forward to meeting with county leaders, members of local boards, growers, UC Master Gardener volunteers, 4-H members and community members to learn how UC Cooperative Extension can help meet needs in the area.
“My big picture goal is to allow UCCE advisors, administrative teams and local county leaders to have a coordinated approach to our local challenges and successes,” Gonzalves said. “Our efforts will concentrate on freeing up our research teams' calendars to ensure they can continue producing cutting-edge accomplishments here in the tri-county region.”
Based at the UCCE Monterey County office in Salinas, Gonzalves can be reached at dgonzalves@ucanr.edu or (831) 392-5916.
- Author: Nicole Marshall-Wheeler
Public speaking skills are highly sought after. Yet, public speaking is one of the most common fears. The 4-H Youth Development Program has a history of helping youth grow their public speaking skills, but what can we do to intentionally help youth build their confidence when speaking in front of a group or audience? Research shows that public speaking skill and confidence are related, meaning we should nurture youths' opportunities which foster confidence1.
Here are some research-based tips you can use to help youth grow their public speaking confidence at your upcoming meetings or activities:
- Offer lots of speaking opportunities for youth. 2,3 The more a youth can present, the more comfortable and confident they will become while speaking in front of a group. Consider providing a specific time for presentations during your meetings to build in more opportunities. Ensure that there are no barriers or requirements which might discourage youth from giving a presentation. The point is to allow any youth opportunities to speak often!
- Keep it positive and low pressure! 3 Offering lots of opportunities for presenting isn't enough – the public speaking experience youth have also needs to be positive. When stakes are high, youth are more likely to be anxious which has a negative impact on public speaking confidence. When possible, make sure the presentation isn't tied to a requirement, grade, rank, or score to keep it low pressure.
- Make it fun. Opportunities for presenting don't only have to be prepared speeches or demonstrations. Consider incorporating games and skits which allow youth to speak as part of your meetings and activities. Allowing non-traditional methods of speaking and presenting grants youth the room to experiment with speaking style and find what is most comfortable for them4.
Resources:
Youth Development Insights is a monthly blog that brings you the latest thoughts, ideas, strategies, and research from the field of positive youth development. Delivered to you by academics and staff serving the 4-H Youth Development Program, our expertise represents a state wide network of University of California researchers and educators dedicated to the creation, development, and application of knowledge in agricultural, natural and human resources. If you liked this article, please check out our other posts by clicking here: Youth Development Insights and sure to hit subscribe.
1Worker, S. M., Nayak, R., Meng, Y., & Marshall-Wheeler, N. (in press). 4-H programs help youth improve their public speaking confidence. California Agriculture.
2 Marshall-Wheeler, N., Meng, Y., & Worker, S. (2022). Exploring Public Speaking Self-Efficacy in the 4-H Presentation Program. The Journal of Extension, 60(4), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.60.04.12
3 Warren, J. L. (2011). The relationship between service learning and public speaking self-efficacy: Toward engaging today's undergraduates. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Kentucky]. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/comm_etds/1/
4 Gehrke, P. J. (2016) Epilogue: a manifesto for teaching public speaking, Review of Communication, 16(2-3), 246-264, DOI: 10.1080/15358593.2016.1193943
- Author: Marianne Bird
We have multiple programs that serve youth in 4-H: fun camps; authentic service-learning opportunities for teens; hands-on curriculum that give kids in after school settings the chance to be scientists or learn to cook. But for just a moment I'd like to focus our oldest and most tried-and-true youth development experience—our 4-H clubs.
I wasn't in 4-H as a child, but I had a very similar club experience growing up. I don't remember kids being in 4-H in my suburban neighborhood (most were Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts), and what I wanted most was to be a Camp Fire Girl. My friend, Pam Thomson, was a year older and her mom was her Camp Fire club leader. Every morning when I walked to school I passed Pam's house where, to my amazement, there were 10 Blue Bird symbols painted on the driveway, each with the name of a girl in the club. I couldn't wait to join my own Blue Bird club and wear the nifty uniform (blue skirt, white blouse, red vest) that showed I belonged. I had that opportunity in third grade.
My most powerful experiences in Camp Fire came much later when, just as I entered middle school, a mom new to the area stepped in to take leadership of our then struggling group. Mrs. Williams was like no other adult I had ever met. That fall she invited us to a slumber party at her house to kick off the program year. Imagine that—a grown-up inviting me to a slumber party! We stayed up late and she pulled out a big piece of paper, asked us what we wanted to do in the year ahead, and scribed every idea. Talk about feeling empowered! That list became a road map to camping adventures, learning skills, writing books, organizing fundraisers, planning trips, and giving service. We worked with younger kids, learned to cook, volunteered at day camp and, over time, developed deep friendships.
What is the Club experience about? It's about independence and discovering who you are. It's about decision making and planning and recognizing the importance of following through on commitments. It's about being part of a team and learning how to be and work with others. It's about struggles and disappointments when things don't go as planned. It's about celebration and recognition when projects are completed and goals are met. It's about learning practical skills like balancing a check book or how to cook, and learning the bigger life skills like compromise and communication. It's about group. It's about belonging. Most importantly, the club experience is about relationships.
4-H club and project leaders sit in a magical place with young people that few other adults enjoy. 4-H adults are an authority, yes, but more so a partner in a youth's journey of learning and discovery. Ideally, they help young people express their ideas, plan and deliver on those plans, and reflect upon their experiences. They listen and encourage, counsel and comfort, challenge and play. More often than not, they're in it for the long-haul, inspiring and witnessing a young person's growth over time. How many places can a kid find that from an adult who's not their parent?
This is the value of our 4-H club experience. It's a place to try new things, to learn, to belong. It's a place to realize who we are and uncover our gifts. It's people who know us, encourage us, challenge us, and care for us. A club can be a life-changing experience. I know this. Thank you, Mrs. Williams.
4-H members give project reports at their community club meeting. The club experience is about connection, community, friendship and fun as well as growing skills.
Marianne (red shirt) with Mrs. Williams (back row with long, blond hair) and their Camp Fire Club during their senior year in high school.
Youth Development Insights is a monthly blog that brings you the latest thoughts, ideas, strategies, and research from the field of positive youth development. Delivered to you by academics and staff serving the 4-H Youth Development Program, our expertise represents a state wide network of University of California researchers and educators dedicated to the creation, development, and application of knowledge in agricultural, natural and human resources. If you liked this article, please check out our other posts by clicking here: Youth Development Insights and sure to hit subscribe.
