Welcome to Thriving Forward Blog

Welcome to "Thriving Forward," which is a blog dedicated to "promoting healthy people and communities." Challenges such as poverty, racism, discrimination, food insecurity, gun violence, disparities of health, climate change, obesity, are some of the many challenges Californians face in the 21st century. The University of California is poised to make a significant positive difference in the lives of Californians through Cooperative Extension and the many programs and services offered to various constituencies in all 58 counties.

UC ANR's 4-H Positive Youth Development Program

One way that the University of California serves youth and their families is through the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources's (UCANR) 4-H positive youth development program (PYD). The UC 4-H program is part of the 4-H national youth development program, which is the largest youth development program in the country. In fact, 4-H has been serving youth and their families for over 100 years. To continue this tradition, the UC 4-H program offers a wide array of community-based programming to help support the needs of youth ages 5-18 in every county in California.

The UC 4-H program offers positive youth development programs through a variety of ways (or modes). For example, here are some of the UC 4-H modes:

• Organized 4-H clubs
• Overnight and day camp programs
• School enrichment programs
• Individual study, mentoring, and family learning programs

These efforts collectively position the University of California to make a significant impact on promoting healthy people and communities, which is a UCANR public value. For example, 72% of 4-H youth would like to work in science, 87% of 4-H youth gained social and leadership skills, and 4-H youth were twice as likely to get good grades in school compared to others not involved in 4-H. These are some of the many positive impacts that the UC 4-H program has made in communities across California.

Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development

What distinguishes the 4-H program from other youth development programs is an emphasis on evidence-based and evidence-informed practices. Science undergirds why (and how) we do programming among young people in our community. For example, 4-H is guided by the Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development. Key to this model is a focus on establishing a healthy developmental context for youth that include "sparks" (i.e. areas a youth is passionate about), a sense of belonging, healthy relationships, and engagement in the 4-H program.

The model believes that when these developmental context characteristics are present, youth will provide indicators of thriving, which include a growth mindset, openness to challenge and discovery, hopeful purpose, prosocial orientation, transcendent awareness, positive emotions, and goal setting and management. To promote the adoption of the 4-H Thriving Model of PYD, a team of "Champions" (2 from each state) meet together regularly by region to collaborate.

Another way that UC professionals collaborate together is through work groups. For example, here are some of the many work groups that 4-H professionals are members of:

• Expanded Learning (Afterschool)
• Career/College Readiness and Workforce Development
• Developing Volunteer Capacities
• Native American Community Partnerships

These collaborations bring together Extension professionals, such as 4-H academics and community education specialists, to discuss the most pressing needs and opportunities to promote healthy people and communities in California. These work groups provide an important network to UC 4-H professionals. The information gained at these work group meetings, which occur on a regular basis, provide helpful knowledge that can be applied at the county level. 

For example, I am a member of all four of the aforementioned work groups and am also a state 4-H Thrive Champion. These collaborations allow me to learn from others about innovative 4-H PYD applied research, which I can then consider for the 4-H program that I support in Placer, Nevada, Sutter, and Yuba counties.

What to Expect from Thriving Forward Blog

So what can you expect to find from this blog "Thriving Forward?" In one word—understanding. First, the information presented in this blog will be guided by scientific knowledge and theoretical frameworks. Second, this website will provide practical information for people who work with young people and volunteers. By combining the two, this blog strives to make a positive contribution to the promotion of healthy people and communities.

So who are the intended audiences for Thriving Forward? Some of the audiences can include:

• Parents and grandparents
• Volunteers who work with youth
• Educators (from elementary through college)
• Youth development staff (e.g. youth programs, military bases, juvenile probation)
• Clinicians who work with youth (e.g. mental health, school counselors)
• 4-H professionals (e.g. UC advisors, Cooperative Extension agents, educators, 4-H community education specialists)
• Community leaders (e.g. Native Tribal Communities, Farm Bureaus, County Staff)

Ways to Engage with Thriving Forward Blog

I invite you to subscribe to Thriving Forward to receive an email when a new article gets posted. I also invite you to comment on new articles. Your feedback is an important part of the collaborative exchange of ideas, values, and information that make our 4-H program a success in California. Thank you in advance for your help in promoting healthy people and communities through your involvement in Thriving Forward. Together, we can help Californians and other communities across the country thrive forward.

References

Arnold, M. E., & Gagnon, R. J. (2020). Positive youth development theory in practice: An update on the 4-H Thriving Model. Journal of youth development (Online), 15(6), 1-23. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2020.954 

Fields, N. I. (2020). Exploring the 4-H Thriving Model: A Commentary Through an Equity Lens. Journal of youth development (Online), 15(6), 171-194. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2020.1058 

Hurtado Choque, G., Rodriguez, M., Soltani, D., Baltaci, A., Nagao-Sato, S., Alvarez de Davila, S., Monardez, J., Peralta Reyes, A., & Reicks, M. (2023). Mixed-methods evaluation of father participation in an adolescent obesity prevention program with multiple delivery methods. Health Promotion Practice, 1-12. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399231177300