UC Delivers

4-H Revolution of Responsibility raises funds for community youth projects

The Issue

2013 marks the centennial for 4-H in California, an important milestone for an organization that is deeply connected to communities throughout the state. Service learning has been a cornerstone of the 4-H educational approach for the past century, connecting education and community service to strengthen learning and positive youth development. To celebrate the centennial, funds are being raised for youth to design and lead community-based projects. Through these projects, youth mature and develop skills while making a difference in their communities.

What Has ANR Done?

The National 4-H Revolution of Responsibility campaign is a movement for positive change in every community in America. Adapting the campaign, the California 4-H Foundation and State 4-H Office unveiled the "$1,000 for 1,000" service learning projects campaign in late 2011. The Revolution of Responsibility Centennial Campaign celebrates the power of California 4-H youth taking action through an ambitious statewide program that is funding 1,000 service learning projects at $1,000 each through 2014.

In addition, the California 4-H Foundation and State 4-H Office created a toolkit to assist 4-H groups in planning, marketing, fundraising and evaluating their projects. Each section of the toolkit offers tips, templates, links to helpful resources, and suggested guidelines that support the efforts of youth 4-H members. The toolkit is available at http://www.ca4h.org/Support/RofR/

The Payoff

4-H members improve their local communities

From October 2011 through May 2012, this campaign funded over 50 projects around the state led by youth and coached by adult 4-H volunteers. These projects range from community gardens to creating memorials for veterans; from community beautification to cat and rabbit adoptions. Some projects have expanded their activities; for example, the 4-H Million Trees project (http://www.4hmilliontrees.org/), which originated in San Mateo County and has involved 42,000 youth in planting 362,000 trees across the world, is expanding locally to help those in San Bruno affected by fires. In Ventura County, the 4-H team continues and expands their restoration of the Roma-Jean 4-H Educational Wetland Path at Ormond Pointe. Many other projects continue to have a positive impact on California's communities. Projects may be viewed at http://www.ca4h.org/Support/RofR/FundedProjects/

Contact

Supporting Unit: Youth, Families & Communities

Steven Worker, State 4-H Office, smworker@ucdavis.edu
Andrea Ambrose, California 4-H Foundation, apambrose@ucdavis.edu