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University of California 4-H Youth Development Program

Civic Engagement

 

4-H'ers are 4x more likely to make a positive contribution to communities
4-H'ers are 4x more likely to make a positive contribution to communities

4-H civic engagement programs empower you to be a well-informed citizen who can actively engage in your community and the world. Civic Engagement projects help you learn about civic affairs, build decision-making skills and develop confidence to make a positive impact.

Focus Areas of 4-H Civic Engagement

Community engagement

You take part in talking and making decisions with people, organizations, businesses, and local government to change how things are done or influence policies. Community engagement can be simple, like giving your opinion, or more involved, like having the power to make changes.

Youth Voice

Youth are respected for their ideas and opinions and feel free to state them in their classes, sports team, clubs, or other spaces “All children … have the right to: a) articulate their views and express their views freely, 
b) be heard in all matters affecting them, including policy matters, and 
c) have their views taken seriously and in accordance with their age and maturity”
~1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 

Informed decision making

A decision based on facts and knowledge 

Civic responsibility

A promise to take part in democracy and care for others, the community, the state, the nation, and the world.

Social Justice

A dream of a society where resources, opportunities, benefits, and protection are shared fairly with everyone. Social justice involves people who feel responsible for helping others and caring about society as a whole.

Global engagement

A way of thinking where you feel responsible for people, places, and things around the world 
and believe that what you do affects others.

 

Service

You carry out an activity planned to meet a community need, focusing on activities that help others.

Community Service

You take part in activities that help meet real community needs as a part of the project.

Service learning

You carry out a needs assessment to find out what the community needs and plan the service activity. This activity is part of your project curriculum, combining both service and learning. You also get structured time to thoughtfully plan your actions and reflect on the service experience.

Community youth development

You help create environments where you have positive, supportive relationships 
with adults and friends that last a long time. At the same time, you get many chances to build your skills, take part in your own growth, 
and help develop your community.

 

Civic education

You develop the values, knowledge, and skills needed to take part in civic and political activities.

Government principles, processes and structures

You learn about how local, county, state, or national governments are set up and how different departments work together to help the people they serve.

Cultural heritage

Cultural heritage includes things like objects and traditions passed down from earlier generations, 
kept alive today, and passed on for the benefit of future generations.

History

History is a record of important events over time that have shaped 
nations or institutions, often explaining why they happened.

Global contexts

Exploring global contexts involves understanding six areas: 
1. Who we are and how we relate to others, 
2. Understanding time and place, 
3. Expressing ourselves through art and culture, 
4. Using science and technology to understand our world, 
5. How everything in the world is connected, 
6. Understanding fairness and how societies develop.

Personal roles and responsibilities

Roles are the positions you take on in different situations. Responsibilities are the specific tasks or duties you need to do as part of those roles. Personal responsibility means being someone others can depend on and doing what you're supposed to do. It's important for young people to develop good character with the help of peers, adults, and parents or guardians.

 

Personal development

Growing and improving your skills and abilities over time.

Leadership

A leader is someone who uses their skills to inspire a group and help them reach their goals in a positive way.

Character

Having good character means having strong morals, being honest, and caring about fairness for everyone.

Mutual respect and understanding

Valuing each other's differences and communicating without judging. It helps build positive relationships between different groups, like young people with adults and among adults themselves.

Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking is when you carefully think about a problem 
by setting goals and using standards to make decisions. When solving problems, you think about why you're thinking that way, 
what information you have, 
and what could happen if you act on your ideas.

Intercultural competence and communication

Intercultural competence means having the skills to interact well with people from different cultures. Intercultural communication is when people from different cultures work together to understand each other.

Civility

Civility is more than just being polite. It's about disagreeing respectfully, finding common ground, and listening to others even when you don't agree. It's important in politics and everyday life to make sure everyone's voice is heard and respected.

 

Civic Engagement Events

 

"By being with such a diverse group, you learn different ways to approach and solve problems." -Benjamin

Increase your engagement in Civic Engagement through state and national events. Participation is managed through the state 4-H office for these events.

 

Resources on 4-H Civic Engagement

2 youth pointing down towards 4-H Resource Center button.

4-H Members and Volunteers: Go to the CA 4-H Resource Center for resources and curriculum to support Civic Engagement projects.