Posts Tagged: Youth

Youth development advisors launch blog to share ideas

4-H members give project reports at their community club meeting. Marianne Bird writes about the 4-H club experience in a new blog.

4-H youth development advisors JoLynn Miller, Nicole Marshall-Wheeler, Marianne Bird and fellow 4-H colleagues have started a new blog titled “Youth Development Insights” to share ideas, strategies and research from the field of positive youth development.

Bird wrote about the 4-H club experience: “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.” 

Public speaking is a skill 4-H club members will exercise frequently. In a recent blog post, Marshall-Wheeler shares tips for building youths' public speaking confidence.

Check out “Youth Development Insights” and subscribe at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/YouthDevelopmentInsights.

To see the latest on all ANR blogs, visit https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/blogroll.cfm or click on “Blogroll” in the ANR portal.

Fact sheets help guide programs with equity lens

4-H has expanded club topics and locations to appeal to a more diverse array of children.

The 4-H Program Leaders Working Group has published a series of fact sheets titled “Thriving with an Equity Lens.” While the fact sheets are written for 4-H professionals, the information is applicable to all of UC ANR's work with communities. 

“These fact sheets provide information and recommendations on how to foster a sense of belonging for marginalized youth, list staff competencies needed to engage a youth population, and offer recommendations for culturally adapting program evaluations,” said Fe Moncloa, 4-H youth development advisor for Santa Clara County. 

“Programming with an equity lens necessitates having an understanding of these concepts at the same time: paying attention to multiple systems of oppression, knowing the past and present cultural histories of your target population and having the ability to shift practices on the spot.

“The information on these fact sheets will hopefully help you have a greater understanding of the cultural histories of diverse populations and support you to offer culturally responsive programs.” 

The first fact sheet defines many terms used to talk about diversity, inclusion and equity.

The 11 fact sheets  cover the following topics:

1. Intro: Thriving Through an Equity Lens
2. Immigrant and Refugee Youth
3. LGBTQ+ Youth
4. Youth Experiencing Homelessness
5. Youth in Foster Care
6. Youth with Disabilities
7. Youth Living in Poverty
8. Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing
9. African American Youth
10. Latinx Youth
11. American Indian/Alaskan Native (First Nations) Youth

All of the “Thriving with an Equity Lens” fact sheets are posted at https://access-equity-belonging.extension.org/resources/fact-sheets.

Fresno 4-H Ambassadors help community recover from Creek Fire

From left, Nicole Ward, Ciara Zito, Clayton Pennebaker and Caydin Simonian. The Fresno County 4-H Ambassadors met in the Sierra Nevada in early 2020, before COVID-19 restrictions and before the Creek Fire struck.

Hundreds of wildfires burned in California in 2020. The biggest single wildfire, according to Cal Fire, was the Creek Fire, which started on Sept. 4 near Shaver Lake in Fresno County. It destroyed 856 structures and burned 379,895 acres mostly in the Sierra National Forest until it was declared contained on Dec. 24.

“Fresno County 4-H had several families that lost homes in the Creek Fire, especially from our Ridge Top 4-H Club,” said 4-H program representative Tracy Newton. 

To help their fellow 4-H members and community recover from the Creek Fire, 4-H Ambassadors in Fresno County assembled baskets containing handmade dough ornaments and a seedling to give to fire survivors. They also partnered with Intermountain Nursery and Sierra Resiliency Fund to begin protecting the scorched land from erosion.

In a video about their efforts, 4-H Ambassadors Caydin Simonian, Ciara Zito, Nicole Ward and Clayton Pennebaker and local partners describe their roles.

“Without volunteers, we can't get very much done. It's nice to have a core group of individuals that are excited and motivated to do work,” Allyson Brooks, Sierra Resiliency Fund volunteer coordinator, said in the video. 

After the Creek Fire, the 4-H Ambassadors partnered with Intermountain Nursery and Sierra Resiliency Fund to prevent soil erosion.

Zito added, “I know together we can make a difference.” 

Newton is proud of the Ambassador team's efforts supporting the Creek Fire recovery. "They've worked so hard, I'd like to see our community aware of their great efforts as well as our UC ANR community," she said. “I think they've done an amazing job! “ 

“Through sales of 4-H logo items and donations received, the team was able to purchase 750 seedlings which will be planted locally,” Newton said. “They are working towards participating in multiple workdays for tree plantings. In addition, there were workdays at the nursery transferring seedlings to larger containers and watering. They also supported in creating a community display that will be placed in the Creek Fire exhibit at the Sierra Historical Society.” 

See the video at https://youtu.be/fCvHuFu8e1k.

Rotary donates $5000 to 4-H in Modoc County

Bill Wilson, Alturas Sunrise Rotary president, with UCCE director Laura Snell, and Sadie Camacho, 4-H program representative.

The Alturas Sunrise Rotary donated $5000 towards the Modoc County Forever 4-H Endowment.

This endowment, established in 2018 amid state budget constraints, is intended to support the 4-H program in Modoc County for generations to come. Over 30% of the youth in Modoc County were served by 4-H programs in 2018.

Donations and memorial gifts are still being accepted for Modoc County Forever 4-H Endowment and will be matched until a goal of $20,000 is met.

“We are just over halfway, $10,935 and have a match for up to $20,000 so we will keep working on it this winter and spring,” said Laura Snell, UCCE Modoc County director.

UCCE Riverside County funding goes from zero to zero cuts

More than 100 4-H members, 4-H volunteers, Master Gardener volunteers, farmers, nutrition course participants and other UCCE stakeholders attended a meeting to tell the Riverside County Board of Supervisors how they have personally benefited from UC ANR research and outreach.

In May, Eta Takele, UCCE Riverside County director, was told to expect to receive no funding from the county in light of a budget shortfall in revenue. She and her UCCE staff and academics relayed the shocking news to their Riverside County clientele, and many asked how they could help.

In early June, more than 100 4-H members, 4-H volunteers, Master Gardener volunteers, farmers, nutrition course participants and other UCCE stakeholders attended a meeting to tell the Riverside County Board of Supervisors how they have personally benefited from UC ANR research and outreach and urged them not to cut UC Cooperative Extension funds.

Despite the need to make budget cuts, the Board of Supervisors agreed to maintain their contribution to UCCE and talked of expanding support later as an investment in the people of Riverside County.

In a recording of the board meeting, public comment begins at 18:30. Starting at 1:17:45, Supervisor Chuck Washington makes a motion to not cut UCCE programs, but find savings in lease expenses.

“Many, many thanks are due to a tremendous number of supporters who took the time to reach out to Supervisors and share their stories,” said Wendy Powers, associate vice president, who attended the board meeting with Takele. “Jeffries commented that the public participation in the meeting far exceeded his expectations.”

A 4-H member who traveled nearly three hours from her home in Blythe to testify about the benefits of the 4-H program at the hearing told the supervisors, “It definitely saved me from getting into trouble.”

In “As Riverside County ponders spending cuts, public outcry saves 4-H, Master Gardeners,” the Press-Enterprise quoted Supervisor Jeff Hewitt: “'I think if we get this financially fit, why aren't we helping expand these programs?' Hewitt said to cheers.”

“This experience shows that our programs touch peoples' lives and there is strong support for UC Cooperative Extension in Riverside County,” said Anne Megaro, government and community relations director. If you have questions about outreach to elected officials, please contact Megaro at ammegaro@ucanr.edu or (530) 750-1218.

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