4-H: Positive Youth Mentoring

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With over seven million active young people, 4-H is the largest positive youth development and youth mentoring organization in the United States. In fact, 4-H is the official youth development program of the United States Cooperative Extension System and the United States Department of Agriculture. Through partnerships with 110 universities, 4-H reaches young people by means of clubs, camps, and after-school and school enrichment programs. 4-H has the power to influence young people and teach them leadership, citizenship, and life skills. Simply said, 4-H provides many benefits to society and can thus implement societal change on a large-scale basis through its youth members, leaders, volunteers, and staff. Throughout this essay, the …show more content…

The youth no longer wanted to work on farms as they were much more interested in the industrial workforce. Thus, out of concern about the future of agriculture in the United States of America, 4-H was formed to stress the importance of the industry, and to teach the youth essential farming skills (4-H, n.d.). Originally founded with an agricultural focus, 4-H has now expanded its programs and encompasses a much larger spectrum. Today, youth enrolled in the 4-H program can choose to participate in any of the following programs: science, citizenship, healthy living, and mentoring. In the United States, membership begins at 8 years old and goes until a member turns 18. However, there are “Cloverbud” programs that begin as early as 5 years old. Once of age, youth can join a club of interest and from that point on, the possibilities are endless. For example, a 9-year old boy can join a 4-H Horse Club, led by adult volunteers, to learn about horses and even be allotted the opportunity to show his own horse at 4-H Horse Shows. That same member would also be able to attend camps, workshops, and conferences about horses, leadership, citizenship, and life skills – because all those opportunities are given to 4-H members, regardless of their …show more content…

Department of Agriculture, the National 4-H Council, and the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents. In addition, 4-H has a Council Leadership Team and Board of Trustees that oversee the entirety of the program. To make 4-H more effective, the leadership teams must be addressed. After all, considering the Baldrige Award Criteria, it is inferred that leadership is considered to be one of the most important factors in determining an organization’s success. Social responsibility, one of the two subcategories of leadership, is one of 4-H’s strongpoints. The other subcategory of leadership, organizational leadership, is an area 4-H can improve (Summary of the Baldrige Criteria Abstract, n.d.). In the end, organizations are only as effective as their leaders. Leaders need to enable their organization to reach its fullest potential by creating a sense of morale, establishing a brand, and through continuous skill reinforcement of all those involved. In doing such, leaders should strive to follow the guidelines outlined by the Baldrige Award Criteria. As a result, 4-H would be able to increase the organization’s human capital by having educated, respected, and knowledgeable cohorts. This is because the Baldrige Award Criteria increases organizational effectiveness through by working with all personals involved with the

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