Youth Development Insight

By Nicole Kudrle During the Covid-19 pandemic, program staff were challenged to develop innovative programming that would not be just a temporary solution, but an alternative method of engaging youth. The Northeast 4-H Cloverbud Project Days is an example of a unique learning opportunity that I co-developed to engage and build connections with youth in grades K-2 during the pandemic. This program has evolved over the last four years to become a permanent opportunity to engage this young audience.  A project day is an opportunity for youth to explore their passions through completing hands-on learning experiences. When working with youth in kindergarten through 2nd grade it is important to engage them with activities that are developmentally appropriate. You want to ensure that the program you are offering is specifically designed for them, creates a safe and welcoming environment that allows youth in K-2 to learn leadership skills, public speaking skills, and build friendships.  The m

By Karyn Santl "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."  - Maya Angelou I work in a youth serving organization where we use volunteers to achieve our mission of delivering high-quality, culturally responsive, experiential learning opportunities for youth. We have over 7,500 volunteers placed in formal roles and just as many in informal roles. We consider volunteers to be part of our workforce or team. April is Global Volunteer Month , and within the month of April is National Volunteer Week . These designations give us the opportunity to recognize the impact volunteer service has on our youth programs and the communities we serve. Ensuring volunteers are recognized and shown appreciation is one of the components of a successful volunteer delivery system. A resource that I have used to build my skills in this area is the book  The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace

By Rebecca Meyer We have all probably seen the news stories annually of youth who compete for and even win national science awards for what is groundbreaking research to solve problems like clean water, prevent health concerns, energy, etc. These young people are obviously involved in authentic science endeavors as a part of their youth development—working with communities of science professionals on real world scientific efforts that build our understanding and capabilities to manage real-world challenges. As it turns out, research studies , as well as my own experiences, suggest that science authenticity can play an important role in enhancing how young people perceive the attractiveness and value of STEM learning. Over the course of my STEM teaching career, I have learned that there is a connection between engagement and authenticity. These are two fundamental dimensions we should be paying attention to as we design youth development programs. One project that encapsulates these

By Savannah Aanerud What does it mean to thrive? The  4-H Thriving Model  is the root system for how 4-H programs successfully grow and cultivate positive experiences into the lives of our young people. It helps youth develop a growth mindset where key developmental outcomes are achieved. Karen Beranek explores this in  her blog  about how one must move beyond resilience to thrive. However, in order to truly help youth, volunteers and families thrive, we need to first consider how we as program staff are thriving. I want to encourage you to sit back in your chair and ask yourself, "Am I thriving?". Many of us are in "survival" mode while trying to encourage our youth to "thrive". How does that work? We see ourselves taking on a plethora of tasks, adding to our already long to-do lists. Our work can then seem like a checklist that we have to do each day instead of something that we enjoy "getting" to do. We are constantly pouring into our programs

By Sarah Odendahl It’s the time of year when “adulthood” is becoming a very real concept for many of our youth - college acceptance letters are arriving, tuition deposits are due, graduation ceremony and celebration plans are underway. When I think back to that time in my life, I remember lots of people asking variations of, “Can you make money doing that?” when I told them about my plan to major in theatre and music. It was the height of the Great Recession, so I can’t really blame folks - and yet, at 18, it was impossible not to be hurt by the lack of support from the adults around me. In 2011, Dr. Peter Benson of the Search Institute in Minneapolis gave a talk at TedxTC . He spoke about the research they were doing into “sparks” by asking youth, “Tell me what it is about you that gives you joy and energy.” In his talk, Dr. Benson defines sparks as “something that gives their life hope and direction and purpose” and explains the three different categories of sparks: a skill or talent

By Jeremy Freeman As youth development practitioners, managing change is central to our practice. Whether it be with youth, adult volunteers or staff personnel, coaching through change is a foundational skill that helps us leverage the full extent of the potential around us. For example, a volunteer who has maintained overall control of a program is required to change when two or more volunteers are asked to co-lead the program to help its growth and expansion.  The challenge in change is, unsurprisingly, that it requires us to change! We often resist change, especially when it requires us to give up or modify previously held roles, values, actions, ways of being or power. In a recent course I took titled Leading Change, Transitions, and People I found the ADKAR Model to be instrumental in helping me think through a process that builds change through relationships. As we reflect on this model, I invite you to consider the ways it can embed itself in the context of change you are curr