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Gen Z: New employee training

By Samantha Lahman Originally published in the  Dairy Star , as part of a series on youth in agriculture. When hiring someone from a different generation with potentially no farming or agriculture experience, it can feel like we are training someone who can’t speak our language.  What language is that? For the advanced farmer it seems to be a mix of hand signals and mumbles. For most, our introduction to this style of communication comes shortly after we are first able to reach the pedals of the farm truck. My first experience is still clear in my memory. I remember being told to slide over to the driver’s seat while Dad got out to open the barn door and realizing that the time was finally here. It was my job to back up the trailer for the first time. So in the dark, with the truck window cranked down and rain pouring in, I tried to translate in real time as my father made a series of hand signals and motions that would have made any MLB pitching coach proud. I don’t pride myself on be
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Using data for program planning

By Samantha Grant It is critically important for youth workers to use data in their decision making. Too often we listen exclusively to the voices of a handful of vocal members rather than looking deeper into our data. Understanding and using data allows us to inform our program planning, identify our strengths, and learn about outreach.  Data can feel overwhelming, so here are a couple of ideas to get you started on your data sense-making journey.   Data can help you understand your community Use data to learn about your community. Are there youth in your community who aren’t served by your program? Chances are the answer is yes. Learn more about your community by visiting data rich sites. My two favorites are by Minnesota Compass and Kids Count . The Minnesota Compass Build Your Own Profile tool allows you to draw the geographic boundaries of your search, which can be helpful for neighborhood or multi-county projects. Also learn about trends for school aged children  - and much mor
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Growing changemakers with the 4-H Leadership Tree

By Jacquie Lonning & Amber Shanahan We are proud to introduce Minnesota 4-H’s foundational youth leadership framework--The Leadership Tree--developed to illuminate the pathways that inspire young people to be innovative social change agents through the Minnesota 4-H Youth Development program . The purpose of the 4-H Leadership Tree Leadership skills are acquired at all ages and in many forms for youth. The Leadership Tree was designed to define leadership at various levels and outline diverse access points for a young leader to engage in programming, no matter their age or prior leadership experiences. In articulating these definitions and pathways, we hoped to provide our Minnesota 4-H staff, along with other youth workers, with a framework to enhance the quality of current leadership offerings, identify gaps for new programs, and provide youth with a roadmap of how to learn and lead through our program. Once we landed on the tree as our main metaphor, our ideas took root (see wh
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Do youth in your community have access to public parks?

By Dylan Kelly Map of Cloquet parks Take a moment to think about the natural spaces in your community. Are the spaces open to the public? Where are they located? Who can walk to them? There is a growing body of research showing that time spent in outdoor green spaces leads to positive social, environmental and health outcomes. However, not all youth have access to public green space in their neighborhoods. It is our responsibility as youth workers to understand how this equity issue affects the communities we serve, and use data to inform our outdoor programming decisions. One tool available to help guide us is the Trust for Public Land ParkScore index . The ParkScore index is a searchable database that maps communities across the United States, and measures the number of residents who live within a 10 minute walking distance of a public park. The ParkScore report divides the statistics by age, income, and race, allowing a deeper dive into the disparities. It also generates a map, sho
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Valuing youth experience through cultural humility

By Jessica Pierson Russo Early in my youth work career, it was part of my job to help a group of about 30 middle and high school youth feel more comfortable with the outdoors. These kids had traumatizing home lives, so loving nature was not exactly their priority, but I was determined. One day, a few of the kids started freaking out about some ants. I insisted they were just ants; they insisted they were fire ants. Isn’t that just like a kid? To prove myself, I let the ants crawl onto my hand. I learned two things that day: 1) Fire ants really do exist, and their bite really does feel like fire. 2) I was a fool, not because they were right and I was wrong, but because I had completely discounted their experience over my own . Isn’t that just like an adult?  Eventually I saw how I could have approached the situation with more cultural humility. I could have learned from their experience if I had asked. This would have helped me earn their trust—something I needed first before I could i
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Beyond limits

By Nicole Pokorney There's nothing more electric than watching a young person experience the ocean for the first time. In a recent mother-son trip to Oregon, I watched from a distance as my 18 year old son walked towards the massive Pacific. He has seen the ocean before but was so young, he doesn't remember it. Like a little kid, he took off his socks and rolled up his sweatpants and walked in. He dipped his hand in and brought the salty liquid to his mouth. I could see him raise his head and take in a deep breath. He turned to me and his face was lit up with a big smile. As outdoor educators, we can replicate this sense of awe and connection to nature when we create outdoor, adventure-based programs for the youth we serve. By creating intentional and engaging outdoor learning experiences, facilitators can provide participants with a unique opportunity for transformation and growth. Through a literature review, I have compiled eight key components of developing transformative l
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Generational tensions can divide us, shared experiences connect us

By Samantha Lahman Originally published in the Dairy Star , as part of a series on youth in agriculture. When bringing together multiple generations within a farm operation, even the smallest tasks can create tension and frustration. It’s during these times that I have found that searching out even the smallest commonality can make a difference. With the changing of each successive generation, an operation will adjust their practices, operating systems, and employee structure, but there are traditions that span the ages. My favorite of these? The radio. In almost every barn, along the wall, just above shoulder height, hangs a common radio. In our barn, like others, the station has not been changed in years. The last time it was, I assume, was during a rebellious streak in my millennial youth when I was desperate to hear anything other than The Rolling Stones, Aretha, or broadcasts of Twin’s baseball. The change to early 2000’s hip hop didn’t last more than an hour before it was turned
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