Life Sciences Commons^™

Connecting Diverse Communities Through A 4-H Urban-Rural Experience, Laurie Murrah-Hanson, Brittani Lee, Pamela Bloch

The Journal of Extension

Misconceptions regarding agricultural careers are exacerbated by increasing urbanization and are one of many differences in perspective between urban and rural communities. The One Georgia 4-H Urban-Rural Experience addresses this divide through a statewide youth exchange focusing on the agricultural sector. The program includes a multifaceted look at agricultural careers through visits to urban and rural communities. Focus group evaluations revealed the impact on youth through exposure to new careers, increased understanding of the diversity of agriculture, awareness of the interconnected nature of urban and rural communities, and a sense of belonging to a diverse group of youth.

The Nebraska 4-H Equine Advancement Level Program’S Role In Positive Youth Development Using The Five Cs Model: An Exploratory Study, Eunhye Mccarthy

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Positive youth development (PYD) focuses on developing the strengths of youth through positive activities and behaviors rather than reducing negative tendencies. A well-researched model of PYD is the five C’s model that is popularly used in youth development organizations such as 4-H. The Nebraska 4-H Equine Advancement Level program was intended to serve as a guidebook for instruction and assessment of youth as they learn more about horses and horsemanship skills. Each of the four levels has an emphasis in developing a 4-H member’s responsibility, self-discipline, self-reliance, patience, and pride of accomplishments. The program was started approximately 30 years ago …

Thinking Outside The Box Of Evaluation Platforms: Adapting Qualtrics For Virtual 4-H Judging Competitions, Maria Calvert, Ty Peckman

The Journal of Extension

Competitive events represent a major component of 4-H programming. These events are typically held in person; however, unforeseen circumstances, like the COVID-19 pandemic, have required Extension professionals to adapt these programs to virtual settings. This paper outlines some unique features of Qualtrics, a web-based tool commonly used to build surveys, that led Missouri 4-H to use the platform to administer agriculture and natural resource science contests.

Covid-19_Umaine News_Umaine 4-H Centers Partner With Maine K–12 Schools To Provide Outdoor And Stem Education For Students, University Of Maine Division Of Marketing And Communications

Division of Marketing & Communications

Screenshot of Maine News release regarding the University of Maine Cooperative Extension's 4-H Learning Centers playing a pivotal role in the education plans of K-12 schools in Maine communities.

Covid-19_Umaine News_Marble Talks With Daily Bulldog About Virtual Fair, University Of Maine Division Of Marketing And Communications

Division of Marketing & Communications

Screenshot of UMaine in the News regarding Tara Marble, University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth development professional talking with Daily Bulldog about their virtual fair

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_Maine State Virtual Fair 2020, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshot of University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Club's Maine State Virtual Fair 2020 webpage.

Cooperative Extension Covid-19_4-H Quaranteen Virtual Science Cafés Webpage, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension

Screenshots from University of Maine Cooperative Extension webpage showing various Maine 4-H online QuaranTEEN Virtual Science Cafés programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rockets: Reaching Our Community Through Kindness, Education, Togetherness And Stem – A Sustainable Communities Project In Sumter County, Georgia, Crystal Perry

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This poster session highlights the ROCKETS program implemented in Sumter County Schools through UGA Extension. Through the ROCKETS Project in-school sessions, youth with disabilities are provided additional opportunities to belong to a larger group of youth through the Georgia 4-H Program. The ROCKETS Project focuses on Agricultural literacy and STEM education as content areas to cultivate, recruit and graduate the next generation of a highly-skilled diverse workforce.

Understanding Global Citizenship: Extension Employees’ Perceptions, Attitudes, And Opinions, Denis M. Scott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Extension services at land-grant universities typically deliver different aspects of global citizenship education for youth through a variety of activities and instructional methods. An examination of the literature reveals that although gaps in content areas and barriers to programming do exist, there are many types of experiences available in multiple settings for youth to learn about global citizenship. These activities vary in terms of content topics, duration, and delivery methods. The purpose of the study is to determine Extension employees’ perceptions about global citizenship education, their attitudes about what content students should learn, their opinions about how they learn about …

Assessment Of The Arkansas Horse 4-H Program: Perspectives From Multiple Stakeholders, Fawn Lee Kurtzo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Assessment of the Arkansas horse 4-H program utilized stakeholders’ perceptions to describe inputs, outcomes, preferences and impacts provided by the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Stakeholders’ perceptions were captured through three studies. Studies included the following: a pre- and post-test evaluation of the 2016 summer horse camp, purposive interviews with county agents (n = 6), volunteer leaders (n = 4), and parents (n = 4) of horse 4-H clubs, and a statewide survey provided to Extension staff (n =26) and volunteer leaders (n = 28) affiliated with horse 4-H clubs.

The 2016 summer camp evaluation found the goals to improve horsemanship, …

Intentional Mentoring Through 4-H: The Role Of 4-H In A Successful Mentoring Program Between Youth And Adults, Emily Ann Shepperd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

4-H Youth and Families with Promise (4-H YFP) is a one to one youth mentoring program that aims to help youth obtain skills that will help them to be successful. The purpose of this research was to determine if any positive outcomes were shown of youth participating in 4-H YFP. Positive outcomes were identified as peer social competence, greater ability to make positive choices, the development of effective communication skills, building connections, and contributing to the community. Results show that these outcomes positively increased among youth participants in the 4-H YFP program- but the changes were too small to be …

4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program: A Qualitative Study On Career Exploration, Ronnie Lee Cowan

Masters Theses

There are documented studies on the Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) that relate to building life skills of participants. However, no literature was found that measured the perceptions of the participants towards a career in wildlife after participating in WHEP. To add validity to the program a focus group was conducted at the Tennessee 4-H wildlife judging contest to describe the WHEP participants’ perceptions of careers in wildlife after the completion of the annual program. Focus group participants indicated that participating in WHEP peaked their interest in wildlife and provided an opportunity to experience the importance of natural resource management.

Increasing Student Interest In Poultry Science Careers Through 4-H, Peggy Lynn Armstrong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The demand for poultry science graduates to fill available positions in the poultry industry continues to increase. At the same time, there are not enough graduates to fill the positions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of the poultry curriculum in the 4-H program and student recruitment through the 4-H program into the Poultry Science Department. The targeted populations were 4-H leaders who implement the poultry curriculum and university students who were currently studying poultry. Career development theories suggest that previous experiences during adolescence can be a major influence in future vocation choice. A mixed methods …

Utah 4-H Stadium Jumping, Rebecca Lewis, Patricia Evans

All Current Publications

This publication outlines details of stadium jumping courses for horses.

Giving A 4-H Foods Demonstration, Donna Carter

All Current Publications

This publication provides steps to giving an effective 4-H food demonstration.

G03-1520 Current Issues Affecting Youth Swine Shows, Rosie Nold

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The original purpose of youth livestock shows was two-fold: 1) to provide an educational experience where young people could learn animal management practices, as well as personal/character development; and 2) to recognize the best animals in the industry.

This NebGuide addresses practices which have developed to enhance the appearance of a pig that is to be exhibited, but which may be detrimental to the commercial pork industry.

Nf97-331 Using Values And Resources As Criteria For Decision Making, Kathleen Lodl, Myrna Dubois

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact contains information about learning to develop criteria such as values and resources to use when making decisions.

Nf92-60 Feeding The Club Calf Properly, Scott Brady, Rick Stock, Doyle Wolverton

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact suggests a set of diets for club calves.

Ec17-11-80 Nebraska Outdoor Education Series: Plant A Tree, Joe Range, John D. Orr

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Not all trees or shrubs can find a home in your yard or apartment. Help your child to discover a home for the tree or shrub he or she grows or receives. The greatest benefit of this Plant-A-Tree project is being close to a living plant. This project will: introduce five tree planters - one from each area of Nebraska, discuss the parts of tree seeds, give examples of how tree seeds travel, discuss preparation of soil, demonstrate how to grow a seedling tree from seed, demonstrate how to transplant a tree, and offer suggestions for activities and exhibits.