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4-H Is Positive Youth Development

Positive Youth Development
The USDA’s National 4-H Headquarters tell us that “the essence of 4-H Youth Development is to create opportunities which promote positive youth development, to teach knowledge and life skills which enhance quality of life and to engage young people in the work of the Land-Grant University.”  Just what is youth development?  Youth development is a growth process all young people go through.  Positive youth development is an intentional process through which youth are engaged in challenging activities with their peers and caring adults to grow into competent and caring citizens.

4-H Youth Development provides opportunities, relationships, and support for youth to help them acquire the life skills necessary to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood.  4‑H Youth Development uses experiential, research-based educational opportunities to help youth develop independence, a sense of belonging, generosity and mastery.

Creating opportunities for youth to develop skills and confidence for leadership and self-discipline is a cornerstone of 4-H.  Opportunities for self-determination such as club officers, teen ambassadors, and committee memberships lead to independence. 

All youth need a safe environment and caring, supportive long-term relationships in their lives. 4‑H Youth Development creates the opportunities for these relationships with peers, leaders, staff members, and community leaders and with them, a sense of belonging.

4-H values youth as meaningful members of their communities, creating opportunities for them to value and practice service for others and develop generosity.

4-H Youth Development creates opportunities for youth to develop skills, practical knowledge and wisdom through observing, doing and living through experiences.  4-H is the only youth program with direct access to technological advances in agriculture and life sciences, home economics, human development, and related areas, which result from Cornell and other land-grant universities’ research. Youth learn how to discover knowledge and develop themselves by personalizing experiences, raising questions and seeking answers, resulting in competence and mastery.

4-H Youth Development creates opportunities for young people to exercise leadership, form relationships with caring adults, help their communities and build skills—Head (Independence), Heart (Belonging), Hands (Generosity), and Health (Mastery). The 4-H Youth Development program believes that “youth development” is not something you do TO youth, but is the result of working WITH youth.