4-H is a youth development program that involves volunteers in providing positive, experiential, educational opportunities for and with youth. Our mission is to create environments that build strong, healthy youth who are proactive in a complex and changing world. The Michigan 4-H Guiding Principles for Positive Youth Development were introduced statewide in the fall of 2001. The purpose of the 4-H Guiding Principles is to provide direction to MSU Extension 4-H Youth Development as we move ahead with program planning, implementation, evaluation and priority setting to position our programs, statewide and locally, to be strong and viable in the 21st century.

The Michigan 4-H Guiding Principles for Positive Youth Development are:

1. Youth develop positive relationships with adults and peers.
Youth develop sustained relationships with peers and adults that nurture their positive development.

2. Youth are physically and emotionally safe.
Youth will learn more and participate more fully when they feel physically and emotionally safe. A structured, yet flexible environment encourages honesty, trust and respect among all youth and adults.

3. Youth are actively engaged in their own development.
Through a process of identity awareness and discovery, youth increase their personal competence and sense of well-being.

4. Youth are considered participants rather than recipients in the learning process.
Youth are encouraged to actively participate in their own learning. Opportunities for youth to learn and develop take place in many different contexts and take into account a variety of learning styles.

5. Youth develop skills that help them succeed.
Youth experience and learn from “hands on” educational opportunities that help them develop the skills they need to be successful adults.

6. Youth recognize, understand and appreciate diversity and multiculturalism.
Youth will respect differences among groups and individuals of diverse backgrounds. Youth will develop skills and competencies that help them foster social justice in their communities and their world.

7. Youth grow and contribute as active citizens through service and leadership.
Youth feel included and involved in their community. They have significant roles to play and important contributions to make as stewards of the future. Youth develop personal competencies which foster leadership, caring and citizenship.

The guiding principles provide a strong foundation and rationale for increasing our focus on planned mentoring opportunities as a part of 4-H programs. Our guiding principles correlate closely with the targeted outcomes of effective mentoring. Several of the guiding principles directly address the same outcomes as mentoring:

• Youth develop positive relationships with adults and peers;
• Youth are actively engaged in their own development;
• Youth develop skills that help them succeed;
• Youth grow and contribute as active citizens through service and leadership.