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About
4-H Youth Development
Defining
Michigan 4-H Youth Development
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Youth Development | Michigan
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Download
the Defining Michigan 4-H Youth Development PDF document
 Michigan
4-H Youth Development is part of the Children, Youth and Family
Programs of Michigan State University Extension and has programs
in all Michigan counties.
What
We Believe
Vision
– What we aspire to.
Michigan
4-H Youth Development mobilizes volunteers and communities to meet
the needs of youth.
Mission
– Our purpose.
Our
mission is to create nonformal, educational opportunities to help
youth thrive in a complex and changing world.
Programming
Philosophy – How we think about our work.
Michigan
4-H Youth Development will involve volunteers in providing positive,
experiential, educational opportunities for and with youth aged
5 to 19. Programming will be primarily delivered through 4-H clubs
and in- and out-of-school, community-based networks.
Michigan 4-H
Youth Development will provide educational opportunities that:
- Target age
appropriate life skill development.
- Emphasize
research-based experiential learning.
- Involve volunteers.
- Engage a
variety of partners.
- Include families.
- Reach both
diverse and underserved audiences.
- Are accessible.
- Promote a
multicultural perspective and appreciation.
- Are fun.
Guiding
Principles – What we promise with our work.
Michigan
4-H Youth Development has committed itself to seven guiding principles
that provide the foundation for the educational methods, activities
and events that positively affect the lives of Michigan’s youth.
These are:
- Youth develop
positive relationships with adults and peers. Sustained relationships
with peers and adults nurture positive youth development.
- 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.
- 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.
- Youth are
considered participants rather than recipients in their own learning
processes. Opportunities for youth to learn and develop take place
in many different contexts and take into account a variety of
learning styles.
- 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.
- Youth recognize,
understand and appreciate diversity and multiculturalism. Youth
will respect differences among groups and individuals of diverse
backgrounds.
- Youth grow
and contribute as active citizens through service and leadership.
Youth feel included and involved in their communities. They have
significant roles to play and important contributions to make
as stewards of the future. Youth develop personal competencies
that foster leadership, caring and citizenship.
What
We Do
Programming
Methods – How we do our work.
The vision, mission and guiding principles are accomplished through
the following ways:
- Program and
Curriculum Development
- Volunteer
and Club Development and Management
- Educational
Events
- Research
and Evaluation
- Resource
Development
- Partnerships
and Collaboration
- Professional
Development and Support
- Communication
Strategies and Support
Programs
– The work we do.
The work
of Michigan 4-H Youth Development must be meaningful and fun to
attract young people! 4-H provides learning materials and educational
opportunities in these and other areas:
- Adventure
Education
- Animals and
Animal Science
- Clothing
and Textiles
- Citizenship
and Civic Education
- Communication
and Expressive Arts
- Food, Nutrition,
Health and Fitness
- Global and
Cultural Education
- Natural Resources
and Environmental Education
- Personal
Development and Leadership
- Plant and
Soil Science
- Science and
Technology
Who
We Are
4-H Youth Development
is the youth program of Michigan State University Extension. 4-H
staff members work at Michigan State University and in every Michigan
county with local volunteers to bring the knowledge of the state’s
land-grant university to the citizens of Michigan. This work is
done in partnership with and uses funding provided by local county
boards of commissioners, the state of Michigan and the federal government
through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Additional intellectual
and programming support and funding is provided by a variety of
public and private partners – both at local and state levels
– to increase our impact on youth in Michigan communities.
4-H
Volunteers
Adult and teen volunteers work at the local and state level to support
experiential learning activities for youth. 4-H volunteers are club,
group or resource leaders, middle management leaders, advisory council
members and Michigan 4-H Foundation trustees.
State
and County 4-H Staff
4-H staff members lead and support the work of 4-H volunteers and
members in each county. They cooperate with other MSU Extension
campus and county staff members, with local, regional and state
partners, and are oriented toward a multidisciplinary approach to
program design, implementation and evaluation.
State
4-H Specialists
State 4-H specialists have part- or full-time appointments within
MSU academic departments including Animal Science, Crop and Soil
Science, Family and Child Ecology, Fisheries and Wildlife, Forestry,
Food Science and Human Nutrition, Horticulture, Human Environment
and Design, Veterinary Medicine and the MSU Museum. Specialists
provide links between academic departments, content area expertise
and research opportunities.
Working
Together
State
and County 4-H Programming Committees
4-H programming committees are composed of 4-H staff and specialists,
adult and teen volunteers, and other resource people. 4-H programming
committees share a common goal: to design well-balanced and fun
4-H programming for Michigan youth. Committees provide needs assessments,
program and event planning, curricula, training, resource development
and program evaluation.
Area
of Expertise Teams
Area of Expertise Teams (AoEs) are composed of county and state
MSU faculty and staff and other resource people. They provide direction
and staff development in their specific AoE content areas, such
as Human Development, Volunteerism and Youth Development.
State
and County Partners and Collaborators
Partners and collaborators include the Michigan 4-H Foundation,
county 4-H councils and committees, Michigan State University, other
educational institutions and various local, state and national agencies,
organizations and governments.
Learning
Materials
More information on learning
materials available to support these activities can be found in the Michigan
Guide to 4-H or through the MSU
Bulletin Office.
Training
& Events
For upcoming training and
events in this area, check the 4-H
Volunteer Workshops web site, the MSU
Extension Calendar and the 4-H
Exploration Days web site.
Contact
Information
For more information on
how to get involved as a youth
or volunteer,
contact your county MSU Extension
office or:
4-H
Youth Development
Michigan State University
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
USA
Phone: 517-432-7575
Fax: 517-355-6748
Email: msue4h@msu.edu
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Michigan State
University
Last Updated: September 5, 2007
Last Reviewed: December 15, 2005
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