4-H Involvement Effects

4-H Involvement Effects

        There are many organizations available to our youth that can help them develop in many ways; however, one of the most effective ways is the involvement within the local 4-H group. In this research paper, I argue the importance of 4-H within the lives of our children. More importantly, I plan to discuss how 4-H can actually change the life of a young person if they will simply just devote their time and efforts into the program. Many people believe that 4-H is simply about all things that have to do with faming; however, this is not the case. It is important that the public realizes all of the opportunities that 4-H presents. According to a recent article called “4-H Study of Positive Youth Development”, 4-H’ers are four times more likely to give back to their community, two times more likely to make healthier choices, and two times more likely to participate in STEM activities.  4-H can provide many leadership skills. Also, 4-H keeps the youth involved within their communities while teaching them how to be respectful of others. Another huge aspect that 4-H brings to the youth is a sense of responsibility. This program is an amazing organization for the teens as well as it can offer active members many scholarships on down the road as they approach college. It also can provide certain selected members a variety of jobs as well. 4-H is an organization that accepts members between grades fourth through twelfth. It is an organization designed to bring together a selection of young individuals that can be of service to the community and participate in the many different activities, competitions, or camps that are offered.

In this paper, I argue that the 4-H programs offered throughout the state of Tennessee can have a tremendous effect on a young individual’s life. 4-H can and will bring multiple opportunities to the table if someone truly dedicated his or her time into fully participating in the program. This organization is designed to help others within the community, provide a positive environment for younger children, and establish a considerable amount of knowledge within vast areas to the member 4-H can also provide opportunities for scholarships for the upcoming high school graduates. 4-H is also known for building a positive environment for younger children. For example, some kids may be really shy or distant because of the home life that they were given. 4-H can bring forth a positive and active community for these children as well as provide them with the communication skills that they will need all throughout their lives. 4-H is centered around making this world a better place, so the members are actively involved in community projects. Another good aspect about 4-H is that it completely consists of volunteers. Everyone except for the people who run the program is dedicating their personal time to help each kid and community grow stronger. These individuals come out to this organization solely to make a positive impact on the community surrounding them. The main goal of 4-H is not only to have a positive impact on the youth but to everyone within the community. The main thing that I argue in this paper is that if you are actively involved within 4-H, you will absolutely come out with a positive impact on your life.

In an article written by Edmond P. Bayers, John G. Geldof, and Richard M. Lerner called “Special Section Introduction: Finding from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development”, the authors discussed multiple things, The most important section in this article that the authors wrote is The Study of PYD. The authors wrote, “The 4-H Study of PYD seeks to identify the individual and ecological relationships that may promote thriving and that, as well, may have a preventive effect in regard to risk/problem behaviors. The article goes on to mention that within this study, the thriving 4-H members are seem as the growth of attributes that mark a flourishing, health, young person. These characteristics are termed as the “Five Cs” of PYD, which include competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring. By the statements made in this article, it is obvious that being a member of 4-H is highly looked upon and gains the respect of many individuals. Because of this, it is not hard to go far as a 4-H member due to all of the opportunities and positive influences placed at hand.

4-H can also have a huge impact on children in a broken home. In the article written by Lawrence H. Ganong called “Family Diversity in a Youth Organization: Involvement of Single-Parent Families and Step-Families in 4-H”, Ganong gets very descriptive. This article is very descriptive on how family relationships can extremely effect a child’s development throughout their life. The article discusses the importance of 4-H involvement within the lives of the youth as well. According to this article, kids with a troubled home life usually act out in school or in public. The kids tend to rebel and start acting how the family acts at home. 4-H is a program that can change everything in a child’s life. It can teach the child better communication skills, leadership skills, and much more. The main objective that 4-H offers is a sense of responsibility and respect. The main point in this article is that 4-H can have a huge impact on the lives of the youth with family difficulties.

4-H is a program that can impact the lives of individuals in multiple ways; it also has the potential to offer many positions for lifelong careers.  In the article written by Beth McDavid called “4-H Students Make Better Decisions”, McDavid refers to how 4-H can impact a young person’s life. 4-H’s hands-on approach is demonstrated to develop life abilities like certainty, confidence, and flexibility through stages and created through encounters, not instruction. More young people require the sort of hands-on happenstances that 4-H offers. 4-H offers combats where people can experience and learn by expressing their thoughts and utilizing their impact to drive positive results. Adult or teen leaders help guide the younger members, as they can be a support system. As an active member of 4-H, I have seen the effects that it can have on multiple individuals. For example, my 4-H adult leader started out just volunteering to help within the organization. As time went on, she started to participate more within 4-H and became over the entire organization for Hawkins County, Tennessee. There are many careers that you can go into within this organization aside from just being a leader. There are many departments that have lifelong job positions. For example, there are people that are hired specifically to get the camps ready for the summer events. These people have to organize the activities, get the supplies, and get the word out about the camps within the area. They are in charge of finding volunteers to help during the summer as well. They also have to make sure that the camps are safe and user friendly for the upcoming year.