Leadership and Community Development
This program was selected based on a consistent number of requests from 2004 & 2005 County and District PAC summaries and participants of the Oklahoma 2001 National 4-H Youth Conversations and 2002 OCES Listening Forums identified the need for:
- Increased collaboration and organization of youth organizations in a unified front to address youth issues of: substance abuse, teen pregnancy, childhood obesity, nutrition and health, stress management, healthy choices, life skills development and job training;
- Positive role models and character education;
- Instilling a social and civic awareness of community needs and providing adult and youth audiences with the skills for taking a proactive role in their communities.
- Youth Governance
- Opportunities for exploring careers and continuing education beyond the classroom; and
- A method for identifying, recruiting, and training mentors/volunteers for working with youth.
It is recognized that positive youth development opportunities will benefit the economic stability of a community. The “future” decision makers need opportunities to develop life long learning skills; positive job skills and work ethics; increased awareness for public service and volunteerism; develop a connection with and a desire to return to home community; and skills for problem solving and teamwork.
Five priorities of the Leadership and Community Development Impact Team - Building Leaders for Tomorrow” (BLT) relevant to the Economically Strong and Empowered Communities Initiative of the 2nd Century priority issues:
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Priority 1: Provide positive youth development experiences that extend knowledge to youth to convey a sense of belonging, teach life skills, and provide opportunities for mastery, competence, and independence to an expanded audience.
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Priority 2: Providing programming that will instill a social and civic awareness of community needs and providing adult and youth audiences with the skills for taking a proactive role in their communities.
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Priority 3: Provide leadership to assist rural communities in strengthening their human capital by recruiting and training teams of teens and adult mentors in the areas of Youth in Governance, Youth-Adult Partnership and Service-Learning.
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Priority 4: To partner and expand the successful programming efforts of the 4-H Youth Development Program to other youth development organizations and agencies in the areas of Youth Governance, Youth-Adult Partnerships, and Service Learning. The impact of youth development programs across the state will be improved. The positive outcomes of current and future 4-H Youth Development program efforts can be expanded to more youth and adult citizens of Oklahoma.
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Priority 5: Following a series of activity based lessons; teams of youth and adults will identify a community need and complete and carryout a Plan of Action to address that need. Research has shown that youth who are engaged in their communities through Youth Governance and who have a relationship with a caring adult are inclined to feel a commitment and ownership in their families, neighborhoods, schools, clubs and community. Young people who feel they are significant contributors become engaged in issues which have long term social and economic impact. They are more likely to remain in their communities to establish a career and raise a family increasing the sustainability of rural Oklahoma.
Outcome to be achieved:
- Primary - Group of youth and adults work as a team to identify and address a community need through a service learning project.
- Secondary - Extension Educator being seen as a “Youth Development” resource.
- Youth in Governance - Defined
- Counties and Educators Participating
- Logic Model
- 5 Year Plan of Work
- Quarterly Reports
- Forms
- Summary – password protected
- Evaluation Tools and Instructions
- Committees:
- Committee Assignments
- Curriculum
- Evaluation
- In-service
- Marketing and Visibility
- Resource Development
- EYSC5 Team Materials
