Tufts University study finds 4-H has positive influence

Oct. 2-8 is National 4-H Week, and the Southwind Extension District in Allen, Bourbon and Neosho counties is celebrating the 4-H youth who have made an impact on the community and are stepping up to the challenges of a complex and changing world.

Recent findings from Tufts University's 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that young people in 4-H are three times more likely to contribute to their communities than youth not participating in 4-H. Tufts' research showed that the structured learning, encouragement and adult mentoring that 4-Hers receive play a vital role in helping them actively contribute to their communities. In the Southwind District, more than 575 4-H members and many more volunteers are involved in the organization.

Four-H teaches skills that last a lifetime, and leadership is at the forefront. Other life skills include -- a positive self-concept, an inquiring mind, concern for the community, healthy interpersonal relationships and sound decision making. Four-H is more than a single game or activity. Your kids will learn to speak in front of a group, handle responsibility, help their community, try new things, work with others and make good decisions.

The fundamental 4-H ideal of practical, "learn by doing" experiences encourages youth to experiment, innovate and think independently. Four-H programs are offered through school-based, after-school and camp settings and within community clubs. Four-H isn't just about cooking and sewing or showing an animal. Today, members can choose to gain valuable leadership experiences while enhancing life skills.

In our local 4-H programs, it is critical that the entire family be involved. Kids can choose from dozens of activities related to science, the arts, citizenship, fitness and more. They can learn to train their dog, build a robot, run a meeting or raise an animal.

Additionally, senior 4-H members are eligible for local and state scholarships. Along the way, we have a lot of fun, too, especially at 4-H Camp at Rock Springs.

Four-H is a community of six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. National 4-H headquarters, which operates out of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is the federal partner of 4-H programs implemented by the Cooperative Extension System of the nation's 106 land-grant colleges and universities and in local communities through 3,150 county cooperative extension offices.

Four-H youth are a living, breathing, culture-changing revolution for doing the right thing, breaking through obstacles and pushing our country forward by making a measurable difference right where they live. Learn how you can join the revolution of responsibility at www.4-H.org/revolution or at www.southwind.ksu.edu