4-H

Preparing for a project meeting on any topic within our many 4-H Project Areas takes time and effort. Even if you are using a 4-H curriculum with pre-written lesson plans (and there is curriculum available for a wide range of subjects), at the very least you should read through the lesson plan (review both the leader guide and the member guide) so you can gather together the materials needed for the meeting and be familiar with the activities included.

4-H volunteers with increased awareness of their role in fostering STEM education and STEM literacy can be a valuable resource in preparing 4-H youth with STEM-ready professional skills. Keeping in mind eight questions can help 4-H project leaders center 4-H member learning and improve 4-H member STEM literacy. 4-H volunteers can add the ISI approach to the ‘Do. Reflect. Apply’ strategy to design 4-H project activities within nontraditionally STEM-related 4-H projects for members to develop STEM literacy. The ISI approach puts both the 4-H volunteer and member in the role of learner. Volunteers and members can be assisting each other in building STEM skills into their current projects.

Reporting is necessary for program evaluation and for ensuring Arizona Cooperative Extension is servingthe citizens of the state. These two distinct purposes are mutually beneficial, and they are predicated onaccuracy of the data reported. With more accurate numbers, we are able to understand the reach andquality of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension 4-H youth development programming moreclearly.
Different than other program areas, 4-H Youth Development has two data management systems.This adds unique confusion on how to report impact numbers. This guide is an effort to help reduceconfusion. To ensure county-based professionals, administrators, and legislators can confidently state thenumber of youths served by Cooperative Extension, we must be clear in our reporting procedure.

This tool is designed to do three things: (1) provide an overview for youth development professionals to better understand Indigenous groups in their area, (2) provide some basic resources for program evaluation with tribal communities, and (3) provide a site/program level assessment tool to critique the cultural inclusiveness and relevance of programming initiatives. Our goal here is to highlight important themes of identity that should be incorporated to make our PYD work meaningful to all stakeholders.

Cavies, Poultry, Rabbit

The goal of the “Project Essentials” sheets is to provide a basic resource for 4-H members and parents to get started in a new small stock project. Small stock projects are a challenge, and these sheets will help provide first steps and basic knowledge on your animal’s needs. These sheets should be utilized by families to foster a youth’s ‘learning to learn’ skills. There are several key housing boarding and feeding needs to be discussed, in addition to cost estimates for each type of animal. You will also see an “additional resource” and "local resources" section. The additional resources are links to examples within a greater body of resource material, again this is not a complete source but rather a place to get started in your project journey. The local resources section is very important – getting involved in your local community will provide a 4-H member with a rich body of knowledge and experience, and this is a great opportunity for young people to interact with peers and caring adult volunteers.

These Project Essentials sheets provide basic resources for new 4-H members and parents to get started in a beef, market goat, horse, market sheep or swine livestock project. The following information should be utilized by families to foster a youth’s ‘learning to learn’ skills. There are several key livestock boarding and feeding requirements discussed, in addition to cost estimates for each type of animal. You will also see an “additional resources” and “local resources” section. The additional resources are links to examples within a greater body of resource material – again this is not a complete resource, but a starting point. The local resources section is very important – getting involved in your local community will provide a 4H member with a rich body of knowledge and experience. 4-H Livestock Projects provide a great opportunity for young people to interact with peers and caring adults.

Livestock projects provide day-to-day experiences that enable youth to learn new skills and, most importantly, ‘learn how to learn.’ We expect 4-Hers to gain abilities and knowledge in:

• Marketable skills for many careers
• Planning, organization, goal setting, and record-keeping
• Wise use of resources
• Critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision making
• Learning to learn
• Stress management and personal safety
• Self-discipline, self-motivation, and self-responsibility
• Empathy and emotional regulation

Livestock projects provide challenges that enable youth to gain social skills, learn valuable life skills, and gain content expertise in career fields in a controlled context. These efforts allow young people to develop a sense of responsibility and maturity. Working through these difficult projects will have profound outcomes, not only as a 4-H member, but as thriving adults. We expect 4-H animal projects to foster:

• Academic motivation and success
• Social competence
• Personal standards
• Contribution to others
• Connection with others
• Personal responsibility.

Completing a 4-H Livestock Project is a proud accomplishment, and our goal in Extension is to help youth achieve success. Please feel free to share these documents, and contact county-level 4-H Staff with further questions and guidance.

Thank you to the following 4-H volunteers for input and helping produce a better resource for 4-H youth.

Earthworms are a crucial component of the soil food web—the symbiotic network of organisms responsible for soil health and subsequently the health of plants.7 Integrating vermicomposting (composting using earthworms) into a home garden is one of the easiest ways to harness these natural processes to create nutrient-rich soil, helping you grow a beautiful bounty!