UN Division for Sustainable Development

Case Study Detail Record

Organization type:	Government

Name of Ministry/Agency:	Department of State

Country:	United States of America

Name of Focal Point:	Hiram Larew

Initiative Title:	4-H Programs Encourage Youth Development through a “Learn-by-Doing” Approach

Internet links:	http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/index

Scope:	National: - United States of America

Status:	Ongoing

Timeframe:	Start: End:

Lead Institution:	U.S. Department of Agriculture

Stakeholders/Partners:	Youth

Relevent issues:	- Community-based and indigenous approaches to food production - Rural-urban migration and its impact on rural development - Empowerment of local rural communities

Objectives/Challenges:

4-H is the premier youth development program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 4-H programs (the four “H’s” stand for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health) seek to promote positive youth development, facilitate learning, and enhance quality of life by encouraging youth to work in their communities through the Land Grant University System. Though a major focus has historically been on agriculture, 4-H today encourages members to learn about many topics, such as youth leadership, youth-adult partnership, geographic information systems, and public speaking. 4-H is a community of young people across America learning citizenship, leadership, and life skills - with an emphasis on "learn by doing." Program delivery relies heavily on volunteers, including project leaders who teach youth skills and knowledge in an area of interest, community members who organize clubs, groups, camps, and other programs.

For example, 4-H helped reduce youth hunger in two Kentucky towns undergoing economic decline. 4-H youth and adults formed a partnership with a family resource center leveraging $130,000 in donation to distribute nutritious food to economically deprived families to decrease hunger, improve nutrition, and increased human, social, and civic capital in these communities.

Next Steps: The 4-H International Toolkit ( www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/about/4h_intlkit ) is a global education resource designed to be a “start up” tool for countries wishing to begin 4-H-like youth development programs in their own communities, towns, cities or countries.

Lessons Learned:

The 4-H program in U.S. has helped develop citizenship, leadership, and life skills of youth through mostly experiential learning programs. The 4-H program model can be adapted to different countries to fit to unique and specific goals of their youth and culture.

Summary:

Key results:

• The 4-H organization serves over 6.5 million members in the U.S. from ages 5 to 19 in approximately 90,000 clubs.

• 4-H and related programs exist in over 80 countries around the world. These programs operate independently, but are guided by a common set of 4-H principles.