Health

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Health Nutrition and 4-HA Powerful Connection
Increasing the Accessibility of the 4-H Club
Experience for Minnesota Youth Through Health and
Nutrition Clubs
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Brought To You By The Extension 4Health Team

• Kim Asche Co-Chair REE, Health and Nutrition
• Donna Geiser Co-Chair REE, 4-H Youth Development
• Sarah VanOfflen REE, Health and Nutrition
• Theresa Witte REE, 4-H Youth Development
• Julie Schmidt REE, 4-H Youth Development
• DeeAnn Leines REE, Health and Nutrition
• Marla Reicks PhD, College of Food Science
  Nutrition
• Carrie Olson REE, 4-H Youth Development
• Janet Beyer REE, Community Youth Development
• Ellie McCann Family Relations Specialist

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A Formidable Force

• 30 4-H REEs
• 11 Health Nutrition REEs
• 95 4-H PCs
• 110 NEAs

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Why Health Nutrition Focused 4-H Clubs?

• Childhood obesity and the rise in type 2 diabetes
  is a national epidemic
• NEP staff have access to young people who are
  often under represented in 4-H programs
• Research reveals that involvement in 4-H has a
  positive impact on kids
• NEA staff are already working with small groups
  that could in many cases be transitioned in 4-H
  Clubs
• A number of successful NEP/4-H collaborative
  models currently exist that can be enhanced
  and/or replicated

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Why Health and Nutrition Clubs Cont?

• MN has a very high percentage of parents working
  outside the home and the highest percentage of
  youth in self care
• How kids spend their free time is a more powerful
  predictor of risk behavior than race, income or
  family structure
• Juvenile crime victimization peak from 2-8 pm
• Existing out of school programs meet lt25 of
  demand

4-H Health and Nutrition Clubs can fill an
immediate and urgent gap in services!
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Research on MN Youth Reveals

• Youth involved in 4-H Clubs are less likely to
• Spend 6 hours watching/playing TV or video games
• Have stolen things
• Have damaged property
• Smoked cigarettes
• Consumed alcohol
• Have ridden in a car where the driver was drinking

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MN 4-H Goal

• Double the number of youth involved in 4-H Clubs
  by the year 2010
• From 26,000 to 52,000
• By
• Making Clubs better
• More appealing to a broader
  audience
• More accessible
• More consistent in quality

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• Name and Support 4 Club Structures or Types
• 4-H Community Clubs
• 4-H Afterschool Clubs
• 4-H Project Clubs
• 4-H Site Based Clubs
• Work Toward Consistent Quality and Delivery
• Reduce variation/improve quality of club
  experience
• Invest in Training of Staff and Volunteers

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4-H Community Clubs

• Typically forms when a group of families who may
  know each other, and/or live in the same
  proximity, come together to form a 4-H Club in
  their community.

Parents/guardians serve as volunteer leaders Meet
evenings and/or weekends Members explore
variety of projects/activities Often referred to
as the Traditional club structure
4-H Community Club
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4-H Project Clubs
Leaders are typically volunteers but may be paid
staff Youth drawn to join because of specific
area of interest Generally meet evenings/
weekends Building and progression of project
area skills is major focus of club meetings and
activities

• Project Clubs are formed around, and focused on,
  a particular 4-H Project Area, (i.e. horse club,
  aerospace club, computer club, clowning club,
  shooting sports club)

4-H Project Club
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4-H Afterschool Clubs

• A 4-H Club experience offered in the after school
  hours. Clubs typically meet weekly or monthly
  throughout the school year.

Typically Led by paid staff Often in partnership
with school/community sponsored after school
program Often meet in school building
immediately following school parent involvement
more limited Can be cross-age but often focused
on particular age group
4-H Afterschool Club
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4-H Site Based Clubs
Often facilitated by paid staff Barriers to
membership reduced (i.e. transportation,
financial, parent involvement) Program
often very diverse, reflecting culture, flavor
and needs of the community in which its
members live Typically meets weekly throughout
the year at same place/location

• A 4-H Club experience designed to reach youth in
  communities where they live (i.e. public housing
  site, mobile home park, neighborhood community
  center or other host location).

Site Based 4-H Club
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What Club Is It ?
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Much In Common

• Club structures are flexible sharing many
  similarities
• Community Clubs can meet after school
• After school Clubs can focus on a project area
• A Site Based Club can meet in the after school
  hours
• Parents/guardians can organize and lead 4-H
  Afterschool Clubs

Project Clubs
Community Clubs
After School Clubs
Site Based Clubs
The Key Elements of Quality Youth Development
are central to the experience in all 4 club
structures
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Keys to Quality Youth Development

• Youth Feel Physically and Emotionally Safe
• Youth Experience Belonging and Ownership
• Youth Develop Self-Worth Through Meaningful
  Contribution
• Youth Discover Self
• Youth Develop Quality Relationships with Peers
  and Adults
• Youth Discuss Conflicting Values and Form Their
  Own
• Youth Feel the Pride and Accountability Comes
  with Mastery
• Youth Expand Their Capacity to Enjoy Life and
  Know that Success is Possible

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MN 4-H Chartering Process
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MN 4-H Chartering Process

• Intentionally incorporates and brings focus to
  the Keys to Quality Youth Development
• Is a written agreement signifying a groups
  commitment to providing a quality small group
  learning environment for their members
• Every MN 4-H Club/Group will recommit annually by
  submitting application for Charter renewal.

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A Quality Small Group Learning Environment

• Encourages and gives members a chance to be an
  active part of the planning, leadership and
  decision making process for meetings, events and
  activities
• Values and respects the voices of all
• Provides every member an opportunity for public
  demonstration of their learning
• Connects members with the community through
  service
• Encourages the development of positive
  relationships with peers and adults
• Plans opportunities for members to reflect on
  their learning
• Provides a welcoming environment that ensures
  equal opportunity and access for all youth
• Celebrates member and group achievements
• Challenges youth to establish and meet individual
  goals
• Provides an environment that is physically and
  emotionally safe

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Charter Outlines Expectations of MN 4-H
Clubs/Groups

• Intentionally plan and implement the afore
  mentioned elements of a quality 4-H small group
  learning environment
• Ensure that adults who work with the group are
  screened and officially accepted as MN 4-H
  Volunteers before unsupervised access to any
  youth and/or vulnerable adult (rule 1 adult
  for every 10 youth present)
• Be accountable for all monies raised and
  dispersed by the group and following all
  financial guidelines and reporting procedures of
  the Minnesota 4-H Youth Development Program
• Maintain a membership level that is conducive to
  group learning (guide minimum of 3 families 6
  members)
• Commit to gather six or more times during the
  year

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Includes Quality Assessment

• Making 4-H Youth Programs Better Survey
• A component of the Charter Renewal process
• Used by group leaders to gauge how theyre doing
  in their effort to provide the optimal
  environment for members to learn and develop
• Provides 4-H and NEP staff with a sense of how
  the group is doing and what kind of training and
  support is needed
• Other evaluation tools and processes measuring
  knowledge, skill and attitudinal change in
  relation to Health and Nutrition would need to be
  utilized as well

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How Does A MN 4-H Group Become Chartered?

• Group leader receives application along with
  orientation on the process (paid staff and/or
  volunteers can serve as group leader)
• Leader(s) meets with the group to ensure an
  understanding of and commitment to expectations
• Completed application and accompanying forms
  turned into county or regional office
• Official Charter sent to approved groups

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MN Charter Application Checklist

• Items due to Regional Office with the Groups
  Charter/Charter Renewal Application
• Groups Plan of Work (neednt be overly detailed,
  include goals/plans and youth voice in the
  process)
• 4-H Group Financial Report (Only when applying
  for renewal and if the group has an account or
  assets in the name of 4-H)
• Making 4-H Youth Programs Better Survey (Not due
  with initial application but upon application for
  charter renewal)

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Enrollment Options

• Young person completes 4-H Enrollment Form
• Provides address, contact info, is signed by the
  parent
• Preferable method as more information on the
  member allows for more direct and consistent
  communication of 4-H opportunities
• My Programs Group Enrollment
• Enroll participants as a group through scheduling
  of an After School or Site Based 4-H group
  experience
• Need only Zip Code, Gender, Residence, Ethnicity
  and Grade information

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We need YOU

• To make starting and supporting 4-H health and
  nutrition focused clubs a priority
• Our success hinges on county and regional 4-H
  and NEP staff working together for healthier
  kids