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A Profile of the Evaluation of 4-H Youth Development Program—Cornell Cooperative Extension

Program Description

Overview	Cornell Cooperative Extension's 4-H Youth Development is an experiential education program for young people. It reaches youth throughout the state of New York; 4-H Youth Development is a nationwide program that reaches youth in every county in the United States. 4-H Youth Development programs create positive opportunities for youth to develop life skills and become engaged in the work of the University. The four H's stand for Head (clear thinking and decision making), Heart (strong personal values, positive self-concept, and concern for others), Hands (larger service, workforce preparedness, life skills, science, and technology literacy), and Health (better living and healthy lifestyles). The New York program combines the efforts of youth, volunteer leaders, and Cornell University staff and faculty with financial resources from county, state, and federal governments, the New York State 4-H Foundation, and many organizational program partners, businesses, and individuals. The program takes place in all 58 New York State counties and serves 5–19 year olds.
Start Date	1902
Scope	state

Type	after school, summer/vacation, before school, weekend
Location	urban, suburban, rural
Setting	public schools, private schools, community-based organizations, religious institutions, private facilities, recreation centers
Participants	kindergarten through high school
Number of Sites/Grantees	57 County Associations and New York City (58 total)
Number Served	380,000 (2001)
Components	Through hands-on learning, the program's groups, clubs, activities, trips, and projects all focus on four key areas: Workforce Quality (consumer and family sciences, career exploration, business and marketing), Science and Technology (environmental education, biological and physical technology, plant and animal sciences, technology and engineering, textiles and apparel), Citizenship and Leadership (community service, communication arts, leadership skills), and Healthy Lifestyles (performing and visual arts, food and nutrition, healthy living, and safety).
Funding Level	N/A
Funding Sources	county, state, and federal governments; the New York State 4-H Foundation; many organizational program partners, businesses, and individuals

Evaluation

Overview	This two-year (1997–1998) study focused on understanding the difference 4-H Club participation makes in a young person's life and the ways in which 4-H Clubs influence and contribute to positive youth development in the state of New York.
Evaluator	Dr. Eunice Rodriquez, Assistant Professor, Department of Policy Analysis and Management, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University Dr. Thomas A. Hirschl, Professor, Department of Rural Sociology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University Dr. June P. Mead, Program Evaluator, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell University Stephen E. Goggin, Children and Youth at Risk Program Leader, Department of Human Development, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University
Evaluations Profiled	Understanding the Difference 4-H Clubs Make in the Lives of New York Youth: How 4-H Contributes to Positive Youth Development
Evaluations Planned	none
Report Availability	Rodriguez, E. Hirschl, T. A., Mead, J. P., & Groggin, S. E. (1999). Understanding the difference 4-H Clubs make in the lives of New York youth: How 4-H contributes to positive youth development. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University.

Contacts

Evaluation	June P. Mead 4-H Club Study Coordinator 195 S. Washington Street Binghamton, NY 13903 Tel: 607-772-8036 Email: jm62@cornell.edu
Program	State 4-H Youth Development Office N-130 MVR Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 Tel: 607-255-2233 Email: nys4h@cornell.edu
Profile Updated	August 14, 2002

Evaluation: Understanding the Difference 4-H Clubs Make in the Lives of New York Youth: How 4-H Contributes to Positive Youth Development

Evaluation Description

Evaluation Purpose	To answer the following research questions: What difference does 4-H participation make in the life of a young person? To what extent and in what ways do 4-H Clubs influence and contribute to the “context” for positive youth development?
Evaluation Design	Quasi-experimental/Non-experimental: The quasi-experimental component of the evaluation design consisted of a comparison between New York 4-H members in grades five through twelve and 254,400 youth of the same age who made up the Search Institute's data set for their Search Institute Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors. The Search Institute's survey is a 152-item self-report instrument that measures a range of perspectives, values, and behaviors among youth in grades five through twelve. The instrument was developed, piloted, and refined over a 10-year period by the Search Institute. Data on youth from the Search Institute's data set were further divided into two comparison groups: those that had participated in some type of club or organization similar to 4-H (41%) and those that had not (59%). Youth in the 4-H group and the two comparison groups were compared based on the number of developmental assets they possessed, as defined by the Benson's (1993) “30-Asset model” developed from the Search Institute Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors results. The non-experimental portion of the design consisted of data collection from program stakeholders at multiple 4-H Club sites.
Data Collection Methods	Interviews/Focus Groups: A total of 120 4-H educators, program assistants, club leaders, club volunteers, club members, and parents of club members participated in 12 focus groups. The series of focus groups were conducted at both rural and urban Cooperative Extension offices with two focus groups in each of the six geographical regions of the state. The focus groups were used to examine 4-H programming and inform the construction of other data collection instruments. The focus groups were conducted during the spring/summer of 1997. Secondary Source/Data Review: Data were drawn from the Search Institute's national survey data set: Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors (1989). These data were then compared, with a focus on developmental assets, to 4-H Club members of the same age. Surveys/Questionnaires: Throughout the course of the evaluation, three separate surveys were administered: the 4-H Club Profile Survey; the Electronic Survey of 4-H Agents/Educators, Program Leaders, and Program Assistants; and the “Members Only” Survey. The 4-H Club Profile Survey was administered to each of the 58 counties with a 100% response rate. The survey was used to collect demographic information about club membership and programming foci, as well as staffing. The survey was conducted during the summer of 1997. The Electronic Survey of 4-H Agents, Program Leaders, and Program Assistants was administered to 130 4-H staff via the Internet. The statewide results were also used to inform construction of the “Members Only” survey instrument as well as to collect suggestions for program improvement from those people most closely involved in the day-to-day implementation and delivery of the club program. The survey was conducted during the summer of 1997. The “Members Only” Survey was administered to 3,198 club youth in grades five through twelve by county 4-H educators, program assistants, club leaders, and club volunteers. The survey was intended to assess the developmental assets of 4-H Club youth and explore the role of clubs in promoting positive outcomes for youth. Fifty of the fifty-eight counties, including New York City, participated in the study. Fourteen-thousand copies of the survey had been sent out to participating counties based on county estimates of the numbers of eligible youth. The survey was administered during the spring and summer of 1998.
Data Collection Timeframe	Data were collected between Spring 1997 and Summer 1998.

Findings:
Formative/Process Findings

Activity Implementation	54% of reporting counties ranked “plants and animals” as their primary programming emphasis while an additional 24% ranked it as their second programming emphasis. “Healthy lifestyle education” was ranked by 20% of counties as their second area of program emphasis and by another 20% as their third area of program emphasis. Nearly all focus group participants felt that the focus of 4-H Club activities is on teaching life skills, but definitions of life skills varied widely. Over 63% of 4-H staff responding to the electronic survey responded that the main goal of their club was to develop life skills in youth; 34% reported a main goal of “giving youth a variety of opportunities for positive youth development.” Three major activities were identified by focus group participants as contributing to members' success: (1) public presentations and demonstrations, (2) community service projects, and (3) county and state fairs. Some focus group participants also mentioned the importance of strong club leaders and the involvement of parents as key elements of positive club experiences. According to focus groups, community service projects account for a large portion of club activities and yet there is a sense that these projects go largely unacknowledged by the general public. In other words, 4-H Clubs often are not recognized for their public service, thus exacerbating their image and name recognition problem. 4-H staff ranked 11 components of a positive club experience that the focus groups had generated, from least important to most important. Almost 37% ranked “hands-on projects” as most important while over 25% ranked family involvement as being the second most important and 25% ranked “leadership development” as being the third most important element of a positive club experience. “State fair participation” and “out of town trips” were generally perceived to be the least important components of the club experience. 4-H staff members who responded to the Electronic Survey indicated that the program addressed many social issues, the top three of which were community service (mentioned by 17% of respondents), youth-at-risk issues (15%), and environmental issues (14%). Most (63%) of surveyed club staff felt that competition was at least somewhat important to the overall club experience. Both the “Danish System” and competition were felt to be positive components of the program by focus group participants at the same time that focus group participants believe that they result in increased workload associated with judging and operating competitive events.
Program Context/Infrastructure	According to nearly all the focus group participants, the success of the 4-H Club program in their communities can be attributed first to the respective 4-H Agent/Educator, and second to the dedication of the club leader. Focus group participants identified the following challenges that 4-H faces: busy schedules of working parents, pressure on youth to participate in other extracurricular activities, and a public stigma that 4-H is just “cooking and cows.” According to the Electronic Survey responses of 4-H staff, the three most commonly cited areas of programming needing improvement were project materials (19% suggested improving this area), leader training/materials (17%), and support from Cornell (11%).
Recruitment/Participation	Statewide 4-H enrollment includes 10,577 males (37%) and 18,299 females (63%). 53% of New York's 58 counties, including New York City, have a total club enrollment of between 251 and 550 members. Of the remainder, most counties (35%) have more members. Approximately 62% of counties have between 25% and 49% of their members in grades five through ten. The range of ages of club members is pre-K through grade eleven and higher. 69% of all counties reported having 0–4% African American youth in their 4-H clubs while 77% of all counties reported that 90–100% of their 4-H youth were white. This racial distribution is not dramatically different from the racial makeup of the counties. Approximately 48% of counties reported that between 0 and 10% of their clubs served a significant proportion of at-risk youth while 36% reported that between 10 and 30% did so. A “significant number of at-risk youth” is defined as more than one third of a club's membership consisting of children and youth who were not well cared for, victims of maltreatment, poor school performers or behavior problems at school, or part of families living in isolated, unfriendly, or dangerous neighborhoods. 54 or approximately 93% of the counties reported having programming appropriate for children and youth with disabilities. Most of this type of programming was for children and youth with learning disabilities, with emotional and physical disabilities ranking second and third, respectively. Sixteen or approximately 28% of the counties reported having 4-H Clubs specifically targeting children and youth with disabilities. Of the 3,198 4-H Club respondents, 462 had been with the club less than one year while the remainder had participated for more than one year.
Satisfaction	Youth completing the “Members Only” Survey reported on which components of the club experience they had liked. The five most popular club components, with the respective percentages of youth reporting liking them, were: county fairs (82.5%), hands-on projects (80.9%), blue, red, and white ribbons (77.3%), out of town trips (75.4%), and state fairs (66%). The least popular component was record keeping, with only 32.1% of youth reporting liking it. Youth completing the “Members Only” Survey reported that the most important element of 4-H for them was having fun (92.2% stated it was important) and the least important element was having parents involved (49% stated it was important). Other important issues for youth at 4-H were having interesting things to do, having a good club leader, making new friends, etc.
Staffing/Training	Statewide, there were 88 full-time-equivalent, professional-level 4-H and/or youth development agents, 84 program assistants, 11,523 adult volunteers, and 2,725 teenage volunteers working in 4-H Clubs. 48% of 4-H staff survey respondents felt that a good club leader was the factor most important factor contributing to a young person's overall positive development in clubs.
Systemic Infrastructure	Focus group participants report a wide range of programming, projects, and participation in 4-H clubs throughout the state. Most (80%) of New York's 58 counties, including New York City, have more than 26 4-H clubs. The “Members Only” Survey results reveal that youth belong to multiple different types of 4-H clubs in the following proportions: general clubs (57%), clubs focusing on one major project (26%), after school clubs (8%), teen clubs (5%), independent clubs (4%), and in-school clubs (2%).

Summative/Outcome Findings

Youth Development

When results from the 4-H Club “Members Only” Survey were compared to Search Institute survey respondents who did and did not participate in similar clubs, controlling for the influences of age, gender, family structure, and father's education, New York 4-H members scored higher than both Search Institute groups on all the developmental assets tested including educational aspiration, achievement motivation, the desire to help others, school grades, self-esteem, decision making, the importance of having a value system, level of interaction/communication with adults, and the ability to make friends.
Youth in the Search Institute data set who did participate in clubs or organizations similar to 4-H scored higher in almost all developmental asset areas studied than Search Institute youth who did not. These differences were not due to differences in the respondents' ages, gender, family structure, or fathers' education.
According to 4-H staff survey respondents' “success stories” on the Electronic Survey, youth derive a number of different benefits from being 4-H club members: 26% of responses related to 4-H contributions to career success, 21% to the multiple ways in which public presentations contribute to success later in life, 19% to 4-H contributions to college success, 17% to the ways in which 4-H builds confidence and self-esteem, and 14% to the ways in which 4-H builds leadership skills that influence success later in life.
Qualitative findings from youth respondents of the “Members Only” Survey reveal the following themes: 4-H changed youths' lives, youth developed multiple skills at 4-H (leadership, public speaking, self-esteem, communication, and planning), youth gained things that they could not gain in school, 4-H Clubs provided enrichment activities that broadened youths' worldviews, 4-H Clubs were fun, youth have made lasting friendships through 4-H, teamwork is an important aspect of 4-H Clubs, youth made a lasting commitment to community service due to participation in 4-H, and youth learned respect for diversity in 4-H.
The majority of 4-H youth respondents to the “Members Only” Survey, when asked if they had learned each of a number of life skills (setting goals, making decisions, solving problems, keeping records, planning/organizing, communicating ideas, resolving conflicts, accepting people who are different, working as a team, leadership, nutrition and food safety, making healthy choices) responded affirmatively.
The longer youth participate in 4-H, the more likely they are to report having learned a specific skill from 4-H. For all skills, youth who had been in the 4-H Club for more than a year were more likely to report that 4-H had helped them learn the skill than youth who had been in the club for less than one year; for more than half of the skills, this difference was statistically significant (p<.05).
The length of time that youth participate in 4-H was also found to have a significant impact on asset development. Statistically significant (p<.05) differences in asset development were found for youth who participated in 4-H for one year or more, i.e., longer participation led to higher scores on the developmental asset areas. The differences were found not to be due to differences in age, gender, family structure, or father's education.
The type of 4-H club in which youth participate was not found to have a statistically significant (p<.05) effect on developmental assets according to the “Members Only” Survey.
Over 94% of 4-H Club youth responding to the “Members Only” Survey report being interested in learning values that will help guide them throughout their lives.
Over 93% of 4-H Club youth responding to the “Members Only” Survey report being interested in helping other people.
86% of 4-H Club youth responding to the “Members Only” Survey report being interested in practicing what they have learned in 4-H in their daily lives.
About 72% of 4-H Club youth responding to the “Members Only” Survey report being interested in pursuing a career related to what they have learned in 4-H.

A Profile of the Evaluation of 4-H Youth Development Program—Cornell Cooperative Extension

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