The 4-H Study on Positive Youth Development

The 4-H Study on The 4-H Study on Positive Youth Positive Youth DevelopmentDevelopment

Conducted by

4-H Youth Development Program Cooperative Extension Service

North Carolina State University

in cooperation with

Tufts University, Medford, MA

Funded by National 4-H Council

The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development


The mission of North Carolina Cooperative Extension is to partner with communities to deliver education and technology that enrich the lives, land, and economy of North Carolinians.

Including helping young people thrive!

How do you know if a plant is thriving?

New buds

Growing taller

Green leaves

Looks Healthy



How do you know if a child is thriving?


The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development will help us answer

that question.

Design of the Study

• This is a longitudinal study. Youth are surveyed annually for several years. Ideally, we will follow NC youth from 8th grade grade through high school.

• The national study began with 5th graders.

• Overall, more than 5,000 youth and 2,000 parents from 37 states are involved.


Design of the Study

• Over 100 North Carolina youth and their parents were surveyed in spring 2008.

• For comparative purposes, our sample included 4-H youth and non-4-H youth.

• Our goal is to re-survey these NC youth for at least two or three years.


The Student Questionnaire

• More than 300 questions• Demographic questions

- About the children, their household, the time they have lived in their neighborhood, etc.

• Future Goals and Expectations• Activity Participation

- School clubs, sports, lessons, after-school programs

• Relationships with parents, friends, other adults• Involvement in positive behaviors• Involvement in risk behaviors



Positive Youth Development (PYD) is constituted by “Five Cs” that result in a 6th “C”—Contribution.

The Five Cs• Competence• Confidence• Character• Caring• Connection

The Sixth C

Contribution

The Basic Idea


Competence

PYD

Contribution

Reduced Risk

Behaviors

Individual

Assets

Contextual

Assets

ConnectionCaringCharacterConfidence

What do we hope to learn?

• How are NC youth doing in terms of the Five Cs (competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring) and the resulting, “6th C,” contributions to community?

• How can 4-H Youth Development programs help parents, schools, communities, and organizations promote PYD?


What has the national The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development

learned so far?


Findings

• Youth may show increases or decreases in both positive development and risk

- It is not that youth either engage in positive behavior or negative. They can engage in both behaviors.

- Therefore, youth need both positive development promotion and risk/problem prevention.


Tufts University July 11, 2007 15

The 4-H Study of PYD: BREEZE PresentationR. M. Lerner, J. V. Lerner, E. Phelps, & N. Zarrett

PYD Trajectories -- 4 Waves

0

20

40

60

80

100

5 6 7 8

Grade

PY

D

27%

37%

17%13%

6%

[Youth participating in 2 or more waves are included]



Gender as a contextGender as a contextGirls and boys tend to show different

patterns in some important ways4 Waves

Girls vs.

Boys

High PYD: 76% vs.

60%

High Contribution: 33% vs.

20%

Low Risk Behaviors: 67% vs.

48%

Low Depression: 70% vs.

78%

[Youth participating in 2 or more waves are included]



4-H Other YDOther OST

None

0

20

40

60

80

100

High PYD

4-H Other YDOther OST

None

0

20

40

60

80

100

High Contribution

4-H Participation in 8th Grade:4-H Participation in 8th Grade:PYD and ContributionPYD and Contribution

Average score for participants in the ideal trajectories

[Participation is defined as twice a month or more]

[8th graders participating in 2 or more waves are included, N=994]



4-H Participation in 8th Grade:4-H Participation in 8th Grade:Depression and Risk BehaviorsDepression and Risk Behaviors

Average score for participants in the ideal trajectories

4-HOther YD

Other OST

None

0

20

40

60

80

100

Low Risk

4-HOther YD

Other OST

None

0

20

40

60

80

100

Low Depression[Participation is defined as twice a month or more]




None Other OST Other YD

4-H

PYD Boys 63 62 70 64Girls 66 81 77 78

Depression Boys 80 79 74 88Girls 56 70 70 72

Risk Beh Boys 54 52 43 52Girls 62 71 63 75

Contribution Boys 17 13 34 33Girls 16 32 43 46

4-H Participation in 8th Grade:4-H Participation in 8th Grade:Outcomes by SexOutcomes by Sex

(% in ideal trajectories)(% in ideal trajectories)


Findings


4-H youth are more likely than youth in other structured after school activities (SASAs) to be in the high contribution trajectory group

Youth in High Activity Contribution Trajectory

4-H 21%Other YDP, but not 4-H 14%Other SASAs 12%


Activity Girls Boys Overall

4-H 25% 14% 21%Other YDP, but not 4-H 15% 12% 14%Other SASAs 13% 10% 12%

(% of each group in the high contribution trajectory; matched sample)

There are significant differences between girls and boys in 4-H

Findings


This study is important so that we can…

• Evaluate our 4-H programs to determine how effective we are in fostering the “5 C’s” and the “6th C – Contribution.”

• Use what we learn to improve, strengthen and enhance our 4-H programs.


• Share the information with other youth development programs so that they can strengthen, improve and enhance programs.

• Share the results parents, schools, and communities in order to promote PYD.




Help young people thrive!

Documents

The 4-H Study on Positive Youth Development