Current Projects

4-H Study of Positive Youth Development
Led by Jacquie and Richard Lerner at Tufts University in Boston, this national study of youth development indicators among 4-H and non-4-H youth has provided new information about the impacts of the 4-H program. California has been participating and contributing data to this study since Wave 6 in 2008, with respondents from 14 California counties. For more information, contact Katherine Heck

4-H Thrives
Through a grant from the Thrive Foundation, California 4-H is developing and beginning to implement a new model of youth development based on the Step It Up to Thrive Theory of Change. 4-H researchers will be evaluating the impacts on youth of participating in the Thrive program. Aarti Subramaniam, Shannon Dogan, Kali Trzesniewski

4-H Youth Adult Partnership Experiences in Science (YAPES)
This multi-county project takes to scale the SLO Scientists program, originally piloted in San Luis Obispo county,  which featured community-based science clubs that focus on positive youth-adult partnerships. The target age of these clubs is 8-12 with an adult counterpart (a parent, significant adult or mentor). Each youth-adult pair participates in learning and practicing the skills of scientific investigation through volunteer-facilitated hands-on inquiry-based STEM activities. The goal is to not only increase science literacy but to strengthen the capacity of children to see themselves as confident, competent, engaged science learners and future scientists. Several other counties are implementing and evaluating YAPES. A. Michael Marzolla, Richard Enfield

Assessment Tools in Informal Science (ATIS)
Harvard University's Project in Education, Afterschool and Resiliency (PEAR) worked with 4-H staff to develop the Assessment Tools in Informal Science website, which provides validated, reliable evaluation tools and resources for nonformal science programming. Katherine Heck

Children, Youth, and Families At Risk (CYFAR)
Two projects have been funded through the CYFAR grant system. The first project, which began in 2009, involves science, engineering, and technology program delivery to lower income young people in after school programs in three sites in California. The program uses a teens-as-teachers model to engage elementary school students, primarily in environmental education programming. The second, funded in 2011 and just beginning, will offer community-based experiential learning in nutrition, fitness, food preparation, gardening and agricultural literacy through trained community teens and adult volunteers/promotoras in 4-H project settings in Contra Costa and Nevada Counties. Steven Worker, coordinator; Steve Dasher, Marcel Horowitz, Marianne Bird , Shelley Murdock, Marisa Neelon, Roger Ingram, Shannon Dogan

Enhancing Community Engagement in Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Working in collaboration with FEMA, staff from Cooperative Extension and USDA Rural Development Centers, are developing curricula/educational materials for building community capacity for disaster management in vulnerable communities throughout the nation. Shelley Murdock

Literacy Backpacks
This curriculum project is focused on enhancing literary skills of young children. Literacy backpacks on various topics were developed by Sonoma County 4-H Advisor Evelyn Conklin Ginop. Ten subject-based books are selected and sent to students’ homes in a back pack. The parents are encouraged to select books from the backpack to read with their child. The Literacy Backpacks are full of experiential activities for family members to engage in together. Currently, the effectiveness of the backpacks in meeting its goals of enhancing family time and aiding in literacy development are being evaluated. For more information see  http://cesonoma.ucdavis.edu/Youth_Development/Afterschool_Program_Resources.htm.
Evelyn Conklin-Ginop

Marin 4-H Environmental Stewardship Project
This pilot project was developed as a two-year collaboration between 4-H and the Conservation Corps North Bay (CCNB) to enhance community environmental education. CCNB provides extenders, training support resources, and community agency sites. UCCE 4-H provides youth development and natural resource expertise. Trained as 4-H project leaders, AmeriCorps adults assigned to CCNB serve as extenders to enhance their service as members of one of two teams: Youth Environmental Sciences (YES) and Restoration Ecosystems Management (REM). The evaluation and resulting model framework are scheduled to be completed by fall 2010. This pilot was funded in part by State 4-H, and was formerly known as the Marin 4-H SET Naturalist Project. Jane Chin Young, Janice M. Alexander

On the Wild Side Program Evaluation
The On the Wild Side program brings 130 4th-6th grade students from urban schools or after school programs to weekend-long environmental education experiences at a camp.  The program is planned and led by teens.  The annual evaluation has measured student learning, civic engagement and leadership in teens who plan and deliver the program, and participant satisfaction, among other things.http://cesacramento.ucdavis.edu/4H/On_The_Wild_Side_Program.htm. Marianne Bird

Social Capital in the 4-H Program
Although some benefits of 4-H participation are well-documented for youth, little is known about the specific impact of 4-H participation on individual social capital development as well as on community social capital. Social capital is often presented as the connections among individuals and the social networks and the norm of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them. Two central tenets of social capital are social networks have value and relationships matter. Social Capital is thought of as an important component in the equation for positive youth development, and some theorists and researchers have suggested the presence of social capital is second only to poverty in having the highest influence on children's development and future success. 4-H programs foster youth-adult partnerships that encourage active participation in community-oriented activities, often over many years. Our research will determine how these unique partnerships contribute to the well-being of youth and of the greater community in which the 4-H youth development program is based. We will explore the role of 4-H community-focused programming in developing social capital not only for youth participants, but also for the community at large. Richard Enfield, Keith Nathaniel

Using the Montessori Educational Method to improve dietary, physical activity, and health behaviors in preschool children
Current health and nutrition curriculum for preschoolers uses a traditional approach to education. This approach is not appropriate for use in Montessori classrooms, which use a more individual experiential model. When completed, this 176 lesson, 26 kit, Happy, Healthy, Me supplemental activity guide will include 50 Montessori activities. Each allows a child to complete the job independently, with self-correcting pieces, and real-life materials. They are each reusable, so that the entire class may participate if they wish. Activities are grounded with a storybook, meet DRDP standards for kindergarten readiness, target specific Montessori goals, and include mathematics, language arts, science, art, and physical education as ways to integrate health topics. Anticipated publication in fall 2011. Also translated into Spanish. Marcel Horowitz