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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

4-H is Cooperative Extension System's dynamic, nonformal, educational program for today's young people. The program combines the cooperative efforts of youth, volunteer leaders, Mississippi State and Alcorn State Universities, federal-state-local governments and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 4-H programs are designed to assist youth in developing knowledge and attitudes that will enable them to become self-directing, productive, and contributing members of society. The 4-H program is currently reaching over 89,000 youth and some 16,816 volunteer leaders state-wide.

In order for youth to become contributing citizens, they must develop lifelong skills that will allow them to be productive citizens. 4-H offers a wide variety of programs that provide the educational setting for youth to learn the skills needed to be successful as well as productive citizens.

4-H is one of the leading youth serving organizations that provide youth with opportunities to learn lifelong skills. The central aim of the 4-H program is for youth to acquire skills, which will help them perform their responsibilities as productive members of society.

Programs That Work

Through 4-H, Extension can provide programming for youth in all 82 counties. The specialists and field-level staff are very conscious of youth related issues that effect the youth population. With this in mind, many youth development programs are developed and implemented in an effort to make a positive impact on the lives of young people. The volunteers working with 4-H programs also provide a wealth of knowledge and experiences for the youth which in essence bring adults and youth closer together. Programs that are currently working are explained below.

Minding Your Own Business

This program offers youth an opportunity to plan and carry out their business ideas. The curriculum is designed to be used with youth ages 13-19. This program is already being used in several counties throughout the state. The program includes eight very informative lessons, which can help youth bring their creative ideas to reality.

Project GESTALT

Program GESTALT establishes an educational coalition for supporting academically Aat-risk@ students in the state capitol of Jackson, Mississippi which has an inner city population of approximately 200,000. The after-school program is designed to enhance the learning of math, science, and reading. The program pairs local community partners to provide training, resources and mentoring to identified students who fall below the 50th percentile on standardized tests. Project GESTALT is federally funded through CSREES.

4-H Mentoring Program

The 4-H Mentoring Program, which is now in full operation in the Harrison County area, is responsible for mentoring youth between the ages of 8-18. This program utilizes adults who are selected after a brief investigation of qualifications, in serving as mentors to youth in the Harrison County area. This program matches adults to youth in an effort to provide experiences for the youth in career orientation, interpersonal skills, building positive self-esteem, and setting goals and values.

4-H/Honda Mentoring Program

The goal of the 4-H/Honda Mentoring Program is to encourage youth to adopt a can-do attitude for learning about technology and related careers. The target group for participation in this program is youth who have limited opportunities for learning experiences in science and technology.

Project C.A.R.E.

Project C.A.R.E. (Communities Accepting Responsibility in Education) is a work force development program. The goal of the program is to provide students with a realistic look at work place in Mississippi. Participants are extremely high-risk students. Participants are selected based on their school academic performance. Students failing three or more subjects or those who have a history of absenteeism are considered. This program allows the people to take pride in their community and provide expertise in areas that will help young people become productive citizens.

CONTACT:

Larry Alexander, State 4-H Youth Development Specialist, larrya@ext.msstate.edu Box 9641 Mississippi State, MS 39762 Phone: (662) 324-3350 FAX: (662) 325-5207