What
is Illinois 4-H?
From
its beginnings over 100 years ago, the 4-H program is one of the world’s
largest youth-serving organizations now providing opportunities to youth
worldwide.
Last year nearly 286,000 Illinois young people were involved in 4-H experiences. In addition, University of Illinois Extension staff partnered with more than 26,000 youth and adult volunteer leaders to help these youth develop a wide variety of learning activities.
Illinois
4-H is open to any young person age 5-18 regardless of race, color,
religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, martial status, familial
status, sexual orientation or disability.
Illinois
4-H involves youth in positive youth development experiences that provide
opportunities for mental, physical, and social growth.
What
Makes 4-H Unique?
Illinois
4-H is a “real-life” experience. Members learn how to do jobs and make
decisions similar to those that are important in adult life.
Illinois
4-H is decision-making. Youth learn to assume responsibility for their own
actions, to think for themselves and to explore and consider alternatives.
Illinois
4-H is a part of the community. A 4-H group becomes involved with
improving economic and social conditions where the members live. Members
learn citizenship and leadership skills by taking community
responsibility.
Illinois
4-H is based on science, education and fact. The resources of the
University of Illinois,
the state’s land-grant University, are used for the development and
implementation of 4-H projects and programs.
Illinois
4-H is a part of a University of Illinois Extension program that is
offered in concert with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
campus, the Federal Extension Service, and the United States Department of
Agriculture.
4-H youth learn lasting life skills from their experience by following the Experiential Learning Process. This process emphasizes that learning from experience requires more than doing an activity.
Relating
to Other Individuals
Relating
well with others is a skill useful to most people throughout their lives.
These youth are more able to interact comfortably, accept
responsibilities, respect diversity, trust themselves and others, resolve
conflict, and understand their own likes, dislikes, strengths and
limitations.
Communicating
with Others
Communicating
effectively with others is an important skill in society.
Youth who have learned to communicate well are able to exchange
ideas and information clearly. The
ability to communicate opens the door to more satisfying relations, as
they are able to share feelings and resolve conflict in healthy ways.
Planning
and Organizing
Through
their project and group work in 4-H, youth can learn how to manage a
series of activities and coordinate the work of others.
This experience helps them set goals, create timetables, build
teams with others, assign tasks, and work efficiently without supervision.
Leading
Self and Others
As
young people grew with the 4-H programs, they begin to develop leadership
skills. They enable youth to
lead and build a team, develop motivation, set group goals, gain respect,
and accommodate different styles and motivations.
Making
Decisions
Youth
learn to make better, more informed decisions through their involvement in
4-H. They learn to recognize
how personal values influence their own decisions and those of others, to
find and use accurate information, to select and follow through on a
course of action, and to evaluate those decisions.
The
official emblem is a green four-leaf clover with stem and the letter
“H” on each leaflet or petal. The letters in the emblem stand for
Head, Heart, Hands and Health. The four H’s form the foundation for all
4-H programs.
The following is a brief explanation of what each “H”
symbolizes.
HEAD
– learning to think and make decisions, understanding the why;
gaining new and valuable knowledge.
HEART
– being concerned with the welfare of others; accepting responsibilities
of citizenship; determining values and attitudes by which to live;
learning how to work with others.
HANDS
– learning new skills; improving skills already known; developing pride
in ability to work; and respect for it.
HEALTH – practicing healthful living; protecting your own well-being and that of others; making constructive use of leisure time.
For more information about these programs,
please contact:
John Zalanka, Youth Educator
University of Illinois Extension, Will County Unit
100 Manhattan Road
Joliet, IL 60433
Phone: 815-727-9296
FAX: 815-727-9364
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/will/index.html
zalanka@uiuc.edu