For a decade, preeminent youth development scholar, Dr. Richard Lerner, and the team at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University have been working with faculty at land-grant universities to conduct “The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development”. This is a longitudinal study that began in 2002, surveying more than 7,000 adolescents from diverse backgrounds across 44 U.S. States.
This in-depth, longitudinal study has discovered that the structured learning, encouragement and adult mentoring that young people receive through their participation in 4-H plays a vital role in helping them achieve future life successes. Highlights of the results include:
4-H youth make more healthy choices. Young people in 4-H are:
•3.4 times more likely to delay sexual intercourse by Grade 12;
•Shown to have had significantly lower drug, alcohol and cigarette use than their peers; and
•2.3 times more likely to exercise and be physically active.
4-H’ers excel in school and the sciences. Young people in 4-H:
•Report better grades, higher levels of academic competence, and an elevated level of engagement at school;
•Are nearly two times more likely to plan to go to college; and
•Are more likely to pursue future courses or a career in science, engineering, or computer technology.
This study also finds that girls in 4-H are more than twice as likely to participate in science, engineering, or computer technology programs than their peers.
Young people in 4-H are committed to improving their communities. A notable trend of the study indicates that 4-H youth are 3.4 times more likely to actively contribute to their communities when compared with youth who do not participate in 4-H.
To learn more about “The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development”, visit www.4-H.org/about/youth-development-research.
To learn more about 4-H or if you want to get involved in Lincoln County 4-H, please feel free to contact Amanda or Debbie at the UW-Extension office at (715) 539-1072 or visit our website at http://lincoln.uwex.edu/ or subscribe to the Lincoln County 4-H Blog http://fyi.uwex.edu/lincolncounty4h/ for up to the minute 4-H news. Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development is a program of the University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension in partnership with local, state and federal government in each Wisconsin county.