Chapter 12

Youth Development:

Goal:  Enhance outreach to Colorado's youth through 4-H and Youth Development programs in county 4-H clubs, schools, state-wide programs, and county and state fairs.  This family-based program emphasizes personal growth of young people through experiential learning with well-designed curricula and projects.  Development of volunteers to provide much of the leadership to this organization and private fund-raising are especially important.  The College will offer, in collaboration with the School of Education, the BS degree in Agricultural Education with the primary goal of preparing high school teachers of agriculture.  The College will participate in the statewide agricultural education activities for high school teachers, develop the Colorado Association for College Teachers of Agriculture (CACTA), host more than 1,000 FFA students annually for their state-wide contests, support college students in professional development activities sponsored by Agriculture Future of America, and support various high school, FFA, and 4-H livestock judging and showing events.

Strategic Initiatives:

• Increase the number of club and special interest project members closer to the national average by expanding traditional 4-H club membership in urban areas, without affecting in-school, after-school, or rural club programs. Urban 4-H club and special interest project groups will need to appeal to the interests of young people where they live.

• Identify the optimal staffing pattern for state, regional, area, and county delivery of the 4-H program including state and regional specialists, county and area Extension agents, and 4-H program assistants.

• Encourage donors to endow the future of the 4-H program by creating endowed 4-H agent positions in every county of Colorado. If 4-H is to survive in its current form, it is imperative to move in this direction.

• Conduct intensive day-long, statewide volunteer workshops by nationally known presenters on various topics such as "How to be an Effective Teacher of Others" and "How to Avoid Death by Lecture".  Such workshops can raise funds and place 4-H in the position of being a leading educational force among youth organizations.

Critical Resource Growth:

• Develop a private and foundation fund drive to endow the 4-H program to include all state and federal staff and operating support.  This will be necessary to replace state and federal funds lost with state budget reductions.