Skills that Last a Lifetime

From the outside in 4-H can often appear to be a hobby, or something that just simply fills the time during the summer months. To someone not involved, it’s just a project, more work, and time spent on something that may have little to no relevance in the big picture of things.  The over 500 youth involved in 4-H here in Van Wert County would love to tell you differently!

Some of the skills that I have noticed over the years include public speaking, responsibility, teamwork, written communications, organization and time management, critical thinking, and interpersonal relationships. These are all highly transferable skills that can move into any career field or profession.

For many youth the first time they are expected to give a speech to their peers can be terrifying. A part of the 4-H club experience is demonstrations. Youth demonstrate what they have learned (or a specific part of what they have learned) to their peers in their club. They continually do this every year and as a result they become more confident and able to handle public speaking scenarios. Those older youth involved with Jr. Fair Board, Camp Counseling or Buckeye Ambassadors are given advanced training to learn the key art of public speaking effectively. Sometimes through trial and error they are able to learn what is most comfortable for them. Many times I have had first year college students return and admit to me that because of their experiences in 4-H they were able to be at the top of their public speaking class (a common core requirement for many freshman) and confident in their past experiences.

Another result of 4-H is the ability to take responsibility for actions and other living things. In our county one of the most popular project areas for us is livestock. The daily care of feeding, watering, and yes even cleaning up after an animal is a huge commitment that is taken seriously. That same responsibility is also taught through projects through ways of being aware of safety hazards or what might happen to others if you do not follow them. Through the food and nutrition projects we find that youth gain an understanding of possibly dangerous items in the kitchen and how to properly handle them. Our shooting sports projects also provide a safe and understanding environment for youth to learn about firearms and safety around them.

While not usually valued as fun to youth, each project requires documentation of completed activities and assurance of knowledge gained. For livestock it serves as a way to keep important records about vaccinations, illness, and feeding patterns. For other projects it provides you with a list of experience-based activities that will guide you through learning the topic at hand. We carefully look over those records during judging, and part of their final score on their project is what they have documented and their ability to articulate that success.

Through meetings of clubs and special groups (such as Jr. Fair Board or Ambassadors) members have a unique opportunity to work with people who are like-minded and sometimes disagree with one another. We treasure the diversity in groups and I enjoy a good session of critical thinking, teamwork and interpersonal relationships. I believe that youth learn best when able to work through a problem or experience together in a safe and friendly environment. Through building those relationships with others they are more prepared to build networking and tackle tough problems in the workplace as adults.

If you have ever been to a meeting that was not organized you understand the important of organization and time management. Youth in the 4-H program are expected to balance busy schedules, responsibilities, and find time to complete all the needed activities and tasks for their project. Also a great way to build time management is to try and schedule a meeting in the middle of the week during spring sports. I can assure you that many of the youth I work with are very good at knowing when they need to be at a set location.

Not all members involved in 4-H will go on to do a career based on the 4-H project they have taken. But it is safe to say that they will come away with knowledge of the many life skills they have been exposed to as a result of their experiences in 4-H.  The skills they learn can be passed on to others and help build for meaningful careers and relationships with others.  While you cannot replace the benefits of traditional education, you can grow to appreciate the value of 4-H in experiential education. 

published to the Times Bulletin on June 17th, 2013