| Rural Youth Development Program |
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Since September 2002, National 4-H Council received funding from USDA to support Land-Grant Universities and Colleges implementation of the Engaging Youth, Serving Community program. The program focuses local action on priorities that emerged from the National Conversation on Youth Development in the 21st Century.
Past Objectives of the Engaging Youth, Serving Community program:
- Youth in rural areas gain the skills, experience, and confidence needed to emerge as effective leaders
 and contributing members of society.
- After-school program staff develop the skills and competencies to provide holistic positive youth development opportunities to school-age youth in rural communities.
- Youth and adults in rural communities improve their abilities to work in partnership to address community needs.
For the first round of funding, pilot projects in 4-H Afterschool, Youth in Governance or Professional and Volunteer Development initiatives took place in 47 states, all four regions of the country and Guam through land grant institutions. These capacity-building efforts engaged youth as partners in addressing community issues, provided safe and inviting places for youth to experience positive youth development in out-of-school time, and broke down the barriers to participation in community life.
Engaging Youth, Serving Community 2 (EYSC2) continued the work begun in the first round, only focusing on more in-depth work through pilot programs in 12 states. Some states collaborated with at least one other state for a total reach of 23 states.
Engaging Youth, Serving Community 3 (EYSC3) zeroed in on “the best of the best” as 20 states were awarded funding to continue projects begun in either EYSC 1 or EYSC 2 in
4-H Afterschool programming or Youth in Governance projects.
Current Objectives of the Engaging Youth, Serving Community program:
- Youth will gain the life skills and experience needed to emerge as effective leaders and contributing members of society.
- Youth and adults will begin to have more positive attitudes toward the roles of youth in communities.
- Youth and adults will improve their abilities to collaborate with diverse community members to identify local issues and develop strategies for addressing these issues.
- The establishment of forums and implementation of action plans will provide more opportunities for youth and families in rural communities for positive youth development experiences during out-of-school time.
In Engaging Youth, Serving Community 4 (EYSC4), the project took a new path by intensely involving youth in partnership with adults in addressing community needs through youth-facilitated public forums on key issues in five rural communities in the 15 land-grant universities and colleges (LGUs) selected for this program. In each community, an action plan has been implemented as youth and adults work together to improve their rural communities on their prioritized most important issue. Collaborations with other organizations and public stakeholders increased the impact as community capital is built.
To enable longitudinal study of the impact of the work by the youth-adult partners upon these rural communities, the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds of funding under Engaging Youth, Serving Community (EYSC5-6-7) have continued the same work in the same rural communities. There were 12 LGUs who continued EYSC5 and EYSC6, and nine continued with EYSC7. Through collaborations with 1890 and 1994 land-grant institutions, the reach of this project is amplified. Issues of the community have focused on a wide range of topics in Citizenship, Healthy Living, and Science, Engineering and Technology.
States Served through EYSC4
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As youth-adult partners implement powerful programs to change their rural communities, many are recognized by local, state and even national organizations. Here are some news reports showing 4-H EYSC youth in action.
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Each year, National 4-H Council has published a Power of Youth newsletter to highlight the achievements and impacts this grant funding has had upon the youth engaged in the projects as well as the rural communities in which they live The information for the success stories is drawn from the final reports submitted annually by the grantee states.
This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreements No. 2002-45201-01528, Amendments 1 and 2, and No. 2005-45201-03332, Amendments 1, 2 and 3. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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| Youth in Governance and Youth/Adult Partnerships |
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 This is the Rural Youth Development
program resource section for Youth in Governance and Youth/Adult
Partnerships. Our goal is to provide your
staff and volunteers, youth andadults, with a centralized source of
useful information to support your projects in rural communities.
During Engaging Youth, Serving Community year 1, twenty-six out of the fifty-two projects funded involved programs that seek to achieve these common goals:
- To help youth in rural areas gain the
skills, experience, and confidence needed to emerge as effective
leaders and contributing members of society.
- To develop the abilities of youth and adults in rural areas to work with diverse partners in their partners toward common goals.
- To increase the numbers of youth in
rural communities who become engaged in community problem solving via
governance and partnership with adults in community organizations and
agencies.
If you have any comments or questions about the information on this
site, please contact JoAnne Leatherman at jleatherman@fourhcouncil.edu, Grants Coordinator, National
4–H Council.
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Here are some web sites that offer
resources in the area of YIG and YAP. This is not an all-inclusive
list, and we welcome your suggestions on other sites of interest.
- American Youth Policy Forum
The
American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) is a non-profit, non-partisan,
professional development organization providing learning opportunities
for policymakers on youth policy issues at the national, state and
local level.
- American Youth Policy Forum
Building On Success: The "Scaling Up" of the Youth Voices Project In Philadelphia
- Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic foundation established by
Andrew Carnegie in 1911 for the advancement and diffusion of knowledge
and understanding. It provides grants of about $60 million per year in
the areas of education, international peace and security, international
development (Commonwealth Africa), and democracy.
- Carnegie Corporation of New York
Youth Vote 2000; They'd Rather Volunteer
- Carnegie Corporation of NY & CIRCLE
The Civic Mission of Schools
- Center for Democracy and Citizenship
Here
you will find democracy. In both theory and practice. The work of the
Center for Democracy and Citizenship began in 1989 and draws on a rich
heritage of people and institutions doing public work to achieve things
of lasting importance.
- Center for Democracy and Citizenship
Youth Civic Engagement Reflections on an Emerging Public Idea
- Children's Defense Fund
The
mission of the Children's Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind® and
to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a
Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to
adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.
- Children, Youth and Family Consortium, University of Minnesota
The
Children, Youth and Family Consortium's web site is a bridge to a wide
range of information and resources about children and families. It
connects research, teaching, policy, and community practice. And, it
seeks to advance greater understanding, shared knowledge, and action
that is informed and deliberate.
- CIRCLE
Since
2001, CIRCLE has conducted, collected, and funded research on the civic
and political participation of young Americans. CIRCLE is based in the
University of Maryland's School of Public Affairs and is funded by the
Pew Charitable Trusts and Carnegie Corporation of New York.
- Community Partnerships with Youth
Training resources on empowering youth in partnership with adults to better serve communities.
- Corporation for National & Community Service
Created
in 1993, the Corporation for National Service is a public-private
partnership that engages Americans of all ages in service through three
national service initiatives - AmeriCorps, which includes more than 600
local and national programs, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and AmeriCorps*NCCC; the
National Senior Service Corps, which includes Foster Grandparents,
Senior Companions, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program; and
Learn and Serve America, which provides models and resources for
teachers integrating service into classrooms from kindergarten through
college.
- Do Something
Through its BRICK Awards program, funds innovative projects started by community activists under the age of 30.
- Education Week
Latest
K-12 educational insight and information on developments and programs
affecting public and private elementary and high schools.
- Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
The
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation works with partners to identify and
develop pivotal opportunties in entrepreneurship and education. Of
particular interest is the web page on Youth Advisory Boards.
- Independent Sector
A
coalition of leading nonprofits, foundations, and corporations
strengthening not-for-profit initiative, philanthropy, and citizen
action.
- Independent Sector
Engaging Youth in Lifelong Service
- Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development
The
Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development works to unleash
the potential of youth, adults, organizations and communities to engage
together in creating a just and equitable society.
- Institute on Governance
The
Institute On Governance (IOG) is a non-profit organization with
charitable status founded in 1990 to promote effective governance. The
Institute concentrates its work around specific knowledge areas,
including: Aboriginal Governance, Accountability and Performance
Measurement, Board Governance, Building Policy Capacity, Technology and
Governance, Youth and Governance.
- Institute on Governance
Youth and Governance Publications
- Journal of Extension
The
Journal of Extension (JOE) is the peer-reviewed, electronic journal of
the U.S. Cooperative Extension System. It seeks to expand and update
the research and knowledge base for Extension professionals and other
adult educators to improve their effectiveness.
- Journal of Extension
The Rural Families Program Makes a Difference
- National Association of Student Councils
Since
1931 the goal of NASC has been to help all student councils become more
effective organizations. NASC represents middle level and high school
councils nationwide. It seeks to provide a valuable leadership
partnership between students and their school. It creates the
opportunity for students to become effective leaders, thus encouraging
and influencing a positive school climate.
- National Sevice-Learning Clearinghouse
The
Learn and Serve America National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC)
supports the service-learning community in higher education,
kindergarten through grade twelve, community-based initiatives and
tribal programs, as well as all others interested in strengthening
schools and communities using service-learning techniques and
methodologies.
- National Youth Development Information Center
NYDIC,
The National Youth Development Information Center, provides funding,
training, policy, research, evaluation, statistical, career, and
program information for those who work with or on behalf of youth.
- National Youth Leadership Council, Strategic Youth Initiatives
Provides training and technical assistance related to youth leadership and service-learning
- National Youth Network
NYN
educates parents of troubled teenagers about solutions for behavioral
and emotional problems, ADD, ADHD, depression, substance abuse, and
poor school performance such as wilderness programs, outdoor education,
boarding schools, and residential treatment.
- Pew Charitable Trusts
The
Pew Charitable Trusts support nonprofit activities in the areas of
culture, education, the environment, health and human services, public
policy and religion. Based in Philadelphia, the Trusts make strategic
investments that encourage and support citizen participation in
addressing critical issues and effecting social change.
- Points of Light Foundation
The
Points of Light Foundation, founded in 1990 by former President George
Bush, is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes
volunteerism. It is the nation's leading advocate for and authority on
volunteering.
- Project 540
Project
540 is a revolutionary approach to civic education. Schools around the
country are giving students a chance to talk about what matters most to
them and to work together for change in their schools and communities.
Since 2002, more than 140,000 students have participated at over 230
schools.
- Public Achievement
An initiative of the Center for Democracy and Leadership.
- Purdue Extension
Indiana
Government, By the People, is a series of 4–H manuals about state and
local government bodies. Hands-on activities, a hallmark of 4–H, are
designed for upper elementary and middle school students. The tiles of
the manuals are: Introducing the General Assembly, Boards that Run My
World, The Indiana Trial Court System, and The Indiana Appellate
Process.
- Purdue Extension
Boards that Run My World
- Rural School & Community Trust
The
Rural School and Community Trust is a national nonprofit organization
rooted in rural America. Our mission is to help rural schools and
communities get better together.
- Save the Children
America's Forgotten Children; Child Poverty in Rural America
- The Grantmaker Forum on Community & National Service
The
Grantmaker Forum on Community & National Service (GFCNS) is an
affinity group of more than 1,000 foundation and corporate-giving
programs nationwide committed to expanding opportunities for people of
all ages and backgrounds to serve their community and their country.
- The Institute for Cultural Affairs
Programs for building community and youth leadership.
- The Johnson Foundation; Wingspread Journal
We bring together scholars, authors and policy makers from around the world to discuss and resolve public policy issues.
- University Community Collaborative of Philadelphia (UCCP)
The
University Community Collaborative of Philadelphia (UCCP) brings
together organizations and university-based researchers in the
Philadelphia area to develop, organize, and promote applied,
action-oriented research that can support the programmatic and
policy-oriented activities of organizations in low income communities.
See link to Youth Projects.
- Youth Activism Project
YOUTH
ACTIVISM PROJECT national clearinghouse encourages youth to participate
in public policy decision-making on health, educational, environmental,
crime and other community problems.
- Youth As Resources
Connecting
youth positively to their communities and improving community life
nationally and internationally through the spread of youth-led service
initiatives.
- Youth Leadership Institute
A
community-based institute that joins with young people to build
communities that value, honor, and support youth. Offers a wide array
of programs.
- Youth On Board
Resources for involving youth in decision-making.
- Youth Service America
YOUTH
SERVICE AMERICA (YSA) is a resource center and premier alliance of 300+
organizations committed to increasing the quantity and quality of
opportunities for young Americans to serve locally, nationally, or
globally.
- YouthBuild USA
Encourages
youth to take charge of their lives and gain skills that lead to
economic independence, while helping rebuild their communities.
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