In the 2021-2022 4-H program year, the Clark County Extension team reached 11,867 youth participants. The Las Vegas 4-H team reached 1,512 youth participants via 1-hour, 2-4-hour, and 5+ hour SPIN clubs. Topics included science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and agriculture, healthy living, and civic engagement, including leadership, communication and art. 313 were reached through the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant (surveys analyzed separately). Of the remaining 1,199 participants, 640 completed post evaluation surveys designed to assess indicators of the 4-H Thriving Model.

The 4-H Thriving Model is the theory of change for positive youth development (PYD) in 4-H. High quality 4-H program settings provide youth a place to belong, matter and explore their personal spark. These components help ensure that 4-H programs provide a nourishing developmental context – a place where youth can grow. In the 4-H Thriving Model, the process of positive youth development is described by using seven indicators of thriving: a growth mindset, openness to challenge and discovery, hopeful purpose, prosocial orientation, transcendent awareness, positive emotions and, goal setting and management. The evaluation instruments were adapted from the Mediating Effects of Thriving on Youth Development studies (Arnold & Gagnon, 2019). See Figure 1: 4-H Thriving Model.

Among survey respondents, 17% (n=109) took part in 1-hour workshops, 38% (n=240) in 2-4-hour programs and 46% (n=291) in a program that was 5-hours or more1. When asked about their experience in the program, 50% of respondents said they felt passionate about topics and activities carried out in 4-H; 46% felt that 4-H helped them see new opportunities; 64% felt encouraged, 67% felt respected and 71% felt safe.

The gender break out for all survey respondents is as follows: 42% were male, 46% were female, 2% identified as other/undefined, 1% did not want to indicate their gender and 9% did not provide any information. For ethnicity, 24% of participants were Hispanic or Latinx, 44% were Non-Hispanic or Latinx, 8% did not know their ethnicity and 23% did not provide this information. For race, 2% of participants were American Indian or Alaskan Natives, 6% were Asian, 30% were Black or African American, 1% were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 22% were White/Caucasian, 9% were Multiracial, 7% did not know their race and 23% of participants did not provide this information.

Participants who attended 1-hour 4-H programs said they explored things they care about (86%), adults in 4-H listened to their questions and ideas (88%), and adults treated them fairly (94%). These responses indicate strong positive outcomes for sparks, belonging and positive adult relationships, the basis of positive youth development.

Among participants in 2-4-hour programs, 72% said that adults treated them fairly, indicating strong outcomes for belonging and positive adult relationships. In addition, over 70% said that if they keep working at something they will get better at it and studying hard will open future opportunities, indicating strong outcomes for growth mindset and hopeful purpose.

Among participants in programs that lasted 5 or more hours/sessions, over 75% of youth stated that adults in 4-H listened to their questions and ideas and that adults treated them fairly, indicating a strong outcome in belonging and positive adult relationships. Nearly 80% stated they had a lot of fun in 4-H and that if they keep working at something, they will get better at it, indicating an outcome for growth mindset and openness to challenge and discovery.

In summary, results of 4-H positive youth development programming show strong outcomes in the various areas of the 4-H Thriving Model. For youth who attended 1-hour 4-H workshops, the strongest results demonstrated an impact in youth sparks, positive adult relationships and belonging. For youth who attended 2-4 hours of 4-H programming, the strongest results demonstrated youth had a growth mindset and goal setting. For youth who attended 5+ hours of 4-H programming, the strongest results were in positive adult relationships, growth mindset and openness to challenge and discovery.

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