The New Year brings many opportunities for 4-Hers, families involved with our program, volunteers and other youth professionals. Most of us go into the New Year with resolutions, and an area that I reflect on as we move into 2015 is the resources we have relevant to young people, parents, volunteers, and professionals. Many of these resources, were developed in partnership with the Risk and Thriving in Adolescence and the Parenting Education Program Work Team’s (PWT) in response to local community needs. At our 2014 CCE Annual Meeting we reflected upon “best kept secrets” and how we are working towards sharing our gems with the community. In 2015 our Youth and Family Development articles will feature several of these secrets as we roll out new resources
Our Risk and Thriving in Adolescence PWT developed a Social and Emotional Learning Toolkit in response to 4-H Professionals needs for relevant resources in this area to better serve all youth. One resource that I came across while sharing our Toolkit with one of our local school districts was a book by Kathleen Cushman, Fires In The Mind. Kathleen focuses on what kids talk about in relation to mastery and motivation, and one area that certainly is relevant to our 4-H programs relate to the question she poses, “What Does It Take to Get Good?” Kathleen talked to many youth and states that they all identify something they were already good at, and that they recognize that you have to practice. The differences start for our young people when they meet a challenge. Most youth shared that they
only stayed involved with something when they experience difficulty if they have a strong relationship with someone who worked with them or supported them. Many adults or mentors for these youth helped guide them with “deliberate practice,” where the task needed for mastery was set at the level of challenge correct for them to recall the key points needed. Throughout the process of working together, with their mentors, youth received feedback, made adjustments, worked through mistakes made, and celebrated the successes along the way.
Spotlight for March and April: Do you ever wonder what gets and keeps our young people interested in a new project, sport, subject at school, or job?
Youth and Family Development
Youth and Family Development:
Fires In The Mind by Kathleen Cushman