Volume 4, Issue 5

Positive Youth Development

We are featuring a series of nine articles related to the topic of positive youth development. This issue deals with the fifth of the eight critical elements.

4-H Cloverbud Program Critical Elements – – An opportunity to value and practice service to others.

The 4-H Cloverbud group provides a wonderful opportunity for ensuring that young people learn to value and practice service to others.

The following are a few tips to consider in providing your 4-H Cloverbud members an opportunity to value and practice service to others.

• Foster the Appreciation of Community Service through 4-H Cloverbud Activities.
  Many of the activities in the Ohio State University Extension 4-H Cloverbud Level 1 and 2 curriculums lend themselves very well to community service projects. The Community Expressive Arts section in Level 1 provides opportunities for 4-H Cloverbud members to do displays, one-act plays, and art exhibits. Some of the arts and crafts projects could be shared with seniors, while the musical activities and poems could be shared with other youth and community residents.
• Expect the Sharing of Materials During 4-H Cloverbud Activities.
  4-H Cloverbud volunteers should ensure that members take turns sharing materials and resources as they complete activities. 4-H Cloverbud members can also be encouraged to assist with the clean up after each activity and to help each other as they complete activities. In the reflection/discussion time, adults can reinforce the idea of helping others and giving of ourselves and our resources to others. 4-H Cloverbud members will feel good about themselves when they see that they are capable of making a positive difference for someone else.
• Encourage 4-H Cloverbud Members To Respect Each Other.
  4-H Cloverbud volunteers should serve as role models who teach and demonstrate appropriate ways to handle different behavior situations and to show respect and caring of fellow volunteers and members.
  
  Young people who have had the opportunity to value and practice community service will have learned how to help other people, had a chance to do things for others, know more about how they can help in their community and know that they are capable of making a positive difference for others.

4-H Cloverbud Committee To Form

If you are a 4-H Cloverbud volunteer or a parent of a 4-H Cloverbud member, you may have a few ideas of some really neat things that 4-H Cloverbuds in your county could do. Since 4-H Cloverbuds has been in existence for several years now in Illinois, many counties are interested in forming a 4-H Cloverbud committee.

The purpose of the committee would be to plan and implement county-wide 4-H Cloverbud activities such as: a summer day camp, special activity workshops during the fall, winter or spring, or a 4-H Cloverbud event in conjunction with the county 4-H fair.

The 4-H Cloverbud Committee would also function as an advisory committee to the 4-H Youth Development staff. The committee might suggest topics for 4-H Cloverbud volunteer training, make suggestions on other county 4-H Cloverbud activities, and provide input regarding the future direction of the 4-H Cloverbud program in the county. The committee would meet 3-4 times a year.

It is amazing to see how a small time commitment can benefit so many young people! Contact your county Extension Office today and volunteer to serve on the 4-H Cloverbud Advisory Committee. A sample role description is available at www.4-h.uiuc.edu/staff/roledesc.

4-H Bears for Sale

Illinois 4-H is selling 4-H bears to raise money for scholarships for 4-H volunteers to attend the 2003 North Central Region Volunteer Forum in Peoria November 13-16, 2003. The cost of the bears is $8.00 plus shipping and handling. The bears would make excellent recognition items for 4-H Cloverbud members. They could be used when 4-H Cloverbuds are transitioning from the 4-H Cloverbud group to regular 4-H or as an incentive at the end of the year for each individual member. To obtain bears, contact Deb Stocker at the State 4-H Office at 217-333-0910 or at dstocker@uiuc.edu.

Written by: Sheri Seibold, Extension Specialist – 4-H Youth Development, University of Illinois Extension.