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Publication #4HREF01

Life Skill Development of Oklahoma 4-H Alumni1

Sarah E. Maass, Carolyn S. Wilken, Joy Jordan, Gerald Cullen, and Nick Place2

This publications exists only in PDF format. The link to the file is http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/4H/4H25000.pdf

The following is a summary of this publication:

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of long-term 4-H participation on the development of lifeskill competencies known to assist individuals with living a productive and rewarding life. Specific life skills assessed in this research included critical thinking, goal setting, communication, cooperation, conflict resolution, problem solving, decision-making, and community service (Targeting Life Skills Model, n.d.).

This study surveyed Oklahoma 4-H alumni who had participated in the Oklahoma 4-H program at the highest levels (state and national) between the years 1969 and 1998. Respondents included former State 4-H Officers, State 4-H Scholarship winners, and National 4-H Congress attendees.

Four hundred forty-four (444) surveys yielded 223 valid responses for a response rate of 57%. Almost 90% of respondents identified themselves as Caucasian, and 10.5% as Native American; nearly 62% of the respondents identified themselves as rural (living on a farm while participating in 4-H); and 67.3% were female, 32.7% male. More than 90% had completed some education beyond high school.

Footnotes

1.

This document is 4HREF01, one of a series of the 4-H Youth Development Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date May 12, 2006. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

2.

Sarah E. Maass, M.S., County Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development, Kansas State Research and Extension, Lyon County; Carolyn S. Wilken, Ph.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor, Joy Jordan, Ph.D., Associate Professor, and Gerald Culen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, all of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; and Nick Place, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.