Essential Elements Of The 4-H Experience
 | Author:
Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent |
Essential Elements of the 4-H Experience
Allison Kosto
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
You may notice a little extra green around town next week and that’s because we will be celebrating National 4-H Week. This is the time of year when we celebrate the successful conclusion of the last 4-H year and start a new one. The 4-H program continues to influence the lives of youth, adapting to the changing times to deliver youth development programs through 4-H clubs and project work. The 4-H motto “To Make the Best Better” is an example of the ability of 4-H to look at a situation and figure out how to improve it.
The 4-H program is grounded in four essential elements. These essential elements are the fundamental principles that create the platform for the 4-H program. The elements are belonging, independence, generosity and mastery.
Belonging
To participate in Broadwater County 4-H, youth belong to a 4-H Club. A 4-H Club is a group of young people who come together for learning, service and recreation. In Broadwater County, clubs have a community focus and welcome members of a variety of ages, interests and projects. Led by a caring adult, members learn many skills in their club such as teamwork, leadership, citizenship and parliamentary procedure in a safe and inclusive environment. The first 4-H Club in Broadwater County started in 1935 and was called the 4-H Hustlers. Today, there are seven clubs in the county. The number of clubs has nearly doubled in the last ten years as a result of a growing and thriving 4-H program.
Independence
Through 4-H, young people can choose their own path for learning related to something that interests them. In doing so, they lay the groundwork to see themselves into the future and have confidence in their life choices. One of the primary ways that youth choose their own path is through selecting their 4-H project(s). A 4-H project is a specific topic area that provides an opportunity for hands-on learning, career exploration and life skill development. Early 4-H projects in Montana focused on corn, peas, beef and sheep for boys and corset making for girls. Today, 4-H has moved beyond a focus on agriculture and home economics and has three missions of science, healthy living and citizenship. Project options include robotics, electricity, sportfishing, photography, visual arts and much more.
Generosity
Service to others is a core mission of the 4-H program. Through service, members learn more about their community and gain exposure to larger issues in their community, country and world. Local 4-H members engage in many service opportunities including beautifying public spaces, helping those that are less fortunate and supporting community events.
Mastery
Mastery is the building of knowledge, skills and attitudes and the demonstration of this knowledge and skill. 4-H engages youth in learning and provides many opportunities for youth to master skills. At the club level, members conduct demonstrations to share their knowledge and skills with others. Hands-on 4-H projects allow youth to learn content-based knowledge. Activities at the county and state level such as Fair, camps, leadership events and contests allow youth to learn from others, gain leadership experiences and build life skills.
Together, belonging, independence, generosity and mastery form the foundation of the 4-H program and are key concepts in all activities. With the new 4-H year beginning, now is an excellent time to join. For more information about 4-H, contact MSU Extension in Broadwater County at 406-266-9242 or broadwater@montana.edu or stop by our office in the Flynn Building at 416 Broadway. 4-H is the youth development program of Montana State University Extension.
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PhotoCredit: Allison Kosto
Image 1 Caption: Broadwater County 4-H participants and volunteers at the 2024 Multi-County 4-H Camp
Photo Credits: Allison Kosto
