Learning, Idea Sharing, and Transfer From a State 4-H Camp Counselor Workshop

Making eXtreme Counselors is a winter statewide camp counselor training workshop to prepare for the camp season. This training brings teens throughout Ohio together to help prepare them to serve as camp counselors in their own counties. Participants engage in competency-focused breakout sessions led by a variety of 4-H professionals, keynote presentations, and peer-to-peer sharing and interactions. To evaluate the workshop’s impact on the summer camping program, data from both teen participants and the 4-H professionals who worked with them were collected following the program for 3 years. Results indicated high ratings on gaining or enhancing skills related to leadership, teamwork, and the camping-related competencies covered in the workshop. In addition, the results indicated that participants shared ideas learned at the workshop with others and transferred their learning from the training to their performance as a camp counselor. Youth development professionals can adopt similar training strategies to enhance participants’ skills.

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Implementing a Work-Based Learning Approach to 4-H Camp Counseling

Journal of Youth Development ◽

10.5195/jyd.2011.161 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 17-Apr ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Theresa M. Ferrari ◽

Nate Arnett

Keyword(s):

Performance Appraisal ◽

Youth Development ◽

Counselor Training ◽

Pilot Project ◽

Learning Approach ◽

Self Assessment ◽

Camp Counselors ◽

Performance Appraisal Process ◽

Youth Development Professionals ◽

Implementation Data

Although camping has been a successful 4-H delivery method, we believed a more intentional approach that viewed camp counseling as a job would allow teen camp counselors to connect skills they were learning with those needed for workforce success. Eighteen Ohio counties participated in a pilot project to test the implementation of this work-based learning approach. 4-H youth development professionals added specific workforce-related topics and made minor changes in their camp counselor training. In addition, they used a performance appraisal process consisting of teens’ self-assessment and supervisor assessment. Focus groups were conducted to gain implementation data. Although there were some challenges, this approach took relatively little additional effort, and there were benefits for both counselors and professionals. This intentional approach could be applied to other youth programs.

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Community Youth Development Professionals: Providing the Necessary Supports in the United States

Child & Youth Care Forum ◽

10.1007/s10566-005-9005-4 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 101-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Lynne M. Borden ◽

Daniel F. Perkins

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Youth Development ◽

The United States ◽

Development Professionals ◽

Community Youth Development ◽

Youth Development Professionals

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Leveling Up: Connected Mentor Learning in a Digital Media Production After-School Space

Journal of Youth Development ◽

10.5195/jyd.2021.932 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 29-54

Author(s):

Nathan C. Phillips ◽

Virginia Killian Lund

Keyword(s):

Digital Media ◽

Youth Development ◽

Digital Design ◽

After School ◽

Public High School ◽

Development Professionals ◽

Learning Labs ◽

Video And Audio ◽

Youth Development Professionals ◽

Urban Public High School

This article introduces mirrored practice of leveling up as a model for educator learning grounded in connected learning and the connected mentor framework. Our purpose is to introduce this model and share examples of how it can be enacted. We argue that the model is a rich and successful way for youth development professionals to expand their capacities as educators and to support expansive possibilities for young people’s learning. The model supports all educators’ learning and growth, but it is particularly applicable to mentors working in interest-driven, informal learning environments like makerspaces and YOUmedia learning labs. The model is drawn from our analysis of 2 years of ethnographic observations in an after-school digital design studio housed in an urban public high school in Chicago. We describe mirrored practice as the mentors using the same principles and tools to learn that their students utilized. In the model, leveling up means that both students and mentors are supported in constantly moving towards progressively complex tasks, knowledge, and understanding. Methods of data collection include video- and audio-taped observations and interviews with digital media mentors.

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Resource Review: Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness

Journal of Youth Development ◽

10.5195/jyd.2020.918 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 220-230

Author(s):

Kirk Bloir

Keyword(s):

Youth Development ◽

Positive Youth Development ◽

Military Families ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Information Resources ◽

Military Family ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Development Professionals ◽

Youth Development Professionals ◽

Family Readiness

Youth-serving professionals have unique opportunities to help support military families in promoting positive youth development. The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness provides information, resources, and tools on effective programs and practices youth development professionals, schools, and communities can use to help support military families. It is a comprehensive, trusted, easy-to-navigate source of evidence-based and evidence-informed resources, technical assistance, and support that helps professionals who support military families do that work more effectively.

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Informed Decision-Making in Exploratory Factor Analysis

Journal of Youth Development ◽

10.5195/jyd.2008.296 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 170-177

Author(s):

Melissa Cater ◽

Krisanna Machtmes

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Factor Analysis ◽

Youth Development ◽

Exploratory Factor Analysis ◽

Instrument Development ◽

Informed Decision Making ◽

Program Outcomes ◽

Development Professionals ◽

Youth Development Professionals ◽

First Time

As the field of youth development grows, evaluation of program outcomes has become more embedded in the program process. It is incumbent on youth development professionals to understand more clearly the process of instrument development. One phase of the process involves taking a closer look at the data to determine if an instrument measures one overall construct or if items cluster together to reveal underlying constructs. Exploratory factor analysis is a technique used to determine the underlying constructs, or subgroups, of an instrument. While professionals may use a variety of decision-making steps, researchers have identified some commonly agreed upon considerations when conducting an exploratory factor analysis. This article seeks to make the decision-making steps of this process more transparent while also offering guidance to youth development professionals who may be seeking to use this procedure for the first time.

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Understanding the Culture of 4-H

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-4h234-2006 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 2006 (9) ◽

Author(s):

Marilyn N. Norman ◽

Joy C. Jordan

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Youth Development ◽

Development Professionals ◽

Youth Development Professionals ◽

The Invisible

Webster defines culture as the concepts, habits, skills, arts, instruments, and institutions of a given people in a given place. Basically, the culture within a group is what everybody knows that everybody else knows and includes the visible expression as well as the invisible roots of the culture. Most groups have spoken or unspoken expectations for member’s behavior. These may include rules, rituals, language, demonstration of support for commonly held beliefs, etc. Youth development professionals know the importance of helping young people discover quickly the norms of the group they have joined. This document is 4-HS FS101.1, one of a series of the Florida 4-H Program, UF/IFAS Extension. Published May 2006.

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Florida 4-H Camp Counselor Training Guide

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-4h398-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 (4) ◽

pp. 38

Author(s):

Jessica Altum Cooper

Keyword(s):

Youth Development ◽

Counselor Training ◽

Role Models ◽

Development Program ◽

Full Potential ◽

Positive Role ◽

Residential Camp ◽

Training Modules ◽

Camp Counselor ◽

And Training

4-H Residential Camp Counselor Training empowers youth ages 14-18 to be positive role models, leaders, and mentors to their campers. This new 38-page guide, written by Jessica Altum Cooper and published by the UF/IFAS Florida 4-H Youth Development program, provides preparation and training modules to help youth reach their full potential as the next generation of community leaders. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/4h398

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Programming Ideas for Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Journal of Youth Development ◽

10.5195/jyd.2020.803 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (6) ◽

pp. 252-271

Author(s):

Leslie Forstadt ◽

Sarah Yuan ◽

Kerri Ashurst ◽

Melissa Scheer ◽

Stephanie Myers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Youth Development ◽

Cooperative Extension ◽

National Level ◽

Cooperative Extension System ◽

Extension System ◽

Development Professionals ◽

Extension Professionals ◽

Youth Development Professionals

This article provides an overview of some of the demographics of youth experiencing homelessness and examples of how Cooperative Extension is working with this population around the country. A discussion of the needs of this population is provided, along with strategies for how Extension can connect with current efforts to reach youth experiencing homelessness to build resilience. Data are summarized from a webinar for Extension professionals. Education in this area is worthwhile to youth development professionals who may be interested in designing new programs, expanding current programs, finding new program partnerships, and using programs to support youth experiencing homelessness. Local and national-level programs that are designed to reach youth experiencing homelessness are highlighted. The structure and resources of the Cooperative Extension system nationwide are ideal to provide supplementary support to youth experiencing homelessness in a variety of settings. This article is an invitation to expand this conversation and further explore the needs of youth experiencing homelessness and Extension’s capacity to respond.

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