Keeping Holidays Happy

Jean Rogalsky, 4-H Youth Development Agent

Holidays are a wonderful happy time, but they can also be very stressful for families, especially children, because of the changes; the increase of social events, less time with parents, changes in schedule, and the tons of sweets and holiday treats. As the holiday season approaches, here are some tips on holiday spending and stress to ensure that you and your family have a happy holiday season.

Holiday Spending
Overspending finds you in debt afterwards. During tough economic times it is more important than ever to stick to a budget. You don't have to spend lots of money to have holiday spirit. Many people overspend because they feel trapped by holiday traditions and expectations. So make it your goal this year to not get trapped. Just because you have always done something one way, does not mean you cannot make changes. Have an honest talk with family members that you need to reduce spending this year. Let your children know what the holidays are really about and that gifts are something extra. Consider the following to cut down on holiday costs:

• Set a limit on an amount to spend on each other and make sure the amount is something all can afford.
• Draw names so each person only needs to purchase one gift.
• Exchange gifts of service. Give someone with kids 4 hours of babysitting. A handyman can offer to make a number of repairs. You may have a skill you could pass on to someone else with lessons.
• Be creative and make something versus buying something. A gift with your personal touch has more meaning.
• Let children know that they cannot get everything they want, and help them prioritize their wishes.
• Have potluck holiday parties. Don’t take on all the time and the expense.

Holiday Stress
Prepare yourself and your children for the emotions and stress that come before, during, and after the holiday. We get so busy with all that needs to be done and sometimes forget that our stress causes children’s stress.

• Limit the number of social gatherings and events. While we hate to disappoint anyone, remember that too much change in a child’s schedule can cause behavioral issues.
• Have the whole family get involved in preparing for the holidays. Make a list together and delegate tasks. Kids feel a part of the holiday when involved, and it lessens the stress on the parents.
• Make decorations as a family. A child’s handiwork on display is a great source of pride.
• Volunteer as a family to help another family in need or visit. Helping others in need puts the holidays in perspective.
• Traditions are important to kids because it emphasizes the family. Everyone looks forward to traditions because it gives them a sense of security. It is never too late to start a new tradition in your home.

Here is a bit of research to keep in mind as you plan for the holidays. When elementary and middle school students were surveyed about their best holiday memory, the vast majority of the responses had to do with family time rather than gifts.

A Parent’s Guide through the Teen Years

By Vestina F. Crayton, Pinellas County Extension, Educational Instructor

Transitioning into the teen years is an exciting but challenging time for teens and their parents. This is a time when many changes occur. Some are subtle while others are more obvious. Many times parents and teens have to deal with the results of these changes without warning or preparation. What are some of these changes? Extensive research has been done to identify the following four developmental phases that most teens experience: physical, cognitive, social, and moral.

Physical
To adequately examine this phase, two age categories will be discussed:
early adolescence – ages 10 to 14 and late adolescence 15-18.

Early Adolescence- Generally speaking, for both boys and girls, physical changes takes place around age 11. Girls put on weight, grow taller, and typically enter puberty two years earlier than boys. Boys experience a height or growth spurt at age 14. This activity explains the awkwardness that many early adolescences exhibit. Such as the lower extremities of the body (hands, legs, feet) out grow the torso which creates a seemingly disproportionate body. Girls have broader hips while boys develop broader shoulders. This differentiation is attributed to the affect of sex hormones on skeletal expansion.

Puberty plays a significant role in the normal physical development of an early adolescent. Girls will grow pubic and underarm hair; start menstruating and budding of the breast will become visible. Boys will grow hair on their face and body, the male reproductive organ will enlarge and the voice will deepen.

Late Adolescence-
At this stage of development, most of the rapid growth occurrences are nearly complete. At age 16 and 17 the height of girls and boys, respectively, have reached its end. Boys display larger skeletal muscle while having larger lung and heart capacity. This allows more transport of oxygen from the lungs to the muscle which would explain the difference in muscle between boys and girls.

How do I handle this phase?
Communication is important. But more importantly, is how you communicate. Being compassionate, understanding, and respectful will help your teen cope with this awkward and possibly uncomfortable phase. Explaining that everyone goes through this and that you will be there every step of the way will alleviate some of the stress your teen may feel and open the lines of communication.

Cognitive
In this developmental phase, youth began to mentally process abstract concepts. They begin to think and start asking questions that are not answered by a simple yes or no. They begin self-evaluating by asking questions like ‘what is my purpose?, and ‘what do others think of me?’ This is a critical time because youth been to start categorizing themselves with others. They begin to define who they are. Because the teen is in the process of developing their cognitive ability, analyzing information can become warped and distorted. Research has identified this phenomenon in two ways – imaginary audience and personal fable.

Imaginary audience is when the teen thinks that everyone is looking at and examining them. This causes the teen to be self-conscious. Personal fable is created in conjunction with the imaginary audience. Because the teen thinks everyone is looking at them, an over-inflated sense of self emerges. The teen may start declaring that they are invincible. If left unmonitored, this mode of thinking may cause the teen to take unnecessary risks such as driving recklessly or engaging in unprotected sex.

How do I handle this phase?
Be patient. Be aware. This is a brand new way of thinking for your teen. Take comfort in knowing that this is normal development for learning to process information.

Social
Self identity begins to take form in this stage of development. Teens evaluate themselves through their social interactions with parents, peers, and friends. Research has found that as adolescents transition into the teen years, the time spent with family decreases and the time spent with peers and friends increases. In addition, time spent alone grows. A study revealed that on average youth ages 13-16 years old spend 28 minutes a day with parents and 103 minutes with friends and peers (Buhrmester & Carbery, 1992).

It’s during this time that teens seek support from not only their parents but also their peers and friends. Teens will share their thoughts and feelings about school and different career options with parents; however, teens will bond with other teens when it comes to their emotional trials and triumphs.

How do I handle this phase?
Even though it may appear that your teen does not need you as much as when they were an adolescent, don’t panic. This is a time of exploration and discovery for your teen. Take advantage of the time to guide and provide your teen with invaluable input that will help build a solid foundation to make better decisions that will have a significant impact on the their future .

Moral
The ability to think about others takes shape during this stage. Teens begin to consider the consequences of their actions. More attention is given to how their values and principles compare and/or contrast with society.

How do I handle this phase?
Celebrate and embrace this level of maturity that your teen has achieved. This is a time that you can witness the values that you have instilled in your teen through their behavior and response to the world. Or, revisit some areas that may need some attention.

To learn more about these four stages of development, Pinellas County 4-H Youth Development offers a 4-H Family Teening-Up program. This program is a two-day, 6-hour interactive workshop designed especially for parents and their teens. Through hands-on learning activities, participants will receive tips and implementation strategies on how to respond to these various stages of development. Having this information and using these tips will help you and your teen move through this exciting time more easily. For more information about this valuable program, contact 4-H Youth Development at (727) 582-2450.

References

Helping Teens Answer the Question "Who Am I?" Physical Development in Adolescents: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy770

Helping Teens Answer the Question "Who Am I?": Cognitive Development in Adolescents: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY769

Helping Teens Answer the Question "Who Am I?": Social Development in Adolescents: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY768

Middle Childhood and Adolescent Development: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/ec/ec1527/

University of Minnesota, Extension, A Parent's Guide to Teens:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/familydevelopment/DE7607.html

4-H Family Teening-Up program: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/4-H/family.shtml

Searching for the Perfect Volunteer Opportunity

By Eric Yuan, 4-H Youth Mentor
Pinellas County Extension, University of Florida/IFAS

Perhaps the hardest part of volunteering is not taking the time to give back and help others. The hardest part may just be finding a volunteering opportunity that fits you. In an article written by Nemours Foundation, “Volunteering Isn’t Like School”, it states that one of the first things that you must ask yourself when searching for the perfect place to volunteer is knowing what interests you. If you are interested in working with youth, there are plenty of organizations out there such as Big Brother or a Big Sister or R-Club after school. If you are interested in animals, you can ask a local animal shelter if they are interested in any volunteers. Or if you enjoy helping out the community directly, you can volunteer at a park clean up or a homeless shelter. The point is that there are opportunities to volunteer to suit almost any interest that you may have.

To read the complete article “Volunteering” from the Nemours Foundation visit: http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/jobs/volunteering.html.

It is also important to know who you want to work with when volunteering. If you enjoy working with a group of peers then it would behoove you to volunteer at a location focused on youth development. If you want to work alone then perhaps being a tutor or a mentor to younger children would suit you better. Maybe even more important than knowing who you want to work with is figuring out when you are available to volunteer. You must always make sure that your volunteer opportunity will not conflict with other existing activities such as a job, sports, or clubs. Furthermore, you must know how much time you will need to commit as a volunteer. For example, will the activity be everyday after school or only on weekends?

After you have a decided on a few possible choices, the next step is to call the organization and see if they are a perfect fit for you. Ask them if they have previously worked with teen volunteers and if they have a volunteer-friendly atmosphere. Another important aspect to inquire about is whether their volunteer program promotes youth development. Volunteering should be an opportunity for you to mature and learn valuable life skills while helping your community.

To help you get started in your search for the perfect volunteer opportunity you can visit http://www.fastweb.com/fastweb/resources/articles/index/110700

or visit http://www.serviceleader.org/new/volunteers/articles/2003/04/000047.php to find some ideas that will help you narrow your search.

If you are looking for a place to volunteer, why not simply take a look at the great volunteer opportunities available at 4-H Extension? 4-H Youth Development is a youth oriented volunteer experience that not only allows for youth to volunteer but also gives them a chance to learn valuable life skills. Youth volunteering opportunities at 4-H can be found both during the school year and in the summer. 4-H has adult volunteering as well. Adult volunteers are greatly appreciated in their year round effort to making 4-H a better place. If you are interested in either youth or adult volunteering feel free to contact the Pinellas County Extension for more information.

Visit the 4-H Extension website to learn more about volunteer opportunities: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/4-H/volunteering.shtml

The Extension office is located at 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33774

Phone number (727) 582-2100

I Call this Meeting to Order

By Margaret Deller, 4-H Clubs Educational Instructor
Pinellas County/University of Florida IFAS Extension

If you have ever attended a meeting that had an agenda, allowed all members an equal chance to speak, and every idea was given equal attention, then you have attended a meeting that was run with parliamentary procedure.

Fundamentally, parliamentary procedure defines how groups of self governing people, no matter how formal or informal, can most effectively meet and make decisions in a fair, consistent manner—making good use of everyone's time. Even a basic background in parliamentary principles can help you and your organization hold more efficient meetings.

In order to learn and implement parliamentary procedure in your organization you will need to do some research. The most widely used authority on parliamentary procedure is Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised. This book originally titled A Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies was written in 1876 by General Henry M. Robert. General Robert was an engineering officer in the regular Army. Without warning, he was asked to preside over a church meeting and realized that he did not know how. He tried anyway and his embarrassment was supreme. This event left him determined never to attend another meeting until he knew something of parliamentary law.

He discovered and studied the few books that were available on the subject. From time to time, because of his military duties, he was transferred to various areas of the United States, where he discovered everyone had a different idea of what was correct. Using his experiences he wrote his own book on the subject. The most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised is the 10th. Each new edition issued since the death of Henry Robert, has been prepared by people who knew Henry Robert, worked with him or are directly connected to those people by professional association.

The first time you try to read Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised it can be a little scary. First, it is 700 pages long and is full of words you know being used in ways you have never imagined. But there are many resources out there to make it easier. First, you can visit the official website http://www.robertsrules.com/ where you can learn how your organization can adopt Robert’s Rules in your organization and get answers to frequently asked questions. Next, you can contact your local 4-H office or club; because they use Parliamentary Procedure with all of their meetings. Yes, even youth can use Robert’s Rules. In fact, there are even games to teach you how http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/who/inside.html. Here in Pinellas County we even have a small how-to booklet, created by Hernando County 4-H Agent Nancy Moores, called Parliamentary Procedure Made Easy for Everyday Use.

Next time you are at a meeting that is called to order and an item for discussion is moved, seconded, and passed by majority vote; remember to thank General Henry M. Robert for giving you a voice.

Other Resources:
http://parliamentarians.org/procedure.php

The Teen Brain is Different

By Vestina F. Crayton
4-H Youth Development, Extension Educational Instructor

Quite often conversations about teens include a series of questions that begin with ‘why?’ Why do they act that way, why did they do that, why are they dressed that way and so on. Over the years, studies have been done on the teen brain to help answer some of these questions.

In 1999, by utilizing MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technologies, some researchers were surprised to discover that just before puberty, a second wave of overproduction of gray matter (the thinking part of the teen’s brain) occurs. The teen’s gray matter changes in different functional brain areas at different times in development. For example, the gray matter growth spurt just prior to puberty is predominant in the frontal lobe where brain functions such as planning, impulse control, and reasoning take place.

One noted researcher, Dr. Yurgelun-Todd, Director of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroimaging in Belmont, Mass, shared her thoughts with Frontline on what her research implied. She compared and contrasted how adults and teens process information with the frontal part and the lower (amgydala) part of the brain. Below is and excerpt from the interview.

• Frontline: In adults, how are those two parts of the brain related? What do we see there?


• Yurgulun –Todd: In an adult, this anterior or prefrontal part of the brain carries out a lot of executive functions, or what we call more thinking functions: planning, goal-directed behavior, judgment, insight. And we think that that particular part of the brain influences this more emotional or gut part of the brain. Therefore this relationship is key to understanding behavior. Teens (top image) used less of the prefrontal (upper) region than adults (bottom image) when reading emotion.


• Frontline: What does your work tell you about young teenagers?


• Yurgulun –Todd: One of the implications of this work is that the brain is responding differently to the outside world in teenagers compared to adults. And in particular, with emotional information, the teenager's brain may be responding with more of a gut reaction than an executive or more thinking kind of response. And if that's the case, then one of the things that you expect is that you'll have more of an impulsive behavioral response, instead of a necessarily thoughtful or measured kind of response.”
  Armed with this information, parents, caregivers, teachers, and other adults who question the behavior of teens, can began to understand that the teen brain is a work in progress.

For more information on teen development, contact Pinellas 4-H Youth Development at (727) 582-2450 and sign up to participate in the 4-H Family Teening -Up program. This program is an opportunity for parents and their teen to learn how to communicate and strengthen their relationship.

References:

• To read the interview with Yurgulun-Todd in its entirety, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/interviews/todd.html
• Ackerman, Sandra. (2006). The Teen Brain: A World of Their Own. Program Three in the Public Broadcasting Series, The Secret Life of the Brain. Accessed on March 1, 2006 at www.pbs.org/brain.
• Bond, Suzanne & Bond, Dan (2004). Professional Resource Materials for Family Information Services, Minneapolis, MN.
• Wallis, Claudia. (2004, May) What Makes Teens Tick: Inside the Adolescent Brain by Claudia Wallis. Time Magazine.
• Steinberg, Laurence. (2004). The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting. Simon and Schuster.
• Walsh, Michael (2004) Why do they Act That Way: A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teenager. Minneapolis, MN: Family Information Services

Many Marine Habitats

By Betty Lipe, 4-H Educational Instructor

Source: Aquatic and Marine Ecosystems a Leaders’ Activity Guide by the
Florida 4-H Youth Development Program.

Florida is a unique state. We are surrounded on three sides by water, so as members of the community we need to be especially aware some special areas.

What are wetlands? Wetlands are areas of land that are covered with water for any length of time, from a week to the entire twelve months. Some examples of wetlands are swamps, marshes, and wet prairies. Most wetlands contain freshwater, but some like salt marshes contain saltwater. There are many threatened and endangered species of plants and animals that are dependent on wetlands, such as the wood stork, Southern bald eagle, Florida black bear, and the Florida sandhill crane.

Why are wetlands important? They are the sponge in our habitat. They catch the rainwater and allow it to percolate into the Florida aquifer. They furnish habitat for the young of many species to grow and develop, and they also provide recreational areas.

Here in Tampa Bay, we are also concerned with the coastal ecosystems. We have three of Florida’s four major types of coastal ecosystems right in Pinellas County. Beach/Dune/Barrier Island Ecosystem, Estuary, and mangrove swamps. Just to our north, begin the Salt Marsh ecosystem, which continues up through the Big Bend area of Florida.

The Beach/Dune/Barrier Island ecosystem is the most dynamic of the habitats. This area changes constantly with the action of wind, tides and currents. Nature has shaped and reshaped the coastline of Florida throughout history. Recently human habitation has, in many areas, altered the cycles of sand movement, dune development, and created beach erosion to the point where beach renourishment has to be done. Luckily the West coast of Florida because of the smaller Gulf of Mexico and the shallow slope out to the continental shelf make our coast a low energy wave area. The East coast is noted for high energy waves.

Tampa Bay is one of the largest estuaries on the west coast of Florida. Estuaries are water areas where saltwater and freshwater meet. The West coast of Florida alone has approximately 2.5 million acres of estuarine habitat that includes open water, salt marshes, and mangrove swamps. Two important factors related to the biological characteristics of estuary ecosystems are the diversity of habitats and the high productivity of the associated food webs. Habitats within the estuary include sandy bottoms, sea grass beds, oyster bars, and mud flats. These habitats provide living areas for over two thirds of the commercially important fish and shellfish. High nutrient levels in estuarine waters provide a rich “soup” that nourishes plants and animals.

Tampa Bay is the northernmost range of the mangrove swamp ecosystem. This is due to sensitivity to freezing temperatures. Mangroves can reach a height of 80 feet, hence the name mangrove forest. Mangroves help to buffer the storm waves and winds and provide protection to inland areas. Mangroves also protect the estuaries they border by filtering the runoff that flows into the estuaries from upland regions. By trapping sediment, mangroves actually build land while the roots and vegetation help prevent shoreline erosion. The mangrove prop roots create a maze-like “nursery” beneath the water where young crabs, shrimp and small fish such as snook and mullet can swim, but the large fishes that prey on them cannot. The prop roots also provide a place for oysters, barnacles and anemones to attach while birds like the top of the trees as roosting sites. Today mangroves on public and private lands are a protected species because of the good they do for the ecosystem.

4-H members through the Marine Ecology Event and the 4-H Afterschool program “Walk on the Wet Side” have a chance to learn and study about each of these important ecosystems. 4-H members also have the opportunity to participate in a state wide competition to test what they have learned through study, field trips, and meetings.

Pinellas County Marine Teams

2007 State Marine Ecology Event held in Kissimmee, Florida.

The Economic Impact of Pinellas County 4-H Youth Development

By Janet Golden, 4-H Program Leader

According to Richard Lerner from Tufts University, “Enough data has been gathered and analyzed to share statistically valid information that not only proves that 4-H youth development programs strengthen and improve communities, but also youth in 4-H are more likely to thrive and succeed than those who are not in 4-H.”

Lerner’s 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD) found that:

• 4-H youth are 41% more likely to contribute to themselves, their families and their communities, compared to youth in other activities (28 percent) or no activities at all (17 percent).


• Youth in 4-H programs are more likely to be civically engaged than other youth.


• Involvement in 4-H increases a young person’s potential of doing well.


• 4-H reduces the likelihood that young people will engage in risk behaviors, such as underage drinking, smoking, bullying, etc.

Pinellas 4-H programs target specific youth development life skills as outcomes for young people. How effective has 4-H been in helping youth develop skills? These are the five life skills integrated into almost every 4-H program or activity:


By providing youth ages 5-18 in Pinellas County opportunities to learn leadership, citizenship, and life skills through postive youth development experiences, economic benefits are significant.

• The cost of incarcerating a youth for one day is $159 (average stay 13 days). 4-H is able to provide intensive youth development programming to over 7,500 youth a year which potentially saves taxpayers $15.5 million in incarceration costs.


• The cost of underage drinking to the state of Florida is $2,383 per year for each youth in the state. 4-H potentially saves the taxpayers $18 million dollars by providing youth opportunities to develop citizenship, leadership, and life skills.


• In 2007 4-H volunteers (youth & adult) contributed 13,841 hours of service to the community with a value of $260,000 to the community.

For more information about the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development at Tufts University : http://ase.tufts.edu/iaryd/researchPositive4H.htm

4-H is Looking for Teens!

By Beth Tobias, 4-H Extension Agent

In case you did not already know, volunteering as a young person has proven to benefit your life in a variety of ways. It not only builds valuable work skills, these experiences also offer leadership opportunities and is a great way to meet new friends. You can check out other benefits at Youth Service California, http://www.yscal.org/index.html

Now that you know all that, how can you possibly turn down this exciting invitation? 4-H has many ways to get involved beyond your club. They include being part of the Tech or Healthy Living Team, or serving on one of the various boards such as 4-H Foundation, Community Grants Board, or 4-H Advisory.

You can log onto the 4-H site for more details on any of the opportunities. So grab a friend and get involved, make a difference!

4- H website: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/4-H/index.shtml

Volunteering, It Just Might Make You a Little Healthier!

By Beth Tobias, 4-H Extension Agent

That’s the word on the street according to a study released in May of 2007 by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Research suggests that volunteering is particularly beneficial to the health of older adults and those serving 100 hours annually.

According to the report:

• A study of adults age 65 and older found that the positive effect of volunteering on physical and mental health is due to the personal sense of accomplishment an individual gains from his or her volunteer activities.


• Another study found that volunteering led to lower rates of depression in individuals 65 and older.


• A Duke study found that individuals who volunteered after experiencing heart attacks reported reductions in despair and depression – two factors that that have been linked to mortality in post-coronary artery disease patients.


• An analysis of longitudinal data found that individuals over 70 who volunteered approximately 100 hours had less of a decline in self-reported health and functioning levels, experienced lower levels of depression, and had more longevity.


• Two studies found that volunteering threshold is about 100 hours per year, or about two hours a week. Individuals who reached the threshold enjoyed significant health benefits, although there were not additional benefits beyond the 100-hour mark.
  To view the full report visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/

Although the study focused on 65 and older it is never too young to start. According to the December 2006 report by the Corporation for National and Community Service growth in volunteering is at a 30 year high with the growth being driven by three primary age groups: older teens (16-19), mid-life adults (46-64), and older adults (65 and over). By getting started as a youth, it will become part of your lifestyle as well as set the example for the younger generations.

Pinellas County Extension believes in the benefits of service and has been fostering volunteerism through the Master Gardener and 4-H Youth Development Programs for many years. Now 4-H and Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) are following the same model and have created a Master Nutrition Volunteer Program. This is the first program of its’ kind in the state and has received so much interest that the first training is full, but plans are to offer it again before the end of the year.

The program is designed to train volunteers in general health and nutrition and in return they will give back 75 hours of service to the community through assisting with 4-H and FCS programs. All of the volunteers participate in 40 hours of training where they will learn the content, activities, and techniques of facilitating programs. Extension programs will reach more people in more places, community residents will receive critical information to live a healthier life, and the Master Volunteers will be a little healthier through their contributions to the community. It’s a win, win situation! For more information about the Master Nutrition Volunteer Program please contact (727) 582-2122 or online at www.pinellascounty.org/extension.

To Buy or Not To Buy

By Margaret Deller
4-H Youth Development Educational Instructor

“Ethical consumerism may be loosely defined as the practice of purchasing products and services that actively seek to minimize social and/or environmental damage and the avoidance of products deemed to have a negative impact on society or the environment.”

According to market research:

• The average youth has two shopping experiences a week.
  
• 54% - 63 % of parents admitted that their children were active participants in shopping for cars.


• Youth between the ages of 5 and 14 have a direct buying power of more than $40 billion and influence $146 billion worth of expenditures every year. Most of the guidance they receive on how to spend this $186 billion is from marketing.

Every day the youth are bombarded with messages to buy things. The ads are on the radio, TV, billboards, and almost every website they visit. Ads make up the bulk of magazines and newspapers. Even books have an “also available from this publishing house” section in the back. These messages say your life will be better; you will look better, feel better, be cooler, be richer, be smarter, and more famous, if you just buy this item. The overwhelming amount of consumer goods available and the advertising that goes with them has made our youth very consumeristic: youth have a preoccupation with and an inclination towards the buying of consumer goods.

4-H is changing this for the next generation of adult consumers. By training youth to apply critical thinking and problem solving skills to each purchase we are helping them shop smarter. Each year the Florida 4-H office picks four products that youth purchase and creates a study guide to help the youth decide how to buy them. The youth compare product features, cost, how it is made, where it is made, applicability to a given situation, and even packaging.

Some of the studied items are needs; food, clothing, and shelter. But most of the items are wants; things you can live without. This year the youth will be learning about sports drinks, work-out wear, digital cameras, and bicycle helmets. The youth attend workshops on each topic and then test their knowledge in April at the Central Florida Fair 4-H Consumer Judging Contest. For the contest, the youth are given a situation and four products to choose from. They must rank those items from best to worst for that situation. Half of their score comes from a scantron recording of those answers, the other half from oral reasons. In oral reasons the youth must explain their selection to a judge. Even if their ranking is wrong the youth can score highly if their arguments are sound.

If you would like your child ages 8 - 18 to participate in this year’s workshops please contact Margaret at 727-582-2263 or mdeller@pinellascounty.org. The weekly workshops will be held in Largo starting March 10th and in St. Petersburg starting March 11th.

Sources:retailindustry.about.com, igd.com

Webster’s Dictionary

Four-H: A Proven Program with Positive Results

By Jean Rogalsky
4-H Extension Agent

Youth and families in Pinellas County have a myriad of options to choose from when planning educational, social, and recreational activities. We are often asked why families should choose 4-H, or how is 4-H different from other youth organizations.
At a recent 4-H volunteer leader training, the 4-H club leaders were asked the following questions: Why is 4-H important to you and your family? Why have you made the commitment to 4-H?

The responses of the volunteers were significant because not only have they embraced 4-H for their children; they have also made the commitment of their time to be a club leader. The group surveyed consisted of new and experienced volunteers. The following is a summary of their responses:

• 4-H opens up a diverse community, outside of school and home. Youth and adults are enabled to look at things globally – not just on a small scale.
• 4-H helps youth and adults build leadership skills and utilize the tools available (through 4-H).
• Youth play, learn, and have the opportunity to take an interest and expand on it.
• The opportunity for leadership development and public speaking is a wonderful aspect of 4-H.
• 4-H community clubs offer more leadership opportunities than schools. Each club has its own set of officers and committees.
• Learning to set goals and work on projects is so helpful as well as forming a sense of responsibility to the community beyond our friends and church.
• Participating in a national organization with an even wider worldview.
• Reputation, especially of those with past 4-H experiences.
• Has the resources needed, and the curriculum is diverse.
• Youth learn to think of others and build character. They are not in it just for themselves.
• The 4 H’s : We can teach children helping (hands), taking care of others (health), human and non-human (heart), thinking about how they impact others – good or bad (head).

The value the volunteers find in 4-H is supported by research. According to a national research study (Learner, Positive Youth Development Study, 2007), the more often youth are involved in youth development programs, like 4-H, the more they and their communities benefit. Youth who spend more time involved in high-quality youth development programs like 4-H are more likely to experience positive youth development than other youth. These youth also contribute to their communities and are less likely to participate in risk behaviors. High-quality youth development programs ensure an environment that encourages sustained positive relationships with adult mentors, skill-building activities and leadership.

Developing these connections results in social capital and socially sustainable communities.

A variety of studies across the country have identified life skills gained through 4-H and the general impact of the program. One example, a study of 5th, 7th , and 9th-grade students (Astroth & Hayne, 2001, Goodwin, 2005), found that 4-H youth are more likely than other youth to report that they:

• Do well in school
• Are involved as leaders in their school and the community
• Are looked up to as role models by other youth
• Help others in the community

4-H youth reported that they are less likely than others to:

• Shoplift or steal
• Use illegal drugs
• Ride in a car with someone who has been drinking
• Smoke cigarettes
• Damage property for the fun of it
• Skip school or cut classes

In summary, research indicates that 4-H youth are busy making contributions to improve the quality of life in their families, neighborhoods and communities. Four-H attracts youth from all types of families and achieves the same positive results. Florida 4-H is a powerful, proven program that makes a positive difference for all who participate.

Is 4-H for your family?