4-H Afterschool

4-H Afterschool is designed to combine the resources of 4-H and the Cooperative Extension System with community-based organizations that provide after-school programs that address community needs.  The 4-H club operates within the structure of the community-based organization that sponsors the after-school program.

The implementation of the 4-H club component of the after-school program can take various forms. It may mean that 4-H is offered on a particular day of the week or that particular projects are offered. There may be a designated time for club meetings, where youth say the 4-H pledge, have officers, and make choices about activities to pursue. As well, the person responsible may be staff paid by Extension (e.g., program assistant), staff of the organization running the program (e.g., Boys and Girls Club), a volunteer (adult and/or youth),* or some combination.

 

4-H Afterschool seeks to increase the quality and quantity of after-school programs. To accomplish this, we focus on improving the ability of program staff to offer high quality care, education, and developmental experiences for youth. Extension offers training materials and support to help establish 4-H clubs at afterschool sites, to help program staff increase their ability to use positive youth development principles, and to help provider’s access quality 4-H program activities.

A 4-H club is an organized group of five or more boys and girls ages 5 to 19 with officers, led in partnership with adult volunteers, with a planned program of club activities. Each club should participate in community projects or service learning. Club meetings include conducting business by officers (click here to get further information how to do this), educational programs (Such as: bug studies, sewing, community garden, conservation program, yoga, etc.), and group building or recreational activities. Groups of very young children can form 4-H clubs, although meetings are much less structured. All 4-H activities focus upon positive youth development.

 

 

 

 

 

• 4-H project curricula.
• Ribbons and certificates for recognition.
• Training on how to conduct a 4-H club meeting.
• Assistance in setting up a 4-H club for after-school youth.
• Opportunities for youth to participate in county, state, and national 4-H events and activities. (Example: Youth Fair, Fishing Trip, Summer Camp, Public Speaking Competitions, etc.)
• 4-H Afterschool kits in the field of: Science and Technology, Leadership, Citizenship, Communication Arts, Environmental Education, and Family and Consumer Science.
• Staff Training in youth development, youth finance Ed., environmental Ed., and health and nutrition Ed.

• Rockets
• Youth finance-financial management, stock market, and savings.
• Growing vegetables
• Recycling projects
• Organize your afterschool into a formal youth club (with president, vice president, etc.)
• Bay cleanup
• Participate in 4-H county competitions
• Participate in the Youth Fair
• Sewing
• Develop a service learning project
• Yoga, Health & Nutrition  

Miami-Dade 4-H, in cooperation with Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR), developed a 12-week yoga for kids pilot program with South Florida Urban Ministries afterschool program (http://www.sflum.org). South Florida Urban Ministries is a dynamic non-profit organization that empowers people to move from poverty to prosperity through holistic youth development, small business development and hunger relief programs in South Florida.

Miami-Dade 4-H has provided South Florida Urban Ministries afterschool program with the technical know how and funding source for this innovative afterschool enrichment program to develop. Miami-Dade 4-H will evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program for youth participants by looking at changes in: body mass ratio, breathing capacity, resting heart rate, flexibility and knowledge and practices gained on healthy nutrition.

The 12-week program will encompass health and nutrition classes on portion control, label reading, snack preparation and the new food pyramid. The new food pyramid educational component will utilize a large 5 foot tall food pyramid in which children can learn about the food groups and food density through interactive Velcro pieces.

More and more, 4-H is playing a vital role in our local educational community by providing institutional after schools with innovative programming to better help diverse young people discover and develop their potential and grow into competent, contributing, and caring citizens.

Article: Miami-Dade 4-H Afterschool Yoga, Health & Nutrition Program