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Impact Report

For plan Youth Development (Los Alamos County)
Date November 2, 2009, 12:25 pm
For Objective Short-term Show short-term objectives
Impact Report The horticulture agent continued as a State Leadership Team advisor for Ambassadors and Diplomats. As such, he supervised the planning and execution of the 2009 Senior Leadership Retreat in Albuquerque [for approximately 250 traditional 4-H youth from around New Mexico. SLR aimed at building leadership skills among 4-H members and included workshops on ‘Getting and Giving Information’, ‘Understanding Group Needs and Characteristics’, ‘Knowing and Understanding Group Resources’, ‘Problem-Solving’, ‘Sharing Leadership’ and ‘Managing Learning, all while having fun. NMSU College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences College Ambassadors also provide training on preparing resumes & portfolios and preparing for job interviews. The college also provides information about each of the academic departments and offers counseling on applying for college. The horticulture agent attended the National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C. together with the New Mexico 4-H Ambassador Team [4(W); 3(F), 1(M)]. The National 4-H Conference is the flagship youth development opportunity of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Deemed “the Secretary’s Conference”, this experience upholds a tradition dating back to 1927. Today, National 4-H Conference has remained true to its original intent while continuing to be future focused. In addition to strengthening leadership skills, the purpose of National 4-H Conference is to: • Create an experience for delegates to become familiar with government; • Reinforce the rich history of 4-H and its valuable tie to Cooperative Extension and the land-grant system; • Engage delegates with leaders from USDA, CSREES, the Land-Grant University system, as well as, their local, state and national partners; • Enlighten delegates to the valuable work and research coming out of the land grant universities; • Stimulate thought around key matters and move delegates to action in their local communities; • Provide an opportunity for delegates to engage as citizens by meeting with their congressional representatives to discuss issues affecting their communities; • Enhances valuable 21st century skills leadership skills such as adaptability, team building and communications. • Exposes delegates to the splendor of the Nation’s Capital; • Gather feedback from our most important stakeholders – youth! The National 4-H Conference expands on 4-H’s essential elements of Independence, Belonging, Mastery and Generosity by allowing youth to master skills to make positive life choices; participate in decision-making processes; act responsibly; positively influence their communities; and develop into informed, active, engaged citizens. The agent, together with the New Mexico 4-H Diplomat Team traveled to Heber, Arizona to present a workshop at and participate in JOLT [70(W, 4(H)); 14(M), 60(F)] , JOLT is an teen leadership camp designed for teens by a teen-adult partnership. The camp is a positive environment that promotes personal development, team building and self-confidence. JOLT participants enjoy activities that build trust, leadership, and communication skills. The dynamic staff and inspirational workshop speakers that JOLTers experience help make the week memorable. Conflict resolution skills and relationship building skills create the existence of the "JOLT Team" which instigates life-long friendships that are uncommon at other camps. Participants will work in groups to develop teamwork and communication skills, while performing pre-designated challenges. These challenges are facilitated by members of the staff and are both fun and entertaining and test problem solving skills and the ability to think on your feet. As advisor, the agent was instrumental in the organization of all evening sessions at the State 4-H Conference and also provided leadership to the Ambassador Team in conducting a leadership workshop to conference participants on the use of technology. The horticulture agent also served as contest chair for the conference and was responsible for the presentation of awards at the conference.