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Impact Report

For plan Youth Development (San Juan County)
Date October 13, 2007, 1:58 am
For Objective Short-term Show short-term objectives
Impact Report Developing life skills is a large component of 4-H. In order to prepare youth to become knowledgeable, productive citizens they must possess basic life skills. Activities and projects that emphasize responsible health behavior, problem solving and decision making skills, communication and leadership skills, positive attitude and teach environmental stewardship are conducted by the staff. Members are encouraged to participate in activities that help them to feel personal pride in mastering a skill. This helps participants to have a strong sense of community, responsibility, and value diversity. Projects are the foundation of the “learn by doing” philosophy that 4-H is based on. The 4-H year cumulates with the county fair. Community volunteers, parents, older siblings, and agents all help the youth complete their projects. Members work all year long on their projects to exhibit at various fairs. In San Juan County 4-H members can participate in the San Juan County Fair, the Northern Navajo Nation Fair in Shiprock, the Navajo Nation Fair in Window Rock and the Crownpoint Navajo Livestock Show. Various workshops were held to instruct and assist youth in indoor project areas. Workshops included a series of sewing workshops with the help of the Bernina Center in Farmington, a one day baking workshop and a two day cake decoration workshop. San Juan County fair is a week long event and was from August 10 through August 19. It starts off with a parade. The county council has a float that 4-H members can help with and ride on. All of the agents work at the fair helping with different events and show. In 2007 one hundred and twenty-three members submitted four hundred and sixty-six exhibits to be judged at the San Juan County Fair. That is a slight decrease over 2006. Member exhibiting at the fair have completed their project and have succeeded in learning the skill needed to accomplish that. First place exhibits are eligible to continue to State Fair in Albuquerque and compete against members from around the state. The 4-H agent takes the indoor exhibits to the state fair. In 2007 Sixty-seven exhibitors sent one hundred and fifty-nine exhibits to the state fair, which was an increase over 2006. To complete a project members must have discipline and determination. They gain a sense of accomplishment when a project is completed. They have the opportunity to master skills and increase their knowledge in project areas. Competition is keen at the fairs and earning a ribbon is a major accomplishment. Judging Contests are another “learn by doing” tool that is utilized by the 4-H program to increase life skills. Contests take place in the spring and are offered to the members at county level. Contests range from shooting sports to livestock to home economics and speech. Contests teach members how to collect and arrange thoughts and orally present them to judges. Contests broaden a member’s knowledge about various subjects and help build confidence. Members learn how to rank items or livestock, think problems through, and identify subjects. Community members, experts, parents, and adult leaders volunteer to help coach, monitor, and organize the contests. The shooting sports contests which include small arms, pellet, shotgun, muzzle loader and archery are coached by qualified leaders. San Juan Wildlife Federation, San Juan Archers, and East Main Pawn all offer their expertise and facilities to the youth for practice. Safety is always emphasized. 4-H agents work with and coach youth to ready them for the various contests. Weekly practices are held in wildlife, entomology, livestock judging, horse judging and horticulture. The home economist holds workshops in favorite foods, fashion revue, home ec. skill-a-thon, and consumer decision making. The youth gain confidence and knowledge during the workshops and practices. They get excited about pitting their new found knowledge and skills against other members in the county. Seventy-eight members participated in eighteen contests at the county level. This was an increase over the 2006 participation. The novice and junior winning members advance to district contest and the senior members advance to state 4-H conference. District contest was located in San Juan County, NM, on June 19 & 20, participants at district include 4-H members from the seven northwestern counties. Forty-two novice and junior county members participated in district. The members did well in archery, pellet rifle, wildlife, fashion revue, and consumer decision making. While at district, members are also given the opportunity to meet and interact with members from around the state. They attend various workshops and activities when they are not in a scheduled contest. State 4-H conference is held at the New Mexico State University main campus in Las Cruces. The conference is one week long and was held July 9 to 13. Senior members that attend state conference stay in the dormitory and get a taste of campus life. While at conference they attend leadership, communication and team building workshops. Members also attend a college fair and have a chance to talk to professors and recruiters from NMSU. In 2007 nine members attended the conference, and competed in many different contests, team building workshops and leadership training. They placed in several of the contest areas. The senior shooting sports venue was held at the Whittington Center in Raton NM on May 5 & 6. Several teams participated in the disciplines of shotgun, .22 rifle and archery. Special interest groups concentrate on one project area and include members from different traditional 4-H clubs. San Juan County has six special interest groups, Citizenship Washington Focus, Hoofbeat gang, 4-H Rodeo, Pooch Patrol, Shooting Sports, and Sportfishing. These groups hold meetings, trainings and workshops to advance the skills of their members. The newest special interest club is the sportfishing group. This group has been organized by the adult members of the Four Corners Bassmasters Association. They had bi-monthly meetings and seminars with the youth. They covered all aspects of sport fishing emphasizing safety in all areas. Youth were able to vastly improve their fishing skills. The adult bassmasters even took the youth fishing on local lakes and helped them participate in state-wide tournaments. The Pooch Patrol group specializes on the dog project. Adult volunteer leaders along with knowledgeable senior members, organize, sponsor and work with members. Their monthly trainings revolve around obedience, agility, and showmanship. There were 20 trainings held in the 2006- 2007 4-H year. Local dog experts and professionals work with the members. Over 60 youth are now involved in the dog project in San Juan County. The San Juan County Fair also has added a dog show on two different afternoons. Members are now participating at the 4-H dog show at the New Mexico State Fair. There has been a vast improvement on the skill levels of both the youth and the dogs participating in the program. In April of 2007 the Pooch Patrol organized a 4-Corners Woofie School. This was a three day event open to all 4-H youth from New Mexico and the 4 corners region. Twenty-nine members from southwestern Colorado and northern New Mexico participated in the event. Dog handling experts from New Mexico and Colorado gave expert instruction to the youth in all aspects of grooming, care and competition. Local veterinarians made health presentations and the Farmington police K-9 units and Four Corners Rescue did demonstrations with their highly trained dogs. It was a well received program which has been scheduled again for 2008. The Hoofbeat gang is for members involved with the horse project. They hold horse handling workshops and riding clinics throughout the year with local horse professionals and experts. Members learn safe way to handle horses and improve all of their horsemanship skills by participating. The rodeo group organizes and sponsors monthly rodeos for San Juan County’s youth. They raise money and have year-end prizes. This group is very active in the county. Both 4-H agents are involved with the various special interest groups. Shooting sports disciplines’ practice on a weekly basis starting in November. Fire arm safety is the emphasis of the program. Members of the San Juan Wildlife Federation are major participants in the program. They provide expertise instructors and a shooting range for practice. Novice and junior members are permitted to participate in air rifle and archery. Senior members can participate in shotgun, 0.22, muzzleloading, and archery. County council yearly activities - Leadership Development – County Council Executive Committee Leadership is a vital component of the 4-H program. Opportunities for leadership development occur at the club, county, and state level. Through activities and projects in 4-H, youth have many opportunities to develop leadership skills that include responsibility, decision making, communication skills, and gaining self-confidence, and self-esteem. Leadership skills are taught and accomplished through practice and hands-on activities. The County Council Executive Board is the group of youth officers that are elected annually to lead the county’s program. The County Council Executive Board consists of junior and senior aged members that hold the office positions of President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, Chaplin, Parliamentarian, Chaplin, Recreation Leader, and Sergeants of Arms. The committee helps to direct organize and lead the 4-H clubs. They also provide a forum for the clubs to share ideas, experiences and fun. The council also has two volunteer adult advisors to assist and guide the officers. Four quarterly council meetings were held in October, January, April and July. One-hundred and twenty-nine individuals attended the meetings throughout the year. Some of the special programs offered during the council meetings included new projects being offered, county contest skill-a-thon. Numerous club representatives attended the meetings and participated in the planning of events for the county. Clubs had the opportunity to interact and observed the proper way to conduct a meeting and vote on issues. This past year the council worked together at Echo food bank unloading pallets and organizing boxes. Echo food bank is the main food bank in the community. They supply food to shelters and people in need in the local area. Community service projects included a trash clean-up at Farmington Lake on Make a Difference Day. Other events and activities led by the officers included training workshops for the county such as 4-H connections, and club officer training. They also present awards at the county contest recognition reception and annual club and record book awards banquet. The officers also represent 4-H at various community events and help to promote 4-H to the general public and youth of the county. The annual awards banquet is held in November and recognizes the clubs that contribute to the program and the winning record books. Clubs receive awards based on members’ participation in various activities and events. The Officers make all of the award presentations to the individual winners and clubs and recognize all of the county’s leaders. All of the officers have speaking roles during the program. The new slate of elected officers are also installed at the annual banquet. A special award of a day with the county council officers is given to the club that has the most participation in council sponsored event. This past year winning club was attended an activity day at the park officers. The officers hone their public speaking skills and learn how to speak into a microphone. For the club officer training, held in January, the 2006-2007 officer team conducted an experiential leader learning experience for local club members. Thirty-seven members attended the fun-filled informational workshop. The officers led a round robin session of officer duties and a pin the officer duties on the wall game. The most popular session was a demonstration on how NOT to conduct a meeting. The audience was given the opportunity to criticize the “bad” meeting and then demonstrate the proper way to conduct a meeting themselves. All attendees learned the importance of parliamentary procedures, and why meetings should be conducted with order and leadership. Participants can now conduct local club meeting with confidence and efficiency. The officer training workshop was well received from all of the youth that attended. Everyone had a good time and learned techniques that can be used at the club level. In February the officers and other senior 4-H members conducted 4-H connections. Connections is the county program that teaches team working, communication and leadership skills to local 4-H members and their invited guest. Each officer pair plans, organizes and conducts a specific workshop to teach a skill. The skills are taught through interactive games and activities. In the team working workshop, members are taught the importance of working together to achieve a common goal, they also learn techniques to motivate other members. The communication activity teaches the importance of communication and how hard it is to do properly. The leadership workshop gives the participants an opportunity to take a leadership role and to practice skill needed to be a successful leader. Members of all ages attend the connections workshops they have the opportunity to interact with members from around the county. They learn activities and skills that they can take back to their local club and share with their members. In April the council sponsored and organized the county carnival. This is a fun non-competitive social evening for all of the 4-H community to get together. The council sponsors a silent auction that raises money for scholarships and county wide activities. Clubs participate by having games, such as bingo, fishing, darts, and basketball throw. Food is also for sale. It is the major fund raiser for most of the clubs. Parents, grandparents, friends and members all come together for an evening of socializing and fun. Over 500 people attend the county carnival each year. County contest competition is a large part of the 4-H program. The contests help to expand member’s knowledge of subjects and expose them to other program areas. The officers assist with individual contests as needed and encourage fellow members to participate. They held a contest skill-a-thon to demonstrate and promote various different contests. Officers also presented awards to participants at the dessert reception. In 2007 San Juan County hosted the District contest. The officer team served as master of ceremonies and distributed ribbons to the contestants. The officers also held workshops and led games for the participants and visitors. Some of the newer officers left their comfort zone by speaking in front of a larger audience that did not consist of only friends and family. One of the younger officers really built his self-esteem and confidence by forcing himself to make the presentations on the stage. The team did a wonderful job and the agents were proud of their success. Each year the officers host a pre-fair barbeque. At this event members meet the county fair’s department head and barn superintendents. Pens are assigned and specific barn rules are reviewed. The council officers plan, organize, cook and feed a large hamburger meal to 4-H members, parents, and fair officials. Around 200 people are fed at the event. The officers build a float for the county fair parade. All 4-H members that want to participate in the parade are invited to ride the float. Most of the clubs in the county have their own float but there are always a few that do not. This gives those members the opportunity to be in the parade also. Thousands of people watch the fair parade. This gives the officers another chance to promote 4-H in the community. County members also support and participate in state-wide leadership opportunities. Six junior members attended teen-get-away and eight senior members attended senior leadership retreat. At the state-wide events members meet other 4-Her’s from around the state and have the opportunity to network, socialize and attend workshops. They form life long friendships and learn to expand their horizons. They also bring back learner skills and ideas to the local club level. The county council gives the individual officers the opportunity to learn life skills such as public speaking, time organization, and priority setting. The officers have to schedule time for the programs and activities that they sponsor such as the community service, 4-H promotion, and teaching workshops. The officers serve as mentors to younger members and set a good example for them. They learn parliamentary procedures and the basics of conducting meetings. Over time the officers become confident in their ability to lead. They overcome shyness and learn to state their opinions on issues. The council also provides a forum for the clubs to state their priorities. It helps to keep the older 4-H members active and interested if they know they have a voice in the program. The older members learn how to adjust programs and activities for younger aged participants. They also learn how to interact with individuals of varied ethnic backgrounds and interests. San Juan County hosted their 5th annual Kids Kows and More (KKM) Program for 4th grade students. Three hundred and seventy six students and thirty-seven teachers/chaperones attended the two day agricultural educational forum. All four county extension agents participated in and helped with the program. Other entities that assisted with the program included Southwest Dairy Association, New Mexico Beef Council, Bob Browning Ranch, Navajo Agriculture Products Incorporated, San Juan Farm Bureau, and San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District. KKM is a program that teaches the students about agriculture. Today’s youth are removed from the farm and need to learn the source of food and the importance of agriculture in their lives. The mobile dairy classroom sponsored by Southwest Dairy Association covered all aspects of the dairy industry. Subjects covered included milking a cow, cow health, and the nutritional components of dairy products. NM beef council covered the beef industry, land stewardship and the life of a rancher. The horse industry presentation, included horse health, recreational aspects and the history of the United States and relationship to the horse. This presentation was made by Browning Ranch in association with Navajo Preparatory School. Agronomic crops were covered by Navajo Agriculture Products Incorporated (NAPI). The planting, growing and harvesting of corn, alfalfa, potatoes, pumpkins and onions was covered. The Rolling River trailer was supplied by the San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District. Students learned about a watershed system and the source of local drinking water. They also learned about riparian areas and sources of pollution. Seventeen formal evaluations were received from participating teachers. Seven rated the program as good and ten rate it as excellent. Fourteen stated that the program complimented their class room subject matter. Written resource materials were distributed to the teachers to reinforce subjects covered. Attending students are now more aware of the local agriculture industry and the source of their food.