Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.
Youth Development (Socorro County)
Plan Goals
This plan deals with Project Work; Special Interest; School Enrichment; Competition; Clinics; Workshops; Outreach Efforts; Record Books; Camps; County Council; Officer Trainings; Junior/Teen Leaders; Anything related to YOUTH programming.
- Owner
- Teresa Dean (Trujillo)
- Related Plans
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Youth Development
Impact Reports
110 youth participated in the Socorro County Fair showcasing their development of life skills through indoor and livestock exhibits related to over 200 project areas. Over 320 items were exhibited. Youth received recognition and feedback for continued improvement of knowledge and skills. Over $86,000 was paid to County 4-H Members through premiums, junior livestock auctions and fair related scholarships. 55% of Socorro County 4-H youth showed an increase in knowledge and skills related to home economics, creative arts, livestock and personal development as evidenced by quality baking products, garments made, products exhibited, animals shown and ribbons awarded. One of the Livestock Judges that judged the show last year commented about how much the kids progressed this year. “The quality of animals has greatly increased from last year. Someone is doing something right, by teaching these kids what a quality animal should look like.”
Socorro Family Fun Fest:
A community wide youth day sponsored by CYFD was held during the month of March. Organizations were invited to present information to the public. Socorro County 4-H took advantage of the opportunity and developed hands-on stations allowing youth to make an item and take it with them. Socorro County 4-H Council Officers assisted the 4-H Agent by helping youth make gardens in a glove. We placed lettuce, tomatoes, onions, carrots, and cucumber seeds into a plastic glove with an instructional sheet of what to do with it when they got it home. Over 170 youth were given material on 4-H through brochures and flyers.
HEALTH: Being
• Self-responsibility – Youth were required to be responsible for their gardens. They had to make sure it got home and taped to a window, otherwise the seeds would not sprout. Once the seeds sprouted they were required to plant them into the ground and care for them by watering and harvesting the vegetables once their ready.
HEART: Relating
• Cooperation – Youth had to cooperate with the 4-H volunteer leaders to complete their project. The youth had to wait in line, be patient and wait their turn.
A community wide youth day sponsored by CYFD was held during the month of March. Organizations were invited to present information to the public. Socorro County 4-H took advantage of the opportunity and developed hands-on stations allowing youth to make an item and take it with them. Socorro County 4-H Council Officers assisted the 4-H Agent by helping youth make gardens in a glove. We placed lettuce, tomatoes, onions, carrots, and cucumber seeds into a plastic glove with an instructional sheet of what to do with it when they got it home. Over 170 youth were given material on 4-H through brochures and flyers.
HEALTH: Being
• Self-responsibility – Youth were required to be responsible for their gardens. They had to make sure it got home and taped to a window, otherwise the seeds would not sprout. Once the seeds sprouted they were required to plant them into the ground and care for them by watering and harvesting the vegetables once their ready.
HEART: Relating
• Cooperation – Youth had to cooperate with the 4-H volunteer leaders to complete their project. The youth had to wait in line, be patient and wait their turn.
Sarracino Middle School Nutrition Course:
The 4-H Agent has utilized the USDA’s The Power of Choice and youSELF curriculum which teaches youth to make healthy eating and fitness decisions. Ever other Friday, 6th and 7th grade Home Ec students participate in a 10 week series that is designed to help young adolescents understand how their decisions about eating and physical activity can affect their health now and for years to come. Topics and activities included: It’s Up to You!, Get Up and Move, Helpings vs. Servings, Are you Label Able?, Tastes Great, Less Fat!, Make Drinks Count!, Snacks: “Chews” for Health, Your Fast Food Order?, Urge to Splurge?, and What’s New?. Three hundred ninety-five 6th and 7th grade students completed The Power of Choice course spring semesters.
HEALTH: Living
• Healthy Lifestyle Choices- Youth learning how to each right and stay fit through physical activities.
HEAD: Thinking
• Decision Making- Youth learned how to make good decision about what they eat and much physical activity they need to stay healthy.
Managing
• Goal Setting- Youth learned how to set goals regarding their future and how they will use the information they are learning in the class.
HEART: Relating
• Accepting Differences – Youth learned that not everyone looks the same, some of us are short some are tall some are big some are small but inside we are human beings and we should all be treated with the same respect.
Evaluation:
The Socorro County Power of Choice program is a school- aged program for youth in 6th, 7th and 8th grade enrolled in a Home Economics class. This program is for 10 weeks during the school year. The program, sponsored by NMSU Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development program and Sarracino Middle School is held every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month during class time. Each youth attends an average of 10 hours of programming.
Three hundred ninety-five youth attended the program this year (168 males and 227 females). One hundred twenty-one were Caucasian, fifty-two were Native American and two hundred twenty-two were Hispanic.
The Life Skills Evaluation System was used to assess life skills learned in the program. The Life Skills Evaluation Instrument has been tested and is valid and reliable for youth and adult programming. The instrument uses a retrospective pretest/posttest and was administered during the last meeting. Three hundred eighty-two of the three hundred ninety-five youth registered for the program were in attendance at that meeting and completed the evaluation form for a response rate of 97%.
83.5% of the participants made gains from pretest to posttest. As measured by this self-report, the youth made gains in knowledge and behavior of the life skills in the areas of Decision Making, Accepting Differences and Healthy Lifestyle Choices.
Decision Making – 88% of the participants reported a gain in “List my options before making a decision”.
75% of the participants reported a gain in “Think about what might happen because of my decisions”.
Accepting Differences – 72% of the participants reported a gain in “Treat people who are different from me with respect” and 66% of the participants reported a gain in “Have friendships with people who are different from me”.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices- 96% of the participants reported a gain in “Make healthy food choices” and 88% of the participants reported a gain in “Choose activities that promote physical health and well being”.
Finally, we asked the youth open-ended questions about what they liked and disliked about the program.
When asked “The most important thing I have gained from attending the Power of Choice program is . . .”
135 responded with being able to read a food label; 160 responded learning the difference between a helping verses a serving, and 59 responded learning how to eat healthy. We also asked “What was your favorite things about the Power of Choice Program” and 92% of the respondents said THE SNACKS!!
Overall, our Power of Choice program was a success. In self-reports youth were found to have made gains in the life skills from pretest to posttest.
The 4-H Agent has utilized the USDA’s The Power of Choice and youSELF curriculum which teaches youth to make healthy eating and fitness decisions. Ever other Friday, 6th and 7th grade Home Ec students participate in a 10 week series that is designed to help young adolescents understand how their decisions about eating and physical activity can affect their health now and for years to come. Topics and activities included: It’s Up to You!, Get Up and Move, Helpings vs. Servings, Are you Label Able?, Tastes Great, Less Fat!, Make Drinks Count!, Snacks: “Chews” for Health, Your Fast Food Order?, Urge to Splurge?, and What’s New?. Three hundred ninety-five 6th and 7th grade students completed The Power of Choice course spring semesters.
HEALTH: Living
• Healthy Lifestyle Choices- Youth learning how to each right and stay fit through physical activities.
HEAD: Thinking
• Decision Making- Youth learned how to make good decision about what they eat and much physical activity they need to stay healthy.
Managing
• Goal Setting- Youth learned how to set goals regarding their future and how they will use the information they are learning in the class.
HEART: Relating
• Accepting Differences – Youth learned that not everyone looks the same, some of us are short some are tall some are big some are small but inside we are human beings and we should all be treated with the same respect.
Evaluation:
The Socorro County Power of Choice program is a school- aged program for youth in 6th, 7th and 8th grade enrolled in a Home Economics class. This program is for 10 weeks during the school year. The program, sponsored by NMSU Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development program and Sarracino Middle School is held every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month during class time. Each youth attends an average of 10 hours of programming.
Three hundred ninety-five youth attended the program this year (168 males and 227 females). One hundred twenty-one were Caucasian, fifty-two were Native American and two hundred twenty-two were Hispanic.
The Life Skills Evaluation System was used to assess life skills learned in the program. The Life Skills Evaluation Instrument has been tested and is valid and reliable for youth and adult programming. The instrument uses a retrospective pretest/posttest and was administered during the last meeting. Three hundred eighty-two of the three hundred ninety-five youth registered for the program were in attendance at that meeting and completed the evaluation form for a response rate of 97%.
83.5% of the participants made gains from pretest to posttest. As measured by this self-report, the youth made gains in knowledge and behavior of the life skills in the areas of Decision Making, Accepting Differences and Healthy Lifestyle Choices.
Decision Making – 88% of the participants reported a gain in “List my options before making a decision”.
75% of the participants reported a gain in “Think about what might happen because of my decisions”.
Accepting Differences – 72% of the participants reported a gain in “Treat people who are different from me with respect” and 66% of the participants reported a gain in “Have friendships with people who are different from me”.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices- 96% of the participants reported a gain in “Make healthy food choices” and 88% of the participants reported a gain in “Choose activities that promote physical health and well being”.
Finally, we asked the youth open-ended questions about what they liked and disliked about the program.
When asked “The most important thing I have gained from attending the Power of Choice program is . . .”
135 responded with being able to read a food label; 160 responded learning the difference between a helping verses a serving, and 59 responded learning how to eat healthy. We also asked “What was your favorite things about the Power of Choice Program” and 92% of the respondents said THE SNACKS!!
Overall, our Power of Choice program was a success. In self-reports youth were found to have made gains in the life skills from pretest to posttest.
Kids, Kows & More:
Socorro County Extension Service hosted their 2nd Annual Kids, Kows & More on April 17, 2008. 546 youth and 50 teachers attended the event which was an educational and hands-on learning experience that introduced children and adults to the agriculture industry and where their milk comes from. The program was open to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in Socorro County. Students rotated through 7 fifteen minute presentations, topics included: Food for America: Where do we get our meat?, Cattle Ranching; Horses, Farming, Water Conservation, Food Safety, and Where our Milk comes from. Following the event, we have an essay contest and the winner of the essay contest wins a $100 savings bond and an ice cream party for their entire class. 4-H materials are sent home with each student and teacher by putting a pencil and brochure into each goody bag.
Health: Living
• Healthy Lifestyle Choices – Youth learn where their food comes from and what kinds of food are healthy. They also learned about food safety and how to prepare their food to help minimize diseases in their food.
HEAD: Thinking
• Learning to Lean – Youth learn about a variety of agricultural related topics. Many of these kids have no idea where their food and clothing comes from and we are trying to do our part to change that.
HEAD: Managing
• Wise Use of Resources – Through Kids, Kows and More youth are learning how to conserve many of our earth resources such as water. Water is very limited in New Mexico and we need to teach our youth early on how to conserve it.
Socorro County Extension Service hosted their 2nd Annual Kids, Kows & More on April 17, 2008. 546 youth and 50 teachers attended the event which was an educational and hands-on learning experience that introduced children and adults to the agriculture industry and where their milk comes from. The program was open to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in Socorro County. Students rotated through 7 fifteen minute presentations, topics included: Food for America: Where do we get our meat?, Cattle Ranching; Horses, Farming, Water Conservation, Food Safety, and Where our Milk comes from. Following the event, we have an essay contest and the winner of the essay contest wins a $100 savings bond and an ice cream party for their entire class. 4-H materials are sent home with each student and teacher by putting a pencil and brochure into each goody bag.
Health: Living
• Healthy Lifestyle Choices – Youth learn where their food comes from and what kinds of food are healthy. They also learned about food safety and how to prepare their food to help minimize diseases in their food.
HEAD: Thinking
• Learning to Lean – Youth learn about a variety of agricultural related topics. Many of these kids have no idea where their food and clothing comes from and we are trying to do our part to change that.
HEAD: Managing
• Wise Use of Resources – Through Kids, Kows and More youth are learning how to conserve many of our earth resources such as water. Water is very limited in New Mexico and we need to teach our youth early on how to conserve it.
Egg to Chick:
The 4-H Agent has assisted 59 youth in kindergarten and 3rd grade in completing the Egg to Chick program this spring. The 4-H Agent assisted youth with curriculum instruction, egg candling, and egg hatching. Youth have learned responsibility through the care of the eggs to the care of the chicks after they are hatched. In April 2008, an evaluation was given to 25 students in the Magdalena 3rd grade class asking them to color the face that is the best answer. 25 students colored a happy face stating that the activity was fun; 25 colored a happy face stating that the activity helped them learn about chickens; 25 colored a happy face stating they learned how a baby chick grows; and 25 colored a happy face stating they told their family about this project.
HANDS: Giving
• Responsible Citizenship – Youth learn to be responsible by caring for the eggs. Students are responsible for making sure that the incubators have plenty of water, the temperature remains at 99.5 and that eggs get turned. They also have to care for the chick after they hatch by making sure they have water and food.
HEAD: Managing
• Keeping Records - Youth keep daily records of water levels, incubator temperature, what we saw when we candled the eggs, how many hatched, how many did not hatch and why.
• Learning to Learn - Youth spend roughly 30 days learning about embryology. Teachers are provided curriculum that they teach to their students from the time we set up the incubators until the hatched chicks leave their classroom.
HEART: Caring
• Concern for Others – Youth learn to care for things other than themselves. They care for the eggs before they hatch and the chicks after they hatch.
The 4-H Agent has assisted 59 youth in kindergarten and 3rd grade in completing the Egg to Chick program this spring. The 4-H Agent assisted youth with curriculum instruction, egg candling, and egg hatching. Youth have learned responsibility through the care of the eggs to the care of the chicks after they are hatched. In April 2008, an evaluation was given to 25 students in the Magdalena 3rd grade class asking them to color the face that is the best answer. 25 students colored a happy face stating that the activity was fun; 25 colored a happy face stating that the activity helped them learn about chickens; 25 colored a happy face stating they learned how a baby chick grows; and 25 colored a happy face stating they told their family about this project.
HANDS: Giving
• Responsible Citizenship – Youth learn to be responsible by caring for the eggs. Students are responsible for making sure that the incubators have plenty of water, the temperature remains at 99.5 and that eggs get turned. They also have to care for the chick after they hatch by making sure they have water and food.
HEAD: Managing
• Keeping Records - Youth keep daily records of water levels, incubator temperature, what we saw when we candled the eggs, how many hatched, how many did not hatch and why.
• Learning to Learn - Youth spend roughly 30 days learning about embryology. Teachers are provided curriculum that they teach to their students from the time we set up the incubators until the hatched chicks leave their classroom.
HEART: Caring
• Concern for Others – Youth learn to care for things other than themselves. They care for the eggs before they hatch and the chicks after they hatch.