Fairfield County 4-H

UConn 4-H is hiring Associate Extension Educators!

4-H logoThe Department of Extension is seeking applicants for three full-time (11-month), non-tenure track Assistant/Associate Extension Educators. One position will target Food and Agricultural Literacy, one on Environmental Literacy, and the other will focus on Healthy Lifestyles Literacy. These three vacant positions are not specifically designated to an assigned location. Final placement will be negotiable, with one educator primarily based in each of the following locations: (a) the Fairfield County Extension Office in Bethel, (b) the New Haven County Extension Office in North Haven, and (c)the Windham County Extension Office in Brooklyn.

See the full position description by visiting s.uconn.edu/4-hjobs2023

Applications will only be accepted through Academic Jobs Online academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/24541

Screening of applicants will continue until the position is filled.

Fairfield County 4-H Grows True Leaders: Youth Garden Club Serves the Community

4-h youth at food pantryThroughout the summer, 20 youth in the 4-H Community Garden Club have managed a one-acre garden in New Milford. They were led by leaders Anna Loor and her daughter Amira. Each youth worked eight hours every week at the garden and during 4-H time, learned the principles of seeding, planting, weeding, harvesting and garden pests. Critical thinking skills were used as they solved various gardening problems such as: 

  • Is this a good garden bug or a bad one?
  • How much water do these plants really need?
  • Why isn’t this one growing as well as the others? 
  • How big does this vegetable need to be before I can harvest them?

 As a 4-H club, they had a monthly business meeting lead by youth officers. Youth met with the 4-H Educator weekly to learn how to develop an agenda, lead a meeting, use Robert’s Rules of Order, and meet the criteria for being a club in good standing. After much discussion during the business meeting, it was determined that for their community service project, they would donate one day’s harvest to a local food pantry.

 August 27th was the day they choose to donate the harvest. At 7:30 am, in the misty rain, all 20 youth and their parents started harvesting and cleaning the vegetables. By 11:30, over 300 pounds of produce was cleaned and packed into a truck and the trip to the Danbury food pantry began. At the food pantry, the volunteers were so delighted to receive the fresh vegetables. The pantry opened for the day a few hours after the delivery, with people getting the fresh vegetables that just that morning were still in the ground! 4-H Does Grow True Leaders! The 4-H Community Garden club will continue serving their community in Bethel and Danbury through their civic engagement initiatives.

 

Article by Edith Valiquette

4-H Mentor Memos

4-H logoFairfield and New Haven County 4-H

Mentor MemosA newsletter of helpful information for adults who mentor children

40 Developmental Assets researched by the Search Institute.

Developmental Assetsare positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people.

 

Building Assets to Promote a Positive Youth Development

4-H believes that a highly effective approach to positive youth development focuses on identifying, enhancing and capitalizing on the strengths/assets of individual young people and the communities within which they live.

Tips for Building These Assets

  • Create a strong foundation in a young person’s life by taking time, remaining patient, and giving a whole lot of love and caring.
  • Value each one of them as individuals
  •  Communicate to one another your family’s values, boundaries, and expectations (as well as those of the community).
  • Give young people the appropriate amount of freedom to make their own decisions depending on their ages, but also offer options along the way.

Here are the facts

Children and teenagers who have high levels of these assets get involved in fewer risky behaviors and are much more likely to exhibit the positive values. The bad news is most young people don’t have enough assets. About 59% of young people, ages 11–18, have 20 or fewer Developmental Assets, according to Search Institute surveys. The good news is we can change this!

Understanding Developmental Assets

8 crucial asset categories found crucial by the Search Institute in helping young people.

 

  • Support
  • Empowerment
  • Boundaries and Expectations
  • Constructive Use of Time
  • Commitment to Learning
  • Positive Values
  • Social Competencies
  • Positive Identity

 

We’re All In This Together

 Young people depend on caring adults to provide the external assets.

In your home and family: Ask your children to name a few people who support them. If they don’t name at least three adults, invite some of the adults you know and trust to get involved in your children’s lives.

In your neighborhood and community: Advocate that your community develop meaningful opportunities for young people, such as creative youth programs or service projects.

In your school or 4-H club: Make a point to know every young person’s. Smile when you see them and let them know you expect them to always do their best. Acknowledge their achievements and help them when they’re struggling.

Want to know?  Visit www.search-institute.org/assets