4-H Pulse

Program Description
4-H PULSE is a packaged educational program designed to target middle school and high school youth with multiple life skills through an extensive set of educational experiences. The focus of this program is to prepare youth for an active role in their community as an older teen and as an adult. This is done through a combination of teacher– and student–centered learning and with hands-on activities that support the Targeting Life Skills Model and the 40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents. The program focuses on preparing young people to know about issues in their community that affect them and what causes them; learn about themselves and understand others; know their community leaders and processes to affect change; learn how to provide leadership towards these issues; identify and engage service learning in their community; and how to affect change through their active engagement in the community’s decision-making process.

4-H PULSE serves as a framework supported by multiple curricula that can be used to affect knowledge, skills, and behaviors over an extended period of time. Youth will move through the program from a “learning” process to a “doing” process…learn by doing.

Program Goal
The goal of 4-H PULSE is to affect the knowledge and awareness of adolescents with respect to themselves and their role in the community now and in the future. Further goals include improving the skill level of these youth as well as promote their engagement of youth issues in their community. Youth will demonstrate their skills by applying them in their community to address local issues effectively.

Core Learning Concepts
P – Prepare to address local issues that affect youth
U – Understand themselves and others
L – Leadership development
S – Service to the community
E – Engage the community and its decision-making processes

Youth will gain knowledge, skills, and apply the learned knowledge and skills in each of the five specific core concepts listed above. To review specific objectives within each of these review the Objective Indicators.

Delivery Strategies
Target Audience:
Adolescents (7th—12th grade)

Targeted Groups:
Organized 4-H Groups
– County Council (officers & members)
– Club Officers (project clubs or after-school clubs)
– Youth Board

School Curriculum Enrichment & Other Youth Groups
– Leadership class in Jr. High & High Schools with projects (1 school year or block)
– School leadership group (student council or other student organization)
– Youth-serving organizations (e.g. Boys & Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts)

Timing:
Long-term = 8 months to 24 months
– Depends on the target group
– Depends on the expected outcome (Knowledge, Skill, or Behavior)

For more specific details about how this program can be delivered, review the list of suggested delivery strategies for the targeted groups identified.

Evaluation Strategies
Knowledge/Awareness:
Pre- and Post- evaluations to determine knowledge gained from the experience

Skill/Attitude:
Post-only evaluation to assess changes in skills
Retrospective Post evaluation to assess attitude towards learned skills

Behavior/Application:
Retrospective Post evaluation and Direct Observation to assess changes in practices

For evaluation tools that can be used to measure the specific effect of this educational program, select from these instruments based on the intended evaluation strategy listed above.

Objective Indicators (measures of change)
Knowledge/Awareness
– Knowledge of youth issues, who addresses them, and how they are addressed
– Knowledge of yourself and how to conduct yourself in positive manner
– Knowledge of leadership characteristics/traits and how to develop them
– Knowledge of service opportunities in the community
– Knowledge of local decision-making groups and how to affect change
Specific teaching objectives for Knowledge/Awareness

Skill/Attitude
– Develop skills in identifying new issues and trends affecting youth
– Improve skills in presenting yourself in a positive manner
– Develop and sharpen leadership skills
– Improve the ability to serve the community
– Develop the skills and confidence to engage the local decision-making process
Specific teaching objectives for Skill/Attitude

Application/Behavior
– Prepared/developed a plan to solve or address a local youth or community issue
– Applied communication skills in a public or community setting
– Have set specific and written personal, academic, and community goals
– Serve as a community volunteer and get involved in a local decision-making group
– Apply/petition for a leadership position within a community decision-making group
Specific teaching objectives for Application/Behavior

For more information about this program or other Extension programs, contact us via e-mail