Adult assessments of social learning experiences during adolescent participation in 4-H and other youth programs

To examine the impact of 4-H participation, the USDA Extension Service funded a national telephone survey in the fall of 1985 from a randomly selected sample of 710 former 4-H members, 743 members of other youth organizations and 309 nonmembers. Data were weighted to adjust for population differences, yielding a sample of 16,177. Overall, 4-H membership had a high, positive image when compared with other youth programs. However, difficulty in acquiring new members, inability to retain members into their late teens and the view that opportunities for leadership are limited. Especially valued were contacts with people, club meetings and project competitions. Participants in all programs rated the opportunity to develop skills, particularly communicative and cooperative skills and make contributions to their organization/programs. All wanted more leadership opportunities.