Profile of West Virginia national 4-H awards program participants from 1967-1980

The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of 4-H educational activities on West Virginia participants in the National 4-H Awards program from 1967-1980. Usefulness of skills/knowledge acquired by participants and impact of participation on occupational status and personal lives of awards winners were studied. Information was obtained from 286 state winners in the National 4-H awards program. The statistical procedures used for analyzing data were number and percent distributions, chi-square, analysis of variance and forward selection regression. Participants perception of the importance of knowledge/skills acquired were not influenced by gender except in the home economics/health and the natural resources/plant science areas. As educational levels increased, perceived importance of knowledge/skills acquired in home economics/health, natural resources/plant science and safety/mechanical sciences decreased. This was also true in the home economics/health areas with respect to participants personal lives. Perceptions of usefulness of leadership experiences increased as educational levels increased. Personal development experiences were perceived to be less useful in personal lives as participant's educational level increased. Perceptions of usefulness of knowledge/skills learned were not related to year participant was selected as a state winner, the area in which the state title was won, whether the participant was a national winner, nor years of membership. Gender and age upon initial enrollment and continued membership were independent of persons who influenced the decision to enroll and remain in 4-H. Being a club officer did not influence perceptions of usefulness of knowledge/skills acquired in 4-H in participants' occupation or personal lives. Having been a junior/teen leader positively influenced perceptions of the value of knowledge acquired in the Communications program area in current jobs of participants. Personal development experiences were positively in participants' personal lives.