Youth need to be physically and emotionally safe.

Provision for safety, both physically and emotionally is one of the first, and foremost, 4-H Program outcomes for positive youth development. Young people need a safe and secure environment for them to become freely engaged in learning.

Safety encompasses several elements for healthy development, physically, socially, and emotionally. Youth should feel safe from dangers, adequately equipped, and supervised. They should be free from threats, undue criticism, insults or humiliation. Safety means insuring that during events and activities, plans for emergency situations (such as accidents, health emergencies, violence or other natural occurrences, like storms) are made.

__ percent of 4-H volunteers will  participate in a club and risk management training and increase their knowledge by __ percent.

• Physical/emotional risks are reduced through effective child protection practices for selection of volunteer staff.
• Physical risks are reduced through effective planning for safety of all youth during club meetings, special educational programs, events and activities.
• An appropriate youth-staff ratio is maintained for all club meetings, events and activities.
• Staff are trained in planning for prevention and intervention for physical and emotional well being of youth

• Number of new volunteers screened annually
• Percent completing training and certified as 4-H volunteer.
• Pre-post Test New Leader Evaluations
• Pre-post Test Knowledge from training on risk management procedures; child protection practices to support youth physical and emotional safety.

Youth reports of safety and security, physically and emotionally

Topic/Goal Targeted:

Youth do not experience undue criticism or humiliation.

• A structured, yet flexible environment is provided... rules and processes foster trust, mutual respect and inclusiveness of youth.
• Adults interact with youth and each other in positive ways...i.e. no abusive language, undue criticism or humiliation.
• Staff are trained in planning for prevention and intervention for physical and emotional well being of youth

Youth develop sustained relationships with positive, supportive adult mentor(s).

Guidance and support from caring adults as mentors, advisors and counselors has been found to be a critical element to a young person’s life.. Educational achievement; health and safety; and social and emotional development have been shown to be directly impacted by a youth’s support and engagement with a caring adult mentor. Research of youth-adult relationships within youth programming provide these characteristics for developing significant outcomes for positive development: 1) the longer the relationship the better the outcome; 2) youth gain more if adult mentors maintain frequent contact with youth along with family involvement; 3) young people who perceive high quality experiences with their adult mentor experience more benefits from the program; and 4) youth who are most disadvantaged or at-risk seem to benefit most from this adult-youth relationship.

• 4-H engages youth in a sustained relationship over time.
• Adults perform a role of guidance, advisor and mentor.
• Adults are frequently available and accessible to youth for information, guidance and support.
• Youth are connected to and supported by adult mentors with similar interests.
• Frequent and consistent experiences are provided that actively engage youth and adults to work together.

• Duration: tenure/retention of volunteers with youth in the program [volunteer/youth turnover]
• Intensity and duration: adult project mentors matched to the special interests and needs of youth [hours in experiences] [quality of interaction]
• Frequency and intensity: amount of time youth and adults spend working together [hours in experiences]

• Accessibility/availability of adult support as youth mentor [youth/adult assessment of support]
• Quality of  youth-adult interactions [youth assessment] [volunteer perception of role]