Outreach Leadership Institute

Preparing Our Young Leaders for the Future

Oregon State University Extension 4-H Outreach Program

An introduction

Oregon's underserved youth significantly lag behind their peers in academic achievement. Latinos in particular have an abnormally high dropout rate when compared to their equivalent urban Caucasian peers. There are numerous reasons for this achievement gap. Several contributing factors have been identified by literature and Oregon 4-H staff:

• Understanding K-12 and higher educational systems
• Information on future career options
• Support network to maintain a high-grade point average (GPA)
• Prior preparation for the college application process
• Parents needing better understanding of how to attain higher educational opportunities for their children
• Opportunities to participate in educational after school activities (after school programs / summer camps / conferences)
• Financial resources for extracurricular activities
• Opportunities to participate in leadership roles in their schools and communities
• Limited access to educators, leaders, role models, and mentors
• Lack of culturally diverse role models, teachers, counselors, and mentors in K-12 school and postsecondary education
• Limited government efforts and commitment for closing the achievement gap
• Limited government and organizational comprehension on closing the achievement gap
• Lack of viable systems connecting students to precollege programs, community colleges, and universities
• Hard funding to support long-term initiatives that address the achievement gap

Purpose of 4-H OLI

The Oregon 4-H Outreach Leadership Institute (4-H OLI) was created and designed using a role model philosophy for appropriate underserved populations keeping in mind the need to address the limitations mentioned above.

The Oregon 4-H OLI project seeks to resolve these issues by identifying, engaging, informing, teaching, and motivating high school students to participate in a series of interactive mentoring events. At these events students will:

• Become informed about the postsecondary educational systems
• develop the skills, confidence, and the motivation needed to earn good grades and finish high school
• Acquire necessary information and skills so they may apply to postsecondary educational institutions and seek scholarships
• Realize how to become a contributing professional within society.

Students involved with the project will participate in hands-on educational workshops, leadership activities, presentations, and meet college students and professional role models from diverse cultural backgrounds. Most importantly, participants will have the opportunity to meet college students and professionals from a range of academic backgrounds so they can foresee themselves as college students and young professionals.

Who is OLI for?

The 4-H OLI series is for high school students finishing 8^th to 12^th grades, particularly those students from underrepresented groups. These students have already expressed interest in learning about colleges, developing leadership skills and/or serving as camp counselors at the Oregon State University 4-H International Summer Camps.

We are reaching students from diverse ethnic groups including Latinos, Native Americans, African Americans, Asians, Polynesians, Middle Easterners and Caucasians from rural communities or from families whose children are the first generation with opportunities to go to college.

Program components of 4-H OLI

The Oregon 4-H OLI will include a series of four events designed specifically for these high school underserved youth from different cultural backgrounds. Its main objectives are:

• Help youth understand the education system; encourage them to pursue a postsecondary education and a professional career
• Help youth develop leadership skills to serve as camp counselors/leaders/role models for younger youth at the 4-H International Summer Camps and
• Empower them to participate in leadership roles in their communities and schools

The Oregon 4-H OLI is divided in four parts and takes place in four different events throughout the year: College Preparation, Leadership Development, Career Exploration, and Community Service.

Event I - College Preparation

Students will participate in hands-on workshops focusing on:

• Skills needed to complete scholarship applications and the FAFSA.
• Writing personal essays, biographies and completing college’s admission applications
• Learning about college requirements, procedures, and deadlines
• Meet college students and professional role models / mentors from their own cultural background
• Get familiar with college student organizations and special programs for underserved students
• Visit a university campus to see how a college student dorm looks like, experience what it is like to eat in a college cafeteria. Familiarize themselves with college facilities, services, and student involvement opportunities
• Build relationships with college students and professionals to establish contacts within the offices of admissions and financial aid
• Attend student panels where they can ask questions and learn about student college life and how they are paying for their education, what they do for fun so to understand how they are studying successfully.

Event II - Leadership Development

The main purpose of this event is for high school students do develop leadership skills, confidence, and knowledge to serve as Camp Counselors at the 4-H International Summer Camps. During this event, students will participate in different leadership activities where they will learn how to work and manage a group of younger students. They will also develop projects, games, and activities to entertain their younger campers during camp.

In 4-H, children's safety is our primary priority. For this reason, high school students will participate in different scenarios to develop common sense, good judgment and understanding of what to do in case of an accident or emergency situation.

• Learn from previous camp counselors on how to deal with or react to a particular situation or child.
• Get familiar with the 4-H Center campgrounds and facilities.
• Learn how to lead, conduct and run physical activities such as soccer, volleyball, basketball, canoeing, archery, swings, and swimming.

High School Students will participate in different presentations where they will learn about state laws, rules and regulations, as well as 4-H rules and regulations, to ensure the well-being of all the young children attending these summer camps. Additionally, students will participate in workshops where they will be exposed to different scenarios such as bullying, physical and emotional abuse, and sexual harassment.

During the leadership development event, there will be a group of experienced camp counselors and adults observing the behaviors, attitudes, and willingness of each student to participate in activities. They will be asked to judge each student’s capacity to be in a leadership role and if he/she should be invited to participate in interviews. The interviews take place during the Leadership Institute.

After the interviews, we will ask for the interest and the availability of the student to serve as camp counselors. Those who show interest and are available to serve as camp counselors will be contacted after the event to serve as camp counselor. No student will be denied the opportunity to participate in the Oregon 4-H OLI for the inability or capacity to serve as camp counselors, however they will continue participating in the Institute developing leadership skills for the next year’s opportunities.

Event III - Career Exploration

Students will participate in different career exploration hands-on workshops where they will:

• Learn about different career options related to science, public health and human sciences, nutrition, engineering, technology, natural resources, forestry, agriculture, veterinary, education, and the arts
• Meet recruiters from different colleges and departments to learn about the different career options and types of financial support available in their particular area of studies
• Students will attend presentations conducted by professionals and administrators from different government agencies and the private sectors to learn about the most in-demand jobs, internships and employment opportunities
• Attend college student panels where they will learn about different career options from college student perspectives
• Attend high school student panels where they will learn from other high school students about their experience serving as camp counselors/leaders during the elementary and middle school summer camps, helping younger children to learn and have a positive and a unique experience
• Students will visit a university campus where they will tour our OSU Facilities like the Football Stadium, Gym, Library, Administration, Laboratories, Cafeterias, Dorms, and other facilities as identified by either the student interest or university defined.
• In the evening, students will participate in physical activities and cultural presentations

Event IV –Community Service: Serving as Camp Counselor/Leader

This is the culmination of the process, and most critical part of the 4-H OLI project in regard to youth development.

All humans feel welcome, valuable, and important when they are put in leadership positions because it increases their self-esteem and confidence. As a result of this experience, focusing on student leadership, there will be a change of behavior. The prevailing attitude change is from an average interested person to an attitude of a leader or role model who is contributing and interacting with confidence with others.

This experience embeds a permanent leadership role model characteristic and develops skill sets and behaviors that students will utilize throughout their lives. Students will not only change their behavior during camp but also at home, school, and in their community.

Most students who are in leadership positions know that they are leaders. They know that the people in their community have different set of expectations from them. As a result, they will act and behave as leaders and role models beyond the average person. Developing high school participant skills will be achieved and facilitated by the different workshops, presentations, role models and leadership activities.

During these events, students will serve as Camp Counselors/Leaders at the 4-H International Summer Camps where they will be responsible to lead, supervise and take care of 4-6 children, for 24 hours for four to five days.

Assessment Methods

4-H Outreach conducts a pre and post survey to evaluate the short-term learning outcomes for the participants. An end-of-session survey is used that asks participants to rate heir knowledge level on life skill development and significant changes in how they felt prior to and after their participation at the Oregon 4-H Outreach Leadership Institute.

The survey focuses on:

• college preparation
• leadership skills
• public speaking
• leading activities
• teamwork
• lifelong skill development
• positive change
• fun and enjoyment.

Youth participants are rated on enhanced personal development.