IANRE staff and faculty are engaged in positive youth development.
4-H is America’s largest youth development organization. Kids and teens complete hands-on projects in areas such as health, science, agriculture and civic engagement in a positive environment where they receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take leadership roles. Alaska 4-H participants not only learn about traditional areas such as livestock production, but also participate in community-based citizen science, create written and visual arts, kayak, ski and more.
IANRE Youth Study
- STEM
- Bike Repair
- Fashion and Crafts
- Performing Arts
- Hiking
- Shooting sports
- Dancing
- Cooking and Fitness
- Youth Government
- Raising Livestock
- Gardening
4-H encourages youth to thrive and to “make the best better.”
It empowers young people with the skills to lead for a lifetime through research-based experiences. Based on their interests and guided by adult volunteers, youth develop their own pathway in 4-H through hands-on opportunities for everyone.
4-H is committed to youth engagement using positive youth development (PYD). PYD engages youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that enhances young people’s strengths. It promotes positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities and fostering positive relationships to build on their leadership strengths.
4-H is delivered in partnership with local volunteers and resources. Youth participate in 4-H through clubs, special interest groups, after-school programs, camps, and in many other methods. 4-H youth “learn by doing” through hands-on activities, starting in their own communities, and reaching far beyond; while empowering them to develop and strengthen valuable life skills. Youth complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture, and citizenship, in a positive environment where they receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.
4-H’s reach and depth is unmatched. Through our community of 100 public universities, 4-H reaches kids in every corner of America – from urban neighborhoods to suburban schoolyards to rural farming communities and to here, on the Alaskan frontier. Our national network of 500,000 volunteers and 3,500 4-H professionals provide caring and supportive mentoring to all 6 million 4-H’ers, helping them grow into true leaders today and into the future.
