4-H
4-H is an international organization for children and young people . The organization was founded in 1902 in Clark County (Ohio) , USA . The name of the organization comes from the four English words head, hands, heart and health (in German for example: head and hand, heart and health). The organization does not exist in Germany , but is comparable to the rural youth .
history
The original goals of the politically and religiously independent organization were to reduce unemployment and the malaise of young people and to curb the growing population movement from the countryside to the city. The organization tried to achieve its goals by promoting the village community and training in agriculture and domestic issues. It also gave young people the opportunity to learn skills that are needed in everyday life and in the job market. The youngsters who lived in the country were their first target group and 4H tried to show them that it is possible to make a living outside the big cities. In the beginning, all events, clubs and training courses were aimed at young people in the countryside, but today children and young people from cities can also take part in the various activities.
The organization is currently represented in more than 80 countries and has around 80,000 local groups worldwide. The local organizations are independent, but they cooperate with one another through the IFYE exchange program (International Four-H Youth Exchange).
Donations come from companies (e.g. Toyota and Coca-Cola ) as well as private individuals.
activities
The core idea is to support a balanced growth of children and young people and to teach them to take responsibility. The organization values enterprise , fairness , tolerance , busyness , initiative and the ability to cooperate . The most important topics are education about internationality, social interaction and environmental education.
Cooperation with schools
The organization organizes afternoon clubs, competitions, courses and training in collaboration with schools. Most of the competitions and training courses deal with topics such as nature and the environment, enterprising and tolerance.
Voluntariness
The volunteers have many different roles. You can e.g. B. running clubs, camps, courses and events or providing accommodation for an exchange youth. You can also work at the head office of a local organization to develop new ideas.
Clubs
There are many different clubs in the organization. The most popular are the 4H afternoon clubs, which are held in a large number of member countries. The principle of the afternoon clubs is learning by doing . The youth attending the 4H afternoon clubs learn, among other things, a. cook, look after pets, do handicrafts or get to know other cultures.
Many clubs also focus on one main theme. B. Cooking, nature, equine, handicraft and international clubs.
Training
The organization organizes various training courses and courses for young people. The subjects of the courses vary in part in the member countries. There are e.g. B. Club leader, camp leader and dog sitter training. A senior and friendship service is also one of 4H's activities. It goes z. For example, helping older people shop or being friends with lonely teenagers.
Conferences
Various conferences are organized for young people and adults.
The five-day National 4-H Conference has been held annually on Thanksgiving weekend in Atlanta , Georgia since 1998 for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19 in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture, USDA .
The one-week Citizenship Washington Focus is an offer for high school students.
4-H also organizes the following national conferences:
- National 4-H Dairy Conference
- Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup
- Western National 4-H Horse Roundup
- National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational Match
internationality
The member organizations from different countries cooperate with each other through the IFYE exchange program (International Four-H Youth Exchange). Many local organizations offer the opportunity to travel abroad with a host family for a few weeks or for two to three months.
The local organizations also organize international summer camps and short trips to different countries. Many of them also do development cooperation, including with countries in Africa .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ 4-H National Headquarters - 4-H Conference and Congress . National4-hheadquarters.gov. July 22, 2009. Archived from the original on June 7, 2010. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ↑ About National 4-H Congress . National 4-H Congress. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ^ Citizenship Washington Focus .
- ^ National 4-H Dairy Conference . Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
- ^ Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup . Eastern National 4-H Roundup. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
- ^ Western National 4-H Horse Roundup . Western National 4-H Roundup. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
- ↑ National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational Match Results . 4-H Shooting Sports. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
