Preparing Youth for the 21st Century Workplace

Matt CalvertLaura MorrisKaren Nelson

Joanna Skluzacek

29 March 2011WACEC

21st Century Skills

Learning in 4-H Youth Development

• Motivation and Engagement– Contribution: Authentic and Consequential

Activities– Belonging– Independence and Flexibility

• Challenge– Scaffolding through roles– High expectations

Wisconsin 4-H Youth Leadership Survey

Survey sampled 268 youth grades 6 through college freshmen

Drawn from 12,942 4-H members statewide + representation of other leadership programs

Follow up focus groups in seven counties.

Most Frequent Leadership Experiences

1. Work as a group or team2. Work in cooperation or partnership with an adult3. Guide, train, or advise younger children and peers4. Experience guidance, training, or advising from

older youth or adults5. Engage in service that benefits others6. Make decisions that affect a group, organization,

or community.

4-H Youth Leadership Survey

SC: Decision Making/Problem Solving

SC: Planning and Organizing

SC: Communication

SC: Inclusiveness/Multicultural

SC: Teamwork

LEI: Self-Efficacy

LEI: Leadership Identity

C: Motivation/Ability for Community Action

C: Community Connections

48%

56%

58%

63%

64%

65%

67%

72%

76%

C=Connectedness, LEI=Leadership Efficacy and Identity, SC=Social Com-petency

Contributed a Great Deal/Quite a Bit

Life and Career SkillsLeadership Evaluation Results

How much did 4-H Participation contribute?

SkillsStrongest Findings in Teamwork

Work cooperatively and collaboratively with others (74% agreed)Accept ideas different from your own (64%)Help a team/group reach it’s goals (68%)

Other Strong Findings: Inclusiveness, Communication, Planning and Organizing

Leadership Efficacy and IdentifyStrongest Findings in Leadership Identity

Accept Responsibility for Doing a Job (74%)Understand your own leadership strengths (67%)

Other Strong Findings: Self-efficacy

ConnectednessStrongest Findings in Community Connections

Made you feel more connected to your community (83%)Made you feel more important to your community (77%)

Other findings: Motivation (“Motivated you to work with others to make things better in your community” (79%)

STEM as a National Mission Mandate• America faces a future of intense global competition with a

startling shortage of scientists – 18 percent of U.S. high school seniors are proficient in

science (NAEP 2005) • Goal of engaging one million new young people in science

programs by 2013

Undergraduate Degrees in Science & Engineering

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Japan China Germany UnitedStates

36%

59%

5%

66%

SOURCE: Rising Above the Gathering Storm, 2006

U.S. Challenges in Science, Engineering & Technology

STEM in the Economy• Between 2006 and 2016, STEM jobs will

account for one out of five new jobs in Wisconsin (WI Dept. of Workforce Dev., 2008)

How are these two photos related?

FDA to consider approval of genetically engineered salmon

This year's 'big steer' was a clone

Higher Science Participation in 4-H

4-H Girls Choose Science

Summary

• 4-H Youth Development plays a crucial role in preparing youth for 21st century jobs

• Youth in 4-H are motivated to be lifelong learners– Leadership development– Teamwork– Communication– Technology– Creativity