In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the 4-H Outdoor Education and Leadership Development Series was planned and implemented in San Jacinto County.Youth development and leadership development are focal points for AgriLife Extension in San Jacinto County. With this in mind, program area committees explored avenues to address this issue without introducing a financial requirement for families. The tool identified to accomplish this task was through outdoor education and awareness. Outdoor education is a great avenue to build leaders through hands-on educational opportunities.
In order to implement a quality program, key topics were identified and implemented. The program topics included hunter safety education, outdoor ethics, wildlife population dynamics, population modeling, outdoor safety, farm pond management, and marine fisheries. The Extension Office provided facilities, off-site locations, speakers, and necessary supplies to present a safe and effective learning environment. The educational activities were presented as field days, tours, camp trips, lectures, hands-on learning and newsletters. There were over 125 youth participating in this series of activities.
This series allowed youth to obtain and exhibit leadership qualities through outdoor opportunities. The youth experienced a tremendous gain in knowledge and skills as indicated in survey results. Also, outstanding strides were indicated in a better understanding of the out-of-doors environment. The greatest stride, however, observed within the participating youth was that of the impact human activity places on the environment and the opportunity to alter that impact.
Outdoor education and youth leadership development activities will continue in San Jacinto County during 2010.
Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service
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