Keeping 4-H project records develops skills in youth for later success in life
Print
EmailMaintaining records equal success and youth learn this valuable skill during 4-H projects.
Whether you’re a savvy business owner or running a household, keeping records is a very important skill that takes time and practice to develop. 4-H Youth Development programs give young people an opportunity to develop their skills in record keeping while they are involved in something that they enjoy: their 4-H project!
Keeping records on 4-H projects will help youth to:
- Learn how to organize themselves
- Learn how to set reasonable goals for themselves
- Appreciate what they've learned each year from the goals they reached
- Recognize what they learned in their 4-H projects
- Explain what they've learned
- Keep track of costs of their projects
- Gather information needed to apply for awards and scholarships
- Complete applications and resumes for jobs and college
When 4-H programs make record keeping more than a mundane chore, youth will gain valuable insight into their project and learn important skills that will serve them in life along the way. A recent study conducted by the University of Maine concluded that 97 percent of 4-H alumni and 40 percent of youth who are currently enrolled in a 4-H project identified record keeping as a life skill they developed by participating in 4-H.
Anotherstudy conducted by extension staff at Rutgers University found that as a result of participating in a 4-H project and keeping a record book, 79 percent of youth learned to set goals for themselves, 79 percent increased knowledge of their project, 76 percent of youth learned how to keep records of important information in their project and 70 percent learned how to organize themselves.
As we enter into the busy time of year for most 4-H’ers, this is a prime opportunity to challenge youth to keep records on what they’re doing with their 4-H projects.
