The following trends require our attention for productive programming in the near future:
New research continues to validate the concept that youth are positively impacted by the development of relationships which include their peers, parents, other caring adults and the community in a partnership. This supports the continued focus on providing access to long-term units through 4-H Youth Development to foster positive youth development.
The changing formal education structure in North Carolina (public, private, charter, after-school, year-round, home school, etc.) creates a need for 4-H Youth Development to expand and/or restructure educational programs, content, and delivery systems in blocks of time that will meet the needs of the youth and their families.
There is an increase of non-traditional family structures (single parent households, blended families, same-sex parents, non-parental guardians, multi-generational households, dad as primary caregiver, etc.) requiring multiple delivery modes and a diversity of curriculum and program experiences.
Increased diversity and complexity of the needs of youth will require a wider variety of funding sources to meet these needs. At the same time, public and private funding sources increasingly target specific populations and societal issues.
The skills needed to be a productive adult are changing. Changes in the work setting will require significant changes in how youth are educated and prepared for the workforce.
Increased governmental focus on program accountability at the federal and state levels necessitates improved systemic methodologies for measuring and reporting program impacts. 4-H Youth Development must also maintain data needed for impact reporting and accountability.
With technology so rapidly expanding and the increasing ability of citizens to access information via computer, 4-H Youth Development must establish methods for dissemination of materials in the most efficient and effective means possible while providing social interaction among groups.
