Professional Development

The 4-H Youth Development program is committed to helping the 4-H workforce give their best to young people and to the field of youth development. 4-H Youth Development program partners are working together to craft a professional development system that is based on leading practices, is relevant to the daily work, and has a positive impact on performance and job satisfaction.

Giving Them our Best

4-H professionals love to work with and for young people . . . learning, growing, creating fun, making friends. But there is a lot more to it than having fun together. Behind every 4-H activity, opportunity, and program and behind every 4-H educator, lies an intentional and unified 4-H professional development system. Whether you are planning for your own professional growth or leading a broad professional development effort in your state, the “Giving Them out Best” profession development resources will boost your training and development efforts—and your impact on young people.

A 4-H Professional Development Logic Model guides the work. A set of 4-H professional development outcomes links professional development to impact:  Young people experience positive outcomes because 4-H youth development professionals reflect quality, distinction an leadership in the field of youth development. 

A sound professional development system has several components.  Visit these pages to learn more:

Standards and Competencies (4-H PRKC and more)
Knowledge, skills and competencies needed in 4-H youth work

Training and Professional Development Resources
Learning Resources available to the 4-H system

Learning Delivery Systems
Venues for obtaining training, professional development and networking

Professional Advancement and Recognition
Recognizing, valuing and rewarding demonstrated proficiency and professional growth

Research and Evaluation Systems
Evidence linking impact of learning on performance, program quality and youth outcomes

Wingspread youth workers conference report available

In late 2004, National 4-H Headquarters co-hosted a Wingspread Conference " Attracting, Developing and Retaining Youth Workers for the Next Generation"  with the National Collaboration for Youth and the University of Arizona School of Family and Consumer Sciences. You can download a PDF copy of the Wingspead conference report to learn more.