Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
2/1/02
For Immediate Release
Contacts: Joe Kurth, 4-H Youth Development, (515) 294-1018
Brenda Allen, 4-H Youth Development, (515) 294-1567
Carol Ouverson, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515)
294-9640
Iowa Youth Seek Decision-making Role
AMES, Iowa--Iowa youth will advocate for their increased involvement in state and community decision-making, according to a recent report issued by 4-H Youth Development of Iowa State University Extension.
The report follows the 4-H Centennial State Conversation on Youth Development, which brought together 146 youth and 134 adults from 86 Iowa counties on the Iowa State University campus in Ames in late January.
"Iowa needs to tap into the talent and power of its youth," said Joe Kurth, state 4-H program leader, "thereby helping develop the state and the next generation of leaders."
The report presents what Iowa 4-H'ers and adult leaders see as vital to youth development over the next three to five years.
Decision-making bodies targeted for youth membership will be those that affect youth directly, according to the report. The youth and adult participants intend to petition Gov. Vilsack to issue a statement on the importance of youth involvement at all levels of state, city and local school decisions.
Participants in the meeting called for creating a youth-led state advisory committee whose agenda would include sensitivity training for youth and adults as they seek to expand diversity and revise traditional ways of conducting business.
This advisory committee would look for in-state examples in which youth already serve as members of decision-making groups such as school boards and city and church councils. These groups could serve as models to bring about change in traditional make-up of boards and councils, according to the report.
Participants also called for stepped-up use of communication networks to increase awareness of existing youth organizations. To achieve better communication, they advocate creating a state advisory board of youth and adults to administer grant money for communications and marketing of those organizations. One method would be to create a statewide Web site with links to youth organizations.
Participants intend to advocate for funds that would allow all youth to participate in before and after school activities or summer programs. Such programs would help create youth/adult partnerships and provide age-appropriate mentoring for all ages. Youth called for community coalitions that would leverage current resources and could generate new funds.
Other report items dealt with teen recognition and school curricula. Teen decision-makers and positive role models need to be spotlighted for their efforts outside athletic competition, particularly teens who work on governmental bodies and serve as teachers in character or youth mentoring programs.
Also, examples of youth/adult partnerships should be lauded with visual awards and media coverage. Employers who support youth/adult partnerships should receive community support and recognition.
In addition, schools should provide curricula that require leadership standards and benchmarks, provide scholarships for leadership activities, and use existing resources such as Character Counts and the 4-H curriculum Boomerang.
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