Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders — Key Insights from Georgia 4-H
- Kevan Lamm
- Mar 27
- 2 min read
As an 11 year 4-H member myself, I have personally experienced the positive benefits of the program. I was therefore very excited to work on a study with several amazing collaborators to identify to core strengths of the Georgia 4-H program. It is well established that 4-H and other youth development programs are important options for developing responsible, community-focused leaders. 4-H offers structured activities that promote practical skills, empathy, character, and service. By identifying top strengths in the Georgia 4-H program, our goal was to provide a framework and foundation for future 4-H and youth development programs and research - more specifically, what is working and how can programs better leverage these strengths? We also connected these strengths to established youth development theories, identifying how participants gain confidence, practical life skills, and beneficial relationships with leaders and volunteers.
Key Findings
Robust Strengths: We found a range of core strengths, including strong leadership frameworks and supportive environments, important to 4-H’s continued success.
Five C’s Alignment: Competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring emerged as guiding principles for positive youth development.
Character and Life Skills: Core traits like problem-solving, empathy, and integrity help support individual growth and align with broader organizational goals.
Leadership Development: Mentorship and real-world experiences give youth opportunities to build professional and personal competencies and connections.
Practical Recommendations
Layer Multiple Domains: Programs should look for opportunities to blend leadership, character-building, and life-skills activities to deepen engagement within different domain areas (for example linking public speaking and community engagement within the beef project) to further reflect 4-H’s values.
Promote Engagement: Emphasize different opportunities to participate and engage so that all participants can see themselves represented and can learn from each other’s backgrounds.
Strengthen Organizational Behaviors: Leaders and volunteers serve as important role models for program youth, finding opportunities to demonstrate behaviors such as emotional intelligence, clear communication, and accountability can be very powerful.
Refine Programming: Adjust curricula and events to showcase the program’s strongest traits - focusing on programmatic strengths can help to ensure youth have a positive and productive experience.
By focusing on these core strengths the 4-H program can continue to provide a robust learning platform for developing tomorrow's leaders. Please be sure to share your insights using the comments below. I've also included the full manuscript if you would like to learn more.
Powell, A., Scaduto, J. J., & Lamm, K. W. (2021). Perceived strengths of the Georgia 4-H program: A delphi analysis. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 9(3), 32-51. https://www.jhseonline.com/article/view/1124
Comments