Putting the 4-H Thriving Model into Practice (EBR-2025-0762)

1. Incorporate “Who Knew?!?”: A fun, interactive activity that can be used to generate conversation among group members on any topic with reader or non-reader options (see below for directions and examples). 
2. Greet each youth member by name: Use tools such as sign-in sheets and name tags to help ensure that you say hello to each youth by name when they enter the meeting space and acknowledge them throughout the day. This simple acknowledgement can help youth feel seen and valued.
3. Foster positive peer relationships: Offer opportunities for youth to get to know each other. Provide positive conversation starters to help children strike up a conversation and speak respectfully. One source for conversation starters is 101 Conversation Topics for Kids, found in “Sources and Additional Reading” below.
4. Encourage youth to share their experiences: Create opportunities for youth to share their experiences and perspectives. Throughout the year, allow youth to explore their sparks as they pursue passion projects of their choosing. These projects become very personal and a way to share more about who they are with their peers, while boosting their public speaking skills. 4-H Educators have experienced students sharing about their medical conditions that they were previously afraid to discuss. Other students have explored their family heritage or activities they participate in, like karate or dance. In every case, students are empowered by sharing their interests and passions.
5. Shine a light on each student: Adult leaders can model that every child has something special about him or her that we can celebrate. Demonstrate how to see each other through a positive lens, so youth can see each other’s greatness. Help your club members!
6. Celebrate diversity: Celebrating diversity helps to build a sense of belonging by promoting understanding and respect for differences. Encourage students to learn about and appreciate different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Hold a club potluck where each family brings a dish that represents their heritage. Think about creative ways to celebrate diverse cultures throughout the year, perhaps with greetings in different languages, snacks from different parts of the globe, or projects and activities inspired by other cultures.
7. Introduce a Partner: Give youth a topic to discuss with a partner (someone they haven’t talked to in a while or ever). After a few minutes, youth will introduce their partner and share a summary of the topic they discussed. Sample topics might include favorite sport, food, movie, vacation, subject in school, type of animal, etc.

Adults who work with the 4-H program know that we can never take for granted the importance of our youth feeling they belong. In a world that does not yet fully welcome everyone, 4-H can provide students a safe community that feels like a second home. We really can help change the world, one child at a time!

MyHealth.Alberta.ca. (2023, October 30). 101 Conversation Topics for Kids. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/speech-language-hearing/language/for-preschoolers/conversation-topics-kids

Dunlea, M. (2019, September 4). Every Student Matters: Cultivating Belonging in the Classroom. https://www.edutopia.org/article/every-student-matters-cultivating-belonging-classroom/

Edutopia. (2019, January 14). Fostering Belonging with Classroom Norms [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRXYc4xmvwg

Jabali, E. (n.d.). 25 Activities to Teach and Promote Diversity in the Classroom. Sign Up Genius. https:// www.signupgenius.com/school/classroom-activities-to-promote-diversity.cfm

Kay-Lewis, R. (2023, March 10). 6 Easy Ways to Build Belonging in your Classroom. https://www.teachingchannel.com/k12-hub/blog/6-easy-ways-to-build-belonging-in-your-classroom/

Kulik Strategic Advisers. (2022, September 21). Queen Anne’s County Local Management Board 2022 Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan.

National 4-H Council. (2019). Health Rocks! Curriculum: Intermediate Level. Chevy Chase, MD: National 4-H Council. 

National Cooperative Extension 4-H Program Leaders Standing Committee on Positive Youth Development. (2025). About the 4-H Thriving Model. https://helping-youth-thrive.extension.org/home/ U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, June). Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health. https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/data-research/index.html

This activity can be used with any content. The author chose to use statistics about youth health and wellness in the example to highlight the need for youth development programs like 4-H, which provide support for youth audiences.

National statistics are shared in this example, but adults are encouraged to review local county and state data to heighten awareness of challenges youth are wrestling with in local communities. Great resources for finding this data include the KIDS COUNT Data Center (https://datacenter.aecf.org/) for comprehensive well-being indicators, the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) (https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/index.html) for health behaviors, and the U.S. Census Bureau (https://www.census.gov/) for demographics. Other key sources include the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (https://nces.ed.gov/) for school data and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Scripted Directions

1. As you came in, each of you was given a fact about youth in America (you can use any topic).
2. Look at your fact. Share your fact with a neighbor. Decide which of you has the more interesting fact. (1-2 minutes)
3. Together, find another pair near you, and share what you agreed was your more interesting fact. Have them share their more interesting fact, and again decide which is most interesting. (2 mins)
4. As a group of 4, you will share the most interesting fact your group had. (4 mins)
5. Use the discussion time to highlight key facts of interest about your topic. In our example, adults working with youth are often shocked by some of these statistics. Sharing what they’ve learned often leads to conversations about the importance of youth development work and a renewed passion for supporting youth in 4-H programs.

Alternate method for non-readers

Have two adults or two strong readers choose a fact at random. Each reader stands at opposite ends of the room or outdoor space and reads their chosen fact aloud. Youth run or walk quickly to the fact they found most interesting. Do this as many times as you like. Take time to let youth explain their choices if you like.

Example Youth in America Facts for “Who Knew?!?”

Based on US data from 2022–2023, 11% of children ages 3-17 had current, diagnosed anxiety (9% of males and 12% of females).

Based on US data from 2022–2023, 8% of children ages 3-17 had current, diagnosed behavior disorders (10% of males and 5% of females).

Among US high school students in 2023, 40% reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year. Among US high school students in 2023, 20% reported seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year. Among US high school students in 2023, 22% report drinking alcohol in the past 30 days.

The liquid in e-cigarettes can cause nicotine poisoning if someone sniffs, drinks, or touches it.

The national prevalence of obesity among adolescents ages 12 to 19 quadrupled from 1966 to 2008 (from 4.6% to 18.1%).