Leadership and Community Development Impact Team
“Building Leaders for Tomorrow” (BLT) Team Priorities
The team selected five priorities relevant to the Economically Strong and Empowered Communities Initiative of the 2nd Century priority issues,
Priority 1: Provide positive youth development experiences that extend knowledge to youth to convey a sense of belonging, teach life skills, and provide opportunities for mastery, competence, and independence to an expanded audience.
What is the current situation?
Most Oklahoma youth successfully navigate their road to independence- graduating, finding employment, beginning careers and families. Many of these young people leave their rural Oklahoma roots to find employment opportunities and establish careers. In an effort to sustain the migration of talented young minds it is necessary to establish at an early age the importance and value of becoming a vested and contributing member of their rural communities.
Why is this critical to Oklahoma communities?
Oklahoma communities are seeing a great number of talented young people choosing to leave their home communities to seek employment. This causes a population migration of largely rural communities resulting in “brain drain” of talented young minds.
Priority 2: Providing programming that will instill a social and civic awareness of community needs and providing adult and youth audiences with the skills for taking a proactive role in their communities.
What is the current situation?
Many young people are leaving rural communities where they were raised to gain an education, seek employment, and establish a career
Why is this critical to Oklahoma Communities?
When youth leave a community the future and growth of that community leaves with them. Most rural communities do not grow by people moving in, they grow when children of current residents stay or return. Leadership for most communities is grown in the community. The “future” decision makers need opportunities to develop life long learning skills; positive job skills; a work ethics; an increased awareness for public service and volunteerism; and skills for problem solving and teamwork
Priority 3: Provide leadership to assist rural communities in strengthening their human capital by recruiting and training teams of teens and adult mentors in the areas of Youth in Governance, Youth-Adult Partnership and Service-Learning.
What is the current situation? In many cases youth “involved” in local government or seated on community committees with adults are purely “token” representatives and are not perceived as equal partners in making decisions and implementing plans. For a “true” Youth-Adult partnership to develop and emerge both groups need to develop a mutual respect and confidence for the others attributes, opinions, abilities and capabilities
Why is this Critical to Oklahoma communities?
It is recognized that positive youth development opportunities will benefit the economic stability of Oklahoma communities. Youth who are valued as contributing members of their communities become invested in the infrastructure and become influential in establishing a community that will meet the needs of current and future generations. Rural communities will survive if young people know there will be access to economic stability, global communications/technology, health care, education and careers. Young people are perceptive of change and capable of thinking “outside the box.” Who better to help communities plan for a healthy and stable future. Community leaders who mentor, share, accept and support youth as equal partners instill a pride and eagerness for youth to return to their rural roots.
Priority 4: To partner and expand the successful programming efforts of the 4-H Youth Development Program to other youth development organizations and agencies in the areas of Youth Governance, Youth-Adult Partnerships, and Service Learning.
What is the current situation?
Oklahoma communities struggle with providing young people positive alternatives to substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, and poor health and nutritional choices. The Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development Program is recognized by both community leaders and our Oklahoma Legislature as a positive youth development organization available in all 77 counties through the presence of OCES. As a result of 4-H’s Land Grant University tie and the unique nature of the program, it can provide researched base knowledge and experience to groups out side of the traditional 4-H Club audience.
Why is this Critical to Oklahoma Communities?
The impact of youth development programs across the state will be improved. The positive outcomes of current and future 4-H Youth Development program efforts can be expanded to more youth and adult citizens of Oklahoma
Priority 5: Following a series of activity based lessons; teams of youth and adults will identify a community need and complete and carryout a Plan of Action to address that need.
What is the current situation?
Through school, 4-H Clubs and other youth serving organizations Oklahoma youth are involved in short-term community service projects and activities. Most of these experiences include little more than the time and effort to bring a group of people together to provide labor for a single project/activity. These service projects meet a need but do little to develop the skills or utilize the capabilities of young people. In most instances youth do not learn to identify, research and develop a plan which meets a community need, in turn becoming invested in their community and developing a senses of pride and community ownership.
Why is this critical to Oklahoma? Research has shown that youth who are engaged in their communities through Youth Governance and who have a relationship with a caring adult are inclined to feel a commitment and ownership in their families, neighborhoods, schools, clubs and community. Young people who feel they are significant contributors become engaged in issues which have long term social and economic impact. They are more likely to remain in their communities to establish a career and raise a family increasing the sustainability of rural Oklahoma. We must tap into and utilize the experience, leadership, enthusiasm, and energy of our most valuable resource…Oklahoma’s youth.
Team Coordinators_
Kevin Hackett
N.W. District Directors Office
205 W. Maple, Suite 612
Enid, OK 73701-4011
580-233-5295
Karla Knoepfli
205 4-H Youth Dev. Bldg.
405-744-8882
Charles Cox
205 4-H Youth Dev. Bldg.
405-744-8885
Team Administrator
Charles Cox
205 4-H Youth Dev. Bldg.
405-744-5390