4-H Made Me a Leader: A College-Level Alumni Perspective of Leadership Life Skill Development

Abstract

The purposes of this qualitative study were to determine the contribution of 4-H experiences to leadership life skill development of college-level 4-H alumni and to determine the effect of those skills on collegiate alumni’s desire to continue involvement in 4-H. The research methods included semi-structured interviews. Major findings of the study noted that the interviewees’ 4-H experiences positively contributed to leadership life skill development, closely following the pattern of the four essential elements which serve as the foundation of 4-H programming. Also identified was a strong desire of college-level 4-H alumni to continue their participation with 4-H. Recommendations include specifically targeting this generation of alumni for greater utilization because of their strong desire to stay connected.

Citation

Anderson, J., Bruce, J. and Mouton, L. (2010), "4-H Made Me a Leader: A College-Level Alumni Perspective of Leadership Life Skill Development", Journal of Leadership Education, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 35-49. https://doi.org/10.12806/V9/I2/RF3