INFORMATION #2 11-13-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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gna Opportunity to Make a Difference The 4-H youth development movement is celebrating its centennial as one of our nation's longest sex-ring youth development organizations. And it is doing so, not by building a monument to its history, but rather by organizing a National Conversation on Youth Development in the mst Century. This Mll be the first time any organi- zation has developed a series of recom- mendations starting at the ground floor-- where everyone lives--and working its wayup to one national report. This fall, we will organize conversations in every county in America on youth development. And conversation is the key word. The events are structured to hear fromyou. We anticipate over ,oo,ooo citizens participating in conversations in almost every one of the nation's 3,067 counties. Most of the Local Conversations will begin October 7- ~3, which is also hap- pens to be National 4-H Week. When the Local Conversations are complete, we will take the lessons learned and recommendations made from these events to State Conversations in every state~ territory, and the District of Columbia during the winter months. Then, on February 28--March 3, 2oo2, over L6oo individuals from every state, territory, and the District of Columbia will convene inWashington DC for the National Conversation. They will bring the recommendations from their Local and State Conversations into one national report to be presented to President Bush and the Congress. Then, the recommen- dations will impact programs and policy in ways that bring the final results right back home, where they started. But this historic project can only begin with you. HERE IS HOW IT WILL WORK WHO? We hope to assemble in every county in America a group of people including; · Youth, the core of the youth develop- ment movement [] Adults, working with the youth to make a difference in their communities [] Parents, families, volunteers, teach- ers, clergb,, government leaders; those with a commitment to youth · Others who are sincerely interested in youth development WHAT? We are aiming for a 2-4 hour conversation focusing on the action steps that can be taken to impact youth development in your community-or other communities across the nation. Each Conversation will begin the dis- cussion with the following question: V/itt*in the next, 3- 5 years, what are the most important action,s we can take to create the future we want for o~r ),outh, ourselves, and our communit),? Your Local Conversation will focus on action steps that can be taken to impact youth development in your community. Results of the Conversation will be organized around five general themes--to keep the process across the nation as consistent as possible. They include: POWER OF YOUTH: how do we engage young people as equal partners in changing our communities? ACCESS, EQUITY, AND OPPORTUNITY: how do we obtain equal opportunity for all? EXTRAORDINARY PLACES TO LIVE AND LEARN: how can we improve the oppor- tunities for our youth to learn and grow? EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE, INNOVATIVE PRACTICES: how can we engage more adults and innovative strategies in working with our youth? EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS: what approaches for youth development will work best for your community?