Growing Our Own: A Longitudinal Evaluation of a Professional Development Program for Early-Career 4-H Professionals

Authors

Gary F. Varrella, Washington State UniversityFollow
Brian P. Luckey, University of IdahoFollow
Jacqueline S. Baca, New Mexico State UniversityFollow
Curt Peters, University of ArizonaFollow

Volume

54

Issue

5

DOI

10.34068/joe.54.05.22

Abstract

We present the results of a longitudinal evaluation of the Western Region 4-H Institute, a 5-day training program designed to enhance the skill sets of early-career Extension professionals organized around the 4-H professional research, knowledge, and competencies model. Programs such as this often are assessed for their short-term relevance and effectiveness; we expanded the scope of our evaluation by following up with program participants 12 months after the program. Both short- and medium-term results indicated that networking and developing effective programs for youth were paramount for participants, suggesting the importance of providing professional development opportunities for early-career professionals.

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Recommended Citation

Varrella, G. F., Luckey, B. P., Baca, J. S., & Peters, C. (2016). Growing Our Own: A Longitudinal Evaluation of a Professional Development Program for Early-Career 4-H Professionals. The Journal of Extension, 54(5), Article 22. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.54.05.22