The four Essential Elements of Positive Youth Development work together to ensure that youth work towards a better future for themselves and their world. The four Essential Elements are:

• Belonging—Youth feel like they belong in a program that is safe and a positive environment.
• Independence—Youth have an opportunity to influence their lives, and the ability to see a path for their future and how they can work towards a positive future for themselves.
• Mastery—Youth have an opportunity to build on skills and knowledge over time that will work towards mastering a certain subject.
• Generosity—Youth can practice generosity by giving back to the larger community in some way through their service.=

Belonging was a huge piece of supporting new families in the 4-H program.  Keifenheim held a New Family Orientation in early December.  Families registered to learn about the 4-H program, ask questions they had, and meet other new families. Relationship building and connecting were a large portion of the orientation.  After building connections Keifenheim then focused on the content.  Families learned about opportunities in the 4-H program, the difference between a project and an exhibit, different communication pieces, and some hands-on learning stations. 

Many of the reflections shared that evening focused on learning about projects.  Keifenheim will be scheduling another new family orientation in the Spring of 2024 focusing on other topics.