4-H ENRICHMENT CURRICULUM
A curriculum enrichment project is a cooperative effort between a school and Texas AgriLife Extension Service. This may be a public, private institutional, or home school. Members participate in an educational program planned and coordinated by Extension staff in cooperation with school officials to supplement and compliment the school curriculum.
The curriculum enrichment project is taught by a teacher or volunteer and consists of at least six learning experiences. There are a number of 4-H projects written especially for the curriculum enrichment experience. These project materials, in the form of teacher/leader guides, are usually written in a teaching plan format and are designed to assist the teacher by providing a series of "learn by doing" lessons for youth in agriculture, natural resources, family and consumer sciences, youth development and other science and technology topics. Many teacher/leader guides list the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS) that the 4-H curriculum enrichment project helps to teach. Other 4-H or Extension materials can be easily adapted for the classroom teacher or volunteer.
Curriculum Enrichment Projects
A curriculum enrichment experience should have a definite beginning and ending. Curriculum enrichment is designed to supplement and enrich classroom teaching, not replace the required curriculum. The curriculum is designed to help youth develop needed life skills and/or to address critical issues of youth. The outcomes targeted with curriculum enrichment include helping youth to:
- acquire subject matter skills and knowledge
- develop problem-solving capabilities
- develop a positive self-concept
- learn and use accepted practices for mental, physical, emotional and social health
- explore and evaluate career and job opportunities
- set and achieve other 4-H and personal goals
Each youth participant is a 4-H member during the time he or she is enrolled and participating in the curriculum enrichment project. This makes them eligible to participate in all county 4-H contests and activities for which they are eligible. Youth participants are considered short-term 4-H members.
Advantages of Curriculum Enrichment
- Involves new audiences
- Provides 4-H educational opportunities to some youth who would not participate in any other 4-H membership unit
- School buildings provide meeting place
- Short duration
- Provides a ready-made audience
- Teacher or Extension resource serves as classroom 4-H volunteer leader
- Helps county meet affirmative action requirements
- Strengthens school and Extension relationship
- Strengthens school curriculum
- Means of reaching large numbers of youth with minimal staff time
- Minimal record keeping
- Provides method to educate a large number of youth in the county on subject matter which leads to life skill development
- Strengthens total Extension educational efforts
- Affords opportunity for high visibility of 4-H and the Extension program if public awareness is well planned
Disadvantages of Curriculum Enrichment
- Easy to lose 4-H identity of materials and support
- Participants may not see themselves as 4-H members
- Provides minimal 4-H experiences for a boy or girl
- Difficult to get public recognition
- Teacher may keep and continue to use materials or ideas but not participate in the program again
- Participants normally do not participate in other facets of the 4-H program
- Teacher/leader interest is restricted to classroom responsibilities
- May have restrictions imposed by school system that limit agent's ability to manage the program
- Arrangements with school system must be renewed annually
- Limited access to information about participants
Teacher or Volunteer Role and Responsibilities
Teachers or volunteers are the key ingredient in implementing a successful curriculum enrichment program. When teachers or volunteers are utilized to implement curriculum enrichment, the 4-H program is enhanced and expansion occurs. The Role and responsibilities of the teacher or volunteer whom you partner with include the following:
- Participate in teacher or volunteer orientation/training and receive materials, or initiate requests for materials with county Extension office
- Select time of year and proposed classes for teaching
- Serve as instructor; and/or recruit persons to provide a 4-H educational experience for students
- Complete 4-H curriculum enrichment enrollment information and return to county Extension office
- Distribute information to parents about 4-H and the curriculum enrichment project
- Provide time for 4- H information
- Complete evaluation, if applicable
- Return 4-H curriculum if materials were borrowed
- Recognize participants for completion
The instructions for each lesson and its activities are meant to reduce your preparation time and make things easier for you. Teachers or volunteers are free to make changes, but they should make sure they teach the skills that help youth reach the objectives of the lesson.
There are a wide variety of Extension resources available for Curriculum Enrichment. The Texas 4-H Curriculum Enrichment Catalog provides information on each curriculum currently available. Counties have an opportunity to order curriculum materials from the Cooperative Curriculum System on a pre-order basis at a discounted cost. Cooperate with your local county Extension agent to find out more about this opportunity.
Example recognition events include:
- Certificates available from the county Extension office
- Completion Certificate
- Participation Certificate
- Certificate for specific project. Call and give name of project.
Certificates completed at school awards programs
- Students share knowledge gained with other classrooms.
- Celebration in the classroom -- pizza party, etc.
- Allow students to make and take something with them (example: make seed
medallion during curriculum "Plant Pals")
- Write story for local or school newspaper
Curriculum Enrichment Manager
The largest number of youth participate in 4-H through curriculum enrichment. In many cases the county Extension faculty provides the leadership in managing the curriculum enrichment program. When a county Extension faculty has the interest and dedicates the time to properly manage the curriculum enrichment program, usually results in a large enrollment number. If there is a loss of the county Extension faculty that provided the leadership for managing the curriculum enrichment program, it can result in a dramatic drop in 4-H enrollment.
The development of a volunteer base of curriculum enrichment program management may help stabilize the enrollment in curriculum enrichment.
Campus Program Managers
Volunteers can be recruited to manage the program on an individual school campus. A school librarian, team teacher leader or a 4-H parent that works at the school may be potential candidates for the position. The school principal may appoint a staff/faculty member to serve as the curriculum enrichment manager.
School District Program Manager
A school district program manager can coordinate the 4-H curriculum enrichment program for all of the campuses in a school district. A volunteer can be recruited or a school district can appoint a staff/faculty member to serve as the curriculum enrichment program manager.
County Program Manager
Some counties have been successful in recruiting a volunteer to serve as a program manager for the 4-H curriculum enrichment program. Many counties have been successful in obtaining funding to hire a full or part time program assistant position to manage the 4-H curriculum enrichment program. The sample job description may serve as a guide for developing a job description for recruiting a volunteer or a paid position to manage the 4-H curriculum enrichment program in your county.
Ideas For A Positive Curriculum Enrichment Experience
- Be enthusiastic! Let youth know that learning is fun.
- Gather all supplies before each lesson. County Extension personnel may want/need to provide some supplies for the curriculum.
- Use the lesson outline and the activity sheets you select to guide your lesson. They will help you keep your place and make sure you haven't left anything out.
- Give youth plenty of positive feedback. Let them know they are doing a good job.
- Use the skills in the project yourself. Even adults need to brush up on skills once in a while.
- Personalize your activities for your group. Use examples that fit into the child's experiences or community.
- Celebrate! When your group completes all six lessons, reward them with some type of recognition.
Back to top of page
Texas A&M System -