Leaders Guide forSELF-DETERMINED PROJECTS

5315 • Revised 10/09

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Self-Determined Tour Symbols

TRIP TIPS

FUEL UPSELECT YOUR DESTINATION

COLLECT SOUVENIRS ADVERTISE TO OTHERS

DESIGN ATRAVEL GUIDE

MAP QUEST

These “Symbols” are “travel signs” assisting the 4-H Youth and their Helper in guiding progress down the road to reach their

Self-Determined project destination.

The 4-H Youth Development Program promotes the five steps of the experiential learning model as essential to all educational experiences. This experiential learning process engages learners by encouraging them to think more and work harder, as they ultimately learn more thoroughly than with traditional non-interactive teaching methods.

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ContentsProject Requirements .............................................................................................4Exhibit Requirements .............................................................................................4Overview Helping Youth with Self-Determined Projects .......................................6Select Their Destination ........................................................................................5The Self-Determined Tour Guide .........................................................................6Map Quest and Trip Tips........................................................................................7Plan of Action and Fueling Up .............................................................................8Sample Project Plan ................................................................................................9Evaluate Their Success .......................................................................................10Share Their Adventure .........................................................................................11

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Unknown

“Take care? People that take care never go anywhere. Take a chance! Take charge! Take control!” — Unknown

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Project requirements1. Choose a subject for project study2. Set your own project goals3. Develop a plan to reach your goals4. Carry out your plan5. Report your accomplishments6. Evaluate progress toward goals7. Determine changes or revisions to improve your plan

Exhibit requirementsA final or summary report should show a plan, steps to reach goals, accomplishments, and evaluation of the project. A project display is optional, but highly recommended. This report should include:• goals the 4-H’er sets; • methods or techniques used;• what was learned or accomplished;• conclusions or observations;• evaluation of the project;

Youth DECIDE

Youth Helper’s Guide for Self-Determined Projects

4 Youth develop decision-making skills as they Select, Plan, and Evaluate their self-determined project.

4 This is a project opportunity where Youth DECIDE

4 Asking the right questions may be what youth need to determine the best route to success.

Also Consider...

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Your Notes...

“Nobody is a total failure if he dares to do something worthwhile.” —Unknown

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Selecting the Destinationaking decisions and feeling responsible for one’s accomplishments and consequences is an important part of adolescent development. This developmental milestone affects many aspects of a teenager’s life including the independence and responsibility of a driver’s license. Most youth, if not

already behind the wheel, will soon be in the driver’s seat with many possible roads to travel. The self-directed project is a lot like driving and planning a road trip. 4-H’ers, in the ninth grade or older, have the opportunity to select their destination, determine their route, plan their itinerary, keep a record of what happened, and share their adventure with others. These youth should be encouraged to use their self-determined publication as a guide, for developing their own project records as they work through their project plan.

The following reasons are the most compelling for offering the self-determined project option:1. Each individual has unique abilities, interests, needs, and resources. No single list of

projects can satisfy all youth.

2. Many resources are available in a community. Youth should be encouraged to explore and investigate these educational offerings.

3. Young people are often more motivated to carry out self-chosen projects than those determined by others.

4. Young people want the opportunity to do things on their own, but they need and want the ideas, suggestions and friendly advice of adults.

5. An important part of learning is to assume responsibility for success through decision-making and goal setting.

6. Appropriate learning experiences are those methods, ways, tasks, procedures, and activities that enable the group and each individual to reach educational goals with adult help and guidance.

7. Youth are more secure when they are able to use their unique abilities and can develop their potentials.

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Guiding the Self-Determined Tour

B eing a helper for the self-determined project is a lot like being a tour guide. Your role is to provide information, direction, and guidance while allowing the youth

themselves to make the final decisions. The self-determined format makes it possible to work on projects that may not be included in current project offerings. Such projects can develop from something in which the young person is interested, or would like to learn more about, while encouraging maximum use and development of individual ability and creativity.

The self-determined project can be approached from several angles:

1. Take a different direction on a single phase of an already existing project.

Example: In Veterinary Science Level 3, explore a specific animal disease, careers related to its’ study or cure, worldwide implications, and work being done to combat it.

2. Continue or expand on an already existing project.

Example: Research, plan and participate in a week-long bicycle tour with special emphasis on touring bicycles, equipment, food/nutrition, and safety.

3. Develop a plan for a project that is currently not available in the state 4-H program.

Example: GPS/GIS learning about the technology of global position satellites, global information systems and their application in a predetermined area.

As you help 4-H’ers develop self-determined projects, it will be up to you to ask leading or guiding questions to help them plan and evaluate their project.

The uniqueness of self-directed projects requires you to remember:

• No specific requirements exist and each member determines which project he or she wants to undertake and complete.

• Limited written materials may be available from the Extension Service to assist in carrying out the selected project.

• Some projects may be designed so that a detailed record would compliment the learning, while for others - a record will have little value.

• You will need to encourage youth to evaluate their accomplishments in an appropriate format that is educational and fun.

• Giving guidance that will enable youth to plan, carry out and evaluate a self-determined project is one of the most important helper roles.

A step-by-step process is helpful to use in planning a self-determined project and includes:

1. Guiding the youth into selecting a specific project idea.

2. Helping the young person decide what’s realistic to try to accomplish in the project

3. Assisting their work (learning experiences) on the project

4. Helping the young person decide how well he/she is doing (self-evaluation) in relationship to project goals

5. Making meaningful connections to current work and future directions

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MAPQUESTMAPQUEST TRIP TIPSTRIP TIPS

Selecting a project area, making a plan, identifying resources, and getting started towards reaching goals is one of the most

challenging aspects of the self-determined project. Most youth can tell you they want to

do a project but they don’t know why, or may need some guidance in setting specific goals for what they hope to accomplish and learn.

Although the young person may have selected many general subjects, the next step is to guide him/her towards considering the time, resources, family situation, cost, and help available for each idea listed and then narrow the possibilities down to a few solutions with realistic and attainable goals. Parents, teachers, neighbors, friends, business and professional people, farmers, homemakers, clergymen, mechanics, dieticians, medical professionals, laborers – anyone interested in the subject or doing something related to it can serve as a valuable resource.

Finally, have the youth select one idea to develop as a project. Remember, a vague, generalized idea will take too long to accomplish and pose difficulty in measurable goal setting. The self-determined project should be a specific subject – such as Native Flower Gardens or History of the Community rather than flowering plants or community citizenship.

Once the specific subject area is determined, the next step is to write down what he or she specifically wants to learn or accomplish by

doing this project. These clearly stated goals and aims are a framework that will help youth experience the satisfaction needed in learning. As a helper, you can guide the 4-H’er into setting goals by considering the life skills enhanced and three learning related areas of goal-setting (knowledge, attitudes, skills). Goals should be simply stated and realistic in reference to the youth’s ability, experience and time available to complete the project.

And

Goals should relate to learning which implies change and takes place in one or more of three interrelated areas:

Knowledge: facts, information, thinking, understanding

For example: I hope to acquire a better understanding of the importance for Aerobic activities in leading a healthy lifestyle

Attitudes: feelings values, beliefs

For example: I hope to realize the importance of each person’s cultural heritage

Skills: actions, ways of doing things

For example: I hope to convince others in my community to become more involved in natural resources conservation

Also Consider...

Goals are meaningful if stated in terms of “What I hope to learn” and could be related to the life skills contributing to adult success such as:

4 Accepting Differences

4 Communication

4 Decision-making

4 Healthy Lifestyle Choices

4 Leadership

4 Self-Responsibility

4 Useful/Marketable Skills

4 Wise use of resources

Also Consider...

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Adults may also need to give some members step-by-step guidance as they tackle and carry out project work.

This includes help with identifying the resources, experiences, methods, procedures, tasks and responsibilities that they will need in order to accomplish their goals.

Encourage young people to:

1. Search out people who are able and willing to provide help, guidance, information and skills in the area being investigated. Learn how to ask for help while being mindful of people’s time and energy.

2. Visit librarians and other reference people for help in learning how to use libraries and electronic databases.

3. Visit persons and places where information can be obtained to find out what they anticipate could be learned through the project.

4. Clip or print information from newspapers, magazines and computers.

5. Learn from a variety of electronic media sources.

6. Ask to be included in meetings, tours, events, and activities related to the project focus.

7. Learn about sources of educational materials and inquire about associated costs.

8. Subscribe to a magazine or other publications that will help in building knowledge and enhance learning.

9. Try out, experiment, investigate, and do other things that will aid learning.

10. Review the outline of the project with other young people and adults.

11. Carry out the learning experiences needed.

12. Visits projects of a similar nature.

Deciding a Plan of Action and Fueling Up

In helping young people successfully tackle the project, adults have a very special morale building role.

Helpers should provide:

4 Empathetic understanding (understand a young person’s viewpoint)

4 Warmth

4 Support

4 Encouragement

4 Communication

4 Flexibility

Also Consider...

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Sample Action Plan

Goal

Steps

Help and Resources Needed

Timeline

Learn to program ahandheld computer andassemble a two-function robot

Use the companionship manual to construct and program a robot

Companionship manual, Robotix kit, 4 hours January

15-31

Gain confidence in programming and putting together robots

Practice my skills by constructing and programming various kinds of robots

Companionship manual, Robotix kit, a few evenings a week

February1-15

Become more aware of what is needed to program a robot

Do two more sessions of programming and research on the Internet for more information on programming robots

Companionship manual, computer, Internet access, 5 hours

February 20 -March 20

Increase problem-solving skills

Building more complicated robots and learning to program them

Manual, Robotix kit, 5-7 hours

March 15 - April 15

Develop my teamwork skills and share what I learned

Work together in a group of two to three to construct a two-function robot.

Robotix kits, Saturday afternoon

April

Goals and action plan:Project: Building a robot with the Robotix kit

Why I chose this project: I like working with technology and I am interested in learning more about programming computers and putting together robots.

Who will my project benefit? The youth I teach about the Robotix kit and myself.

What will be the final result of my project and how do I plan to record what I have done? I will have increased my knowledge and skills with robots and I will have taught at least two other 4-H members about the Robotix kit. I plan to use pictures to develop a portfolio that will show my goals, progress, and accomplishments.

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Helpers can suggest many different ways by which a young person can see his or her own progress, improvement,

or need for change. One of the first steps is to decide what documentation would best summarize learning and serve as an appropriate record of the experience.

Help youth determine ways to measure their own accomplishment toward their goals by asking the following:

1. To what extent are you learning or accomplishing what you set out to do in your project?

2. Will a written or electronic record (diary, outline, or story) best show how you are progressing toward your goals?

3. Is it appropriate in telling your story to keep track of the money spent and received?

4. Is there any reason to show how you used your time and energy?

5. How could you best show the data collected or the results of your investigation or work?

6. Will pictures of learning experiences and activities help document project progress?

Evaluating Their Success

TRAVEL GUIDE

ADVERTISE

SOUVENIRS

After the youth selects a project idea, consider doing the following:

4 Guide their goal setting.

4 Encourage them to find various methods of accomplishing their goals.

4 Provide suggestions to help them complete their action plan.

4 Discuss the best way to measure success.

Also Consider...

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

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Positive youth development is fostered when a young person can see and use what he/she has learned in a self-determined project. Sharing with others can help your members summarize, analyze, and further determine what they have

accomplished in their project.

Sharing might include one or more of the following:

1. Giving individual help to others.

2. Participating in workshops, programs and meetings on this and related subject matter.

3. Erecting community exhibits, window displays, or bulletin boards.

4. Giving demonstrations and illustrated talks to other audiences.

5. Participating in tours and field trips.

6. Speaking on radio and TV programs.

7. Writing stories for newspapers, magazines and electronic media.

Finally, encourage young people to determine their progress by using self-evaluation to summarize their project work on the basis of learning. Remember too, that learning implies enhanced life skill development and change in knowledge, attitudes, or skills.

Sharing Their Adventure

And, don’t forget to celebrate SUCCESS.

This publication was adapted from “Helping Them Decide, Leaders Guide For Self-Determined Projects”

published by the Cooperative Extension System at the University of Idaho College of Agriculture.

Evaluation should be carried on continuously throughout the project. Youth should and will want to know the following:

4 How am I doing in terms of the goals I set?

4 Where should I go from here?

4 What am I learning?

4 How can I use what I have learned in the future?

4 How can I transfer what I have learned to other situations?

Measuring Success...

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The Montana 4-H Self-Determined Project is published by the

Montana 4-H Center for Youth Developement, Montana State University Extension, Bozeman, MT

Produced by: Extension Communications

MSU Office of Communications and Public Affairs

Designer: Janet Melvin, MSU Extension Communications

Project Selection Author and Guide: Jill Martz, Curriculum Specialist, 4-H Center for Youth Development

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and the Montana State Univer-sity Extension Service prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home econom-ics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Douglas L. Steele, Vice Provost and Director, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.