Kansas 4-H youth development specialist Amy Sollock understands very well the excitement that goes along with displaying projects at the county and state fairs each summer.
That’s partly because she understands what it took to get there.
“This time of year, youth are selecting projects, but they also need to set goals and map out how they’re going to get there,” said Sollock, who is located in the southwest region of Kansas.
In 2018, the Kansas 4-H program published a guide to help youth set goals for their projects. Setting 4-H Project Goals is available for free online.
“We’ve talked about goal-setting in 4-H for decades; it’s nothing new,” Sollock said, “But every once in a while, it’s good to remind ourselves what makes up a good goal.”
She notes that a good goal describes:
Action – what you’re going to do.
Result – what you’re going to accomplish.
Timetable – when you’re going to get it done.
“When you combine all of three of those, you’ve got a well-written goal,” Sollock said.
“In 4-H, we are very hands-on; everything we do is based on experiential learning. We’re learning, we’re baking, we’re leading, we’re growing, we’re exploring…all of those types of actions.”
In her job working with Kansas youth, Sollock encourages them to think year-round about how to accomplish a goal. Sometimes that means knowing what can be done during the holidays, on weekends or even Spring break.
“Thinking about it ahead of time and writing it down will help you get done the things you want to do,” she said.
“When you set goals, you’re not comparing your skills or goals with anyone else’s skills or goals. This is about you and what you want to accomplish – you know, where you’re at, your knowledge base and how you grow in that area each year. In 4-H, we talk a lot about having a growth mindset. We want to challenge our kids to do a little bit more than they did the year prior.”
More information about opportunities available through Kansas 4-H is available online, or visit your local extension office.
Setting 4-H Project Goals, https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/4H1100.pdf
K-State Research and Extension local offices, www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/stateandareamaps.html
