Citizenship and Civic Engagement Citizenship and Civic
Engagement Since its inception, 4-H has placed an emphasis on
the importance of young people being engaged, well-informed
citizens. By connecting to their communities and leaders, youth
understand their role in civic affairs and are able to expand
their role in decision –making processes. It’s clear that
Citizenship and Civic Engagement provides the foundation that
helps youth understand the big picture of life and learn the
skill sets that will allow them to become wise leaders for the
21st century. Research shows that meaningful involvement in
community service and developmental work experiences increases
job readiness, builds life skills and other developmental
assets, decreases alienation and other risk behaviors, and has
long-term positive outcomes for both youth and their
communities. Yet, low-income, high-need, minority youth have few
opportunities for meaningful, career building, summer
employment. These at-risk youth often lack positive role mode