For years, 4-H has struggled with the complex problems of membership retention, especially among older youth. However, little research has been done concerning why 4-H members choose to leave the program. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the retention of older 4-H youth. Specifically, the study sought to investigate the reasons older youth choose not to re-enroll in the Erie County 4-H program. Specific objectives of the study were to: (a) explore the reasons why youth chose not to re-enroll in the Erie County 4-H Youth Development program, (b) identify the barriers to participation in the 4-H program for Erie County youth, and (c) determine what conditions would facilitate participation in the Erie County 4-H program.
To address the research questions, a qualitative study was designed to explore factors related to youth discontinuing their involvement with the Erie County 4-H program. Sixteen youth participated in one of three focus groups held to gather data to answer the research questions. Focus group participants consisted of Erie County youth who were ages 11 to 17 during the 2007 4-H program year who were enrolled in 4-H in an Erie County community 4-H club in 2007, but who did not re-enroll in a community 4-H club in 2008.
Significant findings from the study concerning the retention of older 4-H youth related to: (a) experiences with advisors, (b) experiences with competition, and (c) conflicts with other activities. The findings of the study clearly revealed that the relationship between a club advisor and a member had an influence on a youth’s satisfaction with their club, and their satisfaction with the 4-H program as a whole, and hence their decision not to re-enroll. Negative judging experiences was also established as a theme across research questions. While some participants described positive experiences with competition, many youth described perceived favoritism during judging, unclear expectations for judgings, problems with organization during judging, and poor sportsmanship exhibited during competition. Finally, several participants said that 4-H was time consuming and interfered with other activities in which they were involved, which influenced their decision not to re-enroll.