The purpose of this study was to determine of perceptions of Union County community club members about the 4-H program, focusing specifically on information which could be used for program development. The primary objectives of the study were to determine 4-H members' perceptions about the 4-H program, to determine whether their perception differed based on age, and to test this process of gathering youth input for possible use in other locations. Eleven focus group interviews involving 77 randomly selected 4-H members were conducted to gather perceptions.
The major findings of the study included the following: the aspects which participants liked best about 4-H were also the same things which participants saw as being the benefits of 4-H participation. These included learning and doing new things, meeting new people, working with animals, and having fun. Overall, participants were not able to identify changes they would make in the 4-H program. This study showed clearly that a 4-H member's experiences were primarily defined by their individual club experiences. Few county level 4-H activities were discussed by participants, with the exception of 4-H camp.
Key findings included: participants strongly preferred a recognition item of keepsake or lasting value versus a cash award, monetary awards were not seen as a incentive to participate in an activity, and the 14-18 age groups expressed some frustration that 4-H seemed focused toward younger members.
Major conclusions based upon these findings were as follows: activities which were favored by members, and seen as most beneficial, did so because they meet their criteria of potential for learning or doing new things, meeting people, working with animals and having fun. Determining program changes desired by members needs to be explored by a method other than group interviews. The Union County 4-H program did not have a recognition system which was meaningful to members, and there was a need for emphasis on the role of teen age members of 4-H. This study supported the conceptual model of Union County 4-H Program Development developed for this study by demonstrating that youth eagerly provided input for program development when such an opportunity was provided.