– A new study confirms that youth involved in 4-H are leaders, contribute to their communities and are civically engaged, which strengthens communities. The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD) is finding that youth involved in high-quality, structured programs during out-of-school time, such as those offered by Merced County 4-H, are more likely to experience PYD.

Findings of The 4-H Study of PYD — a first-of-its-kind, longitudinal study measuring the impact personal and social factors have on youth as they develop — reveal that all youth have the capacity to thrive, regardless of where they live, their family situations, their socioeconomic status, their race or gender. Study findings also show that the quality and quantity of structured, out-of-school-time programs that youth are involved with matters. The more often youth are involved in high-quality youth development programs, the more they and their communities benefit.