Who's the Real Teacher

Teenagers say who taught them life skills.As Extension professionals, most of us understand that the goal of 4-H experiences is to help young people become self-directing, productive, any contributing members of society.One way we try to do this is by developing life skills.These life skills are much more than the physical skills of sewing or grooming an animal for show.They're a combination of acting, thinking, and feeling.They help 4-Hers function as adults in society and accept responsibil ities for community leadership.They include the ability to communicate, inquire, solve problems, make decisions, and respond and relate to other people and the environment. Life skills enable a person to:Perceive and respond to significant life events.Live in an interdependent society.Lead a satisfying life.Function effectively in a changing world.If we, as Extension educators, believe that developing young people's potential through life skills is indeed a goal of the 4-H program, then we should determine whether 4-Hers perceive that this learning takes place.To explore this question, I studied 4-H adolescents' perceptions about life skills development through 4-H and the influences on this process.