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Marion County Demonstration Site

Program Description

Staff Contact: Terry Palmer

Marion County is located in the rich agricultural setting of the Mid-Willamette Valley. The varied agricultural crops, many involving intensive labor practices, have long led growers to depend on seasonal workers, mostly from Mexico. While some of these workers continue to be migrants, more have become year-round residents. At the same time, other Latinos are moving to the area to join family members or pursue other opportunities, significantly adding to the Latino population. The county includes Salem, the state capital and Oregon's third largest city, as well as numerous small towns and rural communities.

Major strategies for 4-H outreach efforts in Marion County include establishing culturally responsive 4-H clubs, delivering enrichment activities, and encouraging youth in leadership activities. The project also provides training and support for Latino adults as they develop their skills as 4-H volunteers. A brief description of outreach activities for the 2004-2005 program year appears below.

4-H Clubs

Five 4-H clubs targeted specifically to Latino youth were supported by the outreach project. The clubs involved youth in folkloric dance, expressive arts, and gardening. Outreach project staff delivered expressive arts classes as after-school education at six cooperating schools. Family garden programs, resulting from a 4-H partnership with Migrant Education, involved families with K-12 youth, with an emphasis on the participation of middle school youth. The purpose of the program is for children and parents to develop gardening skills; become more connected to their community; and increase their knowledge about 4-H, including the important role of volunteers.

4-H Soccer

The 4-H Soccer Program was very popular with the Latino community and readily brought community members, especially Latino dads, forward as volunteers. In addition to providing youth with an opportunity to develop multiple skills, the soccer program introduced a large Latino audience to many other programs and activities offered by 4-H. The soccer program also served as a forum where outreach staff interacted with youth and their parents about the importance of education and planning for post secondary education and future careers. About 1,100 Latino youth, along with a much smaller number of non-Latino youth, participated in two soccer seasons of ten weeks each. Four regional soccer tournaments were also offered, each involving between 600 and 800 Latino youth from various communities in western Oregon.

4-H Latino Summer Camp

The second annual Latino Summer Camp targeted middle school youth. Attending were 75 youth from six counties. Twenty Latino senior 4-H members served as camp counselors. Unlike the first year of camp when intensive recruitment efforts were needed to fill slots, demand for the current year exceeded places available. The main goal of the camp was to help Latino youth understand the importance of education and to encourage them to finish high school and plan for post-secondary education. Professionals from universities, private businesses, and community organizations provided a varied menu of workshops focused on technology, natural resources, health, and the arts. A robust schedule of sports activities and traditional camp events rounded out the experience.

Also, go to http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/programs/events/latinoCamp/latinoCamp.htm

Technology Related Education

Technology related classes were held in three communities. A family approach to programming was used, with Latino youth and adults participating together. Ten-week GIS/GPS spatial technology classes and eight-week classes in the use of Windows XP, MS Word, and MS Power Point were offered. Fifty-one youth and adults participated.

Community Development

One of the barriers to developing a core of Latino 4-H volunteers is the isolation that many immigrant mothers experience. In a pilot project, six mothers of Latino 4-H members met together weekly with the outreach program coordinator to learn about their community and to build connections with mainstream community organizations. The goal was to help the mothers develop skills and confidence enabling them to access local resources and comfortably participate as contributing members in community based organizations.

Updated March 2006

For more program details, see Key Outcomes.