<-- Previous Marion County Demonstration Site Description
--> Local Programs | Successful Practices | Volunteer Development | Organizational Development | Evaluation | Resources

Use the File -> Print menu to print this page.

Marion Demonstration Site

Key Program Outcomes

A summary of key program outcomes for the Marion County Demonstration Site appears below. The outcomes relate to the central goal of the Oregon Outreach project and the specific educational goals and objectives developed to address local needs and capitalize on local assets. Reported outcomes reflect activities from October 1999 to September 2002.

Key Outcomes for Youth

  • About 25-30 youth annually have learned and applied gardening skills as demonstrated by their success in planting and growing vegetables.
  • About 25-30 youth annually have participated in a leadership project designed to teach thinking skills, teamwork, conflict resolution, accountability, consensus building and collaboration techniques along with sales and marketing skills. Youth demonstrated their leadership skills through various activities-four youth became leaders and mentors for the youth drop-in center at the Nuevo Amanecer Farmworker Housing Complex, ten youth participated in fundraising activities for their club, and other youth planted tulips as a community service project.
  • A core group of younger youth (about 25) participated in the 2001 and 2002 Jr. Master Gardener Camps, where they have learned more gardening techniques and interacted socially with children from the majority 4-H community.
  • A core group of older children (about 10) participated in 4-H Wild West Camp in 2001 and 2002, which enabled them to exercise their leadership and teambuilding skills in an integrated 4-H setting.
  • 4-H youth at Nuevo Amanecer have not been involved in any conflict or graffiti problems within the housing complex.
  • The project has shown increasing integration with the base 4-H program. A traditional 4-H volunteer from the majority community is the leader of the expressive arts club for project youth, two Latino project volunteers presented a workshop on Latino arts and culture at the Oregon 4-H Summer Conference on the Oregon State University campus, and project youth participated in other 4-H activities and asked that other 4-H project area clubs be formed.
  • About 40 youth expanded their leisure reading activities as demonstrated by their participation in the 4-H reading club.


Key Outcomes for Families and the Community

  • Families reported increased interaction between parents and children during the gardening season.
  • Housing bordering the community garden has reflected more patio plantings, and the incidence of tagging in the area of the garden has decreased.
  • Three Latino adults were recruited into the program as 4-H leaders.
  • About 35 families regularly participated in the reading club offered throughout the school year in 2001 and 2002.
  • The number of families looking to 4-H as a resource for their youth continues to increase, as evidenced by more requests for expanded programs.