Participatory evaluation is a form of citizen science that brings program stakeholders into partnership with researchers to increase the understanding and value that evaluation provides. For the last four years, 4-H volunteers and staff have joined academics to assess the impact of the California 4-H camping program on youth and teen leaders in areas such as responsibility, confidence and leadership. Volunteers and nonacademic staff in the field informed the design of this multiyear impact study, collected data and engaged in data interpretation through “data parties.” In a follow-up evaluation of the data parties, we found that those who participated reported deeper understanding of and buy-in to the data. Participants also provided the research team insights into findings. By detailing the California 4-H Camp Evaluation case study, this paper describes the mutual benefits that accrue to researchers and volunteers when, through data parties, they investigate findings together.

Until recently, California 4-H programs did not represent the ethnic diversity found in California's population of young people. To close the gap in representation particularly with Latino youth UC ANR began the 4-H Latino Initiative, an effort to pilot adapted programs that would target the engagement of Latino youth and families. In this paper, we explore and compare young people's program experience and youth development outcomes between 4-H community clubs and 4-H Latino Initiative programs. We employed comparative post-test survey methodology with two treatment groups (community clubs versus 4-H Latino Initiative programs). The findings provide encouraging evidence that young people experienced positive outcomes from participating in 4-H programs, inclusive of both 4-H community clubs and 4-H Latino Initiative programs. Additionally, we found that the program experience including relationship building and youth engagement were similar across community clubs and 4-H Latino Initiative programs.

• •Identify breeds and species and their characteristics
• •Learn about the selection, care, and needs of pets and basic principles of pet behavior
• •Care and management in feeding, handling grooming, fitting and showing
• •Explore health regulations and first aid
• •Learn and practice animal ownership responsibilities

• •Explore types of energy (i.e. thermal, chemical, electrical) and how they may be transformed
• •Practice and promote the wise use of energy
• •Develop an understanding of energy production and the various costs of energy sources

• •Learn the basic principles of animal science by owning, caring for, and keeping records
• •Explore sound breeding, feeding, and management practices
• •Learn about breeds and varieties of cavies and their characteristics
• •Investigate marketing, project expansion, and how you can start a cavy business

• •Learn to plan your film through storyboards and scripts in the pre-production stage
• •Learn how to use a video camera, lighting, sound, and composition to get the results you want during the production stage
• •Learn how to edit video clips to create your final product in the post-production stage

• •Reduced stress
• •Better concentration
• •Less depression and anxiety
• •Improved immune system

• •Learn about the chemistry, forms, and the natural cycle of water
• •How we use water and how our use affects quality and quantity
• •Learn about watersheds, drainage basins, and the inter-connectedness of water and people