ANR Peer Reviewed Publications

Out-of-school time educators benefit directly from effective professional development that advances their knowledge and skills. This publication looks at five approaches to professional development, so educators and programs can make informed decisions about which is best for their needs.

This guide is for volunteers who facilitate educational experiences, designed to help them understand their role and responsibilities as a 4-H volunteer educator.

The night sky holds endless learning opportunities for youth and adults. Our observations and inquiries about the world beyond earth help us understand the world around us. In fact, many explanations of natural phenomena began with astronomical observations. Likewise, many technological advances have come about as a direct result of our drive to explore outer space.

Climatology, an Earth science, is the scientific study of long-term average weather and atmospheric conditions. The prevailing weather conditions in specific geographic regions change over years, decades, centuries, and eras, affecting the plants, animals, and other life in the region.

In this project, members will learn to: explore the difference between weather and climate to measure average temperature, wind, rainfall, and humidity over time • to analyze daily weather patterns how weather patterns influence plants, animals, humans, and the environment • how climate is influenced by interactions between sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things • how the ocean exerts a major influence on climate by absorbing energy from the Sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents • how human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in climate change methods to mitigate climate change or adapt to it

This sheet outlines activity ideas at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of skill; also gives suggestions on how to tie the activity to STEM, healthy living, civic engagement, leadership and college and career readiness goals.

Disasters can and do occur on a regular basis. These events, which range from earthquakes to wildfires and other natural and human-made disasters, can happen at any time and often do so with little or no warning. When emergencies occur, they have the potential to affect every facet of life.

In this project, members will learn how to effectively prepare for an emergency how emergencies are handled by government agencies and other organizations to respond quickly and appropriately in an emergency or disaster

This sheet outlines activity ideas at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of skill; also gives suggestions on how to tie the activity to STEM, healthy living, civic engagement, leadership and college and career readiness goals.

Muzzle loading is one of the disciplines of the 4-H Shooting Sports program, which covers the fundamentals of shooting and basic firearm safety, while developing self-motivation, self-discipline, and personal responsibility.Although the invention of smokeless powder and self-contained cartridges has rendered them obsolete, muzzleloaders are still embraced by a devoted following of antique firearm collectors, historical reenactors, and even modern hunters. In this project, members will learn

• shooting proficiency • proper handling of muzzle-loading firearms • the difference between black powder and smokeless powder • how to promote the highest standard of safety

This sheet outlines activity ideas at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of skill; also gives suggestions on how to tie the activity to STEM, healthy living, civic engagement, leadership and college and career readiness goals.

Photography provides people with an opportunity to explore, experiment, express, and communicate in seemingly endless ways . Participation in this project goes far beyond building the technical skills needed to operate a camera and other photographic equipment. 

In this project, members will learn

• how to take engaging photos • the history, science, and artistic elements found in photography • how to view the world through a different lens

This sheet outlines activity ideas at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of skill; also gives suggestions on how to tie the activity to STEM, healthy living, civic engagement, leadership and college and career readiness goals.

It’s a fun and important skill to know how to communicate information effectively in the digital age through computers, the internet, and connected devices. A good website is designed to transmit, process, and help people use data efficiently. In this project, members will learn to

design, code, and build an effective website using website builders and code • to optimize a website for mobile devices, for fast load time, and for people who can’t view the images • to create graphics and human-centered designs for websitesto share information using best practices of communicating information

This sheet outlines activity ideas at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of skill • also gives suggestions on how to tie the activity to STEM, healthy living, civic engagement, leadership and college and career readiness goals.

Geology is an Earth science focusing on Earth’s physical structure and substance, the processes that change the Earth, and the history of the Earth and its life.

Exploring geology helps us better understand the sources of the minerals we use each day, Earth’s processes, and the impacts of climate and land-use change and conservation.

In this project, members will learn: • types of rocks, their composition, and how they were formed• methods to collect rock and fossil specimens and identify the mineralthe history of Earth, plate tectonics, and large-scale system interactions• how scientists study water, energy, mineral, and other natural resources we rely on

This sheet outlines activity ideas at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of skill; also gives suggestions on how to tie the activity to STEM, healthy living, civic engagement, leadership and college and career readiness goals.

This practitioner brief offers key recommendations that emerged from a 2-year qualitative study that draws on observations of thirteen organizations in California serving Latinx youth and the perspectives of seventeen youth development professionals and fifty-three Latinx and diverse youth. 

To sustain Latinx youth participation over time, program leaders listen to Latinx youth and family voices, and their experiences inform all aspects of programming. This allows leaders to determine appropriate incentives, tap Latinx community strengths, create meaningful ladders of opportunity, and, most importantly, ensure participants are safe and having fun.