Strategies for increasing senior enrollment and participation within the Tennessee 4-H club program as perceived by administrators, 4-H club specialists and 4-H agents : a Delphi study

The purpose of the study was to identify strategies for change which, if implemented, could be of benefit to the 4-H Club program of The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service. Additionally, the study endeavored to describe any perceived differences between the arithmetic mean and standard deviation scores between panel members who were divided into sub-groups as follows: (1) administrators, (2) 4-H club specialists and (3) 4-H agents. Data was obtained through the use of a series of questionnaires using the Delphi Technique with a purposefully selected panel of experts. Mean scores were used to determine the importance of strategies for change within the 4-H club program submitted by panel members. Standard deviation scores defined the level of consensus among the group.

Strategies were placed into 14 groups according to similarity. These groups were labeled as follows: Staffing, Volunteerism, Adult/Youth Interaction, Collaboration, Marketing, Meeting Schedules and Organization, Program Planning and Curriculum, Junior High, Citizenship and Leadership, Honor Club and All Stars, Social Opportunities, Career Opportunities, Travel Opportunities, and Recognition. Strategies were ranked by importance according to mean scores. Careful consideration was given to the importance of individual strategies within each group rather than prioritizing strategies by groups.

It was recommended that all University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension staff with responsibility in 4-H programs thoughtfully examine the results of the study to evaluate whether or not implementing the strategies listed would be of benefit to the program from his/her current perspective.