Confronting History in California 4-H: Organizational Change Strategies for Advancing Access and Equity

• In Event: Expanding Possibilities: Equity, Identity, and Culture in Out-of-School Time Spaces

Abstract

California 4-H seeks to reach three million youth by 2030, but the organization faces a hundred-year history of primarily serving rural, white audiences. Interviews with 4-H professionals were conducted to assess structural needs and assets for access, equity, and belonging. Participants collectively covered all 58 counties and represented a range of organizational roles. Analysis revealed four structural themes: dismantling racist structures, securing stable equity-focused funding, addressing staffing issues, and strengthening leadership for equity-driven change. By unforgetting histories of 4-H, we uncover strategies for reaching new, under, and un-served audiences and imagine new futures for California 4-H. The results of this study offer strategies for systemic change in California 4-H and contribute to scholarship on equity in out-of-school youth development.

Authors

• Kaitlyn Murray, University of California 4-H Youth Development Program

• Liliana Vega, University of California 4-H Youth Development Program

• Stepha Velednitsky, University of California