Designing an International Experience Program for 4-H Members in Louisiana

Abstract

In recent years, the U.S. Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) has worked to develop international exchange programs (IEPs) for 4-H members in some states. However, no such program currently exists in Louisiana. As such, the purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the IEP participation preferences held by 4H members in Louisiana to inform future IEP development and implementation. 4-H members in this study preferred to participate in a short-term IEP during the summer of the 11th grade. Thus, it is recommended that IEP recruitment be geared toward students in the 9th and 10th grades. 4-H members preferred to participate in an IEP located in Europe or Australia/New Zealand. Future research should examine which characteristics of these locations appeal to 4-H members to broaden the appeal of IEPs in other locations. Career related courses and hands-on experience were perceived by 4-H members as important activities to include in the IEP design, whereas staying with a host family was not. Future research should assess whether this finding is specific to members in this study or representative of a national trend that warrants reexamination of the overall design of 4-H IEPs employed by the U.S. CEP.