California

Nancy Franz of Iowa State University Extension has alerted me (and the rest of the her Public Value Network listserv) to the California 4-H program’s involvement of volunteers and staff in a statewide effort to develop public value stories. On the program’s California Public Values web page, a survey link invites volunteers and staff to participate in the effort to “shape California 4-H’s public values that will be shared with the broader community that has a stake in 4-H.”

The survey asks respondents to identify (1) positive benefits to youth from participating in 4-H, (2) ways society benefits from those positive youth outcomes, and (3) community or state benefits from adult volunteer participation in the 4-H program.

“Crowdsourcing”–at least from select sources, such as those working with 4H across the state–sounds like a potentially efficient way to assemble a body of program impact stories. Local program staff can bring to administrators’ and evaluators’ attention impacts that might otherwise have been overlooked. I am eager to hear how the California 4H public value project develops.