Youth Leadership & Community Engagement Resources

4-H is the largest positive youth development organization in the nation (over 6 million youth), and one of the only youth programs facilitated through the land grant university system. The materials produced are research-based and the programs are either evidence-based or being developed as such. The materials found on this page are developed by 4-H youth specialists and any youth leadership program will benefit from utlizing these resources. 

Whether you are starting a 4-H club or running a youth council we've got resources to help you teach essential leadership skills. 



Youth Participation

Youth should be active participants in our communities and their voices should be heard. A sociologist by the name of Roger Hart came up with a model describing youth participation. Follow the link to read about different levels of youth participation and consider what type of youth participation you have in your community.

Team Building Tips
Playmeo is a helpful tool. You can use this website to find icebreakers, team building activities, as well as many helpful tips when working with youth. Visit Playmeo's facilitator tips presented in 3-minute video tutorials of group facilitation, particularly in the context of group games and activities. 

Exploring Leadership

These 10–15-minute lessons strengthen the skills of your youth leaders through fun interactive activities and take the stress out of trainings. Below you will find a library of interpersonal and leadership lessons broken down into skill categories valued by employers and critical for building relationships.   Each “grab and go” lesson (1 page front and back) is written with simple instructions, supply lists, and clear objectives to help facilitation be successful and stress-free.



Have you tried our Leadership Lesson Plans?

Feedback Survey


Service Learning in Action 

This curriculum and workbook series were developed from a need to teach simple service learning concepts to youth in short engaging lessons (15-20 minutes). Each of these interactive lessons explores a basic concept, while the workbook provides a practical guide in applying Service Learning stages.  

Full Service in Action Curriculum   |  Facilitator Guide   |  Workbook & Quickstart Guide

Have you tried our Service Learning Lesson Plans? We are looking for external review.

External Review


Additional Resources and Training Materials


Training Opportunities

USU Extension Professor and Youth Leadership Expert, Vernon Parent can provide training to the youth or advisors of your council. Training opportunities are available in a wide range of topics and time intervals to fit whatever works best for your council's specific needs. To see a complete list of available training opportunities, see the document below. 

  • Youth Leadership Training Opportunities
To schedule a training, contact Vernon Parent via email: vernon.parent@usu.edu