Putting a new ‘SPIN’ on 4-H
Many people are familiar with the 4-H Community Clubs, which have been present in Bureau County and across the state for a long time. Some are also familiar with Special Interest Groups, where a group might meet to work on just one project. While those programs continue to remain strong and are important parts of 4-H, Illinois 4-H has also added some new opportunities for youth. One of those new opportunities is Special Interest Clubs, abbreviated “SPIN” Clubs.
A SPIN Club is a little different from a 4-H Community Club, in that the members focus on just one specific activity or project – a “special interest.” And unlike a Special Interest Group, a SPIN Club has officers or a youth leadership team, and its activities are more focused on individual learning (a special interest group usually focuses on group learning.)
What can a SPIN club do? Almost anything! Any youth-appropriate interest can be the focus of a SPIN club. The only things that are needed to get started are a screened adult volunteer and a minimum of five youth. SPIN clubs meet a minimum of six times – some meet six times and are then finished with their activity, while others may continue on for months or years to come. SPIN Clubs emphasize the 4-H concepts of experiential learning and life skill development, as well as the newly reformulated “BIG M” elements of positive youth development – Belonging, Independence, Generosity and Mastery.
SPIN Clubs in Bureau County can be coordinated by our local county Extension office, or by a regional youth development educator. Extension staff assist with coordinating the overall group plans, and then screen and train the volunteers, who will work with the youth to carry out the club’s activities.
Although this program format has only been available for a few months, we are fortunate to already have several SPIN clubs ready to get started in Bureau County.
The Bureau County Teen Court SPIN Club offers additional leadership and civic education programming to the youth serving on the Bureau County Teen Court. Membership in the SPIN Club requires membership in the Teen Court. Anyone interested in more information about the Bureau County Teen Court can contact Kris Ferrari at the Bureau County Circuit Clerk’s office. Persons interested in information specifically about the SPIN Club opportunities can contact Terry Madsen at tmadsen@illinois.edu or through the Bureau County Extension Office by calling (815) 875-2878.
The Community Works SPIN Clubs are the result of collaboration between University of Illinois Extension 4-H, the Community Partners Against Substance Abuse and Above Main in Princeton. The clubs are focusing on video and visual arts and provide hands-on opportunities to work with all aspects of video production and personal exploration of visual arts including painting and photography. The clubs will work on projects of community interest and will work with CPASA in the area of substance use prevention among youth.
More information about these clubs can be obtained from Officer Alex Arauza at Princeton High School or the Princeton Police Department or from Terry Madsen at tmadsen@illinois.edu or through the Bureau County Extension Office by calling (815) 875-2878.
If you have an idea for another SPIN Club, please feel free to contact your local Extension office or our regional educator working with SPIN Clubs, Terry Madsen. We are always happy to welcome new groups to the Bureau County 4-H program. We hope that SPIN Clubs spark the interest of both those who have participated in our programs in the past, as well as reaching some new audiences in Bureau County.
Jennifer Caldwell is the program coordinator for 4-H and youth development at the University of Illinois Extension — Bureau County.
