Michigan 4-H's improved 4-H SPARK Survey helps identify youth sparks
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EmailMichigan 4-H staff updated the 4-H SPARK Survey to improve youth access to 4-H projects.
The first Michigan 4-H SPARK Survey was launched on the Michigan 4-H website in October 2022. This survey was developed by Michigan 4-H staff to create another venue for youth to connect with local programming and become long-term 4-H members. This assessment was intended to help youth gauge their interests by answering a few questions. Provided immediately, individual results offer information on a variety of programs tailored to each person’s interests.
As youth become 4-H members, the concept of “SPARK” (in the Michigan 4-H SPARK Survey) is designed to assist youth in meeting the goals from the 4-H Thriving Model. This survey has also helped identify what sparks youth have. Caring adults are important in helping youth identify their sparks and seeing them thrive.
When an individual would take the survey, the results read like a Buzzfeed survey or a magazine quiz, providing insight into their individual interests and personality traits. Links to the Michigan 4-H program pages related to each category allowed youth to immediately discover programs and projects 4-H offers that empower them to grow in their passions.
The survey provided youth information on how to reach out to the local 4-H program coordinator at their county Michigan State University Extension office to find out more information about getting involved with 4-H. Current 4-H members were encouraged to express their desire to get involved in 4-H programs in specific project areas to their county program coordinators.
The initial goal for this tool was to help youth in 4-H clubs, SPIN (SPecial INterest) clubs, and those not connected to any 4-H club to identify their interests, skills and talents that ignite direction and purpose into their lives, also known as SPARKS. Discovering their SPARKS helps youth explore the types of 4-H projects they would be most passionate about and begin tapping into resources related to those projects.
Once launched in October 2022, 4-H staff utilized the survey as a part of programming, but most of the traffic to the survey came from the link in the Michigan 4-H newsletter and the Michigan 4-H Youth Development website. Approximately 1,300 youth participated in Phase 1 of the survey, from October 2022 through January 2024. The most popular activities youth selected were working with animals, gardening, learning to identify plants and animals, fishing and hiking, and learning new ways to cook.
Phase 2 of the survey was adjusted to help Michigan 4-H staff meet the needs of the youth taking the survey. Two questions were added to the survey, asking for a youth’s age and the county in which they live. This was designed to empower 4-H staff to see where gaps in programming exist so they could make adjustments and reach more youth.
Phase 2 was successfully launched on February 1, 2024, and it ran until December 13, 2024. It was open to all Michigan youth seeking to have a deeper connection to their 4-H projects or to explore getting involved in 4-H. Young people grow quickly and their interests change as a result. New 4-H opportunities also pop up in counties all the time, as youth request specific programs.
To further assess those changing interested and better meet the needs of youth, parents and volunteers across Michigan, a Michigan 4-H has launched a new kind of survey: the 4-H Needs Assessment. This survey will guide and inform the work of Michigan 4-H staff. The assessment is now available and can be accessed using this link or QR code below; Michigan 4-H is looking for both responses from active participants and those not engaged so consider providing your feedback today!
MSU Extension and Michigan 4-H Youth Development help youth discover their SPARKS by providing educational experiences and resources for youth interested in developing knowledge and skills in a wide variety of projects. For more information about 4-H learning opportunities and other 4-H programs, contact your local MSU Extension office.
