Home Youth Guide Helper's Guide Exploring 4-H on the Web Reference & Resources Working with Youth Developing Skills for Life Starting a 4-H Club Acknowledgements	Targeting Life Skills Model Click to Enlarge Life skills are defined in the Targeting Life Skills Model (Hendricks, 1996) as "Skills that help an individual to be successful in living a productive and satisfying life." As a volunteer working with youth, you have many opportunities to assist youth in developing life skills as they work through the Exploring the Treasures of 4-H project. The Targeting Life Skills Model identifies and divides the major life skills targeting by 4-H youth development by the four H?s from the 4-H Clover that represent Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. These four are further divided into categories of life skills and then into specific general skills as shown here. The Targeting Life Skills Model handbook further divides each general life skill into separate learning opportunities to develop the skill. As you capitalize on the youth?s interest in exploring 4-H, your challenge is to provide age-appropriate skills until they are learned and able to be used everyday. By using the experiential learning process to help youth fully internalize both the exploring 4-H content and the life skill practiced they gain the ability to apply both types of skills appropriately. Each activity in the Exploring the Treasures of 4-H curriculum shows both the project skill and the life skill youth will practice and develop. A welldesigned activity will involve the youth in the practice of several life skills. In one activity youth may practice decision making, communicating and goal setting. However, only one is targeted for each activity so you can specifically discuss it with the youth when the activity is completed. The success indicator for each activity states what the youth will do to achieve the learner outcome for the activity. This is the goal for youth to achieve and for you to support their efforts to achieve. Helping youth develop and understand important life skills while exploring the treasures of 4-H is a challenge. The youth will appreciate your extra effort now and in the future when they look back on these experiences. top