CYFAR Suite

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Market Statement

The Ka Joog 4-H Leadership Program Model focuses on youth topics of interest (i.e., sparks), leadership development, and college and career readiness. The clubs are facilitated by two adults from the Somali community and meet weekly during the school year and have structured opportunities to engage in immersive and showcase experiences in secondary and postsecondary environments and among industries/potential career opportunities.Somali American teens and families living in rural areas need programs that celebrate their strengths, build social inclusion, and that foster structured opportunities for youth to concretely explore college and career industry options. Additionally, the larger community, including adults with capital to help Somali teens attain postsecondary and career goals, need more opportunities to recognize and value the vast assets Somali youth possess. Too often, Somali youth are viewed through a deficit lens and seen as a liability to the community. This deficit view held by people of power excludes youth from opportunities. In response, the ND & MN 4-H CYFAR team designed a youth program model that uses a community collaborative approach that considers and addresses the multiple social environments that can support youth in thriving in their education and careers.

Program Implementation

This project is vital for supporting East African immigrant youth in Northwest Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota, helping them overcome cultural and linguistic barriers, access mentorship, and develop skills for academic and career success. By fostering belonging and workforce readiness, we empower youth to bridge opportunity gaps and contribute to their communities. Project Update: In the first six months, we launched with a team meeting, bringing together community partners, UMN and NDSU project staff. Ka Joog, New Hope for Immigrants, and 4-H collaborated on site planning and partnerships. NDSU and UMN 4-H staff are sharing best practices to strengthen co-grant efforts. Key Activities: ---Moorhead: A STEM engineering program engaged youth in designing ski jumps, Rube Goldberg machines, pinball machines, and other LEGO-based structures. This program, delivered in collaboration with the Afro American Development Association, utilized MN 4-H tools and resources to promote hands-on learning. ---East Grand Forks: The New Hope 4-H Club has provided ongoing STEM activities and received a “Helping Hands” grant to create home safety kits for new immigrants. Youth also developed a video tutorial to support families in using the kits. ---Fargo: Ka Joog and 4-H initiated program planning with two high schools to launch activities in the fall/winter. The first phase focuses on relationship-building with youth and families through a homework help program, laying the groundwork for expanded engagement. Additionally, we crafted a job description for an Extension educator to lead partnership development and program implementation. NOTE ON RESULTS As a result of transitions with our local partners and our programs’ commitment to working with community members on the programs, our building year stretched into the fall. With program sites just beginning in March and December 2024, we’ve had limited opportunities to collect data towards our stated outcomes. Our programs have now begun and we are collecting participation data, CYFAR common measures, and integrating data collection on our outcomes into the program planning process.

Community Integration

Our CYFAR team includes members from Ka Joog Fargo, Ka Joog Moorhead, Immigrants for New Hope East Grand Forks, as well as representatives from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Extension’s 4-H Youth Development staff. Programming decisions are made collaboratively at the local level. To ensure alignment and progress, Ka Joog, Immigrants for New Hope, and University of Minnesota staff meet monthly to discuss the project. In the fall, 4-H staff began engaging with the Ka Joog Fargo site, building trust and relationships with youth and families through homework help programs. As we move into Year 2, we plan to expand programming further.

Technology Integration

Youth use iPads and mobile devices to complete program evaluation surveys. During the Campus Immersion showcase at MSUM, they applied scale mathematics to design a dorm room. Technology is also woven into the curriculum, as participants use iPads to code Sphero BOLT robots. The New Hope 4-H Club explored digital tools by creating a video with a QR code to accompany home safety kits for new immigrants.

Sustaining

A program agreement defines the roles and responsibilities of each partner—University of Minnesota Extension, Immigrants for New Hope, and Ka Joog. Partner staff are screened 4-H volunteers, and 4-H staff actively participate in community meetings to understand the Somali community’s needs and strengths. To formalize operations, a professional service agreement was established, outlining Ka Joog’s staffing structure and invoicing process with the University of Minnesota. As program planning continued into the fall, 4-H staff and Ka Joog leadership in Fargo and Moorhead identified organizational challenges and are now working to bring in an additional partner, Community Connection Center, to sustain programming at an alternate site.

Short-Term Results

• Youth will identify an interest or skill that sparks encouragement and fosters excitement towards learning 

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• Youth will demonstrate growth in critical thinking and decision making skills in an effort to form habits that can lead to academic, educational, and career success

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• Parents and guardians will gain support and resources to promote parent-child closeness and their children’s education

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• Families and youth will feel a sense of belonging and inclusion, expanding a sense of hope and purpose within their communities.

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Long-Term Results

• Youth will create a personal plan for post-secondary education and career development related to their identified areas of interest. 

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• Parent and guardians will improve their self-efficacy and engage with their children on goal setting and management skills to work towards obtaining education goals. 

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• Community members, representatives postsecondary institutions, and industry professionals will recognize the assets and value Somali American youth bring to their education and to society.

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• Youth will gain a growth mindset to help youth and their families support effort in learning over innate ability.

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