Competency, Coping, and Contributory Life Skills Development of Early Adolescents

The mission of the Cooperative Extension System as related to 4-H programming is to enable youth to acquire knowledge, develop life skills, and form attitudes which will enable them to become self-directing. productive and contributing members of society (ES-USDA, 1990). The objectives of the 4-H program are often categorized into three major “life skills” areas: 1) competency--developing knowledge and subject matter skills, 2) coping--dealing with stresses, and 3) contributory--increasing social skills which allow self and others to overcome situational and/or personal barriers (USDA, 1986; Weatherford & Weatherford, 1987).