Facilitate the Awesome

It is our strongly held belief in 4-H that teens should be able to invest their voices and skills in the programs in which they participate. A program that provides more opportunities for all teens to utilize their unique skills and talents will be a more successful and engaging program. These modules give adult advisers realistic knowledge, tools, and practice for enhancing communication and engagement with teen partners.

The “Facilitate the Awesome” Teen Adviser Module is an 8-hour experiential program focused on advancing adult knowledge and skills related to adolescent development (physical, emotional and neurological), motivation and team-building through strengths-based programming, and risk management though trauma-awareness and inquiry techniques. Key skills developed include facilitating teen leadership through collaboration, empathy and perspective taking, modeling growth mindset, goal-setting and decision-making, as well as visioning a blueprint for accessible and trauma-informed programs where authentic peer support can be experienced.

More Information

  • If you would like to be contacted about attending future In-Person or Hybrid video conference short course trainings, please complete the FTA Interest Form.

Impacts of FTA

  • 100% of Participants said they learned new information
  • 80% report they intended to use that new knowledge to improve teen programming
  • For more information about Staff Trainings or if you are interested in hosting a live series, contact: Michael Wallace at mlwallace@wsu.edu

Unit 1: Adolescent Development

  • Identity Development is a critical task of adolescence
  • Adolescence is a life stage of great physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development
  • Adolescence can be viewed as having three stages with distinct difference

Unit 2: Empowering Teens

  • Identify and engage individual strengths
  • Use the essential elements of positive youth development to motivate teens
  • Teach and model growth mindset
  • Develop goal attainment strategies

Unit 3: Key Elements of Teen Leadership

  • Perspective Taking builds empathy and trust
  • Inclusive social relationships matter
  • Respecting the interests and input of teens leads to ownership and accountability
  • Transformative leadership focuses on empowering others

Unit 4: Encouraging Safe and Inclusive Behaviors in Teens

  • Risk can be beneficial and manageable for teens
  • Authentic communication impacts decision-making
  • Communities of prevention help mitigate the challenges of childhood trauma by being inclusive and trauma-informed