To Make The Best Better! 4-H Headquarters establishes standards of excellence for 4-H and youth programs through Program Quality and Accountability (PQA) efforts. These efforts support the development of resources and best practices for 4-H and youth development programs.
Research-Based Insight
PQA includes ensuring that programs are relevant, engaging, and effective through adherence to research-based principles. PQA also refers to efforts to define, assess, evaluate and report on the quality, impact and reach of 4-H programs nationwide.
Data is key to how we tell the 4-H story. Quantitative data, or “the numbers,” tell us what, where, when, and how much of something is happening. Qualitative data, such as stories, provide more detailed narratives that give us the deeper “how’s and why’s” behind the numbers. Together, these methods provide powerful information that helps us to better serve youth.
Establishing Best Practices
One fundamental aspect to addressing PQA nationwide is the review and approval of the use of the 4-H Name and Emblem, a federally protected mark. In addition, 4-H Headquarters coordinates quality reviews of 4-H national events and 4-H curricula and other learning resources to ensure they meet national standards.
Additional Resources
Head. Heart. Hands. Health. These words are the core of 4-H’s name, its emblem, and its pledge.
Explore resources for 4-H professionals to develop, evaluate, and review 4-H educational materials.
