Engaging Your Mentor

Engaging Your Livestock Mentor

What is a Livestock Mentor?
Volunteer/Project Leader who receives special training:
Species-specific subject matter
Youth and volunteer development subject matter
Returns to home county and works cooperatively with County Extension Agent to provide support and leadership to the project

Engaging Your Livestock Mentor
Need
Recruitment
Training
Implementation
Use and Follow Up

Need
How many Livestock Projects do you have?
What level of support do they need?
Project visit
Animal purchase
Feeding and Fitting
What part of my 4-H program needs the most work?

Recruitment
What do you want a MENTOR to do?
Who do you have that can do that?
Who will you target?
What are the Characteristics of a good MENTOR?
Who would you choose?

Training
Starts at the State Level
Southern Classic: Sheep and Goat
Holiday Classic: Beef and Swine
Should be elevated above the experience of the average volunteer
Where does it end?
Who is responsible?

Implementation
Back to “What do you want them to do”?
What are they good at?
This is your unpaid employee
How do we treat employees?
Orientation, training, evaluation…
Make sure it is someone you can support

Use and Follow Up
Reporting
Evaluating
Recognition/Motivation
EVR
Recognition Continued…

Two Types of Motivation
Extrinsic
Ribbons
Trophies
Money
Free time
*Most commonly used, but not effective longterm!
Intrinsic
Recognition
Achievement
Challenge
Development
*Successful coaches emphasize intrinsic motivation!

Engaging your livestock MENTOR
Need
Recruitment
Training
Implementation
Use and Follow Up

M – Market Livestock
E – Educating Youth
N – Nurturing Youth
T – Teamwork
O – Opportunities
R – Responsibility

Volunteer’s Role as a Mentor
Serve as a mentor, or coach, to youth
Successful coaches:
Help youth develop new skills
Enjoy competing with others
Feel good about themselves
Know their subject matter
Are excellent motivators
Show empathy for youth

A Successful Mentor…
Has a defined coaching philosophy
Uses appropriate coaching styles
Communicates effectively
Gains credibility with youth
Motivates youth
Teaches effectively

Command Coaching Style
Coach makes all decisions
Assumes he is knowledgeable in all aspects of the project
Youth respond to the coach’s decisions and commands

Submissive Coaching Style
Coach takes little responsibility in decision making
Gives little guidance, instruction or direction to the youth

Cooperative Coaching Style
Decision making is shared between coach and youth
Coach values input of youth
Coach recognizes youth cannot gain responsibility unless they are involved in the decision-making process
Coach is still the leader, providing guidance and instruction during the decision-making process

Your Coaching Style
Livestock Mentors should work toward a cooperative coaching style of coaching with youth and families
Ensures:
youth are gaining responsibility
goals are being met
you are still actively involved in the project

Communication
Sending and receiving messages verbally and nonverbally
Most are better at sending than receiving!
Content: overall message, expressed verbally
Emotion: expressed nonverbally, affecting the way an individual interprets the message
70% of communication takes place nonverbally!

Gain credibility with youth
Be an active listener
Provide positive reinforcement
Have realistic expectations

Motivate the Youth
Keep projects fun
Make sure youth feel worthy and successful
Success comes from setting realistic goals and working to achieve them

Teaching Effectively
Know subject matter
Effective pass along information
Provide hands-on learning experiences
Establish creative ways of teaching
Involves research, planning, implementation and evaluation

Mentor Expectations
Provide support to youth and families enrolled in project
Provide positive, structured learning experiences for youth
Serve as a mentor/coach
Provide support and leadership for other project leaders
Involve members as junior and teen leaders to assist younger members with project
Encourage parent interest, involvement and support of 4-H activities

Mentor Expectations
Acquire advanced species and youth/volunteer development training by attending a 4-H Livestock Mentor Training
Work cooperatively with CEA to provide service back to the project
Complete a Livestock Mentor Certification Form

Benefits of Serving as a 4-H Livestock Mentor
Gain/enhance knowledge and skills
Be a significant part of the educational and developmental process for youth
Serve as a positive role model for youth
Foster the development and growth of successful youth-adult partnerships
See the impact the 4-H Program has in the county
Experience personal growth

Engaging Your Mentor

by Texas Agrilife Extension Service

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