Increasing membership and recruiting new individuals is often a top priority for groups.  One of the best ways to get young people involved and wanting to join your group is to make them feel they are an appreciated and welcomed part of the group.  This sense of belonging expressed as a fun and friendly environment is sure to boost youth involvement!  A sense of belonging is not only a great way to increase involvement, but it is also a crucial part of healthy youth development.   In fact belonging is one concept considered to be an essential part of all 4-H youth development programs.  Let’s take a closer look at how we can build that sense of belonging so important for healthy development by creating a welcoming inclusive environment. 

An inclusive environment makes all members feel that they are an important part of the group. 

We know this is true when youth:

• encourage each other during activities such as group activities, public speaking, sports events, or  academic challenges
• feel they belong to a specific group while knowing they also are part of a larger community, state and national organization
• feel free to invite friends and welcome new youth to events throughout the year
• involve everyone right from the beginning through get acquainted activities

Here are ways to create an inclusive environment:

• Actively seek out others to diversify your group.  By having members with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences members gain rich experiences learning about people, places and working with others they might otherwise not have.
• Provide many forms of recognition, not just to those who excel in competition with other youth.  Verbal praise for teamwork– encourage cooperation, instead of competition.
• Greet guests as they arrive.  Call them by name.  Introduce yourself.
• Buddy system- partner up a new/potential youth with an experienced youth.  Sit by one another, visit, and share information about 4-H or your group.
• Have a suggestion box or poster where members can write comments.
• Use roll call topics that ask questions about member interests.
• Confront cliques and behaviors that exclude someone in the group.
• A welcoming environment is one in which members’ feel that others are glad that they are there…making them more likely to return!  Try an icebreaker activity like the one below to make potential members feel welcome.

Icebreaker Interviews: Pick a partner and do a quick interview with them and report back to the group. Name:

• One unique thing about the person
• One thing they have in common
• The person’s favorite movie
• The person’s favorite book
• The person’s favorite food.