The National 4-H Council Marketing & Communications Team, in partnership with Vanguard Communications in Washington, D.C., have created a promotional toolkit to prepare and support 4-H staff, 4-H volunteers and 4-H members as they share the findings from the 4-H Study of PYD with stakeholders in their communities. The toolkit is available at 4-hbrandnetwork.org and includes:

• internal messages worksheets for external audiences, families, funders and policy makers;
  
• customizable press release, public service announcements, PowerPoint presentation, drop-in article, flyer and form letter; a tip sheet for growing healthier, happier teens;
  
• 4-H Insights handouts that focus on civic engagement and contribution; and
  
• a four-color graphic that illustrates that youth in 4-H clubs are 41 percent more likely to contribute to themselves, their families and their communities, compared to youth in other activities (28 percent) or no activities at all (17 percent).
  
• a how-to package with tips on how to use the items in the promotional kit.
  

We hope that you will tell us about your successes and best practices around sharing the results of the 4-H Study of PYD with stakeholders by using the “Tell Us” feature on 4-hbrandnetwork.org or contacting Laura Phillips Garner, director of marketing and communications, National 4-H Council, at lgarner@fourhcouncil.edu.

National 4-H Council and Vanguard also are working with Dr. Lerner’s publicists at Crown Publishing to coordinate promotion of the 4-H Study of PYD with Dr. Lerner’s book. The Good Teen is now available at national booksellers and amazon.com.

State 4-H Programs can still get youth involved in the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. State 4-H Programs that want to take part in the study can contact Jo Turner at TurnerLJ@missouri.edu or 573-884-5112 for more information.

Look for more information about the 4-H Study of PYD in the coming weeks through Clover Corner News and at 4-hbrandnetwork.org. Questions about promotion of the 4-H Study by the 4-H System are welcome and can be directed to Laura Phillips Garner, director of marketing communications, National 4-H Council, at lgarner@fourhcouncil.edu.