Pioneer in Oregon 4-H Latino outreach and Cloverbuds inducted into National 4-H Hall of Fame

CORVALLIS, Ore. — The learning curve was steep for Beverly Hobbs in the 1990s when she began leading an initiative to attract Latino families to 4-H.

Extremely steep.

“It was a straight line up,” said Hobbs, who then was only a few years into her career in the Oregon State University Extension Service’s 4-H Youth Development Program.

Under Hobbs’s leadership her team designed, implemented and evaluated culturally responsive 4-H programs to attract Latino youth and families. Hobbs was eventually invited by other states for individual consultations as well as teaching workshops at eight national conferences.

“It was such a learning experience for me, and a life-changing one,” Hobbs said. “It’s definitely one of the proudest moments of my whole career.”

Hobbs was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame on Monday evening at the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals conference in Boise, Idaho. She and 14 other individuals were honored for their exceptional leadership at the local, state, national and international levels.

Hobbs’s successes over her 15-year OSU career were recognized by 4-H faculty both internally and externally and influenced the development of 4-H programs within Oregon and across the nation. She was inducted into the Oregon 4-H Hall of Fame in 2016.

Even with her accomplishments, Hobbs said she was surprised when she received the news earlier this year of her national Hall of Fame induction.

“I had absolutely no idea,” she said. “I prefer to stay in the background, so the attention is uncomfortable for me. But I am honored to be recognized in this way.”

In her leadership in Latino outreach, Hobbs worked with local Latino groups and county 4-H faculty to create culturally responsive after-school programs targeting the interests of Latino youths. While some programs included traditional 4-H subject areas, many introduced new areas of interests including exploration of technology, cultural and performing arts, and soccer.

Hobbs developed a curriculum, “Que Rico,” that became available nationally, produced a video designed to explain 4-H and recruit Latino participation that was distributed in over 30 states, and was co-leader for the 4-H National Learning Priorities Team: Expanding Outreach to New and Underserved Audiences.

When I started my position as 4-H specialist, I noted that while the numbers of Latino youths in Oregon schools was increasing annually, few Latino youths participated in 4-H. The obvious question was, ‘Why aren’t they participating?’ Initially we heard that Latino families didn’t seem interested. But looking deeper we soon learned that it was our lack of connection with the community that was the problem. A dedicated effort of outreach was needed.”

Hobbs and others noted that recruitment materials and meeting announcements were only in English.

“We also knew we had to hire staff who could speak Spanish,” she said.

From 1997-2009, Hobbs secured $1.8 million for Oregon’s Latino outreach efforts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, foundations and other sources. These programs resulted in a 400% increase in participation by Latino youths in Oregon 4-H programs.

Creating Cloverbuds

Hobbs was also instrumental in creating what is now known as the 4-H Cloverbuds Program. Cloverbuds, serving children ages 5-8, was initially called The Oregon Adventures Program.

The program supports a child’s natural curiosity, enthusiasm for learning and high energy levels by giving them an opportunity for active learning while promoting social, mental, emotional and physical development.

“Our guiding principles came from what we know about the developmental needs and characteristics of the children in that age group,” Hobbs said. “Our 4-H program at the older levels can be competitive. Competitive learning is inappropriate for younger children.

“As we developed curriculum and designed training for the leaders of this age group, we always went back to: ‘What does the research tell us?’ We didn’t want a program designed for older youth superimposed on younger children.”

Hobbs grew up in the northeastern United States and was a 4-H member for 10 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire and began her professional career as an elementary school teacher.

In 1993, Hobbs earned a doctorate in education from OSU and soon after was hired as an OSU Extension 4-H Youth Development specialist. She retired in 2009.

Hobbs’s awards include an Achievement in Service Award, Distinguished Service Award and and Meritorious Service Award — all from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals. She and her teams also received the association’s National Diversity Award and the Educational Technology Award as well as awards for video program and promotional piece from the Association for Communication Excellence.

National 4-H Hall of Fame honorees are nominated by their home states, National 4-H Council, the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP), or the Division of Youth and 4-H, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

The National 4-H Hall of Fame was established in 2002 as part of the Centennial Project of National Association of Extension 4-H Agents in partnership with National 4-H Council and National 4-H Headquarters at USDA.

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