The WSU Extension Juntos 4-H program is helping Latinx youth and their families plan for life after high school.
Developed in 2007 by North Carolina State University and part of the National 4-H Council since 2015, Juntos 4-H provides five-week workshops that teach effective communication and tips for managing the transition from middle to high school and from high school to higher education. Outreach coordinators have brought these workshops to eighth through twelfth graders in select counties across the state since 2021, when WSU Extension first offered the program.
Alex Martinez is the WSU Extension Juntos 4-H Latinx coordinator in Whatcom County, where Latinx youth comprise more than 35% of the school districts.
“We teach why it’s important to make higher education a family goal,” he said. “In our final workshops, we talk to the youth and their families about what to expect when graduating from high school and preparing for college.”
In Chelan County, where Latinx youth comprise more than half of the school districts, WSU Extension Juntos 4-H Program Coordinator Isabel Sanchez maintains a connection with those who have completed the program.
“I’m very happy to still be in touch with families from the first graduating cohort,” Sanchez said.
For many students, the program provides a boost of confidence.
“The Juntos 4-H students were very nervous to begin eighth grade, but by the end of the year, they wanted to practice their public speaking skills by leading Juntos information sessions in Spanish for their peers and families,” she said.
Sanchez said the students are also more comfortable and engaged in school, traits that will set them up for long-lasting future success.
“It is very special to have been part of their academic journeys,” she said. “There’s no greater privilege than building trust with these students and their families.”