Photo of Emily Alger at the 2017 CAHNR Awards and Honors Event, courtesy of Defining Studios. National 4-H Common Measures UConn 4-H is one of 10 states selected for a pilot program to implement Common Measures program evaluation. The evaluation instruments Common Measures 1.0 and Common Measures 2.0 were created by National 4-H to help 4-H staff with planning and assessing local, state, and regional programs. Common Measures are designed to measure the impacts of 4-H programs in science, healthy living, citizenship, college/ career readiness, and positive youth development. Common Measures goal is to establish a common core of youth outcomes and indicators consistent with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Plan of Work system. This includes using information from a national database for evaluating, improving and reporting on programs and their impacts. The 2012 study conducted by Payne & McDonald, Using Common Evaluation Instruments Across Multi-State Community Programs: A Pilot Study, examines the benefits of using a common set of evaluation instruments. Read more about it online at joe.org/joe/2012august/ rb2.php. “You never have to tell 4-H members about the importance of community service. The 4-H program is a culture of helping others.” it, they want to teach another youth to do that job. They want to be the person who passes that on. They recognize they don’t have the time or space to be traditional club leaders, but they recognize how important the program has been to their life,” she says. Emily was also destined to be around animals. As a 4-H member her project work focused on smaller animals such as poultry and rabbits. It wasn’t until she graduated from college that she got her first horse. She initially began volunteering with the 4-H horse program, serving on the State 4-H Horse Advisory Committee and helping to put on horse shows. This led to her current role as the statewide 4-H Equine Program Coordinator. Emily works extensively with UConn Equine Extension Specialist, Dr. Jenifer Nadeau. Both bring a wealth of personal experience and knowledge to the UConn 4-H Horse Program. Emily feels the pro- gram is well respected. Very few youths in Connecticut have the luxury of owning a horse, so Emily and Jen have started doing things a little differently. One example involves working with training stables to foster the academic portion of the horse project while giving youth access to horses they cannot own or have in their backyard. They have also begun to work with rescue groups. When asked why UConn Extension and the 4-H Program matter, Emily is quick to respond that Extension work is vital. “You never have to tell 4-H members about the importance of community service. The 4-H program is a culture of helping others. So many of the things that we naturally teach in 4-H are missing from other aspects of society. 4-H members are connected to caring adults who stand by them and encourage them when they are not holding up their end of the bargain. They understand how to be respectful and conduct themselves in public. Ultimately, 4-H celebrates our youth individually for the skills they bring to the table. 2017 HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTENSION 27 TOOLS & TRAINING