The mission of the University of California 4-H Youth Development Program is to engage youth in reaching their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development.

4-H is the brand-name identity for ANR (Agriculture and Natural Resourse) youth development efforts.

Actions and decisions at all levels of the Youth Develpoment Program will be guided by the following core values:

•  Support the UC/ANR mission and strategic assumptions,
• Recognize that UC/ANR professional provide the youth development framework for volunteers and other cooperators who bring the knowledge, experience and passion to work with youth in their communities.
• Appreciate, respect and value diversity through a committment to inclusion of diverse Californians.
• Respond to local needs within a context of statement criteria, practices and priorities for 4-H Youth Development programming.
• Innovate to maximize impact and resources while documenting the unique youth development contributions of our 4-H Youth Development Programs.

To be included as part of the 4-H Youth Development program, programs will have to meet all of the following citeria:

• The CA 4-H YD Program is focused on addressing significant environmental, economic and social issues affecting California's youth, families, and communities.
• The CA 4-H YD Program is based on a proven experiential education model that creates an educational climate through planned learning by exploring, doing and receiving feedback.
• The CA 4-H YD Program is conducted with content and delivery systems consistent with a statewide 4-H Youth Development framework offering Citizenship, Leadership and Life Skills Development.
• The CA 4-H YD Program is consistent with research in youth development, education, or other appropriate fields.
• The CA 4-H YD Program is a contributor to research and/or extension of knowledge in youth development
• The CA 4-H YD Program is able to demonstrate, or likely to demonstrate, through research and/or evaluative data, a positive impact on youth served.
• The CA 4-H YD Program is connected to, or has the potential to connect to UC or other campus-based faculty, programs and/or resources.
• The CA 4-H YD Program is accessible and open to diverse audiences.
• The CA 4-H YD Program is balanced in terms of assessing, managing, and monintoring the risk of potential problems to ensure program safety and achievement of key objectives defined by ANR's risk management program.
• The CA 4-H YD Program is balanced so as to optimize the impact for clientele and the field of youth development. The impact achieved will be weighed against the resources inverted at the statewide and local level.