Development of youth leadership life skills of Texas youth as San Antonio Livestock Exposition school tour guides

Many youth organizations, including 4-H, FFA, and Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), offer countless opportunities for their members to learn and further develop leadership life skills that are important in becoming contributing members of society as adults. The purpose of this study was to determine if Texas 4-H, FFA, and FCCLA members were developing leadership life skills as school tour guides at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition. Additionally, demographic characteristics were evaluated to determine which of these characteristics affected leadership life skills development. Demographic characteristics evaluated included gender, age, ethnicity, youth organization membership, years of membership, years of experience as a school tour guide, and previous leadership skills training. The target population was Texas 4-H, FFA, and FCCLA members who served as school tour guides at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition. School tour guides referred to the 4-H, FFA, FCCLA members who imparted their personal knowledge of agriculture to elementary-aged students from San Antonio and surrounding area schools that requested an educational tour at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition. There were 1,691 school tour guides on the days of February 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, and 18, 2004. All school tour guides returning for the afternoon exit-meeting during the 2004 San Antonio Livestock Exposition were asked to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire was a 28-item survey instrument that was based on the scales: Working with Groups, Understanding Self, Communicating, Making Decisions, and Leadership. Conclusions showed school tour guides had developed leadership life skills. The most influential demographic characteristics were gender, previous leadership experiences, and ethnicity. Females and those participants who had had previous leadership experiences had stronger perceptions of their leadership life skills. In addition, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and Anglos all had stronger perceptions of their leadership life skills when compared to Native Americans. As a result of this study, the researcher recommends that youth should be encouraged to participate as school tour guides at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition. School tour guides had developed leadership life skills. In addition, youth should also be encouraged to participate in other leadership-development activities through other programs to further develop and enhance their leadership life skills