Dr. Patricia A. Hendricks and The Targeting Life Skills Model: An Oral History

Abstract

The targeting life skills model created by Dr. Patricia A. Hendricks represents the skills developed by youths participating in 4-H. The model is used to identify desired learning and action outcomes of positive youth development programs. An article related to the origins and validation of the model was never published. This oral history describes Hendricks’s Extension background, explains the circumstances that led her to create the model, traces the model’s genesis, and reveals why the model lacks empirical validation and confirmation. The research-referenced, universally accepted model remains a valuable and systematic approach to planning and engaging youths in high-quality youth development experiences.