4-H Science Program Sets Its Sights on Urban Youth

As trained 4-H SET Ambassadors, high school students will provide 4-H SET programming in after-school programs such as this one in Trenton

Forty-five high school students from Camden, Hackensack, Paterson, and Trenton are participating in a unique Rutgers NJAES residential 4-H science program for urban youths from July 6 to 10 on the George H. Cook Campus in New Brunswick.

These urban youths, most of whom will be enjoying their first 4-H experience, will participate in several hands-on activities as they explore animal, marine, environmental, and food sciences taught by Rutgers faculty. Through these activities, these teens will gain a better understanding of opportunities available in science, engineering, and technology (SET).

"The students are very excited about the opportunity to spend a week with Rutgers scientists--touring their labs, learning about their research, and how their work is applicable to our daily lives. The opportunity to live on campus for a week and get a taste of university life, is an important time for them, as they think about their futures and where they want to be in a few years," said Chad Ripberger, Rutgers Cooperative Extension 4-H agent, Mercer County and one of the organizers of the program.

4-H has slowly been evolving since the early days of the 20th century where it began as a way to extend agricultural education to rural youth through activities that emphasized "learning by doing" and by organizing boys and girls clubs. Through the years, the overall objective of 4-H has remained the same: the development of youth as individuals and as responsible and productive citizens, but the 21st century model of 4-H has expanded to serve a variety of communities, including specific programming for urban youths.

Participants in this first-ever science program targeted to urban youths have completed their freshman year in high school. They were selected based on recommendations by their teachers and participated in an extensive application process that included writing an essay and being interviewed by their local 4-H staff. Each teenager in the program will give a minimum of 50 hours of service to their local 4-H program, agreeing to work with 4-H staff in their home communities to provide science-focused, after-school and summer programming to younger youth and children.

Key collaborators in this week's program are 4-H of Bergen, Camden, Essex, Mercer, and Passaic counties and 4-H SET staff who have worked to expand the Rutgers NJAES outreach in the urban communities of the state and create interest and competency in the areas of science, engineering, and technology.

The 4-H emblem of a four-leaf clover, patented in 1924, came to signify Head, Heart, Hands, and Health--and has been universally used since then.

Resources

• July 6-10 Schedule of Events
• Bergen County 4-H Program
• Essex County 4-H Program
• Mercer County 4-H Program

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