USA Science and Engineering Festival: The Blog

As the nation's largest youth development organization - with a network of more than 6 million young people - 4-H prepares youth to move our world forward. Through out-of-school programming, in-school enrichment programs and camps, 4-H cultivates the next generation of leaders, strengthening our nation's ability to tackle leading challenges such as global competitiveness, world hunger, civic involvement, and becoming a healthier society.

One Million New Scientists, One Million New Ideas
4-H is working to address our nation's critical scientific workforce challenges by preparing one million new young people to excel in the areas of science, engineering, and technology by the year 2013. To aid in this effort, 4-H National Youth Science Day was created to spark an early youth interest in science. On Wednesday, October 6, 2010, the third annual 4-H National Youth Science Day, will bring together hundreds of thousands of youth around the nation to complete a single science experiment. This year, the National Science Experiment, 4-H2O, focuses on water quality and climate change - two critical issues facing our global community today.

In addition, 4-H Robotics programming provides young people with the opportunity to explore robotics in a hands-on way while gaining exposure to the educational and career prospects of the field of engineering. The fundamental 4-H ideal of practical, learning-by-doing encourages young people to experiment, innovate, and think independently. Today, more than 400,000 4-H youth are actively engaged in robotics and engineering programs and this number is expected to grow in tandem with the new 4-H Robotics curriculum that will be released nationwide later this year.

Creating the Next Generation of Leaders in Every Country in the Nation
As the youth development program of Cooperative Extension and USDA, 4-H is directly connected to the research and resources of 109 land-grant universities and colleges and more than 3,000 local county Extension offices across the nation. This connection strategically positions 4-H to help grow the next generation of science leaders and strengthen the nation's ability to tackle the world's top challenges such as energy independence, healthcare and the environment. 4-H programs are further supported by 514,000 dedicated adult volunteers around the nation who help to put 4-H youth on a path towards successful careers.

4-H programs engage and excite young people in today's high-demand industries. Whether youth are expanding upon 4-H's tradition of agricultural science through learning about genetic engineering, agro-robotics, and sustainable agriculture or diving into some of the newest programs in the areas of wind energy, rocketry or computer science, there is always something rewarding and exciting for every child.

To learn more about how you can participate in 4-H Science initiatives, including 4-H National Youth Science Day on October 6th, visit us at www.4-H.org/NYSD