Chevy Chase, MD (February 22, 2017) — National 4-H Council today announced that Ava Lonneman, 17, of Mogadore, Ohio, was selected as winner of the 2017 Youth In Action Pillar Award for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Lonneman will be recognized nationally for establishing herself as a leading youth advocate and organizer for STEM education, reaching more than 1,600 youth with hands-on programming in three years.
Since she began high school, Lonneman has engaged more than 1,000 of her peers in large-scale events designed to help young people develop interest in STEM fields. Last year Lonneman built on this success by founding the Bio-Med Science Academy 4-H Afterschool Makers Club. Through the club, she and her classmates use hands-on learning to both deepen their STEM skills and help other young people find a passion for STEM. The club’s mentoring project reached more than 600 middle schoolers last year, and Lonneman is planning to expand its reach this year.
“When I was young, I remember hearing from a classmate, ‘STEM isn’t for girls,” recalls Lonneman. “But even from an early age, I knew that STEM was my passion. My goal is to help other young people – and especially other girls – realize that STEM is fun, and that success is within your reach. Through STEM and 4-H, I’ve seen an incredible improvement in the confidence, leadership skills, and sense of community of the teen STEM leaders in my after-school Makers Club.”
Lonneman will receive a $5,000 scholarship for higher education and will serve as an advocate and spokesperson for 4-H STEM programming. She will be officially recognized as the 2017 4-H Youth in Action Pillar Winner for STEM, sponsored by HughesNet, at the 4-H Legacy Awards in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, March 21, 2017.
“Ava’s passion for STEM is contagious and sharing that passion with her peers is exactly what is needed to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians,” said Peter Gulla, senior vice president of marketing, Hughes Network Systems. “Together with 4-H, we are bringing hands-on STEM learning to the communities we serve. Ava’s work is a true inspiration to see what one individual can do to help others uncover, encourage and empower their STEM knowledge and skills.”
Lonneman is joined in her role as a 2017 Youth in Action Pillar Winner by Samuel Sugarman, Agriculture Pillar Winner; Amelia Day, Citizenship Pillar Winner; and Bryanne Sanchez, Healthy Living Pillar Winner.
The 4-H Youth In Action Awards, sponsored in part by HughesNet, began in 2010 to recognize 4-H’ers who have overcome challenges and used the knowledge they gained in 4-H to create a lasting impact in their community. This award highlights youth in each of 4-H’s core areas of Agriculture, Citizenship, Healthy Living and STEM. These four pillars represent the fields in which 4-H youth excel on a national level and align with the mission mandates of National 4-H Council.
To learn more about Youth In Action or to see the other pillar winners from around the country, please visit Youth in Action.
To schedule an interview contact: Ashley Hughley, Ohio 4‑H Educator (hughey.28@osu.edu | 330-296-6432) or Sally McClaskey, Ohio State 4‑H Staff (mcclaskey.12@osu.edu |614-247-8141).
As the nation’s largest youth development organization, 4-H grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for career tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. In the U.S., 4-H serves every county and parish through our network of 110 universities and more than 3,000 local offices. Globally, 4-H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries.
The research-backed 4-H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs. 4-H is led by a unique private-public partnership of universities, federal and local government agencies, foundations and professional associations. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Learn more about 4-H at prod.four-h.himumsaiddad.com, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4-H.
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) is the global leader in satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative solutions and a comprehensive suite of HughesON™ managed services for enterprises and governments worldwide. HughesNet® is the #1 high-speed satellite Internet service in the marketplace, with offerings to suit every budget. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 5 million systems to customers in more than 100 countries, representing approximately 50 percent market share. Its products employ global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1.
Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes operates sales and support offices worldwide, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), a premier global provider of satellite operations and digital TV solutions. For additional information about Hughes, please visit www.hughes.com.
