Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 4-H
For more than 100 years, 4‑H has been the nation’s leading youth organization to welcome young people of all beliefs and backgrounds, giving youth voice to express who they are and how they make their lives and communities better.
Equity and 4-H
Access, equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential elements of 4-H’s goals related to positive youth development and organizational sustainability. For more than 20 years, 4-H has been intentional in building an organization and culture of belonging by actively inviting the contributions and participation of all youth.
As a system, Cooperative Extension believes that diverse perspectives, values, and beliefs help generate better ideas to solve the complex problems of a changing—and increasingly diverse—world.
4-H Extension's Commitment to Social Justice
Cooperative Extension has a variety of system-wide entities, embedded within 4-H with the sole purpose of advancing the critical work of access, equity, and inclusion. Each group has proven to be a valuable resource within the organization.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce
This 4-H Extension system initiative focuses on understanding implicit bias, cultural competency, social justice development, and youth development.
A professional development initiative of the 4-H Extension system focused on understanding implicit bias, cultural competency, social justice development and youth development.
Chaired by Lindsey Lunsford, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fellow Sustainable Food System Resource Specialist, Tuskegee University and Dr. Shatomi Luster-Edward CES/External Program University of Missouri Urban County Director
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Access Equity and Belonging Committee
This committee aims to increase the capacity of 4-H and the Cooperative Extension System to create a more inclusive organizational culture.
Aims to increase the capacity of 4-H and the Cooperative Extension System to create a more inclusive organizational culture.
Chaired by Dr. Fe Moncloa, 4-H Youth Development Advisor, University of California and Dr. Nia Imani Fields, Assistant Director University of Maryland Extension & State 4-H Leader
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Diversity and Inclusion Working Team
National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYD) bridges the gap for diverse groups and seeks to create an environment for inclusion and quality learning for all 4-H'ers.
National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals bridges the gap for diverse groups and seeks to create an environment for inclusion and quality learning for all 4-H'ers without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or physical or mental disability. Chaired by Erica Austin
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4-H's Investment in Equity
4-H is committed to connecting all youth to the skills, resources, and experiences needed to succeed in life through our partnerships with leading corporations.
Workforce Development
Through workforce development, we’re empowering youth with tangible and relevant skills most needed in a demanding and ever-changing work environment.
Through workforce development, we’re empowering youth with tangible and relevant skills most needed in a demanding and ever-changing work environment.
TD Ameritrade
The partnership aims to build financial literacy skills in underserved communities through Smart Cents, a signature education program that focuses on behavior changes centered around financial education. Together, we will engage over 1,250 youth in 6-10 hours of programming.
Toyota
Through Toyota’s support of the 4-H STEM Challenge, 1,550 underserved youth received free kits to offer a gateway to a STEM experience for underrepresented youth who otherwise would have been disinterested or considered themselves ill-equipped to enter STEM fields.
New York Life
Together, we partnered to create scale and sustainability for Juntos 4H, a program that helps Latino youth (grades 8 – 12) and their families gain the knowledge and skills they need to bridge the gap between high school and higher education.
JCPenney
Supports the 4-H Youth Futures initiative, an innovative one-to-one mentoring program for high-school youth, promoting college as an obtainable goal for those not typically encouraged to attend such as “first in family” and racial/ethnic minority students.
Health Equity
Through our partnerships, more youth will have access to food programs and nutrition education as they seek to cement a future not limited by poor health.
Recognizing that African American and Latinx populations are more likely impacted by health inequities, we have leveraged the power of youth as changemakers. As catalysts in their community, these health ambassadors activate at the crossroads of nutrition access, education, and advocacy. Through our partnerships, more will have access to food programs and nutrition education as youth seek to cement a future not limited by poor health.
Walmart
Through the 4-H Healthy Habits program, Walmart has assisted over 150,000 underserved youth and families with health and nutrition education. Designed to teach skills in nutrition and food access to underserved, limited-resource youth and families. The program also prepares teens as teachers to educate younger children and empower their parents and families to make healthy food choices.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Through the Well Connected Communities program, we have partnered to drive systems and environmental change through community activation and advocacy to fight health inequity at all levels.
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
The Capital and Access to Maximize Participation (CAMP) grant provides underserved children increased access to nature and character-building through 4-H’s extensive network of camps and centers.
Health Rocks!®
The Health Rocks!® program assists youth in leading lives that balance physical, mental, and emotional health while teaching skills to make healthy choices resisting tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.
UnitedHealth Care
The 4-H Healthy Futures program helps drive economic mobility outcomes for today’s youth. This program meets the immediate needs of youth and their families in low-income communities. It prepares them for a future in which they can advance economically, and as a result, live healthier lives with fewer chronic diseases.
Capacity Building
Our partners have been instrumental in helping advance inclusive, equitable, and sustainable programming for America’s youth.
Our partners have been instrumental in helping accelerate and strengthen our ability to innovate and advance inclusive, equitable, and sustainable programming for America’s youth. This support includes resources for the entire 4-H System, as well as 1890s* institution’s research, scholarships & programming.
*1890s includes all historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Cooperative Extension system that are Land Grant Universities.
Bechtel
Provided funding to develop resources in equity and inclusion to grow the capacity of 4-H professionals across the 4-H system while also supporting the growth of evaluation capabilities of 4-H 1890s institutions.
Bayer
Distributed 600 STEM Challenge kits to twenty 1890 Land Grant Universities and First Book, reaching an estimated 15,000 underserved youth.
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
The Capital and Access to Maximize Participation (CAMP) grant provides underserved children increased access to nature and character-building through 4-H’s extensive network of camps and centers.
OJJDP
Dedicated to providing mentoring opportunities to underserved audiences with the highest community distress indexes. The partnership seeks to provide a significant impact on youth feelings of support from adults and peers and to improve the ability to interact positively with peers. All activities that, according to research, improve self-esteem, academic performance, and overall well-being.
Nationwide
Provides civic engagement programming support for 1890s institutions with scholarships to attend Citizen Washington Focus.
Google is committed to providing funding and resources to reach 1 million youth with computer science access – specifically, exposing teen girls to mentorship and leadership roles (60%), reaching youth who are racially diverse (24%), and teens from rural communities where resources to technology are limited (50%).
Youth Voice
In 4-H, we believe in the power of young people. We see that every child has valuable strengths and real influence to improve the world around us. We believe that young people are agents of change and are using that voice to drive change in communities across America.
Professional Development
The True Leaders in Equity Institute consists of 4-H youth and adult teams supported by Extension directors and state 4-H program leaders who come together to share how equity, access, and belonging can empower youth to find their voices so they can create system change in their local communities.
State Spotlights
Get inspired by featured programs developed by Cooperative Extension.
4-H Latino Youth Outreach: Best Practices Toolkit
Juntos 4-H
Soccer & 4-H @ Home! Summer Program for All Youth Issues
The 4-H Youth Futures Conference
Resources
Explore the resources below to learn more about 4-H’s commitment to social justice and advancing the critical work of access, equity, and inclusion.
National 4-H Council Equity Toolkit
4-H Social Justice Youth Development: Guide for Youth Development Professionals
Safe Space
2021 4-H Equity Strategic Plan
True Leaders: Culture, Power and Justice Curriculum
Rooted in a social justice youth development framework, this curriculum helps youth explore their identities, new cultures, different perspectives, and the histories that have shaped power and privilege within our communities.
Talent Is Everywhere, Opportunity Is Not.
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Let's Close the Opportunity Gap. Together.
Learn how 4-H is listening to young people, learning from our allies, and investing in positive youth development to eliminate the opportunity gap for all kids.
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