Media Room

Land-Grant University Leader and 4‑H Young Alum Elected as Representatives to the National 4‑H Council Board of Trustees

National 4‑H Council has announced the election of two new leaders to its Board of Trustees  –  Dr. Jon Boren, Associate Dean and Director of New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service, and Abby Durheim, 4‑H Young Alumni Advisory Committee member and a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Organizations Partner to Combat the Digital Divide by Launching Searchable Wi-Fi Map for Needed Broadband Connections

Several partner organizations today announced the launch of the American Connection Project (ACP) interactive Wi-Fi map. The map provides a free resource to help the public locate more than 2,000 free Wi-Fi locations in 49 U.S. states, with more than half at local 4‑H Cooperative Extension offices.

New Survey Finds That 83 Percent of Teens Acknowledge That Systemic Racism is an Issue and They Want to be Included in the National Conversation Around Social Justice

A new survey commissioned by National 4‑H Council finds that teens are feeling angry, overwhelmed and stressed about the current state of social unrest in the country. Eighty-three percent of teens surveyed acknowledged that systemic racism is an issue in the U.S. with nearly half of Black and Hispanic teens noting they worry they could be treated differently because of their race. The survey, conducted in July 2020, is one of the first to examine the impact of racism and the call for social justice on teens today.

4‑H Launches Opportunity4All, a Campaign to Eliminate the Opportunity Gap for Young People Across America

As the impact of COVID-19 continues to scale, widening education, economic and health gaps are threatening to leave millions of kids behind. 4‑H, one of the nation’s largest youth development organizations, is taking a stand with its belief that opportunity should not be pre-determined by any person’s zip code, ethnicity, skin color, or income with the announcement of Opportunity4All, a new campaign to eliminate the opportunity gap and create better, brighter futures for all kids today.

Leading Finance Executive joins National 4‑H Council as Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

National 4 H Council is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Gary Tang, CFA. As a senior member of Council’s Executive Team, Tang will be responsible for the development and implementation of financial and operational plans to support National 4‑H Council.

New Survey Finds 7 in 10 Teens Are Struggling with Mental Health

A new survey commissioned by National 4‑H Council finds that 7 in 10 teens are struggling with their mental health in the wake of COVID-19. More than half of those surveyed shared that the pandemic has increased their feelings of loneliness, with 64 percent believing it will have a lasting impact on their mental health.

New Survey Finds Teens Believe Access to Healthy Food Is a Basic Human Right and In the Wake of COVID-19 Youth AIM to Solve the Food Insecurity Problem

A new survey commissioned by National 4‑H Council found that 88 percent of U.S. teens believe having access to healthy food is a basic human right, though a majority say that unhealthy options are easier to access and more cost-effective. As COVID-19 continues to negatively impact the economy and create impossible situations for families struggling with food security and access, 4‑H teens from across the country are stepping up their efforts to solve the problem through service and cooking.

Leading Executive of Meredith Corporation Elected to National 4‑H Council Board of Trustees

National 4‑H Council has announced the election of a new Trustee to its Board, Alysia Borsa, who will bring years of experience developing data-driven marketing strategies to inform and grow 4‑H’s reach and impact.

New Survey Finds Teens Without Access to High-Speed Internet Are Less Likely to Believe They Can Achieve the American Dream

A new survey by National 4‑H Council and Microsoft Corp. found that teens without broadband Internet access are less optimistic about their social and economic mobility.

Twenty-one million people living in the United States, including 17 million living in rural communities, do not have access to broadband Internet, according to the Federal Communications Commission, making a challenge out of everyday tasks like looking for jobs, applying to college and connecting with peers. The survey examines what this lack of high-speed Internet means for young people, and the results indicate these challenges create barriers to opportunity and can have a long-lasting impact on young people.

National 4‑H Council Selects Aramark Leisure Services to Manage National 4‑H Conference Center

After a multi-year analysis, National 4‑H Council has selected Aramark to manage all operations of the National 4‑H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, MD. This new partnership aims to maximize value and ensure a healthy future for the Center, which has operated independently since 1959.

Celebrity Chef Carla Hall Partners with 4‑H to Serve as 4‑H Healthy Habits Program Ambassador

The Walmart Foundation has awarded a $3 million grant to National 4‑H Council to reach over 250,000 youth and their communities with essential nutrition education through the 4‑H Healthy Habits Program in 2020. Since 2012, National 4‑H Council, through funding from the Walmart Foundation, has impacted over one million young people with healthy living programming, focusing on underserved populations who face challenges in achieving positive health outcomes nationwide.

CEOs, 4‑H Young Alum Elected to National 4‑H Council Board

National 4‑H Council has announced the election of three new Trustees to its Board – James C. Collins, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Corteva Agriscience; Wade Miquelon, Chief Executive Officer, JOANN; and Tennessee 4‑H alumnus Justin Cross, Young Alumni Advisory Committee (YAAC) Representative.

Facebook Visionary and 4‑H Alum Wants Access to STEM for All Youth and Commits $1M Investment to Support 4‑H

National 4‑H Council and notable 4‑H alum, Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth, announce a one-million-dollar donation to support 4‑H in bringing access to hands-on science, technology, and math (STEM) learning opportunities to youth across the country.

NBC News Learn and National 4‑H Council Launch "4‑H Inspires Kids to Do" Video Series

Today, NBC News Learn launched “4‑H Inspires Kids to Do,” an original video series featuring youth making a difference across the United States. These young adults lead programs, supported by 4‑H, which tackle the most challenging issues in their local communities.

University Leader Named New Extension Health Director

During a meeting of the Well Connected Communities (WCC) National Advisory Committee today, Dr. Roger Rennekamp was introduced as the new Extension Health Director for the Cooperative Extension System. In his role supporting the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, Rennekamp will explore strategies that scale communities through the WCC initiative into system-wide opportunities for policy and health equity change and enhance the leadership of Cooperative Extension in the field of health.

4‑H National Youth Science Day Inspires Over 250,000 Young People to Explore Computer Science in October

During the month of October, over 250,000 youth will become game changers, learning how to use computer science skills to make a difference in their communities, through the 12th annual 4‑H National Youth Science Day (4‑H NYSD).

National 4‑H Council and Bayer Extend Science Matters Partnership to Build Future Leaders in Agri-Science

In order to help accelerate the skills needed to secure the future of food and agriculture, National 4‑H Council and Bayer have announced a multi-million, multi-year commitment to expand the reach and impact of the Science Matters initiative.

National 4‑H Council and the United States Air Force Team Up to Deliver STEM Education

National 4‑H Council has announced a $150,000 grant from the United States Air Force to expose more young people to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

National 4‑H Council and Nationwide Partner to Build ‘Leaders in the Field’ and Diversity in Agriculture

National 4‑H Council is pleased to announce a collaborative partnership with Nationwide, one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States, to build a diverse pipeline of youth leaders in agriculture with a commitment of $1 million through 2022.

4‑H & Google Expand Access to Free Computer Science Education to One Million Youth Across the Country

Today National 4‑H Council announced a new $6 million collaboration with Google to bring computer science (CS) education to underserved youth across the country. The collaboration will expand the 4‑H Computer Science (CS) Career Pathway to reach more than one million youth over the next three years, with a focus on rural youth and populations that have traditionally had limited access to CS education.

Additional press releases can be found in the Media Room Archive.

About 4‑H

4‑H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, 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. 4‑H is the youth development program of our nation’s Cooperative Extension System and USDA, and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3000 local Extension 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.

Learn more about 4‑H at www.4‑H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4‑H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.

CONTACT 4‑H

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