The Chenango County 4-H Program recently received a boost for its programming efforts when it was awarded one of three funded statewide NYS 4-H Foundation Grant Projects in late December. The grant, written to increase 4-H collaboration with Chenango County Afterschool and school enrichment programs, allows the 4-H program to increase its efforts in bringing hands-on experiential learning to Chenango County students.

The grant, totaling $10,000, allows Chenango County Cornell Cooperative Extension to hire an intern coordinator to work with Extension Educators to plan, implement, and evaluate 4-H Afterschool Programming. Katlin Smith, intern and senior 4-H member from South Plymouth, will be working to bring the Chenango County 4-H After-School Program to school districts, after-school child care facilities, and home school groups throughout the county. She is currently in the process of developing materials to promote program efforts and will begin contacting schools to discuss collaborative efforts between 4-H and school districts.

“Our goal is to work with each school district in some capacity to increase the effectiveness of both programs. We can offer educational opportunities not necessarily found in the traditional school setting using national 4-H curriculum that is reviewed by educators and designed to meet NYS learning standards” states Agriculture Educator Janet Pfromm. “The NYS 4-H Foundation Grant gives us the opportunity to offer educational programming at little to no cost to school districts”.

While 4-H is traditionally known for its roots in agriculture, the program has so much more to offer, including public speaking, science and technology, environmental studies, and consumer science.

The basis of the 4-H Program, and the 4-H Afterschool Program, is to educate by experiential learning, making meaning from what youth do through hands-on activities. 4-H Afterschool is a program that can offer the following to Chenango County students: