4-H Science Research
During 2007 and 2008, 4-H National Headquarters and National 4-H Council began work with the nation’s Land-Grant Universities (LGU) to develop a plan of action for 4-H Science programming. In addition to outlining the LGUs’ goals, objectives and strategies for implementing 4-H Science within their states, National 4-H Council contracted independent researchers to evaluate the outcomes of the 4-H Science initiatives.
Conducted in the fall/winter of 2008, the Implementation Study was designed to evaluate six major areas of LGUs and their implementation 4-H Science programming Some of the findings included:
- Partnerships: Seventy-one percent of responding LGUs reported having some type of partnership to support 4-H Science programming.
- Staffing and Professional Development: Eighty-four percent of LGUs who provided 4-H Science professional development reported using the train-the-trainer format.
- Funding: Seventy-eight percent of LGU’s reported seeking private grants as well as government funding.
In early 2009, 4-H also evaluated and measured the youth experience in the areas of science, engineering, technology and applied math (STEM), resulting in the Youth, Engagement, Attitudes and Knowledge (YEAK) Report.
The study found that 4-H Science has a positive impact on youth interest and engagement in STEM-related programs. Respondents to the survey reported having high educational aspirations and more than 80 percent indicated that they intend to finish college or pursue post-baccalaureate education.