4-H & Beyond: Youth Development & Educator Training

4-H and Beyond—Youth Development and Educator Training is a statewide initiative designed to increase the STEM programming capacity of Oklahoma 4-H through the development of new curricula and by expanding the organization’s reach past traditional boundaries.

Curriculum modules, lesson plans, STEM kits, and instructional videos will be developed with support from NSF EPSCoR researchers in topic areas including carbon and the environment, water conservation, renewable energy and more. The material will be used to expand 4-H’s reach to a larger youth audience in local communities across Oklahoma, including YMCA, boys and girls clubs, and after-school programs. By expanding professional development to community groups and providing enhanced “train-the-trainer” opportunities for 4-H affiliates, a cadre of STEM educators will be trained and embedded across the state.

The program is expected to train more than 800 non-traditional STEM educators and provide relevant, hands-on STEM education to over 15,000 K-12 students during the five-year award (2020-2025).

For questions about the program, contact Jeff Sallee at jeff.sallee@okstate.edu.

• Access STEM curriculum and activities sponsored by OK NSF EPSCoR