4-H Positive Youth Development
Summer of Science STEM Enrichment for Children Experiencing Poverty and Immigrant and Refugee Families
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Children experiencing poverty have less access to enrichment activities, contributing to an achievement gap between them and their more affluent classmates. This gap accelerates during summer months, when children from low resource backgrounds tend to fall behind in grade equivalency compared to their peers. This condition can be especially acute for children living in public housing neighborhoods, including many of Maine’s immigrant and refugee families in the metro areas of Portland and Lewiston. Access to STEM enrichment activities leads to improved academic success, more educational attainment, and better employment opportunities.
Response
UMaine Extension created the 4-H Summer of Science (SOS) in 2012 to: 1) improve youth aspirations in STEM, 2) introduce STEM careers to youth, and 3) mitigate summer learning loss and the achievement gap. Over time, the SOS program has developed to include teens as teachers and college interns as teacher mentors. The SOS program focuses on programming where youth already are (in neighborhoods, libraries, and community sites) and uses positive 4-H youth development practices to reduce barriers to STEM activities. By engaging in Summer of Science activities, the 4-H youth are well poised to return to their academic school year with reduced summer learning loss and an increased interest in science. In 2023, UMaine 4-H faculty and staff designed four STEM lessons that were taught in seven southern Maine communities at 19 sites, including Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA, summer lunch programs, public housing centers, and libraries. There were 269 adult volunteers and summer staff who taught 822 youth in the field of environmental DNA (eDNA). Fifty-seven percent of youth participants were nonwhite (404 of them of black or African American origin).
Results
Research by UMaine faculty shows that well-designed STEM lessons delivered by near peers (teens and college students) support STEM career aspirations and lead to better content knowledge. Research also shows that youth involved in 4-H are more likely to pursue future courses or a career in science, engineering, or computer technology, which can lead to improved employment opportunities. For Maine elementary school youth, SOS supports narrowing their STEM achievement gap during summer months, and for the teens trained to deliver programming, it fosters their career development, leadership abilities, and sense of responsibility. Teen teachers in the SOS program report improved socio-emotional skills and applicable workforce skills, as well as increased resiliency.
Maine 4-H Community Central
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Youth need skills and experiences to help them be successful adults in a complex and ever-changing world. As they move toward adulthood Maine youth need to understand their career and education possibilities and to build skills necessary for their personal and professional development as the future of the Maine workforce.
Response
Community Central offers 4-H Positive Youth Development for high school students in Lewiston and Portland with a focus on workforce skill development and career/college exploration while increasing social capital. Most participants are black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) teens, and many are from immigrant/refugee families. In 2023, two 4-H professionals provided programming for youth in Lewiston and Portland, offered in partnership with the public schools and housing authorities. Short-term SPIN clubs offered connections with local professionals, and long-term weekly programming offered hands-on skill development. All sessions were designed based on youth interest in real-time.
Results
In 2023, 4-H Community Central engaged 141 youth, of whom 87% were nonwhite, with 44 identifying as black or African American. As a result of participation, participants were able to build their social capital and connect with professionals in their communities who are part of the areas of the workforce they are interested in pursuing. Participants were able to access 4-H in a variety of methods, thus broadening their life skill, leadership, and personal development: weekly school year skill development programming, SPIN clubs based on specific sectors of the workforce, National 4-H conferences (Ignite Summit and True Leaders in Equity), Maine teen conferences (Maine Youth Council Teen Conference and MYAN Youth Leadership Conference), and through community service-learning projects with several community partners. Two participants also joined the Maine 4-H Youth Council and four enrolled in the CMMC Junior Volunteer Program after meeting the volunteer coordinator during a Medical/STEM SPIN session. Community Central, in partnership with numerous community partner organizations, allows teens to explore various career and education possibilities and builds skills necessary for their personal and professional development as the future of the Maine workforce.
Advancing STEM Learning Through Connected Learning Ecosystems
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Research indicates that youth are influenced by various factors, including family, school, work, and extracurricular activities, all of which significantly contribute to shaping their confidence, interest, and agency in science. Recognizing the importance of these diverse learning contexts is essential for fostering authentic STEM learning. There has been a shift to approaching STEM education from an “ecosystem” perspective, creating multiple entry points and pathways both within and outside of traditional educational settings to provide youth with engaging, locally relevant experiences. To facilitate meaningful connections within a local “ecosystem,” educators and practitioners in diverse spaces need a platform to engage with one another, share initiatives, articulate goals, and discuss the experiences of the youth they serve.
Response
Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE), a NASA-funded network of Connected Learning Ecosystems (CLEs), led by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, recruits and supports regional peer communities of teachers, librarians, and informal educators with a shared goal to create multiple pathways for youth to find their interest and passion for STEM learning. Focused on climate science and data literacy, these CLE communities are designed to permeate the boundary between in and out of school, ensuring youth experience connected learning in diverse environments and experience various layers of positive influence on their science identity. Maine 4-H staff are integral to this initiative and actively participate in local CLEs, collaboratively supporting place-based investigations of climate change that bridge formal and informal learning spaces. The overarching vision is to build a climate-literate generation with the skills necessary to thrive in a changing world.
Results
The impact of Maine LENE’s CLEs has been transformative in connecting the educators who deliver STEM learning experiences to youth in their communities. Collaboration between 4-H staff and other educators in their communities has expanded, fostering a vibrant exchange of educational resources and experiences. In 2023, 114 youth educators participated in these CLEs, which have resulted in new climate- and data-focused Maine 4-H programs, including the 4-H Tick Project, Vernal Pools Club, Virtual Algae Club, Pollinator workshops, Eclipse Investigations, and more, collectively reaching 2,095 Maine youth. The development of these programs and engagement in CLE activities has led to increased 4-H staff confidence and skills in facilitating climate and data science learning experiences. This initiative is not merely cultivating knowledge; it’s sowing the seeds of a climate-literate generation and forging enduring connections between educators and the youth they inspire.
Engaging Maine Youth in Maine’s Thriving Aquaculture Industry
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Maine communities have a long tradition of harvesting healthy seafood and taking care of the environment. As part of the Blue Economy, which seeks to use ocean environments in a sustainable way to support jobs and economic growth, aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing sectors in Maine and includes more than 200 farms and 700 farmers producing premium seafood (finfish, shellfish, and sea vegetables) and realizing $110M in annual sales. In-state total employment is expected to increase by 33% by 2030. Although aquaculture and its technologies are a growing part of the Blue Economy, widespread support for aquaculture products is lacking. Creating opportunities for youth to engage in aquaculture programs can have positive implications for consumer education and awareness, and lower barriers that rural youth experience, such as low wages, job security, aspirations, and the need for higher education in STEM fields.
Response
Maine 4-H, in partnership with the UMaine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research and the Aquaculture Research Institute, has continued to expand the 4-H Aquaponics Project, an innovative workforce development program designed to harness youth interests in fish and gardening to cultivate real-world skills applicable to the fast-growing aquaculture industry. It is a nationally recognized, youth-centered, innovative program that honors 4-H roots in agriculture and animal and plant science, and a viable model to extend Extension’s programs and cultivate youth interests in aquaculture careers and technologies. The curriculum is aligned with Maine’s Aquaculture Occupational Standards, which specify the current workforce skills and training needs of Maine’s aquaculture sector. the project is supported by a team that Includes formal and informal educators, youth leaders, industry partners, scientists, and collaborating partners.
Results
In 2023, the project has reached nearly 400 youth participants, who are participating from their classrooms, homeschool, or out-of-school programs (such as summer camps). The 4-H Aquaponics Project outcomes include gains among youth in their knowledge of aquaculture principles, practices, and technologies, as well as aquaculture career readiness. Through 4-H Aquaponics, youth participants gain a deep understanding of novel, complex systems, while practicing important life skills such as resiliency and troubleshooting. They also develop skills that are sought after by the aquaculture industry (for example, basic knowledge of fish biology, understanding water quality issues, project management, teamwork, and more). The project has increased access to aquaculture education opportunities for Maine youth and generated an increase in 1) awareness and understanding of the aquaculture industry and related technologies; 2) knowledge about aquaculture careers; 3) aquaculture career aspirations; 4) knowledge about innovative aquaculture systems; and 5) capacity for high-quality aquaculture education.
The 4-H Aquaponics Project is being lauded as a viable workforce development program for the aquaculture sector in Maine and nationally. The project is investing in the future of Maine youth and a vital and growing aquaculture industry in the state. The project is giving youth participants exposure to and training in the industry, and it is developing a potential labor pool to meet the projected workforce demands in the years ahead.
4-H Ambassadors Mentoring Students Toward STEM Careers
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Developing Maine youth STEM literacy is vital to ensuring that our state continues to thrive economically and socially. Given the remote and diverse communities where Maine youth live, informal education can help minimize inequities in rural youth STEM education and career pipelines. Future career opportunities in Maine will depend heavily on STEM skills, whether in the growing fields of healthcare and engineering, or in positions requiring technical skills, such as construction, and maintenance of transportation and energy systems.
Response
4-H STEM Ambassadors are trained University of Maine System students enrolled as 4-H volunteers who facilitate hands-on STEM activities with youth 8–14 years old throughout Maine. Since 2014, our 4-H STEM Ambassadors program has enrolled and trained nearly 600 University of Maine System students who have facilitated in-person, hands-on learning experiences fostering youth STEM enjoyment, literacy, and identity, reaching more than 6,000 Maine youth in classrooms, libraries, and after-school clubs across the state. In fall 2020, Extension redesigned the program to be virtual, including a training, mentoring, and experiential STEM programming. The shift to a virtual program allowed for multicampus student teams and increased access for more distant community partners regardless of local program model (remote, in-person, hybrid).
Results
In 2023, the program reached more than 200 students, grades 3–8, with the help of 63 volunteer Ambassadors and staff. Through this program, youth ages 8–14 come to view these Ambassadors as mentors and leaders in their community while also developing skills in STEM through hands-on activities and becoming connected to research, resources, and scientists at Maine’s public universities.
4-H Camp and Learning Centers Connecting Youth to the Outdoors and Building Community
Relevance
Research has shown that positive social and emotional learning experiences can significantly impact youth development and that connecting youth to a positive adult role model decreases the risk for making unhealthy choices or engaging in risky behaviors. Especially since the pandemic, youth are spending more time connected to social media and other digital platforms, resulting in isolation and sedentary indoor time. Many youth suffer from obesity and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many lack opportunities to develop positive interpersonal communication skills.
Response
UMaine Extension 4-H Camp and Learning Centers provide programs for youth ages 4–17, many from underserved populations. Using evidence-based practices and program design principles, these transformational experiences develop a sense of place and belonging, and confidence in the outdoors. Our programs include both day and residential summer camps, on-site Outdoor School programs, in-school enrichment, as well as adult programming and workshops. We have a well-developed virtual component to our programs that gives them added depth and maximizes accessibility. Our Learning Centers typically attract more than 2,500 youth each summer, and provide school programming for more than 6,000 students from 60+ Maine school groups.
Results
In 2023, our 4-H Camp and Learning Centers:
- Delivered year-round programming at the UMaine 4-H Learning Centers at Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, and Tanglewood, including programs in water ecology, forest ecology, wilderness survival, and conservation education.
- Continued to support Telstar Freshman Academy at Bryant Pond, offering daily, yearlong, experiential learning designed to engage students in an outdoor setting.
- Continued to deliver the NorthStar Youth 4-H Mentoring program that connects young people with caring adults through community engagement, cultural exchange, and adventure challenge and leadership. The program is grounded in in-person contact, and also uses virtual contact for family and other activities.
- At Greenland Point in Washington County, one of Maine’s most impoverished counties, we offered hands-on, ecology-focused education. We provided significant scholarship funding, ensuring cost is not an obstacle to anyone who wants to come to camp.
- At summer camps and open-air classroom programs, Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove offered programs tailored to community needs, including youth development programs for schools.
Our 4-H Camp and Learning Centers provided life-changing outdoor learning programs for youth ages 4-17, many from underserved populations. In addition, we worked with dozens of classroom teachers, and engaged more than 50 volunteers in supporting our work. In three out of four counties in which we operate, Cooperative Extension and 4-H are the only connection to a four-year institution of higher education. Through innovative, evidence-based youth development programs that utilize outdoor and community-connected learning, we provide pathways for youth to achieve post-secondary success in college or meaningful careers.
Parent Education Program Promotes Early Screening and Intervention for Developmental Delays
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The first three years of a child’s life are a critical time for growth and development. Maine Families Home Visiting program provides services at a minimum of one time per month. Parent Educators support early identification of developmental delays by offering developmental screenings to families during home visits and providing additional activities in areas where a child may need extra support for growth. If needed subsequent referrals are offered as appropriate early intervention services are essential to reduce the long-term impacts and school readiness.
Response
UMaine Extension’s Parent Educators are part of a statewide network of Maine Families Home Visiting Programs that provides services at a minimum of one time per month. Using the parents as teachers model, certified Parent Educators meet with families in their homes and 1) provide them with current information on child development and parenting, 2) share activity ideas and ways to engage and nurture their child’s optimal development, and 3) provide connections and linkages to community resources. During each home visit Parent Educators offer book sharing opportunities and information about early literacy, including the importance of reading aloud. Parent Educators provide free children’s books to all enrolled families, including books in French, Lingala, and Spanish for families who are non-English-speaking.
At each visit, developmental information, anticipatory guidance, and an activity to promote growth are provided. Certified Parent Educators encourage parents to continue learning beyond the visit. Parent Educators support early identification of developmental delays by offering developmental screenings to families during home visits and providing additional activities in areas where a child may need extra support for growth. If needed, subsequent referrals are offered, as appropriate early intervention services are essential to reduce the long-term impacts and improve school readiness.
Results
In 2023, 10 certified Parent Educators provided 2,143 home visits to 215 children living in five counties, with 98% receiving timely and complete developmental screenings.
Increasing Healthy Behaviors in Youth Through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
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Obesity is a chronic disease. Nationally 17% of youth ages 10–17 are experiencing obesity. In Maine, 13.8% of youth ages 10–17 and 14.9% of high school students have obesity. Recent estimates of the cost of childhood obesity on health care expenditures found that obesity was associated with an increase of $116 per child in annual health care expenditures, resulting nationally in $1.32 billion of medical spending. Severe obesity was associated with annual excess health care costs of $310 per child. Nutrition insecurity, or lack of consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods that promote optimal health and well-being, increases the risk of poor health of Maine’s children in the short- and long-term. In Maine, 1 in 7 children (14.6%) under the ages of 18 years are experiencing food insecurity. Of those 36,490 children, 42% of households do not qualify for federal food assistance programs and need to rely on charitable organizations for supplemental food.
Response
To help lower childhood obesity rates, UMaine Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) delivers education to Maine’s low-income children to improve their knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes related to improving diet quality, increasing daily physical activity, and using food resource management practices to learn how to plan and shop for healthy meals and snacks. Program outcomes are measured for all youth ages 5–18 using validated pre/post program surveys.
Results
In fiscal year 2023, 1,774 youth participated in Maine EFNEP. Youth participated in an average of six educational lessons over three months. Seventy-seven percent of youth participants completed a pre- and post-survey. As a result of participating in EFNEP:
- 82% improved their abilities to choose foods according to current dietary guidelines or improved nutrition knowledge.
- 44% improved their daily physical activity practices.
- 47% used safe food handling practices more often.
- 56% improved their ability to prepare simple, nutritious, affordable food.