The Problem:

According to the Kentucky Department of Education, in 2021 on average, 51% of elementary students tested at below proficient in science in most Laurel County elementary schools. As youth move to middle school, only 63% of students tested below proficient, and in high school 88% of students tested below proficient in science. Today's youth need Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) exposure and experiences to help them build critical thinking skills and build foundational knowledge that will aid them in making connections to higher-level science skills. Additionally, understanding and appreciating SET is crucial as the technological workforce needs to develop.

Participants and Response:

The 4-H curriculum uses scientific inquiry to spark interest in SET subjects. Monthly and bi-monthly SET activities, targeting 3^rd-5^th graders were delivered as in-school clubs and enrichment, after-school programs, traditional clubs, and science-themed workshops. A new 4-H Robotics club met twice a month providing 14 youth the opportunity to develop coding, problem-solving, and technical skills. An additional 261 youth received a minimum of eight SET hands-on educational hours each totaling 2,088 educational hours. SET topics included the Scientific Method, Physics with Balloon Cars, Whose Poo, Kentucky Mammals, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Paleontology (Fossils), Population Dynamics, and Crime Scene Investigation Science. All activities focused on gaining a first-hand understanding of science while developing problem-solving and creative/critical thinking skills.

Program Impact:

4-H SET experiences help youth gain life skills to identify problems, strategize, compare results, reason, and make decisions. According to a year-end evaluation, youth reported the ability to set up an experiment to answer a question (89%), build connections to explain why things happen in an experiment (86%), and apply learned information to conduct science activities outside of school (67%). Eighty-two percent of youth reported they like science. As a result of 4-H SET activities, youth developed techniques to use the scientific method (95%) and gather information to make decisions (92%). All youth applied scientific principles and theories through hands-on experiments. Youth apply their coding skills by developing the code to control the Lego Robot's movements to successfully guide the robot through a maze and recover an object within the time limit. This challenge provides youth with the hands-on opportunity to practice essential technology and critical thinking skills that are necessary for the workforce.