Youth lack exposure to broad Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities exposing them to future careers and problem-solving skills.  The Department of Commerce reports that STEM occupations are growing at 17% that is almost twice other occupations at 9.8%. In order to provide youth exposure to STEM skills and careers, the Green County Cooperative Extension Service and 4-H program participated in a juvenile mentoring program with the National 4-H Council and the Office of Juvenile Justice.  Green County 4-H received a three-year grant to identify and mentor at-risk youth in STEM programming.  

The thirty youth collaborated with an adult, community volunteers.  They were a minimum of four hours monthly of science-based activities for the youth and adult mentors.  Topics included engineering bridges, programming robots, aeronautic designs, water sampling, and computer coding.  The youth-adult groups worked through the scientific method and engineering design model to discover solutions to real-world problems.  With each session, associated careers are discussed and how those career paths could help solve a local issue in our community.  

Over the three years, the participants completed three surveys annually.  Because of the program, all of the at-risk youth reported they “agreed, strongly agree or very strongly agree” that they have a special person who is around when they are in need.  Ninety percent of the participants said they now question more how things work and can design new ideas on how to build new things.  Ninety-three percent of the 4-H members said 4-H was a place where they felt comfortable talking about how science can be used to solve everyday problems.  

Green County is a community that struggles with low paying jobs. Exposing 4-H members to science and encouraging their curiosity creates paths to advanced science programs in our high school for at-risk youth who would have never considered these pathways. Four of the first round participants have begun taking advanced science programs at school.    According to the Department of Commerce, STEM careers have higher incomes and play a key role in a community’s economic growth.  4-H anxiously awaits for these participants to return to our community so they can serve as adult mentors to our future 4-H science project members.