The 4-H Sustainable Communities Project will engage young people in the city of Springfield in the out of school time hours to provide educational enrichment and promote life skills development. An area of national and local need that has been identified by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, National 4-H Council and UMass Extension 4-H is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education (STEM). Education in the STEM disciplines is critical for preparing a globally and regionally competitive workforce. To achieve this goal, 4-H will partner with Student Bridges a student led organization that works to increase college access and success for underrepresented students by building partnerships with local schools and community organizations.
The Massachusetts 4-H Program is uniquely positioned in Massachusetts to assist in delivering quality educational STEM programs in out-of-school settings. The National 4-H Curriculum System provides a rich and diverse set of research, juried curricula and evaluative methodologies developed by faculty throughout the national system. We As the 4-H Sustainable Communities Project evolves, project leaders and our student collaborators will continue to seek partners in the Springfield community and at UMass Amherst to expand the array of educational enrichment and youth development experiences to help prepare youth for success in school while creating connections and pathways between Springfield youth and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
