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4-H National Youth Science Day

Looking at two different plans designed by group

Looking at two different plans designed by group

Drawing map layer

Drawing a map layer

Tyndall teens and staff training to teach NSD Material

Teens and staff training to teach NYSD Material

 

 

October 6-12 was National 4-H Week, and more than 6 million young people across the country celebrated the great things that the 4-H youth development program offers young people and the incredible 4-H’ers who work each day to a make a positive impact on their community.

One of the highlights of National 4-H Week has become the 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD). For more than 100 years, 4-H has been at the forefront of teaching young people about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Currently, more than five million young people across the nation participate in 4-H STEM programming in topics as varied as robotics, agricultural science, rocketry, wind power, environmental science and alternative energy.  NYSD is the premier national rallying event for this year-round 4-H STEM programming, bringing together youth, volunteers, and educators from the nation’s 109 land-grant colleges and universities to simultaneously complete the National Science Experiment.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013, was the official date of the sixth annual 4-H NYSD, and as a part of National 4-H Week, millions of young people became scientists for the day. This event, which takes place in urban, suburban and rural communities all across the nation, seeks to spark an early youth interest and leadership in STEM careers in an effort keep America competitive in those fields.

The 2013 NYSD Experiment is – 4-H Maps & Apps!  This set of activities turns young people into geospatial thinkers as they design and map their ideal park, use GIS mapping to solve community problems, and contribute data about their community to the United States Geological Survey.

Research has proven that participation in 4-H has a significant positive impact on young people. Recent findings from the Tufts University 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicates that, when compared to their peers, young people in 4-H are:

  • Nearly 4 times more likely to contribute to their communities,
  • Two times more likely to pursue healthy behaviors, and
  • Two times more likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs in the out-of-school time.

National Youth Science Day is just one of the many ways we reach youth to make these kinds of impacts.  If you would like more information on 4-H National Youth Science Day or would still like to participate in the activity, there is still time.  Information is available at http://www.4-h.org/4-h-national-youth-science-day/. It’s not too late to plan and register your event for 2013!