Youth Development

Shelter youth ignite learning sparks with 4-H activities, visit from therapy dog

The Washington County Juvenile Shelter, also known as Harkins House, is a short-term temporary residential shelter care and evaluation program for youth pending alleged violations who volunteer to participate in lieu of detention. ...

Nov 2020 | Impact Story

4-H cross-country programs provide outlet for young runners

In 2012, the St. Helens School District in Columbia County was forced to eliminate its middle school sports program. Studies show that sports participation for K-12 children have strong positive health benefits due to physical ...

Oct 2020 | Impact Story

Healthy Kids Club addresses food insecurity through home cooking skills

About 11% of Oregon’s 4.1 million residents said they faced food insecurity in 2018, similar to the U.S. average. Oregon has more than 300,0000 food insecure children, according to Oregon by the Numbers. Compounding food and ...

Aug 2020 | Impact Story

Extension 4-H Snapchat geofilters viewed more than a million times

Looking into the future of social media marketing for Extension events, programs and educational opportunities, Extension educators must seek innovative strategies beyond the posts shared by staff and faculty. To engage, inform and ...

Jul 2020 | Impact Story

Oregon Tech Trek results in increased interest among girls in STEM careers

STEM careers are among the fastest-growing and highest-paying in the United States, yet they are still dominated by men, particularly computer science (26% female) and engineering (12% female). Research has shown that females and ...

Jun 2020 | Impact Story

4-H youths in Josephine County pack and deliver stockings for soldiers and veterans

Civic engagement is an important aspect of adolescent development and a core theme of 4-H education, and for the last 10+ years hundreds of soldiers and veterans have opened packages filled with stockings and filled by Oregon ...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

OSU Extension provides leadership for statewide Outdoor School

Outdoor School is a transformative, immersive experience that instills environmental literacy and positive learning behaviors in students. It also encourages a belief that Oregon is a special place, with ecosystems they can enjoy and...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

Jefferson County third graders learn about agricultural research at OSU

Roughly 63% if the population of Jefferson County is rural. While the county has a high school graduation rate that's above the state graduation rate, it lags in residents with a four-year college degree or greater – 21.4%...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

Youths ride into one-of-a-kind learning experience on 4-H Wagon Train

Positive youth development programs that are multi-generational, diverse, family-centered and non-competitive are important lifelong learning opportunities not often available in today’s society. To help connect youths with elders and ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

Students fly high in Malheur STEM aviation program

In rural communities it’s especially difficult to connect underserved youth to a career pathway in STEM fields. At the same time, there is a deficit of workers in those occupations. Connecting the two can prove problematic. ...

Mar 2022 | Impact Story