The Otto Bremer Foundation has awarded the North Dakota 4-H Foundation a $35,000 grant to help improve delivery of 4-H programming to youth.

In the last two decades, 4-H has faced a number of challenges in delivering programs, including a declining number of youth enrolled in 4-H and a growing number of youth from single-parent homes, blended families or families with two working parents, says Tom McSparron, North Dakota 4-H Foundation development director.

Other programming difficulties include finding good locations for programs, finding ways to transport youth to programs during parents’ working hours, parents with limited time to get involved in their children’s 4-H activities, the need for new methods to recruit a more diversified group of volunteers and ample staff support for the volunteers.

In addition, 4-H must make an effort to engage youth and adults from underrepresented population groups, such as American Indians, new Americans and families in rural areas with limited programs and services because of the lack of a population base to support those programs and services, McSparron says.

To address these issues, members of the North Dakota State University Extension Service’s leadership team, North Dakota Center for 4-H Youth Development staff, county Extension staff, North Dakota 4-H Foundation board, adult volunteers and youth will meet in Bismarck for two four-hour sessions Aug. 11-12. NDSU’s Group Decision Center will serve at the facilitator for the meetings.

If you would be willing to be a part of this gathering or you know of someone who would be interested in representing one of these groups, contact McSparron at (701) 231-8569.

The first four-hour session primarily will deal with the 4-H curriculum, program delivery and access to 4-H programs across the state. The second session will focus on how the North Dakota 4-H Foundation can more effectively support and assist in helping 4-H achieve the goals identified in the first session.

The objective of these sessions is for those attending to develop specific and clear action steps to facilitate the identified goals. Attendees also will establish timelines for implementing these steps. This group will meet again in 12 months to review the action steps and assess the progress toward meeting the goals.

“This is a unique opportunity for the groups that are invested in 4-H programs in our state to get together and help plan the future directions and goals,” McSparron says. “We are truly grateful for the support from the Otto Bremer Foundation, which will help us continue to meet the needs of the youth of our state and help build the future leaders of North Dakota.”

The St. Paul, Minn.-based Otto Bremer Foundation provides grants to assist people in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin who work together to fortify and build their communities.

NDSU Agriculture Communication