By Matt Browning
This spring, 4-H, a national youth development organization, kicked off its first rebranding effort in 100 years. Primarily regarded for its agricultural focus, the organization is attempting to shift its image toward a wider array of offerings, from civic engagement to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and more. It’s a movement already embraced in the Mountain State, primarily through the nontraditional approach taken by West Virginia State University (WVSU) Extension Service.
“Many of our programs are based in and around the Kanawha Valley, including downtown Charleston,” says Kelli Batch, assistant program director for Resilient Youth and Families at WVSU. “Given the urban location of our primary audience, we have broadened our focus to embrace programming efforts that are beyond traditional 4-H.”
WVSU’s 4-H platform has embraced STEM programming and creative arts education since the university regained its land-grant status in the early 2000s. 4-H programs are offered nationwide through land-grant universities, including WVSU and West Virginia University (WVU).
“Our WVU counterparts have a long history of offering vital traditional 4-H programs, and we at West Virginia State have been able to carve out a niche in the nontraditional realm,” says Batch. “We are excited to see this approach being adopted at the national level and look forward to continuing to expand our local efforts.”
Among those efforts is the annual Creative and Performing Arts Summer Camp, taking place June 27-29 in Charleston. The free day-camp provides youth ages 9 to 16 hands-on experience with local experts in photography, videography, music production and culinary arts. It is a departure from the “cows and plows” approach to 4-H, but it is welcomed within the national organization’s rebranding effort.
“Preparing our youth for STEM careers is essential, and we operate STEM education labs in Charleston and Beckley, offering free summer programs in those areas as well,” says Batch. “But we also realize the value and importance of the creative arts, and we want to amplify these arts in education.”
While arts programs in schools are often targeted during times of budget restraint, research by Americans for the Arts has shown significant advantages for arts-engaged students in college, employment, volunteerism and voting. WVSU’s efforts, therefore, are routinely filling a gap.
“We expose kids to everything from how to write and produce their own music and videos to how to express their creativity in the kitchen,” she says.
According to Batch, culinary-based programs are arming kids with knowledge about the importance of healthy eating and an active lifestyle, resulting in well-rounded, productive young leaders equally adept in the classroom, the kitchen, the studio and the playing field.
To learn more about WVSU’s 4-H program, visit wvstateu.edu/extension.
About the Author
Matt Browning is the director of communications for research and public service at West Virginia State University. He received a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from West Virginia State University.
