4-H Youth: A Revolutionary Force in Science

Published in NJ.COM on Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 11:31 AM     Updated: Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 11:33 AM

(NAPSI)-At 14, Luana Xiong, from Merced County, California, has participated in a wide variety of activities throughout her five-year 4-H career, but nothing has intrigued her more than the 4-H science programs.

For the last two years, Luana has participated in the 4-H National Youth Science Day

(NYSD)--an event in which hundreds of thousands of young people throughout the world simultaneously conduct a single science experiment. With aspirations to become a cardiovascular surgeon, Luana appreciates her 4-H science programs, as involvement in the curriculum and activities have helped her become comfortable with the subject.

In 2009, Luana demonstrated the 4-H National Science Experiment for 250 members of her community. The experiment, Biofuel Blast, showcased how cellulose and sugars in plants can be converted into fuel. “My goal was to spread my knowledge to as many people as I could.”

As a newcomer to 4-H science, Brit Stevens from Gibson County, Indiana, will be getting his first taste of 4-H science at the 2010 4-H National Science Experiment: 4-H2O.

At 13, Brit’s favorite 4-H activities involve showing animals at fairs. But as an aspiring architect, Brit knows the importance of having a solid foundation in the sciences. “I am pretty good at science. People should know the scientific explanation about things.”

With plans to participate in NYSD again, Luana thinks it’s important for youths like Brit to get involved in 4-H science. “I am participating in 4-H Science Day again because I enjoy it so much. I also think it is so important to get the word out about what 4-H is and why Science Day was created-to get youth to go into science careers.”

As part of 4-H’s One Million New Scientists, One Million New Ideas™ campaign, 4-H science programs like 4-H NYSD work to spark an early youth interest in science education in an effort to combat a national shortage of young people pursuing science in college and future careers.

“Engaging youth in scientific exploration early on provides the necessary platform that they need to build a long-lasting interest in the field and to make ongoing contributions to the sciences,” said Donald T. Floyd, Jr., National 4-H Council president and CEO. “Science is often an overwhelming and consequently overlooked subject for young people, but 4-H science programs make the subject exciting, accessible and relevant.”

The 2010 4-H National Science Experiment: 4-H2O—was developed in conjunction with North Carolina A&T State University and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Program. Generous sponsor support has been provided by Toyota, John Deere, IBM, BAE Systems and Karo. For more information on 4-H National Youth Science Day, please visit www.4-H.org/NYSD.

Read the article at http://blog.nj.com/north_american_precis_syndicate/2010/09/4-h_youth_a_revolutionary_force_in_science.html