4-H Delivers

Afterschool Science in Siskiyou County

The Issue

The After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program is the result of the 2002 voter-approved initiative, Proposition 49. The ASES Program funds the establishment of local after school education and enrichment programs. These programs are created through partnerships between schools and local community resources to provide literacy, academic enrichment and safe constructive alternatives for students.  The educational enrichment element must offer an array of additional services, programs, and activities that reinforce and complement the school’s academic program. Educational enrichment may include but is not limited to, positive youth development strategies, recreation and prevention activities.  However, finding enough community partners and resources to help sustain programs is often a challenge for many of the rural schools in Siskiyou County.

What Did 4-H Do?

Started in 2008, the goal of the 4-H Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) initiative is to address America's critical need for more scientists and engineers by engaging 150,000 youth by 2013.  The immediate response of the Siskiyou County Hi-4-H members to the SET initiative was to train 4-H teens as teachers for afterschool hands-on science programs.

The 4-H Teens participating in the project gathered experiments and created a easy to follow how- to-guide for teaching simple science concepts.  They secured funding from the California 4-H Service Learning Fund to create supply kits that could be restocked for several classroom presentations.  They coordinated a collaborative project with the afterschool site coordinators of nine different schools.  They provided either one day or multi-day programs depending on the needs of the school.

The Payoff

While training as teachers 4-H teens (14 members) learned how to become facilitators and mentors thus addressing a major component of leadership development.  They improved and gained skills dealing with communication, time management, inquiry based learning techniques and how to work in youth adult partnerships with afterschool site coordinators.  The teens also sparked their own interest in science and have expanded their project to state 4-H events and Field trip programs.

The youth in the afterschool programs (200 youth over two years) gained a better understanding of simple science concepts.  They learned to ask questions and seek their own answers developing understanding of the inquiry based learning style.

The schools gained an important community partner/resource for that helped reinforce and expand the school’s academic program.

Author: Jacki Zediker, 4-H Program Representative