By Nick Gilbert
National 4-H Council declared that Lockheed Martin will continue to support 4‑H Science programs by granting three-year, $1.5 M gift.
As part of this partnership, grant will be provided by Lockheed Martin on behalf of the 4-H Robotics program, which will foster the addition of new 4-H Robotics clubs across the country. In addition, funds will be provided for 4-H Robotics’ professional and volunteer development and training. Additionally, Lockheed Martin employees will develop their skill and proficiency to become mentors for 4-H youth.
Established in 2009, this innovative robotics program of 4-H motivates young aspirants to pursue their career in robotics engineering and technology. Lockheed Martin provided support in 2010 and 2011 that enabled National 4-H Council to launch the first, unique broad robotics curriculum titled ‘4-H Robotics: Engineering for Today and Tomorrow’ for children and youth aged between 9 and 18. Since 2011, with Lockheed Martin's support, around 1,095 youth learn robotics via 87 new 4-H Robotics clubs across the country.
Furthermore, the 2012, 2013 and 2014 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) will also be sponsored by Lockheed Martin. The 2012 4-H NYSD will be hosted as 4-H's premier rallying event on October. 10, 2012, where youth across the nation will simultaneously complete the 2012 National Science Experiment titled the 4-H Eco-Bot Challenge. The 2012 National Science Experiment was created by The Ohio State University and Ohio State Extension, and will highlight Engineering Robotic Solutions.
The 10-year long effort of 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development by Dr. Richard Lerner, and the team at the Tufts University’s Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development determined that the youth participating in 4-H have a promising future.
Source: http://www.4-h.org/