4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Providing STEM Education to Underserved Communities

Molalla 4th-8th graders in the STEM Beyond School program identified and cataloged native bees in partnership with the Oregon Bee Project on OSU’s campus in Corvallis.

Over the past three years, Clackamas Extension has committed to focus on outreach to Spanish-speaking communities through 4-H youth development programming.

The primary element of this programming has been the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Beyond School program, which provides STEM education to underserved communities throughout the state.  Funded by the Oregon Department of Education, this grant provides opportunities for underserved youth to have place-based, experiential science education.  The aim of this programming is to provide access to relevant education that enhances the classroom experience, exposes young people (particularly young women) to careers in STEM fields, and builds capacity within communities to sustain programming.