Extension Communications Extension 4-H Youth Building Ames, Iowa 50011-3630 (515) 294-9915

2/4/04

For Immediate Release

Contacts:
Jay Staker, ISU Extension 4-H Youth Development, 515-294-8417, jstaker@iastate.edu
Steve Truby, ISU Extension 4-H Youth Development, 515-294-2078, struby@iastate.edu
Carol Ouverson, ISU Extension Continuing Education and Communication Services, 515-294-9640, couverso@iastate.edu

4-H Quietly Changes Lives

By Jennifer Martin

AMES, Iowa -- 4-H Youth Development can make an impact on thousands of school children in Iowa, even though they are not members of a 4-H club.
Through school enrichment programs, such as the Talented and Gifted and Science Bound programs, 4-H comes into contact with thousands of school children. 4-H Youth Development is part of Iowa State University Extension. 4-H offers hands-on learning and science-based programs to help youth build life skills.

One 4-H program working within Iowa schools is the Extension Science, Engineering and Technology (E-SET) program. E-SET is a cooperative youth outreach program for science, engineering and technology education. E-SET is jointly sponsored by 4-H and the Iowa Space Grant Consortium.

"Our mission is to support K-12 science and technology education, both formal and informal, in Iowa. We want to enrich the science and technology learning experience for the youth of Iowa," said Jay Staker, E-SET director.

Many classrooms, educational programs and after-school programs use E-SET materials as part of their curriculum, so 4-H has the potential to impact a large range of students, according to Steve Truby, 4-H youth development specialist. Sometimes that impact not only changes a student's life, but brings the student back to help other 4-H'ers.

Kira Campos-Anderson is one such student. As a member of the Science Bound program at Central Campus High School in Des Moines, Campos-Anderson entered a national robotics competition in which her team used resources and supplies made available to schools from E-SET and the Iowa Space Grant. Many students don't even know when they have been touched by the 4-H program. But Campos-Anderson took the initiative to find out more.

Campos-Anderson, currently a junior at Iowa State University, contacted Truby when she was a sophomore in high school to gain some support for her robotics team. She didn't meet him in person, but she knew he had something to do with ISU, 4-H and engineering.

"He helped support our team, and we were able to take four members to Florida to compete. From then on, I knew I wanted to be in engineering," Campos-Anderson said.

Campos-Anderson said that while she didn't know exactly where the resources for the Science Bound robotics team were coming from, her involvement in the program did have a big impact on her future educational and career goals. She is currently pursuing a degree in materials engineering and industrial technology with plans to continue on to graduate school and study for a teaching certificate.

While at Iowa State, her love of engineering spread out into other areas. She joined the solar car team and made it part of her college life.

"I am one of the two Directors of Outreach and Membership. I love being able to share my journey to and through engineering," she said.

She came into contact with Truby again last year when they were both judging the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Iowa State Tournament.

"It was great to finally meet one of the people who helped out our high school robotics team and to let him know what I am doing," Campos-Anderson said.

Truby said once she explained who she was, he remembered helping her with the robotics competition.

"It makes you feel good that someone you've worked with five years ago remembers you. Sometimes our rewards aren't immediate, so these things are really special," he said.

While at the tournament, Truby asked her if she would be available to meet with the Iowa 4-H Youth Technology Team. Called Tech Team by its members, it is a group of high school teens from across the state who want to learn new technology skills. Truby is the team's advisor.

Campos-Anderson met with the Tech Team during winter break and gave them a tour of the solar car building.

"Being able to witness Kira as an engineering student was incredibly satisfying knowing that in some small way we had touched her life," Truby said.
Staker said that Campos-Anderson provided the Tech Team not only information about the solar car and life at Iowa State as a student, but also a vision for Tech Team members to see how they can pay back future generations from their experience.

Staker said 6,000 to 8,000 youth a year in Iowa receive educational programming from the E-SET staff. That number increases when the full outreach of 4-H is put behind it.

"Thousands and thousands of youth in Iowa benefit from the E-SET program through programming and curriculum, and they never realize that their lives are being affected by the power of the clover of 4-H. E-SET is not your traditional 4-H," Staker said.

Even though 4-H may not be in the foreground of many of its youth programs, 4-H has an invisible impact on the lives of today's youth.

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