UMaine Extension partners on USDA grant for rural youth STEM education

University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and University of Vermont Extension, has been awarded $328,191 in support of developing and delivering remote STEM and agricultural sciences programming to rural K–12 students across the three-state region.

The project, “Northeast 4-H Collaborative: Closing the Gap,” submitted to the competitive USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative program by the three land grant universities, received a total of $680,000. UMaine Extension 4-H Centers’ staff will play a lead role in delivering the remote learning model. UNH Cooperative Extension is the lead institution for the project.

In the next two years, the project will serve 1,500 youth from across the rural parts of northern New England. It also cements a partnership among the three land grant universities, paving the way for further collaboration. 

“This is an exciting collaboration among the three states,” says Lisa Phelps, UMaine Extension 4-H program administrator. “I am confident it will make a tremendous difference for youth and teachers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.”

“This grant will showcase the work of our outstanding staff for the benefit of rural youth from around New England,” says UMaine Extension Dean Hannah Carter. “We are thrilled at both the award and the impact it will certainly make.”

For more information about UMaine Extension 4-H contact 207-581-3877 or extension@maine.edu. More information also is on the Extension 4-H website.

This work is supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Education and Workforce Development Program (grant no. 2021-67037-33475/project accession no. 2020-09648) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.