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1. WSU 4-H - JEFFERSON COUNTY, WA Jefferson County 4-H, our county’s largest youth development organization, creates and implements youth leadership programs for almost 900 youth annually, involving over 300 core families and 160 adult volunteer leaders. Since 2002 WSU 4-H has focused not only on countywide clubs and teen activities, but also specifically on youth in south Jefferson County. 4-H has developed private and federal funding for:

• 4-H Afterschool Programs and Summer Camps. • Service Learning programs through a $500,000 Bill and

Melinda Gates Foundation Connecting Schools and Communities grant.

• 4-H Big Quil Enterprises youth-run shellfish business, supported through a $150,000 grant from the NW Area Foundation.

• Entrepreneurship leadership programs for teens, including Power of Hope, Sunfield Farm, Quilcene Ranger Corps, Sky Program, FireWise and GIS/GPS mapping. Additional programs targeting the needs of teens include the 4-H Battelle robotics program, Mobilisa internships, WSU 4-H Gibbs Lake Challenge Course, multiple in-school 4-H programs through public, private and church schools, as well as WSU leadership programs - 4-H Know Your Government, Cougar Quest, Women Fly!, UW Engineering Open House, 4-H Network News and Jefferson County 4-H Fair.

4-H programs focus on youth by addressing Jefferson County priorities to 1) ensure effective prevention practices rather than detention of youth 2) to train competent workers for the local economy 3) to engage families, community volunteers and positive adults in working directing with youth to strengthen skills and competencies and 4) to actively engage youth in leadership and education which results in strong citizenship and employment. 2. 4-H AFTERSCHOOL FORESTRY PROGRAM “Breathing the sweet oxygen-rich air, something inside me knows I’m part of that story, and I recognize the forest as home.” – Tim McNulty Folks in south Jefferson County, Washington, bordering the Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park, know the value of trees. Like the Space Needle is to Seattle, Microsoft is to Redmond, the Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park are to the small towns of Quilcene and Brinnon. FORESTS. Temperate forest environments weave a complex web of living and non-living things, including a rich mix of trees, ground plants, streams, birds, animals and where the forest meets salt water, additional riches in the form of fish and shellfish.

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This rich natural environment in south Jefferson County was home to Native Americans for centuries, where they enjoyed the abundant food and temperate climate. Later, pioneer families settled in Quilcene and Brinnon, where logging and other forestry work was central to the economy for the good part of a century. However, due to the spotted owl crisis in the 1980s, the balance of this economy was thrown off almost overnight with the dramatic halt to logging in the Olympic National Forest. SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS ACT. Through federal legislation - the Secure Rural Schools Act - Jefferson County received special funding designed to assist forest communities impacted by the slowdown of forest harvests on federal lands. Provided in the Title III section of this act was funding for after school forestry education. STEWARDSHIP TRAINING. The 4-H AFTERSCHOOL FORESTRY PROGRAM began in 2004, meeting Monday-Friday after school - 10 months of the year - at the Quilcene Community Center. Approximately 90 youth ages 5-18 participated in the program annually. At the various grade levels they learned about stewardship principles and new forest-related economic opportunities, including forest restoration and stream management, value-added forest products, GIS/GPS mapping, stream restoration, water quality monitoring, forestry video production and podcasting, ecology, nature photography, basic engineering and science-process experimentation. The 4-H Afterschool Forestry Program provided opportunities for youth to learn resource management in forest-related service projects, community service learning, youth mentoring and career development. The program built on the assets of the community, taught stewardship and high tech skills, and built strong community support for youth and diverse resource management. The program’s longevity and success resulted in strong youth competency and increased self-esteem, as well as building personal skills and providing local and community support and assistance to youth. The technology emphasis within the 4-H Afterschool Forestry Program’s teen activities helped develop south Jefferson County youth as valuable economic assets to their community. 3. ANIMAL CLUBS 4-H supports a broad variety of animal clubs - cats, dogs, horses, goats, sheep, dairy, beef, swine, llamas, rabbits, cavies, as well as exotic pets and small animals. The primary purpose of youth raising animals in the 4-H Youth Development Program is to provide an opportunity for personal growth and development of the young person. A secondary purpose is to teach young people how to feed and care for animals. In the process of feeding and caring for an animal, young people have the opportunity to develop many positive character traits. The purpose of the 4-H animal science program, therefore, is to provide opportunities for young people to develop life skills and leadership, which includes positive character traits. Those traits and practices in 4-H animal projects that build character and life skills in 4-H members are:

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1. TRUSTWORTHINESS includes honesty, promise keeping and loyalty.

2. RESPECT includes courtesy and proper treatment of people, animals and things.

3. RESPONSIBILITY includes the pursuit of excellence, accountability and perseverance.

4. FAIRNESS involves consistently applying rules and standards appropriate for different age groups and ability levels.

5. CARING includes the well-being of people and things in a young person’s world.

6. CITIZENSHIP includes making the home, club, community and country a better place to live for themselves and others.

4. SCIENCE, ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY 4-H Science, Engineering and Technology (S.E.T.) clubs provide opportunities for youth to develop leadership skills that enhance their educational and employment opportunities, as well as providing valuable assets for the community through expanding youth technical expertise and volunteerism. Areas of 4-H Science, Engineering and Technology exploration include:

• Engineering and Mechanical Science • Ecology, Forest Management and Stream Restoration • Agriculture and Animal Husbandry • GIS/GPS and Mapping Systems • Water Quality Monitoring and Habitat Management • Online Communication Systems • Video Production and Photography • Rocketry and Robotics

AMERICA’S WORKFORCE CRISIS. The United States is falling dangerously behind other nations in developing its future workforce of scientists, engineers, and technology experts. America now faces a future of intense global competition with a startling shortage of scientists. Only 18 percent of U.S. high school seniors are proficient in science (NAEP 2005). A mere 5 percent of current U.S. college graduates earn science, engineering, or technology degrees compared to 66 percent in Japan and 59 percent in China. Across the nation 4-H SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY programs reach more than 5 million youth with hands-on learning experiences to encourage young minds to fill the pipeline of young leaders proficient in science. These experiences are supported by more than a half million dedicated adult volunteers who are placing 4-H youth on a path towards successful careers. The 4-H Science, Engineering and Technology Program must be part of the long-term solution for improving science literacy and aptitude of America’s youth. As a public-private partnership, 4-H can focus a variety of resources and expertise to strengthen young people’s discovery and exploration of science. We believe fostering passion in science today will shape education and career decisions tomorrow.