FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 30, 2014
CONTACT: Ian Koski at 202-224-5042

Senator Coons announces more than $200,000 from National 4-H Council for UD and DSU Cooperative Extensions

Grant will strengthen and expand youth mentoring activities in Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons announced Thursday that the National 4-H Council has awarded $205,000 to University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Delaware State University Cooperative Extension in support of the 4-H National Mentoring Program. The grant is part of a national effort to strengthen, expand, and implement youth mentoring activities to improve the lives of millions of young Americans.

“Every young Delawarean deserves a chance to succeed, and for many, mentoring is what ensures they get that chance,” Senator Coons said. “This grant from the National 4-H Council will help more young Delawareans get the guidance they need to stay in school, and our communities will be stronger as a result. This funding is an excellent opportunity for Delaware’s Cooperative Extension program, and I congratulate both University of Delaware and Delaware State’s staff for earning it.”

The grant will provide funding to facilitate 4-H mentoring programs in Delaware to keep kids safe and prevent youth delinquency. These programs were developed in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Children, Youth and Families at Risk Program, which drives innovation in community-based educational programs for children, youth, parents and families.

“Although recent data reveals an 80 percent national high school graduation rate, disparities still exist as dropout rates remain high among underrepresented populations,” National 4-H Council President and CEO Jennifer Sirangelo said. “This significant grant will allow 4-H program staff the opportunity to replicate proven 4-H mentoring programs that are producing positive outcomes in underrepresented communities across the country including reduced school drop-out rates and strengthened family relationships.”

According to The Mentoring Effect: Young People’s Perspective on the Outcomes and Availability of Mentoring, 76 percent of at-risk young adults who had a mentor aspire to enroll in and graduate from college versus half of at-risk young adults who had not had a mentor. As of 2013, the 4-H National Mentoring Program has served over 31,000 youth, resulting in significant outcomes in areas such as family relationships, perceptions of social support, and social competence.

4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture within the United States Department of Agriculture.