After his graduation from UW-Milwaukee, Jack wanted to find a way to give back to his hometown of Milwaukee. He found the perfect opportunity as an AmeriCorps member serving UW–Madison Extension’s 4-H program. Since starting his service in 2024, Jack has developed creative lesson plans and led groups for youth focused on STEM programming, including chess and robotics. 

“Being able to share my passion for STEM with youth who don’t often have these kinds of opportunities for quality programs, and being able to see that passion transfer to them, is really rewarding. It’s exactly what I was looking for out of my AmeriCorps experience,” said Jack.

Through a partnership between AmeriCorps and Extension, Wisconsin 4-H is expanding access, opportunities, and engagement for youth development programs across the state. Jack and his AmeriCorps member peers are part of an effort to bring programming to new groups of youth and boost the reach of Wisconsin 4-H. 

“​​While we know the 4-H program provides youth the opportunity to explore their ‘sparks,’ we also realize that our current programming is reaching just a small portion of the youth population in counties across Wisconsin,” said Melinda Pollen, UW–Madison Extension Associate Professor and 4-H Youth Development Educator in Brown County. “One challenge in expanding 4-H is our local capacity, having enough adult volunteers who are trained and available to offer programs. County-based 4-H educators and local volunteers are key to positive youth development. But they can only do so much.” 

Research shows that participation in high-quality 4-H programs helps youth achieve important developmental outcomes, such as academic motivation and achievement. 4-H provides youth with opportunities to reconnect and discover their pathway to becoming engaged, contributing, purposeful, and thriving young adults.

Thanks to funding from Serve Wisconsin, AmeriCorps members are building new partnerships and implementing new programs in collaboration with those new partners to build a stronger infrastructure that local programs can continue long into the future.

The partnership is working. In the first year, 24 AmeriCorps Members were recruited, oriented, and onboarded to serve in 20 counties across Wisconsin. As a direct result of their efforts:

• More than 100 volunteers were recruited and trained to take on new or expanded roles, supporting AmeriCorps members in developing and delivering positive programming for young people.
• New partnerships and programming were launched with 67 organizations that had not had 4-H programs previously. 
• Members reached more than 2,200 young people with educational programming.

Youth in Columbia County have been able to participate in new activities thanks to 4-H AmeriCorps member Bailey. She has worked with homeschooled families, planned educational programs at libraries, organized activities for local Boys and Girls Clubs, and is teaching agriculture to fourth-graders at a local elementary school. 

“After a day of programming and working with youth, I always feel inspired. And it’s a really great way to develop or apply new skills that you might not use in a traditional day-to-day job,” said Bailey.

The new community partnerships that members established have allowed 4-H to be available to youth who might not have had access before. AmeriCorps members’ work has resulted in future growth opportunities through new relationships. 

“Our new community partners have expressed appreciation for the new opportunities that their youth now have. They are able to see how working with Wisconsin 4-H allows their youth programming to be expanded. In doing that, Extension is also advancing our own mission to reach new young people with the 4-H program,” said Pollen.

Because of the work of Extension and the thousands of volunteers who work together to support the 4-H program, young people throughout Wisconsin can engage in research-based, high-quality programs and experiences. As they engage the next generation of community leaders, public officials, educators, health care workers, and laborers, AmeriCorps members are playing an important role in strengthening Wisconsin 4-H so it can grow and flourish into the future.