University of Wisconsin - Extension

The University of Wisconsin-Extension and the 4-H Youth Development Program have been awarded $150,000 a year for a five-year project in Wisconsin, with project sites in Wausau and Milwaukee.

The funding comes from the U.S.D.A./Cooperative Research, Education, and Extension Service. The Wausau area project will focus on helping middle school aged youth develop leadership skills, self-confidence and skills in democratic practice. The Milwaukee project will focus specifically on youths' success in school by improving after-school programming and community support.

The Wausau project, "Successful Futures" will lead to development of an after-school leadership club for middle school youth from the west side of Wausau. This neighborhood includes a number of Southeast Asian families. These youth will become leaders for the elementary school youth who have been participating in summer 4-H clubs at Lincoln Elementary and G. D. Jones Elementary schools.

The project will give older youth opportunities for authentic leadership experiences and will provide younger youth with year-around youth development opportunities. Older youth will plan family events to get parents involved in the program. The project includes efforts to build relationships with families in the community and gain support of local leaders.

Jean Berger, 4-H Youth Development agent for UW-Extension, Marathon County is the key staff person for this program.

In the three target sites for the Milwaukee project, "Energizing Milwaukee's Youth," 73 percent of their students receive free or reduced cost lunches, indicating significant levels of poverty in the neighborhoods. Each of the three sites has an after-school program, but attendance is low. Over the next several years, Milwaukee County Extension will focus resources on serving the needs of this neighborhood.

Key county staff person for the project is Mary Thiry, Milwaukee County 4-H youth development agent.

CYFAR (Children, Youth, and Families at Risk) grants have been awarded to 10 states for 2002. These projects assist states in marshaling the resources of the Land-Grant universities and Cooperative Extension System to collaborate with other organizations to develop and deliver educational programs. The goal is to equip limited-resource families and youth who are at risk for not meeting basic human needs with skills they need to lead positive, productive, contributing lives.