Google.org Grants $5 Million to National 4-H Council to Expand Computer Science Education to Underserved Youth

National 4-H Council, the nation's largest youth development organization, has announced a $5 million grant from Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, to expand computer science skills and education to underserved youth across the country. This grant will build upon Google.org's support of computer science in 4-H, which has reached 1.4 million students since 2017. The funding will increase the reach of the Computer Science (CS) Career Pathways program for students from rural and under-resourced communities who have had minimal CS education.

Key Takeaways:

• The $5 million grant from Google.org will expand computer science education to underserved youth, building upon previous support that has reached 1.4 million students since 2017.
• The program aims to increase access to computer science education for rural and under-resourced communities, with 65% of participating youth living in rural areas, 56% of teen CS leaders being girls, and 47% coming from racially diverse backgrounds.
• The initiative will provide access to computer science education for 4-H'ers nationwide, including six million young people and over 3,500 educators through Cooperative Extension's in-person 4-H programs and online resources.
• The program combines the educational expertise of 4-H with Google's computer science knowledge and innovation, empowering young people to develop problem-solving skills and confidence.
• The grant is part of 4-H's mission to provide equitable access to skills that help young people create opportunity and maximize their potential.
• The program also offers training and capacity-building for educators, volunteers, professionals, and teen leaders to create their own curricula and reach more youth.
• Google's support will expand existing and bring new CS education programs to communities across nine states, including Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Nebraska, and West Virginia.

Statistics:

• 1.4 million youth have participated in the program since its start, with 65% living rurally.
• 56% of teen CS leaders are girls, and 47% come from racially diverse backgrounds.
• 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills.
• 4-H is the youth development program of our nation's Cooperative Extension System and USDA and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3000 local Extension offices.
• Globally, 4-H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries.

Sources:

• National 4-H Council
• Google.org
• GlobeNewswire
• COMTEX_413518423/2010/2022-09-01T09:00:06 (C) Copyright 2022 GlobeNewswire, Inc. All rights reserved.