4-H Ag Innovators Experience

National 4‑H Council and Bayer Extend Science Matters Partnership to Build Future Leaders in Agri-Science. In order to help accelerate the skills needed to secure the future of food and agriculture, National 4‑H Council and Bayer have announced a multi-million, multi-year commitment to expand the reach and impact of the Science Matters initiative. Leveraging Bayer’s more than 150 years of scientific innovations and 4‑H’s century of hands-on learning, Science Matters will reach more than a million young people over the next five years with the tools and support they need to deepen their understanding of agri-science topics. For more information on National 4-H Council and Bayer Extend Science Matters Partnership, another great site for information on 4-H and Bayer.

We are looking forward to the 2022 4-H Ag Innovators Experience (AIE) to be announced December 2021. We hope AZ 4-H will be selected as one of seven states to implement the 2022 AIE. We will keep you updated. If we are not fortunate to be selected we plan to offer the 2021 "Curbing our Carbon Appetite" AIE so if you are interested in learning about the importance of a healthy Sustainable food supply to feed a growing world? Do you enjoy hands-on activities while learning about climate change? And are you ready to share what you have learned with others as a leader through community service and civic engagement? Then this project is right for you! 

Only 20 youth Team Leaders (STEM Ambassadors) will be selected for this opportunity!

• 3 of the 20 Team Leaders (STEM Ambassadors) will be selected as the State Leadership Team to attend a Virtual Ag Innovators Experience on February 5-6, 2021.
• Friday Feb. 5 from 4-7:30pm
• Saturday Feb. 6 from 8-6pm (with breaks and lunch time)
• The 3 State Team Leaders and 2 adults will then train the remaining 17 (STEM Ambassadors ) during 4 training sessions scheduled for February 20, March 6, March 20 and April 3, 2021 from 9am-1pm.

Highlights of the program

• 4-H Ag Innovators Experience 2021 "Curbing Our Carbon Appetite Challenge" kits and an iPad for recording, attending zoom meetings and delivering the STEM activities will be sent to ALL Team Leaders/STEM Ambassadors to conduct outreach in their communities.
• Each STEM Ambassadors will be responsible for delivering the curriculum to 50 underserved, urban/rural youth with a disconnect to agriculture in grades 3-8 in their communities by July 10.
• Delivery modes can include classrooms, summer camps, 4-H clubs, summer reading programs, afterschool programs, homeschool groups or special events. Delivery modes may be virtual or face to face as allowed by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension phased re-entry and school district guidelines. 
• Together, the 20 STEM Ambassadors will reach 1,000 youth statewide through the 4-H Ag Innovators Experience (AIE).

The 4-H AIE is a series of interactive, hands-on activities that help youth understand why everyone has a role to play in addressing climate change. Participants will learn how human activity burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, soil mismanagement, and unwise food systems are increasing atmospheric carbon and contributing to climate change. The activity leads them through an exploration of actions that three carbon influencer groups: agriculture, business and industry, and individuals and families can take to reduce atmospheric carbon. 

During this experience, youth trace the flow of carbon through the carbon cycle and relate human activity to increases in atmospheric carbon that contribute to climate change. They will demonstrate the effects of increasing or decreasing atmospheric carbon levels on temperature by constructing and measuring the temperatures of atmospheric models. They will then analyze the carbon footprints of foods and complete a carbon-friendly lunch challenge in which they plan a carbon-friendly meal by selecting food items with low carbon footprints. To extend the learning process, youth receive continuing activities to be completed at home.

This challenge is designed to be an engaging 60-minute activity for 3^rd – 8^th grade youth providing teaching opportunities for older youth and community partners. This activity can be delivered in-person or virtually via multiple 4-H delivery modes that include: summer camps, 4-H club meetings, summer reading programs, afterschool programming, special events and school collaborations with the activities intentionally aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).