Ft. Irwin: 4-H Military Partnership
4-H Military Partnerships create opportunities and provide support to military connected youth by providing consistency in belonging and an opportunity to develop life skills through a positive youth development framework. The 4-H Program is built upon four Essential Elements ensuring that youth feel a sense of belonging in a safe environment, develop independence in both group and individual work, share with others in the community through generosity, and develop a sense of mastery that continues throughout life as they practice and share what they have learned with others. As military families move frequently and experience the difficulties surrounding deployment and reintegration, 4-H provides predictable programming and a safe and nurturing environment for military connected children and youth.
To date, there are approximately 300 youth involved in the 4-H Youth Development Program on the Ft. Irwin installation base through the Child, Youth & School (CYS) Services School Age Centers. The youth currently involved are participating in a multitude of projects ranging from robotics to origami.