Delaware 4-Hers lead biotechnology education program

INDIANAPOLIS — Four local 4-H teenagers are partnering with 4-H professionals and representatives from agricultural industry, land-grant universities, and their respective state soybean boards to design and deliver afterschool and summer biotechnology education programs.
The Delaware 4-H program is one of five in the country to receive support from National 4-H Council and the United Soybean Board to implement the 4-H Teens Teaching Youth Biotechnology Program in 2012.
The program provides opportunities for youth to learn about the science of agricultural biotechnology and increase their awareness of the careers available in this rapidly expanding field.
“This is a great opportunity for Delaware 4-H to lead a charge and educate our youth about the impact that biotechnology has on our agriculture system,” said said Kristin Cook, Extension agent in Kent County.
Austin Gardner-Bowler and Shelby Kunz from Kent County and Bobby Johnston and Makenzie Mullen from New Castle County, attended a national training in Indianapolis on Jan. 11-14, where they met with representatives from Purdue University, Beck’s Hybrids, Dow AgroSciences, and the Indiana Soybean Alliance to increase their understanding of agriculture and biotechnology.
The 4-H teens also practiced teaching biotech activities and developed plans for implementing the program in their home communities.
The Delaware youths are currently recruiting additional teen teachers and planning a two-day training for them during the upcoming weeks.
These 20 teenagers will then deliver biotech programs to 100 other youth through afterschool sites and summer camps.
Local partners assisting with the teen training and programming include the Delaware Soybean Board and Delaware Institute for Biotechnology.
Overall, 80 4-H teenagers from Dover and Wilmington, Del.; East St. Louis, Ill.; Columbus and Lafayette, Ind.; Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; and Dayton, Ohio will reach more than 400 other youth with their programming.