USU Extension 4-H Receives Greenworks Grant

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Utah State University Extension 4-H, in partnership with Thanksgiving Point Institute, received a GreenWorks! Grant through Project Learning Tree, the environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation. The award will help 4-H teen leaders plan, design and implement summer camp programs for 1,600 younger campers.

Through the project, the 4-H Growing Leaders Club at Thanksgiving Point will have the opportunity to maintain a garden, begin a solar greenhouse program and develop new gardening activities with Junior Master Gardeners.

According to Dave Francis, USU Extension 4-H youth development specialist for science, engineering, technology and natural resources, the grant will provide additional youth activities that teach about the environment through hands-on discovery and will help build leadership and life skills.

"We are especially pleased that the program will provide an opportunity to utilize a youth-teaching-youth model to learn about the environment," he said.

Since 1992, Project Learning Tree has distributed more than $500,000 to fund 730 grant projects in communities across the country. The project provides educators with environmental education curriculum resources that can be integrated into lesson plans for all grades and subject areas.