New funding boosts 4-H Albertas youth programs

A recent investment in 4-H Alberta is set to provide new opportunities for Alberta’s youth to engage in agriculture. For over a century, 4-H Alberta has helped young people in the province gain valuable agricultural and life skills, offering hands-on learning, fostering leadership, and creating a strong sense of community.

This new funding will help 4-H Alberta bridge the divide between urban and rural youth, as well as develop essential programs focused on safety and mental health.

The governments of Canada and Alberta, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), have committed over $731,000 across five years to support three 4-H Alberta initiatives: the Intro to 4-H program, the Agriculture Safety and Mental Health Workshop, and the Senior Spring Symposium.

About the Programs:

• Intro to 4-H Program: This initiative focuses on experiential learning to connect urban and rural youth with local farmers and ranchers, building bridges between these communities.
• Agriculture Safety and Mental Health Workshop: A new addition, this workshop emphasizes farm safety and mental health awareness through interactive learning,including equine therapy, offering rural and urban youth hands-on opportunities to develop critical skills.
• Spring Senior Symposium: This program will expand mental health education in agriculture, addressing mental health stigma within farming communities to create a supportive environment for young people.

"4-H has been supporting young people in agriculture for over a century. Through this shared investment in 4-H Alberta, I'm so pleased to support their efforts to build connections between urban and rural kids, develop safety and mental health programming, and guide our agriculture sector into the future." said Kurt Kinnear, CEO of 4-H Alberta.

Photo Credit: 4-H Canada