4-H National Youth Science Day

The 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) is the premiere national rallying event for year-round 4-H Science programming, bringing together youth, volunteers, and educators from the nation’s 109 land-grant colleges and universities and the Cooperative Extension System, to simultaneously complete the national science experiment. 

For more than 100 years, 4-H has been at the forefront of teaching youth about science, engineering and technology. 4-H National Youth Science Day is an important annual part of 4-H’s bold goal of attracting one million new youth to science, engineering and technology programs by the year 2013.  4-H National Youth Science Day seeks to spark an early youth interest and leadership in science. Currently, more than five million young people across the nation participate in 4 H science, engineering and technology programming in topics as varied as robotics, rocketry, wind power, GPS mapping, agricultural science, water quality and biofuels.

Each year, a new national science experiment is announced by National 4-H Council.  Experiments from previous years have included topics such as water quality and climate change, alternative energy sources, and water conservation.  All youth in Nebraska are encouraged to join millions of young people across the nation as they complete the national science experiment on National Youth Science Day.  The national science experiment may be completed anywhere -- individually or within a school classroom, a 4-H or non-4-H club, an afterschool setting, or any other type of group. 

This Year's Experiment: Wired for Wind

On Wednesday, October 5, 2011, millions of young people across the nation will become scientists for the day during the fourth annual 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD)! For the fourth annual 4-H National Youth Science Day, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension has designed Wired for Wind: The 2011 National Science Experiment.

The experiment will introduce young people all around the nation to the possibility of a more sustainable tomorrow -- using wind as a clean, widely available, and renewable source of energy.  In this year's experiment, youth will enhance their engineering skills by designing, building and testing two different wind turbine models. This year’s National Science Experiment will also help youth relate their scientific experiences back to their own lives by determining the best location for a wind farm in their state or community.

NYSD Makes a Difference

Research shows that participation in 4-H makes a positive difference in the lives of young people. Youth development scholar Dr. Richard Lerner worked with researchers at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University to conduct the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. The longitudinal study has found that, compared to their peers, young people involved in 4-H are:

• Nearly two times more likely to get better grades in school
• Nearly two times more likely to plan to go to college
• Nearly three times more likely to participate in science, engineering, or computer technology programs.

By connecting important scientific lessons to civic engagement, 4-H youth become a living, breathing, culture-changing movement for doing the right thing, breaking through obstacles and pushing the country forward to successfully face the challenges of the future.
 

Program Information

• Official 4-H National Youth Science Day Web Site

Manuals and Resources

• Previous Year's Experiments