Kentucky State University (KYSU) reopened its state-of-the-art child development center as an innovative education and research model for 4-H youth programming. The Rosenwald Center for 4-H Youth Development opened in May and will develop and implement programs such as 4-H Clubs, 4-H Camps, and in-school and after-school programs to give youth safe and supervised places to spend time and the chance to learn new skills, develop their interests and spend meaningful time with their peers and mentors. These 4-H programs are designed to serve children and youth in kindergarten through eighth grade. 4-H enrichment activities focus on the sciences, health and well-being, and civic education and will be delivered through curricula developed by Dr. Travella Free, assistant Extension professor and 4-H youth development specialist, and her team in partnership with the National 4-H Council.

through curricula developed by Dr. Travella Free, assistant Extension professor and 4-H youth development specialist, and her team in partnership with the National 4-H Council.

“Youth build key life skills by participating in hands-on activities,” Free says. “Our goal is to increase opportunities for youth with accessible, inclusive, high quality, educational youth development programs.”

The Rosenwald Center is a 15,000-square foot facility that was constructed with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and completed in January 2013. The center has six classrooms, three observation rooms, four offices, one large multi-purpose room, one conference room, and a fully-certified kitchen. Its design allows Kentucky State University students to observe practices in teaching and learning in classroom settings.

students to observe practices in teaching and learning in classroom settings.

KYSU professor Dr. Herman Walston is already utilizing the center. He was awarded a Capacity Building Grant through the USDA to implement an after-school mentoring program for African-American and Hispanic youth. Dr. Walston's program aims to develop a positive youth development mentoring after-school program to serve 75 at-risk youth ages 10 to 17. It will also help families of the youth maintain and increase parenting skills as well as provide learning experiences for Kentucky State students studying early childhood development, family and consumer sciences, and food and agricultural sciences.