Skip to main content

2024 National Pilot Invitation: My Hometown is Cool!

MelaniePugsley MelaniePugsleyExtension Foundation
Last edited by MelaniePugsley


We invite you to be part of the "My Hometown is Cool!" National Pilot Program, hosted by West Virginia University, in collaboration with the Extension Foundation New Technology in Ag Extension program.

What is "My Hometown is Cool!"?
"My Hometown is Cool!" is a dynamic program that spans Extension disciplines, including 4-H and Youth Development, Community Resource Economic Development, and Families and Health, designed to engage 6th-12th grade students in community development and entrepreneurial thinking. Through four interactive lessons, students explore ways to improve their communities and  pitch their ideas for community projects in a competition. Winning teams receive funding to bring their projects to life in their hometowns. So far, the program has impacted over 850 students in West Virginia, with 11 community mini-grants awarded.

National Pilot Program
The “My Hometown is Cool” team is recruiting Extension partners from each of the five ECOP Regions to collaborate on a National Program Pilot during the 2024-2025 school year. The five teams will receive $2,500 mini-grants to support program delivery.

Partnering institutions will play a vital role in delivering the "My Hometown is Cool" program to groups of at least 20 students. Additionally, partners will  have the opportunity to allocate mini-grants to support youth-led projects and aid in their implementation. Partners  will be given  support and tools to evaluate program impacts. Feedback results will contribute to refining the national program model.

Apply Now!
Extension organizations from the following ECOP regions can apply: 1890 Region, North Central Region, Northeast Region, Southern Region, and Western Region. Applications are due by March 15th, 2024, Partners will be announced on April 1st. Learn more about the program and find the application on the program webpage.

For More Information
Contact Lauren Prinzo, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Community and Economic Development at WVU Extension, at Lmprinzo@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-8690.
Read more about the My Hometown Is Cool New Technologyoy in Ag Extension Project here.

Add Comment

Comments (0)

Post

About the Extension Foundation

The Extension Foundation was formed in 2006 by Extension Directors and Administrators. Today, the Foundation partners with Cooperative Extension through liaison roles and a formal plan of work with the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) to increase system capacity while providing programmatic services, and helping Extension programs scale and investigate new methods and models for implementing programs. The Foundation provides professional development to Cooperative Extension professionals and offers exclusive services to its members. In 2020 and 2021, the Extension Foundation has awarded 85% of its direct funding back to the Cooperative Extension System, 100% of funds are used to support Cooperative Extension initiatives. 

This technology is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation. For more information, please visit extension.org. You can view the terms of useat extension.org/terms.

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Advanced Search
Advanced Search
Link copied to your clipboard.
×