4H Tech Changemakers: Building Community and Momentum
The cover of the 4-HTech Changemakers Guidebook: 2021 Edition
Community and connection. These two elements, so essential to our well-being, were challenged in ways we’ve never seen during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Not to be deterred from their mission, Virginia Cooperative Extension’s 4H embraced a new national program called 4H Tech Changemakers that connects teenagers and adults within their communities.
Their goal is to engage teens as teachers to address tech-based and workforce skills that empower older adults in their communities.
Dr. Chantel Wilson, the 4-H STEAM Specialist at VSU, partnered with Dr. Erika Bonnett, the 4H Program Development Extension Specialist at VT, were awarded the 4H Tech Changemakers grant in March 2021, which is a partnership between the National 4H Council, Microsoft, Land O’Lakes, Tractor Supply, and Verizon. Dr. Wilson emphasized the need for the funds; “digital literacy is extremely important, as technology continues to evolve and have more prominence in our daily lives. This grant will help boost technological skills and boost employability of adults while giving our 4-H teens a chance to develop their leadership, teaching, and communication skills as they make a real difference in their communities.”
In previous years, only three Virginia counties participated in Tech Changemakers: Charlotte, Mecklenburg, and Halifax counties. “Because of COVID, we understood the necessity of hybrid events” says Dr. Erika Bonnett, with Virginia Cooperative Extension. “We used virtual tools and other communication methods that people might not have used before COVID.”
Now, there are 10 sites throughout Virginia. Bringing Verizon into the partnership and starting new groups throughout the state has improved the Tech Changemakers’ ability to reach a broader audience and focus on job skills. Teens can teach people in their community about using Microsoft Office suite, virtual meeting platforms like Zoom and Google meet, how to build a resume or write a cover letter, or how to use a smartphone for data collection, among other skills.
Some Tech Changemaker programs have partnerships with local libraries, where they keep office hours. “We have one adult who keeps coming back” Dr. Bonnett says. “First, they learned to use their phone effectively, then they brought their laptop. It’s all about building on their skills, building relationships, and building trust with adults.”
Dr. Wilson also remarked on the positive impact teens and connecting generations. “One of our agents recently told me that their teens participating in the program were able to develop a real connection to the older women in their community. The women are planning to attend a school play one of the teens is acting in, and they have invited the teen to attend their Friendsgiving celebration. I think this is a shining example of community-building while tackling other important issues such as positive youth development and digital literacy.”
The Changemakers are focused on starting new sites and growing the program across the state. Currently, Virginia county extension offices are expanding to recruit and build new groups of teens, build the repertoire of skills they can teach, and build partnerships. In addition to libraries, some teams are partnering with senior centers, community centers, and job centers. The 4H Tech Changemakers in Virginia are building momentum, and Virginia Cooperative Extension is confident that they will continue to positively impact their communities.