My Hometown Engagement (since 2021) • 800+ students grades 6–12 participated in the lesson series • 11 mini grants awarded to support youth-led projects, representing a diverse range of projects • 6,500 West Virginians engaged • 64 volunteers, 350 hours of service • $72,000+ additional local project support (including cash, space, supplies, equipment, etc.) • 100% of grantees reported that the project increased collaboration among local partners, and helped to foster youth leadership
IN BRIEF
My Hometown is Cool
THE IMPETUS People moving away from rural towns has a significant impact on the long-term sustainability of the towns and their economies. West Virginia University Extension believes empowering youth as change agents in their communities can help drive growth.
THE WORK “My Hometown is Cool” was launched in 2021. The program takes a multidisciplinary, asset-based approach to youth engagement by combining community development and entrepreneurial thinking, and facilitating opportunities for youth-led contributions to community growth. This program offers Extension profes- sionals and community members a toolkit for teaching youth how to be community developers and entrepre- neurs. The program includes a series of interactive, developmentally appropri- ate tools to help engage youth in this process. First, youth reflect on and cat- alog community assets, brainstorming ideas for building upon those assets. Then, they take what they’ve learned and “pitch” a project at a statewide competition that provides mini-grants for youth-led community projects.
THE VISION West Virginia is not the only state experiencing rural depopulation. The project team aims to expand the reach of the “My Hometown is Cool” project to a national audience through the distribution of program delivery kits. Resources that support program pilots in each region, especially to support community mini-grants, will assist with this effort. The team hopes that the project will contribute to curbing the outmigration of residents from rural areas. One reason for this
hopeful outcome is that youth who engage in the program will be empow- ered to build and grow the communities they love by creating opportunities for themselves and others. By fostering a sense of love and attachment to their surroundings, the project aims to inspire a new generation to stay rooted in rural areas, con- tributing to their sustained vitality and growth.
“Engaging youth and attracting them to their home community is a huge opportunity to address ‘brain-drain’ in rural communities. This project engages youth in learning about why their hometown is cool and then producing a video that captures their insight and enthusi- asm. I expect that forward-looking communities across the U.S. will find this work incredibly helpful and inspiring!” —Chuck Hibberd, NTAE Catalyst
Expansion projects
The Extension Foundation (EXF) chose four projects for a $60,000 Expansion award in year four of the New Technologies for Ag Extension grant program. Expansion project funding supports work that has already been implemented. These high-potential projects need support to expand their work at the state, regional, or national level.
Like their Acceleration project counterparts, Expansion project teams worked with Catalysts, Key Informants, and other EXF experts to enhance their projects by doing one or more of the following: • evaluating their program’s content and outcomes • creating a marketing plan and materials for their program • documenting and creating a publication about their process and/or progress and outcomes • participating in digital engagement planning webinars
See My Hometown is Cool team members on page 82.
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2022-2023 YEARBOOK | EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE
EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE | 2022-2023 YEARBOOK
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