4-H Kids to Team with Autodesk for National Youth Science Day

Youth in San Rafael 4-H, in partnership with Autodesk, will lead their peers in designing and building an aerodynamic craft to deliver a payload of food to natural disaster victims as part of 4-H National Youth Science Day (4-H NYSD), the world’s largest, youth-led science experiment.

The activity, called Rockets to the Rescue, was designed by University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and selected as the winning experiment for the seventh annual 4-H NYSD. This sees youth designing experiments in response to a fictional scenario: A natural disaster has left people without food on a remote, isolated Pacific island, and a rocket must be launched from the mainland, travel over the ocean and deliver high-energy food to the stranded population. The experiment combines two 4-H issue areas—science and food security—Rockets to the Rescue incorporates aerospace engineering concepts to help youth design a rocket out of everyday materials.The national rallying event for 4-H Science, 4-H NYSD is an interactive learning experience that gets youth excited about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and spotlights the many ways millions of youth are engaging in 4-H Science programs year-round.

San Rafael 4-H youth and their guests will convene at Autodesk’s Global Headquarters, on Wednesday, October 8th, 2014, 3pm-7pm, and Autodesk experts will be on-hand to mentor participants as they design their Rockets to the Rescue.

Youth will also have the opportunity to take their rocket experiments to the next level by taking advantage of free access to the same Autodesk 3D design applications and software that are used by professional engineers. For example, participants can analyze the various effects of wind resistance and air pressure on various rocket designs to evaluate which is the most efficient and aerodynamic. They can also document their 4H-NYSD experience with mobile applications and learn creative storytelling with compelling imagery. Visit www.autodesk.com/4h to learn more about the activities.

Youth from around the U.S. and some globally will also be conducting the same experiment at hundreds of local events taking place in all 50 states as part of 4-H NYSD. To document and share their creative journey to becoming professional engineers, youth can participate in the One Giant Leap for Experience contest for a chance to win an iPad Air or 3D printer.

“Our nation is falling behind other countries in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math,” Allison Keaney, Marin County 4-H Program Representative. “However, participation in high-quality positive youth development programs like 4-H NYSD offers youth and adults the opportunity to engage in scientific exploration and work together to build the next generation of our nation’s scientists, engineers and mathematicians.”

San Rafael 4-H Event @ Autodesk Headquarters Event Details

Date: Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

Time: 3pm-7pm

Address: Autodesk, Inc., 111 McInnis Parkway, San Rafael, CA 94903

A recent longitudinal study conducted by Tufts University,The Positive Development of Youth: Comprehensive Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, revealed 4-H programming does indeed get young people more connected to science. According to the study, 4-H’ers are two times more likely to participate in science programs during out-of-school time (grades 10-12) and 4-H girls are two times more likely (grade 10) and nearly three times more likely (grade 12) to take part in science programs, compared to girls in other out-of-school time activities.

The national sponsors of 2014 4-H NYSD are Lockheed Martin, Hughes (HughesNet Satellite Internet) and John Deere. Other partners include Dow AgroSciences, Autodesk, NBC Learn, Afterschool Alliance, and NASA who have all collaborated on this event.

Since 2008, more than five million youth have completed 4-H NYSD experiments and 4-H science projects in robotics, agricultural science, rocketry, wind power, environmental science and alternative energy. To learn more about 4-H NYSD, visit www.4-h.org/nysd.

About 4-H
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Learn more about 4-H atwww.4-H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.

About Autodesk

Autodesk helps people imagine, design and create a better world. Everyone—from design professionals, engineers and architects to digital artists, students and hobbyists—uses Autodesk software to unlock their creativity and solve important challenges. For more information visit www.autodesk.com or follow @autodesk.

--Information from Marin County 4-H