In New Jersey, Rutgers 4-H Program Associate Rodrigo Sanchez Hernandez guides learners through Apple’s Everyone Can Code resources during a recent STEM Explorers camp in July 2024. Photo credit: Apple.
4-H Essex County STEM Ambassador teaches STEM activities to youth in their communities through the ‘Learn to Code’ program by Apple.
4-H, the largest youth development organization in the U.S., reaching more than 6 million young people across the country, has expanded its programming to include greater access to technology, thanks in part to support from Apple and its Community Education Initiative (CEI).
Since Apple launched CEI in 2019, the programming has provided coding, creativity, and career opportunities to tens of thousands of students in 99 countries and regions, and across all 50 states, with an emphasis on communities that are traditionally underrepresented in technology. CEI is part of Apple’s broader commitment to education and educational equity, dating back more than four decades.
In New Jersey, Apple began partnering with Rutgers University-Newark and 4-H clubs through the 4-H Computer Science Pathways project in 2021. The program uses peer mentors from college and high school to engage young people and build skills in STEM.
“The magic of this program, and of Apple technology, is that the hands-on experience makes our young people realize that they can succeed in STEM fields,” says Rodrigo Sanchez Hernandez, Rutgers 4-H Program Associate, who studied mechanical engineering and now helps run 4-H programming in New Jersey. “When they see someone that looks like them and is close to their age teach these advanced topics in a relatable way, they think, ‘If they can do it, why can’t I?’”
4-H Essex County STEM Ambassador teaches STEM activities to youth in their communities through the ‘Learn to Code’ program by Apple.
Since 2021, the program has expanded to 4-H clubs throughout the state, including the 2024 summer STEM Explorers camp in Trenton. Over the course of the month, several dozen students in grades 7 through 9 cycled through iPad-based workshops that included digital media, robotics, coding, and engineering. The digital media week featured a learning lab based on Apple’s Everyone Can Create curriculum that culminated in each student designing a project to bring awareness to environmental issues.
Other members of the Rutgers 4-H STEM team involved in this project comprise Marissa Staffen, County Agent; Jennie Thomas, Community Assistant; Brianna Boyd, Program Associate; and Mamadee Keita, Community Assistant, who each collaborate to deliver effective, year-round programming across New Jersey. Their collective efforts ensure the successful implementation of various initiatives and services, contributing to the program’s overall objectives and outreach.
Apple’s work to bring cutting-edge technology to 4-H started in Ohio in conjunction with The Ohio State University, providing hardware, financial support, scholarships, educator resources, and access to Apple experts. The collaboration has grown significantly since that initial partnership in Ohio. Between 2019 and spring 2024, Apple-supported 4-H programs reached thousands of educators and more than 90,000 young people across Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, and Florida, including through programming at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Read the full feature which first appeared at Apple website.
