09/18/2006

Construction of New 4-H Building Begins

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu
614-292-9833

Source:

Bill McCleery, 4-H Youth Development
mccleery.8@osu.edu
(614) 247-7624

Editor: Photos are available. Contact Martha Filipic, filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu or (614) 292-9833.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The construction of a new youth development center for Ohio State University Extension's 4-H program has begun.

The new Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center is being constructed near the northwest corner of Lane Avenue and Fred Taylor Drive, just west of the Schottenstein Center.

Construction began the first week of September, said Bill McCleery, Ohio State University's development officer for Ohio 4-H. The projected completion date is December 2007. Turner Construction Company is managing the project and overseeing the 11 companies chosen to do the work.

“We are excited to finally be under way and look forward to being operational in early 2008,” said Jeff King, State 4-H Leader and assistant director for OSU Extension. The center will be the first “green” building on the Ohio State campus, with its design focused on energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.

Marilyn Johnson-Masters, whose late husband, famed agricultural broadcaster Ed Johnson, served as the first chairman of the campaign, said, “It’s a great day for the youth of Ohio. Ed’s dream is becoming a reality. He would be so pleased."

McCleery said fundraising for the project is ongoing. The goal is $15.5 million, which includes funds for both the construction and an endowment for the new center. So far, $13 million has been raised or pledged to date, with $6 million from Nationwide and the Ohio Farm Bureau, $4.5 million from 4-H fundraising efforts, and $2.5 million from state and federal funding. McCleery encourages both prospective and previous donors to join the “4-H Green Team,” an elite group of passionate 4-H supporters who will be recognized in a special way in the center’s Great Hall for their “extra mile” effort in putting the campaign over the top. For more information, contact McCleery at (614) 247-7624 or mccleery.8@osu.edu.

On Oct. 14, the Ohio 4-H Foundation will hold its annual Celebration of Youth to honor 4-H’ers and their achievements at the nearby Bill Davis Baseball Stadium, where participants will be able to stay to watch the Ohio State-Michigan State football game as well as get a birds-eye view of the center's construction progress. Funds raised will support the Ohio 4-H Foundation Endowment, which supports 4-H programs on the county, region and state levels. For additional information on that event, contact Denise Johnson, 4-H Foundation program coordinator, at (614) 292-0082 or johnson.2924@osu.edu.

Ohio 4-H is the youth development arm of OSU Extension within Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. This year, nearly 300,000 Ohio youths ages 5 through 19 will be involved in a 4-H program. These clubs and activities focus on hands-on learning and experiences that help youth gain leadership, citizenship and life skills and values that will last their lifetime. For more information on Ohio 4-H, contact the 4-H program at (614) 292-4444.

A recent study by the Technology Partnership Practice of Battelle Institute found that the 4-H program’s focus on leadership and integrity reaches 11.7 percent of youth in rural and urban Ohio. If the program encourages just 5 percent of those members to receive a bachelor’s degree, each would receive $19,100 of additional income per year over and above someone with a high school diploma, increasing this group’s income by $220.2 million.

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