News and Press

Fort Valley State University's 4-H Program receives $124,000 grant

by Russell Boone Jr.

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Fort Valley State University’s (FVSU) Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program recently received a grant of  $124,000 from the National 4-H Council.

The grant will fund the “Fort Valley State University 4-H Beyond Ready Emotional Intelligent, College and Career Ready and Content of Character Steady” project which began August 2025 and will conclude on Dec. 31, 2027.

Woodie Hughes Jr., FVSU assistant Extension administrator 4-H program leader, is the principal investigator (PI) for the grant.

“Funds from the grant will cover limited professional development training for the project’s 4-H adult volunteer mentors, consultants and staff. They will be trained in the areas of emotional intelligence (EI) and other character strengths that foster resilience, leadership and lifelong success," Hughes said.

A collaboration between the National 4-H Council and the Lilly Endowment Incorporated provides funding for the grant. It’s part of the Lilly Endowment’s Character Development through Youth Programs initiative which supports organizations focused on cultivating positive traits in young people across the U.S.

Additionally, the FVSU Extension administrator said that funds will cover costs for 4-H participants registration fees, airplane tickets and lodging to attend national 4-H events in Washington, D.C.

Hughes also provided details concerning the program’s objectives.

“The program will create experiential learning opportunities for youths to learn emerging careers adaptability skills, digital literacy, problem-solving skills, character development and college and career readiness,” Hughes said. “Also, the program will create experiential leaning opportunities for 4-H youth development and strengthen their adaptability and growth mindset through the acquisition of emotional intelligence, which may help them to resolve conflicts, collaborate effectively and learn coping strategies for high-pressure personal and professional life situations,” Hughes said.

Furthermore, the FVSU program director said program youth will develop self-awareness, emotional regulation, responsible decision making and social skills.

“These skill sets are increasingly recognized as critical for students to obtain academic achievement and career readiness,” Hughes said. He added that research indicates 4-H alumni exhibit higher levels of life skills that include nurturing relationships, teamwork and communication compared to their non-4-H peers.

He also added that subjects such as 4-H college and career readiness, 4-H employability, 4-H entrepreneurship education and 4-H civic engagement will be covered in the program.

Hughes said he was motivated to create the Beyond Ready Program to help youths. He cited the story of Ty’Jhon Jefferson, who participated in FVSU’s 4-H Village Community Garden 4-H Positive Youth Development Program.

Ty'Jhon Jefferson

Jefferson, a native of Sylvester, Georgia, is autistic. He graduated from Worth County High School (WCHS) in May 2025, with a 4.06 GPA and accomplished this feat while completing two years of dual enrollment from three different colleges during his junior and senior years in high school. He took three college courses a semester, totaling nine college courses and simultaneously completed his regular high school classwork earning all A's in the process.

For his efforts, Jefferson received $90,000 in college scholarship funding that can only be applied to one of the top 20 schools in America. He currently attends Oberlin College in Ohio where he is studying chemistry and engineering.

The former FVSU 4-H student shared how participating in the organization helped him.

“One of my most defining characteristics is me having autism. Throughout most of my life before high school, I struggled heavily with social interactions and tasks most people take for granted like tying my shoes or writing,” Jefferson said.

Moreover, Jefferson said that despite being able to perform well academically, he still struggled mentally. However, he used it and his mother’s support as a source of motivation.

“Through her, I learned to advocate for myself and that persisting through your worst times is strength. Understanding that she could still balance being a mother, advocate, employee and student at the same time made anything seem possible to me and gave me a reason to keep going,” he said.

Furthermore, Jefferson said he didn’t want to be seen as a monolith or statistic, and he wanted the sacrifices his parents made for him to matter.

“4-H was one of the most important factors in my life with the confidence and experience it provided me,” Jefferson said.

Hughes said Jefferson’s journey is truly inspiring.

“I am so thankful that God allowed me to work with Ty’Jhon through the FVSU 4-H positive youth development program,” Hughes said.

He added that the FVSU grant project will be able to create 4-H positive learning opportunities for youth across Georgia like Jefferson.

For more information about the FVSU 4-H Positive Youth Development Program, contact Hughes at (478) 825-6296 (hughesw@fvsu.edu).  

 

 

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• FVSU Agriculture College

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