National 4-H Council accepts $2.5 million grant from Walmart Foundation

CHEVY CHASE, Md. - National 4-H Council on Friday announced it has been awarded a grant from the Walmart Foundation for $2.5 million to deliver 4-H Healthy Living experiences under the Youth Voice: Youth Choice program.



"Collaboration and dedication are key to making a positive impact on the issue of hunger in under-served communities across the U.S.," stated Carol May, program manager for the Walmart Foundation. "The Walmart Foundation is proud to support National 4-H as they expand their programming to address nutrition education gaps for youth in America."



"4-H National Council is thrilled to once again be moving forward with the Youth Voice: Youth Choice program with generous support from the Walmart Foundation," said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4-H Council. "The activation of the Youth Voice: Youth Choice program not only empowers youth and their families with quality healthy living educational opportunities but also mobilizes teens to help improve the lives of their families and their communities."



The 2016-2017 grant expands Youth Voice: Youth Choice programming from 26 to 32 states and will reach more than 134,000 under-served youth and their families, encouraging them to take action to improve dietary choices, increase physical fitness and share information regarding locally available healthy living resources. The grant includes targeted outreach to Hispanic and African American youth and this year will expand culturally relevant programs to Native American youth.



The program provides grants to state-level 4-H programs and focuses on developing and enhancing healthy living programs at the community level. The goal is to teach youth about healthy living practices and to mobilize youth to implement action plans for nutrition, physical fitness and safety in their communities. The program utilizes the 4-H 'Teens as Teachers' model to allow teens to be trained as teachers and to mentor younger participants, providing them with valuable leadership skills they can use for a lifetime.



The grant is part of the Walmart Foundation's ongoing commitment to strengthen communities by committing to provide nutrition education to four million people by 2020.