Update on the 4H and NAR partnership

At the TARC finals on May 19, NAR and 4H announced a national partnership. The purpose of this alignment is to get more kids to fly rockets and form rocket clubs which will lead to more TARC teams, more people joining NAR and more kids becoming scientists and engineers. From recent meetings between NAR and 4H a solid action plan is being implemented to further develop the partnership.

4-H has thousands of youth members, adult volunteers, and clubs. They want to do more science related activities to follow the national mandate of improving science, technology, engineering and math education. NAR has members with rocketry expertise that has proven to work in mentoring young people. NAR and its sections need to make interested new contacts to survive and grow.

Together 4H clubs and NAR sections can hold sport, contest or TARC launches. They can have training and building sessions, or work on science fair and engineering challenges using rocketry. 4H has many `state fair' events that need innovative ideas for student projects. In serving young people 4H and NAR can both elevate the visibility of one another in their mutual community.

To NAR members and section leaders this partnership means that there should be 4H people looking for you this year to help them fly rockets. This may be for forming a TARC team, or just to get started in learning about the sport. Be receptive when they call. NAR sections should likewise be looking for local 4H groups with special invitations for them to come to their launches and meetings. Perhaps NAR members can visit them to talk about rocketry or do demo launches. There are many 4H adult volunteers that are experienced in running youth activities and can help with the logistics and operations of launches.

The 4H NAR partnership is a formal alliance with specific objectives established by the leadership. The strategic plan is to reach 100,000 students with rocketry in five years. 4H will become a conspicuous presence in TARC with many more teams forming and participating. NAR sections will grow as 4H members join them and model rocketry activities will increase. 4H groups will become more effective in teaching science and those programs will flourish as they learn from NAR. The partnership will serve best on the local level in the person to person connections. We're about to have new friends fly with us. Welcome them.

http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/nar.aspx