4-H to Enhance Existing After-school Programs with $200,000 Grant from MetLife Foundation

New grant to help urban youth in four states

CHEVY CHASE, Md., Aug. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National 4-H Council has received a grant of $200,000 from MetLife Foundation to enhance after-school programs in four states. MetLife Foundation funding for 4-H Afterschool will provide 250 underserved middle school-aged youth with access to after-school programs in urban areas of Georgia, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island during the 2013-2014 school year, as well as online resources for 4-H Afterschool providers and professionals.

For almost a decade, 4-H and MetLife Foundation partnered to deliver high quality and impactful after-school programs. MetLife Foundation's previous grant to 4-H enabled almost 400 youth in eight states to participate in an after-school program. This experience allowed youth to acquire leadership skills, develop socialization skills with peers, receive homework assistance, and provided a safe environment for youth after school while being involved in high-quality 4-H positive youth development programming.

With new funding from MetLife Foundation, 4-H will continue to increase access to after-school programs for urban youth currently not in programs or on the verge of learning programs due to lack of funds. 4-H also will develop a white paper on the value of 4-H Afterschool youth development programs, including best practices in engaging underserved youth through 4-H Afterschool programs supported by MetLife Foundation and others.

"National 4-H Council is proud of its longstanding relationship with the MetLife Foundation," said Donald T. Floyd, Jr., president & CEO, National 4-H Council. "A continued collaboration with the MetLife Foundation will ensure that 4-H provides sustained and enhanced opportunities to strengthen the quality of 4-H Afterschool programs for middle school youth across America."

About MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLife's long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. The Foundation is committed to building a secure future for individuals and communities worldwide which is reflected in its new focus on financial empowerment.  MetLife Foundation supports innovative approaches to help low income people acquire the financial tools and capabilities to dramatically improve their lives. Since it was established, it has provided more than $570 million in grants and $100 million in program-related investments to nonprofit organizations.

About 4-H
4-H is a community of seven million young people across the globe learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. National 4-H Council is the private sector, nonprofit partner of 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within USDA. In the U.S., 4-H programs are implemented by the 109 land-grant universities and the Cooperative Extension System through their 3,100 local Extension offices across the country. Overseas, 4-H programs are active in more than 50 countries on six continents around the world.

Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H or find us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.

SOURCE National 4-H Council