The State’s Special Allocation of $45 Million to Greatly Expand STEM Learning at Four 4-H Centers
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Directors of the four Tennessee 4-H Centers that serve the state’s youth are excited about what the future holds for teachers and K-12 schoolchildren thanks to a special allocation of $45.25 million in state funding for center improvements.
The centers are known to generations of Tennesseans for their 4-H summer camps, which annually serve 5,000 to 6,000 youth. Yet the centers also actively host grade-level appropriate, standards-based out-of-classroom experiences in science and the natural world throughout the year for teachers and K-12 students. Each year more than 15,000 students visit the centers for hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). That capacity is expected to grow to 50,000 to 60,000 students a year because of new STEM learning centers that are made possible by the state’s special allocation of funds.
The funding was proposed by Governor Bill Lee in February as part of the state’s fiscal year 2025-2026 budget and was approved in April by the Tennessee General Assembly. The allocation supports construction of dedicated STEM centers at the W.P. Ridley 4-H Center in Columbia; the Clyde M. York 4-H Center in Crossville; and the Clyde Austin 4-H Center in Greeneville.
“We are elated for this historic investment from the state, Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly,” says Keith Carver, senior vice chancellor and senior vice president of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
“We know the experiences the new STEM centers will offer are going to change lives and create a world of opportunities for Tennessee youth by enhancing their education, broadening their horizons, and increasing their workforce readiness for careers in STEM fields.”
The new centers will expand STEM programming through state-of-the-art learning spaces, upgraded technology, and interactive lab areas designed specifically for hands-on, inquiry-based STEM education. Importantly, the new facilities will provide sheltered indoor areas during rain events and heated spaces to use during colder months.
At the newest 4-H center at West Tennessee’s Lone Oaks Farm in Middleton, the funds will support construction of additional cabins that increase this center’s ability to host overnight trips from 64 to 128 students — a capacity that will enable multi-day STEM learning opportunities and recreational programs for entire grade levels of students.
Jennifer King, a second-grade teacher at Toone Elementary School in Toone, Tennessee, says the STEM program at Lone Oaks Farm has been an invaluable asset to her students. “As a lower elementary teacher who has brought students to Lone Oaks multiple times a year for several years, I’ve seen students experience hands-on opportunities that truly bring STEM concepts to life. Lone Oaks’ unique activities outside the four walls of a classroom enable students to discover and explore as they engage with science, technology, engineering, math and even reading in an interactive, real-world setting,” King says.
Ryan Hensley, director of the Tennessee 4-H Foundation, says, “We are deeply grateful to Governor Bill Lee and the legislature for their generational investment in the youth of Tennessee and the 4-H and FFA programs.
“This funding will transform our 4-H centers, expanding STEM learning opportunities and creating a world of possibilities for our K-12 students. The new facilities will not only enhance education but also foster curiosity, creativity and a love for learning that will benefit our youth for years to come.”
Tennessee 4-H is a youth development program administered by University of Tennessee Extension and Tennessee State University and consistently ranks as one of the largest 4-H programs in the nation. You can learn more about 4-H programs in your area by contacting your county UT/TSU Extension Office.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.