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Now in its third year, the Partnership, which is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Army Youth Development Project (USDA/AYDP), has led to the creation of 20 Military 4-H Clubs with more than 300 youth participants. The main areas of emphasis for the Partnership have been staff development and communication, training and curriculum support for frontline workers at installations, and equipment, Lauxman says. The Partnership has thus far trained 72 staff members to provide consistent programs and services for Army, Air Force, Reserve and National Guard youth. It has supplied equipment such as digital cameras and handheld global positioning system (GPS) units, which have been used for both arts and educational activities on participating installations.

The 4-H programs currently exist at Luke and Davis-Monthan Air Force Bases, Yuma Proving Ground, Fort Huachuca, as well as overseas bases in Osan, Korea and Kadena, Misawa, and Yukota, Japan.

At Fort Huachuca, almost a dozen 4-H clubs meet every Thursday afternoon and cover such activities as photography, arts and crafts, technology, community services, chess, Spanish, woodworking, and theatre arts. Programming there has gone "far above and beyond what the Army requires," says Darcy Tessman, UA Cooperative Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development in Cochise County.

Because 4-H programs emphasize personal responsibility and leadership, they help military children take control of their lives, Tessman says. "In the military, young people have few things that are within their control. They don't live in a place that they chose. Their parents move not when they want to move, but when the military says they move. Young people are uprooted all the time, in new schools, far away from family and friends. 4-H empowers kids to make decisions."

For example, at Luke Air Force Base, Oreo the rabbit has given young people who cannot typically have pets an opportunity to collectively care for one, says Grady Lester, the 4-H and open recreation coordinator at LAFB. "None of the kids knew anything about livestock or pets. We started sending the rabbit home with kids and it has really taught them about responsibility."