FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Extension) – NDSU Extension’s Center for 4-H Youth Development announced that the Next Chapter at NDSU initiative has been selected to receive a $250,000 grant from the CHS Foundation. Only one program per college is eligible to compete for the award.

The Next Chapter at NDSU initiative is a career readiness curriculum for youth as young as eighth grade. Through hands-on activities, participants explore their passions, develop critical life skills and map out pathways toward post-graduation goals.

The curriculum features 17 adaptable and updated lesson plans. Topics include goal-setting, time management, resume writing and financial management. Delivered in the classroom, after school and in 4-H club settings, the program aims to prepare youth to succeed in their future careers and lives.

“This recognition highlights our and the CHS Foundation’s unwavering commitment to empowering youth and cultivating the next generation of agricultural leaders,” says Leigh Ann Skurupey, assistant director of 4-H Youth Development.

The Next Chapter at NDSU initiative is a response to a national survey of high schoolers indicating they do not feel prepared for a job after graduation and want an educational pathway that is shorter, more affordable and connected to a career.

“The CHS Foundation is proud to support North Dakota 4-H and its Next Chapter at NDSU program,” says Megan Wolle, CHS Foundation president. “This work is both creative and grounded in research for youth development. We’re grateful for the strong program leadership that will help develop the next generation of agriculture leaders in North Dakota.”

In 2023, CHS was recognized as an NDSU Foundation Partner in Excellence. CHS’s past contributions include the CHS Endowed Chair in Risk Management and Trading in 2015, a grant to support NDSU’s precision agriculture program in 2022 and 10 annual CHS Foundation Scholarships for students pursuing a degree in the NDSU College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources.