The federal and provincial governments have just announced new funding for 4-H Alberta.
Through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership's (Sustainable CAP) Resiliency and Public Trust initiative, $731,000 will be provided over the course of five years to fund three of their programs.
The funding will benefit the Intro to 4-H program, the Agriculture Safety and Mental Health Workshop, and the Spring Senior Symposium.
The Intro to 4-H program aims to offer experience through hands-on learning to build connections between urban and rural youth as well as Alberta's farmers and ranchers, while the other two programs will explore the importance of mental health and farm safety.
Speaking at a live news conference, Agriculture and Irrigation Minister and Highwood MLA RJ Sigurdson spoke of the impact 4-H Alberta has had since its founding in 1917.
"Thousands of Albertan kids have learned so much during their time in 4-H. Not just skills that give them a leg up in agriculture, but skills that will serve them well in any career, like leadership development and public speaking."
With 4-H having played a role in introducing Alberta youth to agriculture for over 100 years, Sigurdson said it's clearly worth the investment.
"Today's investment of the additional $731,000 in partnership with the federal government, will ensure the organization continues to make a difference in the lives of our province's young people."
This newest round of funding is on top of the $1 million per year for 10 years that the provincial government pledged to 4-H Alberta in 2020.