Head, heart, hands, and health. Those were the original four development areas around which 4-H was founded way back in 1902. Since then, 4-H has grown into a network of youth organizations with more than six million members in the U.S., all students ages five to 21. We may remember 4-H from county fairs and similar events, and while the original aim of 4-H was to bring agricultural research to the next generation of farmers (the organization is still administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture), it has become a leader in offering STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education—and, in fact, 4-H’s presence at today’s county fairs are just as likely to feature STEM or STEAM (adding “art” into the mix) project competitions as livestock or produce judging.

“I like STEAM instead of STEM because art is an integral component to any innovator,” said Kevin Woolridge, Co-Director of the Blue Ridge/UA 4-H Fab Lab, based in Pinetop-Lakeside, Ariz. In January, 2018, Woolridge opened the new Fab Lab—short for fabrication laboratory—in partnership with 4-H. Roland DGA and Epilog Laser are two sponsors of the lab, and have provided wide-format printing equipment, 3D milling machines, and laser engraving and cutting equipment, among other gear. “Both of those companies have been amazingly generous to the program,” said Woolridge.

The M.O. of the Fab Lab is to offer a hands-on approach to learning. “Basically, what we’re doing is trying to prototype a new service delivery model for STEM education,” explained Woolridge. “For years, 4-H has had a push on trying to increase the amount of STEM and our thought was that by partnering with them and building a Fab Lab with a network of many labs throughout the state, we would then be able to funnel more kids through.” While fab labs have typically been offered by wealthier schools and school districts—and out of reach of the poorer ones—by working with 4-H, Woolridge is able to open STEM training to any student. “We’re a small town in the mountains of Arizona, and we’ve had kids coming from all over the state participating in the program,” he said. “What it boils down to is trying to find a mechanism where we can create a fab lab learning environment that is open to everybody instead of just students from the school it’s situated in.”