Promote 4-H youth leadership with the Helping Hands and Food Partner Challenges

For everyone

Get ready to empower Minnesota 4-H youth to lead real change in their communities! Applications for both the Helping Hands Challenge and the Food Partner Challenge are live. Start sharing this exciting news with your local clubs, leaders, and youth now so they can begin brainstorming ideas.

These two distinct funding opportunities give 4-H members the resources to turn ideas into action and address pressing community needs. The Helping Hands Challenge offers $300 to $2,000 for broad, youth-led service projects across focus areas like STEM, environmental stewardship, arts, and mental health. The Food Partner Challenge provides $500 for youth-led groups to partner with local food shelves, food assistance programs, or community organizations to tackle food insecurity, with a focus on going beyond simple donations to create deeper, sustainable local impact. Both initiatives emphasize youth leadership, hands-on community engagement, and storytelling.

Mark your calendars for key program deadlines:

• Applications for both challenges close Nov. 6.
• Volunteer teams will review submissions through November.
• Award decisions will be announced in December.
• Funding checks will reach local clubs in January. 

Encourage your 4-H members to dream big and start drafting their project proposals today! You can access general program information on 4-H scholarships, grants and awards page under the awards section, or go directly to the applications:

• Helping Hands Challenge application
• Food Partner Challenge application

Miriam Huebner
Extension development stewardship coordinator

2026 Andrea Ruesch Scholarship recipients selected

For everyone

We're pleased to announce that the 2026 Andrea Ruesch Scholarship recipients have been selected! The Andrea Ruesch Scholarship (available to 4-H’ers from Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock, and Watonwan Counties) operates on an earlier timeline than all other 4-H scholarships. The remaining scholarship committees will be meeting and announcing recipients throughout April and May. Notification messages are being sent to all Ruesch applicants now (recipients and non-selected youth alike), so they can expect to hear from us very soon.

Congratulations to this year's recipients:

• Liv Vander Kooi, Nobles County 4-H
• Aubree Paplow, Cottonwood County 4-H
• Luella Beckendorf, Watonwan County 4-H
• Matthew Debates, Pipestone County 4-H
• Fiona Robillard, Cottonwood County 4-H
• Alyvia Caskey, Pipestone County 4-H
• Olyvia Weber, Pipestone County 4-H
• Renae Vancura, Jackson County 4-H
• Erica Doeden, Murray County 4-H
• Kaytlin Faber, Martin County 4-H
• McKade Tewes, Jackson County 4-H

Miriam Huebner

Extension development stewardship coordinator

Welcome new colleagues to Extension development

For everyone

The development team is pleased to announce two new additions in December. Please join us in welcoming them to Extension!

Mackenzie Catton joins as our annual giving and advancement data senior specialist

Mackenzie comes to us from the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies where she served as development director. She brings expertise in annual fund management, donor engagement, and data strategy—skills she'll put to work overseeing Extension's annual giving programs and data systems. Mackenzie holds a BFA from UW-Stout and an MA from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. Mackenzie is 4-H's new go-to contact for crowdfunding campaigns, local fundraising efforts that involve the University of Minnesota Foundation, and any advancement data or email list questions.

Miriam Huebner joins as stewardship specialist

Miriam will partner with faculty and educators to help Extension's donors and long-time volunteers feel appreciated and engaged. Miriam comes from Minnesota Public Radio, where she was a donor operations specialist with experience in fundraising operations, nonprofit management, and community engagement. She holds a BA from Michigan State and MPA from Arkansas State University. Miriam is a resource for donor acknowledgments, gift receipts, stewardship communications, and University of Minnesota Foundation coordination.

Brad Starbuck

Director of development