By Sheri Hall for the BCTR

The BCTR’s PRYDE Scholars Program will receive a $70,000 grant from Cornell University’s Office of Engagement Initiatives to fund courses in translational research, stipends to support youth development research and new opportunities for undergraduates to work with 4-H youth.

Engaged Cornell offers the Engaged Curriculum Grant to fund programs and courses that promote learning experiences connected to the community.

The PRYDE Scholars Program, administered by the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement (PRYDE), recruits rising juniors to spend four semesters learning about translational research and applying what they learn to hands-on research projects that address existing needs in the statewide 4-H Youth Development Program.

The new grant will support research stipends for the incoming cohort of PRYDE Scholars, who are rising juniors in the College of Human Ecology. In addition, the grant will support curriculum development to allow PRYDE Scholars and 4-H youth to work together during the research process.

“The goal of these new approaches is to ensure that the Scholars have meaningful interactions with youth in 4-H. Our Scholars learn so much about research, and we want to make sure that they have opportunities to share their knowledge with 4-H youth,” said Kristen Elmore, the assistant director of PRYDE.

An interdisciplinary team of seven social scientists from PRYDE, the Department of Human Development, the Department of Design + Environmental Analysis, ACT for Youth and New York State 4-H collaborated to apply for the grant.

A key component of the PRYDE Scholars’ training and professional development will happen through formal and informal interactions with 4-H educators, Elmore said.

“In particular, our Scholars benefit from opportunities to interact with 4-H leadership located on Cornell’s campus as well as PRYDE’s 4-H Work Team, a group of seven program leaders from Cornell Cooperative Extension offices around the state,” she said. “Partners help shape Scholars’ research projects so that they address areas of need in 4-H.”

PRYDE Scholars awarded grant to fund TR opportunities - BCTR Website