Mars, Incorporated is directing $3 million over a three-year span to National 4-H Council to create career on-ramps in food, agriculture, and veterinary sciences, with the aim of reaching as many as 200,000 young people nationwide.
Announced October 15 from McLean, Virginia, the grant is made through the Mars Impact Fund. It will support National 4-H Council’s Beyond Ready program, which aims to equip 10 million young people annually with technical and life skills by 2030.
Phased over three years, the donation draws on 4-H’s Cooperative Extension network of more than 100 public universities, deploying individual grants through six university partnerships with programming tailored to local needs.
California 4-H, through the University of California, will develop a mobile veterinary education lab bringing small-animal veterinary science to teens in Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties. Florida 4-H, at Florida A&M University, will run pop-up AgriSTEM workshops and monthly academies covering food science, livestock production, entomology, and emerging agricultural technologies in North Florida.
University of Georgia’s Georgia 4-H Career Connections will build a career-readiness pathway in agriculture and food science reaching teens across the state. Illinois 4-H, through the University of Illinois, will focus on experiential exploration across food science, agriculture, and veterinary fields. Michigan 4-H, at Michigan State University, emphasizes companion animal wellness along with food systems and food-security work. Tennessee 4-H, through the University of Tennessee, will operate a year-round program in veterinary science centered on small and companion animal medicine, including a monthly Virtual Vet Science Project Group and field trips.
Each year, 20 teens will also earn full scholarships for National 4-H Council’s Ignite program, a yearly summit that brings teens together around career paths and leadership.
“Demand for skilled talent in food science, agriculture and veterinary medicine continues to grow and we want to be sure that young people have the opportunity to explore those careers,” said Michelle Grogg, Executive Director of the Mars Impact Fund.
Heather Elliott, Chief Development and Marketing Officer at National 4-H Council, said that “working with Mars allows us to connect those career-ready skills to real pathways and help more young people see where their interests can take them.” The grant expands the Mars Impact Fund’s portfolio, which has put more than $20 million toward partnerships since it began operating in February 2026.
This article was prepared with the assistance of automated tools and human research and verified by our editorial team.
Source: www.agdaily.com
