Giving to the Gator Nation isn’t just for Gainesville

It’s often said that “The Gator Nation is everywhere”. Many people don’t realize just how true that is here in Florida. All 67 counties of Florida have a piece of the university in them- UF/IFAS Extension. Many Floridians have no idea that these offices exist for the community- Gator grads or otherwise.

UF/IFAS Extension Broward County has four primary focus areas: 4-H Youth Development, Commercial Horticulture, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Urban Horticulture. Each program works directly with the community to educate using research backed by the University of Florida and other top research universities. Here are two ways your Gator Nation Giving Day donation directly helps people here in Broward County!

4-H Youth Development

• • As believers in the #Opportunity4All statement, Broward County 4-H programs are provided at little to no cost to participants. As a hands-on, “learn by doing” youth development organization, supplies are essential to our programming. Everything from calculators for financial literacy to fabrics for sewing projects to incubators for classroom embryology have been supplied by our 4-H program. As you can imagine, those costs can add up quickly. When 4-H is unable to provide supplies, families then have to buy these things on their own- something that 16.1% (around 54,000) of Broward County youth living in poverty cannot afford (census.org) . Your support makes #Opportunity4All possible as we aim to create confident and capable citizens of the over 400,000 youth of Broward County. Donations on Giving Day help make it possible for Broward 4-H to provide program supplies and opportunities to youth, regardless of financial limitations! Give to Broward 4-H Here.

Urban Horticulture

• In 2021, the Broward Urban Horticulture program launched the first Master Gardener Volunteer Program (MGV) scholarship program in the southeast Florida,  made possible by our local community donors and our Urban Horticulture advisory board. The scholarship provides an opportunity for interested participants who might not otherwise be able to pay the total program training fee. Since 2021, we have offered eight new scholarships to new volunteers representing five Broward County cities with food deserts. Food security is becoming a significant concern in Broward County, with 326 identified “food deserts” where residents have difficulty accessing affordable, fresh, and nutritious food. As part of the MGV program, volunteers learn the skills to be able to create community gardens, making healthy and nutritious options more readily available. Another three scholarships were awarded to Broward County teachers who are now applying their skills to create school gardens for students to learn about a variety of areas. Your donations to the Broward Master Gardener Volunteer Program make these scholarships possible for participants needing financial assistance to join the training program! Give to Broward Urban Horticulture Here.

2-bits, 4-bits, 6-bits, a dollar!

All donations- big or small- make a real impact right here in Broward County, ensuring our community can grow and thrive! We hope you’ll consider giving to UF/IFAS Extension Broward County this Gator Nation Giving Day.

To Donate to UF/IFAS Extension Broward County Click Here

To Learn more about Gator Nation Giving Day Click Here

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