Oklahoma 4-H, Masonic Charity Foundation extend $1 million leadership and STEM partnership

Oklahoma 4-H is marking its 105th Roundup in Stillwater with renewed focus on a longtime partnership that has put more than $1 million into leadership development and STEM education. The investment from the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma is expanding access for thousands of youth and helping grow programs that send teen leaders back into their communities.

Why it matters: - The partnership is helping Oklahoma 4-H reach more youth with hands-on STEM learning and leadership training. - The funding supports programs that prepare young people to serve their counties and communities, not just attend one event. - More than $1 million in investment signals a long-term commitment to youth development across Oklahoma.

What happened: - Oklahoma 4-H is hosting its 105th annual Roundup July 22-24 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. - Since 2020, the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma has created a $1 million endowment for Oklahoma 4-H Roundup and statewide STEM programming. - The foundation has also given more than $100,000 to the Oklahoma 4-H Innovate Summit. - The Roundup is Oklahoma 4-H's premier leadership event and runs for three days.

The details: - Roundup brings together youth from across Oklahoma for workshops, contests, recognition programs and leadership development. - MCFOK Honor Night is a featured part of the event and recognizes outstanding 4-H members from across the state. - The foundation's support helps offset program costs and expand access to leadership experiences. - The investment also strengthens STEM education for thousands of Oklahoma 4-H members. - The Oklahoma 4-H Innovate Summit trains high school students to teach STEM lessons to younger members in their counties. - The peer-to-peer model expanded from 2,859 youth served in 2022 to more than 20,000 in 2025. - Dr. Kelly Wardlaw, Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development STEM specialist, said the program's strength is that participants quickly apply the training by leading STEM activities in their hometown communities. - MCFOK support has also helped Oklahoma youth attend the National 4-H Council's Ignite Conference. - Ignite participants explore STEM careers and build leadership skills with 4-H members from around the country. - Many Ignite participants now help lead Oklahoma programs such as STEM for Y'all and STEM Storytime.

Between the lines: - The partnership is building a pipeline from state events to local teaching roles, which can multiply the impact of each participant. - The rapid growth in Innovate's reach suggests the model is scaling through teen-led instruction rather than through direct adult-led programming alone. - An Oklahoma 4-H member said the Ignite experience inspired a career path in teaching or 4-H education. - Another participant said the Innovate Summit boosted confidence in engineering skills. - Milford H. Jenkins, executive director of the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation, said the foundation's philanthropic support has helped youth gain STEM training and experience Roundup.

What's next: - Oklahoma 4-H members will continue gathering in Stillwater later this month for Roundup. - The partnership is expected to keep supporting leadership development, STEM education and community-based teaching across the state. - More information about Oklahoma 4-H Roundup is available here.

The bottom line: - Oklahoma 4-H and the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma are turning event sponsorship into a broader youth-development pipeline that reaches far beyond the annual Roundup.