Masonic Charity Foundation Supports Oklahoma 4-H With Innovate Summit donation

STILLWATER, Okla. – The Oklahoma 4-H Foundation received a $25,000 grant from the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma to support the 2024 Oklahoma 4-H Innovate Summit.

“This money from the Masonic Charity Foundation helps us keep the cost low for attendees and also supports meeting spaces and workshop supplies,” said Kelly Wardlaw, STEM specialist for Oklahoma 4-H.

The annual two-day event teaches science, technology, engineering and math to 4-H youth in grades 8-12. Participants partner with adult mentors in learning how to present workshops and provide in-depth training on STEM activities.

A total of 34 teens and 16 mentors attended this year’s Oklahoma 4-H Innovate Summit, held March 1-2 in Guthrie. Participants took home a micro-bit controller and $150 worth of supplies for workshop instruction.

After completing the summit training, participants are considered certified Oklahoma 4-H innovators and must meet a minimum of 200 contact hours in their home communities. A contact hour is the number of participants taught times the length of the workshop.

“Last year, we had 14 innovators, and those 14 went back to their communities and reached more than 4,000 individuals in their communities,” Wardlaw said. “They went above and beyond those 200 hours, and we don't expect anything less from this group.”

The Masonic Charity Foundation is a long-time supporter of Oklahoma 4-H programs. To date, the organization has contributed $1,075,000 for 4-H youth educational opportunities.

“The Masonic Charity Foundation represents Masons all across the state of Oklahoma, so we love to support organizations that have a statewide impact, like 4-H,” said the foundation’s executive director, John Logan. “By supporting the summit, we achieve state-wide impact and bring a unique program to our communities.”

The Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program provides experiential and hands-on learning opportunities to help youth learn valuable life skills they need to become leaders within their clubs, communities, state and world. Most programming is available at little to no cost. 4-H membership is open to youth in each of Oklahoma’s 77 counties where OSU Extension educators are equipped with research-based information to help all residents solve local issues, promote leadership and manage resources.

(STILLWATER, Oklahoma, March 13, 2024) — P&K Equipment is lending a helping hand to the Oklahoma State University Student Farm on its mission to feed the community.

On Feb. 26, the company delivered two tractors for operational use at no cost to the farm.

P&K Equipment is a premier John Deere dealership and owned by Dr. Barry Pollard, an OSU alumnus and cornerstone donor to OSU Agriculture’s New Frontiers campaign.

“P&K is proud to support and partner with Oklahoma State University on John Deere Equipment needs,” said Scott Eisenhauer, P&K Equipment general manager. “We are especially proud to be a part of the Student Farm, which combines a learning opportunity for OSU students, as well as giving the food grown back to the local communities.”

The OSU Student Farm provides students with hands-on learning experiences while also sustainably supplying the local community with fresh produce in partnership with Our Daily Bread Food and Resource Center in Stillwater.

Each tractor will be used throughout the year for roughly 150 hours before being traded in for a new one.

The machinery will be especially useful to the farm as it plans to significantly expand its acreage in the near future. The expansion will feature a new organic plot behind the barn as well as a full acre dedicated to growing strawberries.

“In sincere appreciation of providing two John Deere tractors to the OSU Student Farm, we extend our heartfelt thanks to P&K Equipment and Dr. Pollard for this invaluable contribution,” said Justin Quetone Moss, professor and head of the department of horticulture and landscape architecture. “This will help us to expand the vegetable production acreage and meet our goal of providing more than 100,000 pounds of food to Oklahomans through our current partnership with Our Daily Bread and new partnership with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.”

In addition to expanding acreage, site improvements and cleanup are ongoing. For the next phase of facility improvements, OSU is seeking private support to cover the $250,000 architectural costs to advance the farm’s renovation, including the historic Swine Barn.

The Student Farm will serve as an anchor of the OSU Innovation Park, a unique 678-acre ecosystem that will include the Agronomy Research Station and The Botanic Garden at OSU. The Innovation Park will be at the heart of a visionary mission to fuse technology development, commercial partnerships and progressive ideas through STEAM education and scientific discovery, driving economic growth and strengthening community connections in Stillwater and beyond.

“The Innovation Park will be a huge boost in the pursuit of our land-grant mission, and the Student Farm is a crucial piece of that,” said OSU First Cowboy Darren Shrum. “Through the generosity of the Cowboy family, like that demonstrated by P&K Equipment, we will make the farm better than ever before and continue to broaden its impact on the Stillwater community.”

For information on how you can support the OSU Student Farm, contact James Ambrose at jambrose@osugiving.com or 405-880-0708.

About the OSU Foundation

The Oklahoma State University Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence.

About Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University is a modern landgrant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 34,000 students across its fivecampus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 100 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 275,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.