Jan Scholl Kennedy Earns National Honor For 4H Research Leadership

National Award Recognizes Decades of Research Support for Youth Programs

Bonnie Johnson
December 22, 2025
Media Article

Jan Scholl Kennedy receives national recognition for building a 4-H research database that supports youth education, program evaluation, and agricultural extension work across the United States.

Jan Scholl Kennedy, a professor emerita of agricultural and extension education, receives national recognition for her long-standing work supporting the 4-H youth development program through research documentation. Her efforts focus on strengthening education programs with reliable academic evidence.

She earns the Joint Council of Extension Professionals’ Excellence in Extension Engagement Award for her project titled “Establishing a Research Base to Sustain the 4-H Program.” As part of this honor, she is scheduled to deliver a keynote presentation at the National Extension Leadership Conference in February 2026.

The project begun more than twenty years ago with a goal to document the research foundation behind 4-H youth development. She conducts an extensive review of materials housed at the National Agricultural Library and its historical archives. Through this work, she identifies research studies dating from 1911 to the present day.

These studies are carefully organized into an online research database hosted by the Penn State University Libraries. The database now includes more than 8,000 graduate and professional research studies related to 4-H education and youth development.

Since its launch, the database has been widely used by researchers, educators, legislators, and extension professionals. Users rely on resources to develop programs, write literature reviews, evaluate educational outcomes, and support policy decisions related to youth development.

Several collaborators also receive recognition for their role in the project. Retired university librarians contribute expertise in research organizations and data access. Additional support comes from leaders in agricultural sciences and national youth organizations who help nominate the project for national recognition.

The project previously received honors from federal and academic organizations, highlighting its value to agriculture education and extension work. These awards confirm the importance of research-based learning in youth programs.

The 4-H program, administered through extension services, continues to support young people by building leadership, knowledge, and life skills. This research database plays a key role in ensuring that 4-H programs remain effective, credible, and accessible for future generations.