Donald T. Floyd is CEO and President of the National 4-H Council. He has been involved with the leadership of youth-serving, non-profit organizations for more than 35 years.
Floyd is a Trustee with the America’s Promise Alliance. He also served as a Trustee of Albright College as well as secretary of the Board, a member of the Executive Committee, and Vice Chair of its Governance Committee. Floyd, who served in the US Air Force from 1966 to 1970, is a graduate of Albright College in Reading, Pa.
Floyd spoke to WashingtonExec about his role at the National 4-H Council, his work with STEM, suggestions for getting involved, STEM misconceptions and future opportunities.
WashingtonExec: What is your background and how did you get involved in STEM?
Donald T. Floyd: Most of my adult life has been dedicated to positive youth development programs and organizations. I joined National 4-H Council in 1991. I’ve spent the last 12 years leading the organization as president and CEO. During the past decade I’ve watched an entire 4-H movement – including Council, the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 100 land-grant colleges and universities, our Cooperative Extension System, 4-H professionals, volunteers, parents and corporate partners—develop, nurture and grow a first-class out-of-school Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) initiative into what it is today.
WashingtonExec: Please describe your day-to-day responsibilities at 4-H Council.
Donald T. Floyd: As president and CEO, I am responsible for achieving the goals set forth by our Board of Trustees. Working with a talented and dedicated staff, my job is to increase investment in positive youth development at 4-H. I spend most of my days sharing the 4-H story with potential partners, including corporate and government leaders. With their support, the 4-H investment in many programs, including STEM, has grown significantly over the last several years. We are grateful to our numerous partners including Lockheed Martin, DuPont and the Noyce Foundation for helping us advance impactful STEM programs.
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“We are extremely proud of our progress and well positioned for growth. In fact, in November, National 4-H Council was named to the Social Impact 100; an index created by the Social Impact Exchange to recognize the most effective non-profits in America. Of the seven largest national youth development organizations, only two—National 4-H Council and Big Brothers Big Sisters—made the list.”
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WashingtonExec: The U.S. is not turning out the engineering students that we need in order to compete as an innovative country. Why is this issue so important?
Donald T. Floyd: Our nation’s young people are not acquiring the skills they need to excel in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. That needs to change if we want to build a generation of workers who will make America a leader in innovation. Given the opportunity, today’s youth can step up, become engaged, learn more, and become the inventors, rocket scientists and engineers of the future. And fortunately, millions of youth are doing their part – they are stepping up with the support of adult mentors and quality STEM programs offered through organizations like 4-H.
WashingtonExec: What’s your view to get more parents and especially girls involved in STEM?
Donald T. Floyd: Inspiring a greater number of youth, especially girls, and parents to get involved in STEM education must be a priority focus for educators and parents. We know that if you engage young people in scientific exploration early, those experiences provide the foundation needed to build a long-lasting interest in the field. The answer lies in pairing formal education with high-quality, out-of-school STEM programs that provide a forum to spark imagination and excitement. It’s a winning combination to engage more parents and youth, including girls, in STEM and science careers.
WashingtonExec: What’s the best STEM success case study/project that you have been personally involved in?
Donald T. Floyd: There are a number of STEM projects that I have seen developed and successfully implemented at National 4-H Council. There are two that top my list as the most exciting and rewarding. The first one is a recent achievement at 4-H. Last fall, we reached a five-year goal of engaging one million new young scientists in 4-H science programs. That’s on top of the youth that were already involved in five million 4-H science projects. And the second project that I am most proud of at 4-H is National Youth Science Day. Now entering its sixth year, it has become the nation’s fastest growing event that inspires youth to get hooked on the fun and excitement of science. Imagine millions of young people working on a national science experiment simultaneously in communities across the country on one single day. That’s what happens on 4-H National Youth Science Day. In 2012, robotics was the focus; later this year it will be GIS/GPS mapping.
WashingtonExec: What’s the biggest misconception about STEM?
Donald T. Floyd: The biggest misconception about STEM, particularly in the out-of-school space, is that only highly skilled, technical experts can teach STEM. In 4-H, we’ve discovered that some of the best STEM educators are young people. When urban 4-H teens became the teachers and trainers in our Teens Teaching Biotechnology project, the learning had a triple bottom line–the teens learned, the youth they taught learned, and the adults learned–what an amazing concept!
WashingtonExec: What’s the future of STEM? How can other like-minded people get involved?
Donald T. Floyd: The future of STEM education is bright. We’ve only just begun, really. Continuing our efforts to build a sustainable infrastructure to support the near-term and long-term needs of educators, professionals, adult mentors, and youth is essential. At 4-H, we are proud of the quality programs we’ve created over the last several years and the positive impact they’ve had on millions of 4-H youth. As a nation, we have an obligation to come together and think creatively about the best approach to quality education – in the classroom and out-of-school. Exploring additional ways to team up with like-minded people, organizations and corporations is essential if we truly want to develop future generations of critical thinkers and innovators. I’m a big believer in uniting with others in order to have a greater impact.
