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CORVALLIS - The Oregon State University Extension 4-H Youth Development program has received a three-year, $187,000 grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust that will help expand efforts to increase participation of Latino youth and adults in Oregon 4-H programs.

"This grant is a very welcome addition to other grants the Oregon 4-H program has received in recent years to help 4-H field faculty reach out more effectively to Oregon's growing Latino population," said Beverly Hobbs, Oregon State University Extension Service 4-H youth specialist.

"The outreach effort has significantly increased the participation of Latino youth in Oregon 4-H," Hobbs said. "For example, in three Oregon counties that received initial funding for outreach efforts in 1997, enrollment of Latino youth in 4-H activities increased from 5 percent to 22 percent over a five-year period."

The Meyer Memorial Trust grant funding will be used in Polk, Wasco and Yamhill counties to hire bilingual/bicultural 4-H program assistants to work on outreach efforts.

"We've found that the presence of bilingual/bicultural staff has been a key element in successfully reaching and engaging Latino youth and families in 4-H," Hobbs said.

The Meyer Memorial Trust was created by the late Fred G. Meyer, who built the chain of retail stores bearing his name throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Meyer Trust is not connected in any way with Fred Meyer Inc., the retail enterprise.