What is Teen Corps

Teen Corps began as a citywide collaborative between 4-H members and adult leaders, agencies, and community stakeholders who partner to strengthen communities, and increase leadership opportunities for youth from age twelve to age eighteen.

A core element of the program is regular meetings that brings youth and adult representatives of 4-H clubs to one location to offer them opportunities to receive leadership training. Teen Corps members develop activities and projects that focus on service learning, entrepreneurship, workforce readiness, and environmental science.

We believe that the success of Teen Corps in Baltimore can be replicated in other communities around the state of Maryland, across the country, and around the world. In order to make this vision a reality, we have developed a comprehensive resource guide for creating a Teen Corps leadership program. The lessons in the Teen Corps curriculum are applicable to young people regardless of location, background, or previous 4-H experience.

Program Objectives
  • Youth and adults work together to learn and build new skills in three focus areas: youth and community development, workforce readiness, and environmental science.
  • Participants form youth-adult partnerships to share new skills with others in their communities.
  • Teen Corps participants help other youth and adults develop sustainable, community-oriented projects using their new skills.

Teen Corps Curriculum

4-H Teen Corps

What is Teen Corps

Manami Brown began her University of Maryland, Baltimore City Extension career as a 4-H Youth Development educator in 1998. Ms. Brown was appointed as the City Extension Director in 2006 where she manages a diverse group of faculty, staff and volunteers. Under her leadership the Extension’s multifaceted community focused programming meets the interests and needs of residents in the Baltimore Region and the state of Maryland.

As a tenured 4-H educator, Ms. Brown has received multiple awards. She also serves as a contributing author of the “Be the E: Entrepreneurship” curriculum and the author of 4-H Teen Corps: Developing Youth & Adult Leaders to Strengthen Communities curriculum from the National 4-H curriculum library. She has been a leader in integrating the practices of youth development with those of community development through research-based programs in the City of Baltimore and Dakar, Senegal, West Africa in the areas of entrepreneurship, workforce readiness, environmental science, and service-learning. Ms. Brown holds a BSW from Morgan State University and a M.Ed. from Johns Hopkins University.

Eliza Cooper has been family and community centered from her youth. Her work has focused on prevention of adverse conditions to individuals, families and communities, as she works in the fields of health education, family support and community advocacy. As a 4-H volunteer, Eliza has incorporated this experience in her support of youth leadership development and raising an informed and skilled next generation of citizens. She has participated in the Baltimore City 4-H Youth Development Program for the past 12 years.

Service Learning - Teen Corp

Service Learning - A Lesson by the Teen Corps of Baltimore City