CALS leadership joins 4-H and FFA to officially cut the ribbon on the CALS Extension Building, the new headquarters of NC 4-H and FFA.
North Carolina 4-H has officially moved into a new home on NC State University’s campus, beginning a new chapter in its long history at the university.
Located off Beryl Road, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Extension Building serves as the new headquarters for NC State Extension’s 4-H program and the North Carolina FFA Association, bringing the two statewide youth development organizations together under one roof.
NC State recently celebrated the opening of the facility, bringing together faculty, staff, Extension leaders, 4-H and FFA supporters and other guests to mark the occasion. Following remarks from university and program leaders, representatives from CALS, 4-H and FFA officially cut the ribbon on the new building. Guests also had the opportunity to tour the space and enjoy Howling Cow ice cream.
Guests gather outside the CALS Extension Building during its opening celebration.
Founded in 1909, North Carolina 4-H is the youth development program of NC State Extension. Serving more than 275,000 youth each year, 4-H provides young people with hands-on opportunities to explore their interests, develop valuable life skills and make a difference in their communities.
Delivered statewide through N.C. Cooperative Extension and its partners, 4-H reaches youth in all 100 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Much of what makes that reach possible happens behind the scenes. The CALS Extension Building provides a dedicated space for that work at NC State.
Beyond Four Walls
Dr. Shannon McCollum, interim state 4-H program leader, said the significance of the move extends beyond the physical space.
“The 4-H motto is 'To Make the Best Better,' and I think that captures what this building represents to us,” McCollum said. “It is not about the offices or the space; it is about the people, the partnerships and the possibilities that will fill these spaces.”
She also looked ahead to what those possibilities could mean for 4-H and FFA.
“We hope this building becomes a place where ideas are created, partnerships are strengthened, volunteers are supported, young people are encouraged and future leaders discover what they are capable of doing. I am excited about what this space means for the future of 4-H and FFA and the opportunities we can create together.”
Members of the North Carolina 4-H state team gather outside the CALS Extension Building.
Over the years, 4-H and FFA have called several places across NC State home, sometimes sharing space and at other times operating separately. One of those shared locations was 520 Brickhaven Drive, not far from where the new building stands today. Now, they are together once again—this time in a space built with both programs in mind.
“We are celebrating today a building that's going to put under the same roof programs that start as early as kindergarten, go through elementary school, all the way through middle school and high school, into career development and putting these young people into careers in agriculture and life sciences,” said CALS Dean Garey Fox. “We are going to make sure this building makes the best better, and we're going to make sure students can use this building to learn to do, to do to learn, to earn to live and to live to serve.”
CALS Dean Garey Fox delivers remarks during the opening celebration for the CALS Extension Building.
For 4-H and its sister organization, FFA, being together again represents more than sharing the same building. With both programs now part of the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, they are connected not only by a shared space, but also through their work at NC State.
While 4-H and FFA remain distinct organizations with their own programs and traditions, they share a commitment to developing young people and preparing them for what comes next.
“This is where a young person wearing a blue or a green jacket for the first time finds their voice, learns to lead and realizes they are capable of more than they ever imagined,” said Josh Bledsoe, state agricultural education leader. “This isn't simply a new address. It is an investment in young people—and in what they will do with the experiences, skills, confidence and opportunities they gain through the programs we get to deliver.”
Pictured: NC 4-H state officers; David Monks, NC State Extension director; Shannon McCollum, interim state 4-H program leader; Garey Fox, CALS Dean; Josh Bledsoe, state agricultural education leader; Ben Chapman, Agricultural and Human Sciences department head; and NC FFA state officers.
Looking Ahead
For North Carolina 4-H, the move gives the state program a permanent space designed around its work supporting youth, volunteers and Extension professionals across the state.
Although the surroundings are relatively new, the work behind them remains the same. North Carolina 4-H will continue supporting the people and programs that give young people opportunities to learn by doing, develop life skills and become Beyond Ready for the future.
The address may have changed, but the mission remains the same as it has for generations: To Make the Best Better.
