Polaris donates $1M to advance ATV and UTV safety through 4-H Youth Development

Polaris announced on June 11 that it will donate $1 million to the Minnesota 4-H Youth Development program, part of University of Minnesota Extension, to expand critical all-terrain and utility vehicle safety education and training programs.

Polaris has partnered with Minnesota 4-H since 2019, delivering ATV and UTV safety education to nearly 4,000 youth. This additional investment by Polaris will help create enhanced, high-impact ATV and UTV safety curriculum and educational materials, which include:

• Enable year-round programming for Minnesota 4-H’s ATV and UTV safety training program.
• Train and certify new adult volunteers to help reach more youth on ATV and UTV safety messaging.
• Initiate new safety program pilots with Utah and Wisconsin 4-H, developed in partnership with Minnesota 4-H leadership.
• Develop and implement a nationwide online youth ATV and UTV safety course.

“This generous support from Polaris will significantly expand our safety education efforts and allow us to bring our increasingly popular 4-H Outdoor Education programming to new audiences,” says Jennifer Skuza, associate dean at University of Minnesota Extension, and Minnesota 4-H director.

“We anticipate a three to fourfold increase in youth participation across Minnesota and are excited to help pilot this program in Utah and Wisconsin as well.” — Jennifer Skuza

The Minnesota 4-H ATV and UTV Safety Program allows participants to become certified through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to ride on public trails and land, with certified volunteers using DNR and 4-H ATV curriculum. Participants learn about responsible off-road vehicle operation, risk awareness, proper safety protocols and how to be good stewards of the land. 4-H adult volunteers will also have the opportunity to be certified in the ATV Safety Institute’s “Train-the-Trainer” safety certification.

“We share 4-H’s goal of blending outdoor experiences with safe and responsible riding and are proud of the work we’ve done together through the years,” says Pam Kermisch, chief customer and growth officer and president of the Polaris Foundation. “We look forward to expanding our efforts and reaching new youth through pilots in additional states as well as the development of an online safety course.”

Part of that expansion includes pilot programs in Wisconsin and Utah, where Minnesota 4-H will share resources to help both states build out their ATV and UTV safety programs.