4H Update
March 23, 2012 1 Comment
Volume 15, Number 9
Dates to Remember:
March 24-29: National 4-H Conference, Washington, DC
April 1: State scholarship applications due
May 1: 4HOnline Youth Enrollment Data due
May 1-3: CAE4-HA, Albuquerque, NM
June 1: Colorado 4-H Foundation Golf Tournament, Pelican Lakes GOlf & Country Club, Windsor
June 1: Youth leadership and Citizenship applications due
National 4-H Congress Update
We wanted to remind you all that the process for National 4-H Congress delegate selection has changed. Beginning this year, delegates will now be selected by earning Grand Champions status at state fair in 14 different project areas. Click o this link to see a list of the project areas http://www.colorado4h.org/Blog/docs/2012/National4hCongress.pdf. A 4-H member may attend National Congress only once. If a 4-H member is a selected as a Grand Champion more than once throughout their 4-H career, they can still only attend Congress one time. The Reserve Grand Champion will not be moved up to fill the position if a member decides not to attend Congress or has been selected as a Grand Champion in more than one project area.
- Connie Cecil
International 4-H Youth Exchange Reporting
Please click on this link to read a brief promotional piece regarding a great opportunity to have our IFYE delegates provide an educational experience in your counties to a variety of audiences. The three reporting IFYEs still have several time slots available. Please promote this and let me know if you have any questions. http://www.colorado4h.org/Blog/docs/2012/IFYE-ReportingPromotion.pdf
- Courtney Loflin
4-H Robotics
Looking for a one-page hand out to describe 4-H robotics? The attached flyer, created by Kyle Jones at National 4-H Council is just that! You might even recognize Colorado’s guest celebrity! Check it out! http://www.colorado4h.org/Blog/docs/2012/4hRobotics.pdf
- Ellen Butler
$10,000 AND $25,000 Grants Available to Rural School Districts through America’s Farmers Grown Rural Education
Statistics show that the United States ranks only 25th in math scores and 21st in science compared to 30 industrialized nations. These facts show that education is strongly in need of support. To help, Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of Monsanto Company, is launching America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education℠ to aid rural school districts by providing $10,000 and $25,000 grants in 1,245 counties across 39 states.
“We believe our rural communities are the heart of America,” said Deborah Patterson, Monsanto Fund president. “We want to help strengthen local communities and education systems, especially in the areas of science and/or math. A strong science and math education helps build a foundation for many careers in agriculture, but also will help our students to be more competitive with those in larger cities and other nations.”
America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education gives farmers the opportunity to nominate a public school district in their rural community to compete for a grant. Nominated school district administrators can then submit an application for either a $10,000 or $25,000 grant to support a science and/or math educational program by April 30, 2012. School districts that apply for a $10,000 grant will compete against other school districts that are located in the USDA-appointed Crop Reporting District (CRD); except that CRDs with fewer than five eligible school districts will compete against each other for a single grant. A school district that applies for a $25,000 grant will compete against schools that are located in its state or designated region.
The Monsanto Fund will award 199 grants this year. There will be 177 $10,000 grants and 22 grants of $25,000 awarded. Visit growruraleducation.com to see a complete list of eligible states and regions. Overall, the Monsanto Fund will donate more than $2.3 million to school districts in 39 states through this program.
Grants will be awarded based on merit, need and community support. The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Advisory Council will select the winning grant application. This group is made up of 26 farmer leaders from across the country, who are passionate about both farming and rural education. The council members are actively engaged in their local communities through various leadership positions, such as a member of the local School Board, an active Farm Bureau leader or a member of an educational organization or committee within various organizations. The council is responsible for reviewing the top grant applications to select the winning school. These individuals are passionate about both agriculture and education, which is essential when choosing the best grant.
The program started with a successful pilot in Illinois and Minnesota, in which farmers were given the opportunity to nominate a public school district in 165 eligible counties in those two states. The Monsanto Fund awarded more than $266,000 to local schools in 16 CRDs through the pilot.
The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program is part of a broad commitment by Monsanto Fund to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to our society by helping them grow their youth. Visit www.growruraleducation.com for additional information and to view a complete list of winning school districts.
About Monsanto Fund The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the farm communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.
- Ellen Butler
Announcing the Toyota Innovation Awardees
This year three 4-H National Youth Science Day events earned the top award for their creativity, their ability to build momentum around a Wired for Wind event and their commitment to community impact. These submissions were selected from more than 700 events nationwide and more than 100 submissions overall.
$4,000 Creativity Award Winner University of Illinois Extension, Unit 19 – On Oct. 5, 2011, 75 fourth graders from Cumberland Elementary School visited Lake Land College campus where they spent three hours conducting the Wired for Wind experiment, led by Lake Land College technology division instructors. This community event invited partnerships from University of Illinois Extension, Unit 19, Lake Land College, Cumberland Elementary School, University of Illinois Extension, State 4-H Office and First Neighbor Bank.Read more
$3,000 Revolution of Responsibility Award Winner Harris County 4-H Family Science Night, Houston, Texas – 4-H National Youth Science Day inspired Harris County to form new 4-H Science partnerships that would build capacity for reaching youth audiences with exciting projects in science, engineering and technology. In September, Texas AgriLife Extension and Harris County 4-H Urban Youth Development (UYD) partnered with Alief Independent School District After School Program (ASP) to bring the Wired For Wind experiment to diverse youth audiences. Extension staff secured $1,500.00 in grant funds for the project from Texas 4-H Science Liaison, Matt Tarpley in support of a “family science night” event.
$3,000 Media and Promotion Award Winner WSU Colville Reservation-Ferry County 4-H – Intending to build a buzz about their 4-H Super Science Saturday event, Colville Reservation Extension 4-H initiated their promotion plan by sending press releases to four local newspapers. But, they didn’t stop there. They didn’t stop there: posters were printed in advance of the event and posted in local businesses and community bulletin boards. Handbills were sent home with students at area schools, an ad was displayed on the Ferry County Extension website and an email announcement was sent out to Colville Tribes employees across the reservation.
Stay tuned, we’ll announce the 2012 National Science Experiment in April! Can’t get enough of 4-H National Youth Science Day? Visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/4-h for updates about 4-H science, scholarship opportunities and more.
- Ellen Butler
Dodgeball Tournament at State 4-H Conference
Please let all of your 4-H members know that we are going to have a District Dodge Ball Tournament at State Conference. It is going to be a blast!!!!! Click on this link for more information about the tournament. http://www.colorado4h.org/events_opportunities/stateconference/2012/DistrictDodgeBallTournament.pdf
Even the agents and leaders get to have a team. So anyone who is going to State Conference and would like to be on the adult team –just let me know. The tournament will be on Wednesday afternoon from 3:45 to 5:00pm. So what do you say?! Let’s have a great turn out for this great fun event.
- Connie Cecil
Great Opportunity for Young Women who will be in the 11th or 12th grade in 2012-2013
Vital Voices and ANN INC., the parent company of Ann Taylor and LOFT, have teamed up in a groundbreaking partnership, the ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative. Together, they are working to train and empower young women in the U.S. to invest in their communities and begin their journey as the next generation of leaders.
ANNpower Fellows will be invited to attend the ANNpower Vital Voices Leadership Forum, a three-day leadership training program in Washington, DC from June 4-6, 2012. The Forum’s curriculum will be based on the Vital Voices Leadership Model, and the girls will be mentored by 12 global women leaders who are part of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Network, which includes some of the most influential women from around the world. After completing the curriculum, the 50 ANNpower Fellows will be challenged to go back to their communities and create a project that will affect change at the local level. They will also be eligible later in the year to win project grants to put their ideas into action.
This is a unique opportunity for young women who are committed to reshaping the world for positive change to meet their peers from across the United States and be mentored by distinguished leaders. We invite you to share this information with outstanding rising high school juniors and seniors who you believe will be the next generation of global trailblazers. The application is available online here http://www.vitalvoices.org/annpower and you can read about the inaugural class of ANNpower Fellows here http://vitalvoices.org/annpower-2011. Please direct any questions to mailto:LaurenWollack@vitalvoices.org.
Applicant Eligibility:
* Applicants must be enrolled in high school in the United States or Puerto Rico
* Applicants must be enrolled in 11th or 12th grade for the 2012-2013 academic year
* Applications must be received by March 31, 2012 at 5:00pm EST.
Daphna Kapnik Program Coordinator, Global Leadership Network Vital Voices Global Partnership
Web Conference: A Focus on Building Military Family Resilience
The Family Development concentration of eXtension’s Military Families Learning Community invites you to participate in an interactive 60-minute web conference focused on resilience among military families. Mark your calendars and plan to participate! No registration is needed.
Balancing Work and Family: A Focus on Building Military Family Resilience
Thursday, April 5 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (EDT)
Angela Wiley, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Applied Family Studies and Extension Specialist University of Illinois
Commander David Allen Shirk United States Navy Chaplain Camp Johnson, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
• Attend this 60-minute web conference focused on work-life challenges facing military families • Learn about strategies that build on the strengths of military families that can effectively manage work-family issues • Share your experiences and ideas through this interactive session
No registration is needed To attend link to http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/milfam a few minutes before 11:00 a.m. (EDT)
Angela Wiley, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in Human and Community Development and Extension Specialist in Family Life Education at the University of Illinois. Dr. Wiley’s research focuses on work life management, child care and promoting family resilience. She is interested in identifying how family strengths influence family resilience during stressful periods. Her research has been published in Family Relations and in Child Development. Dr. Wiley has developed a curriculum to help people balance work and their personal lives. She is currently conducting an evaluation of this curriculum focused on couple well-being.
Commander Shirk is currently assigned as the Officer in Charge, Chaplain and Religious Program Specialist Expeditionary Training Course at Camp Johnson. He holds a Master’s of Divinity, M.A. in Child Development and Family Relation and B.S. in Business Administration, and is ordained by the Baptist General Conference. While based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Commander Shirk served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Individual Augmentation with 82nd Airborne Division.
To avoid technical difficulties, please test your connection prior to April 5 at: http://bit.ly/MFLNAdobeTest
Suggested reading to prepare for the web conference:
Drummet, A. R. (2003). Military families under stress: Implications for family life education. Family Relations, 52(3), 279-287. http://reachmilitaryfamilies.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/upload_material/Drummet,%20et%20al.%202003.pdf
- Shauna Woods
WFCO Girl’s Leadership Council Launch – Opportunity for Sophomore Girls
Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success
We would like to alert you to a new publication from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy’s Youth team. “Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success” is a curriculum specifically designed for youth service professionals working with young people ages 14 to 24. The document was field-tested in seven career development youth programs across the country serving all youth, including youth with disabilities. The basic structure of the publication was created through a lens of Universal Design, with a focus on providing flexible, hands-on, engaging activities that focus on six key skill areas: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem solving and critical thinking, and professionalism. The curriculum is available in both English and Spanish on the ODEP website. The Office of Disability Employment Policy invites you to use this curriculum, forward it to your colleagues and/or membership base, and provide us with your feedback. Check this out: http://www.colorado4h.org/Blog/docs/2012/GirlsLeadershipCouncilFlyer.pdf – Jennifer Kemp
Seeking Submissions for Directory of Successful Urban 4-H Programs
NAE4-HA Directory of Successful Urban 4-H Programs The Urban Programming Task Force of the NAE4-HA programs committee is coordinating the sharing of ideas through the Directory of Successful Urban 4-H Programs. The purpose of the directory is to provide 4-H professionals across the country ideas about successful 4-H programs in the urban environment—without having to “reinvent the wheel.” We plan to add more examples of these successful programs to this directory on an annual basis. The call for submissions to the directory is made twice a year. Directory Submission Forms are due: March 15th and August 15th. New submissions have not been sought for the Directory since 2008, as we worked to move the directory onto the NAE4-HA website. The Urban Programming Taskforce is excited to once again start collecting submissions. The Directory of Successful Urban 4-H Programs can be found on the NAE4-HA website at: http://nae4ha.com/urbanprograms.htm To reach the Directory from the NAE4-HA home page…highlight “Committees” on the left side bar, then scroll down and click on “Research, Evaluation & Programs Team.” On the Research, Evaluation & Programs Team page, scroll down to Urban Programming and select the Directory of Successful Urban Programs. We know you do good work in Urban Environments. Please consider submitting your good work into the Directory of Successful Urban 4-H Programs. For more information about the directory or the submission process, contact Paul Henderson at West Virginia State University Extension Service at henderpm@wvstateu.edu or by phone at 304.550.4210.
- Ellen Butler
