SHERIDAN COUNTY NEWSLETTER

Aug 27-Sep 6: Nebraska State Fair

Sep 6: Labor Day – Office Closed

Sep 11-12: Willow Tree Festival 4-H Member Booth Gordon

Sep 15: Moving to New Building

Sep 17: Sew Fun Extension Office 1-4 pm

Sep 20: 4-H Council Meeting Extension Office 6:30 pm

Sep 27: Sew Fun Extension Office 1-4 pm

Oct 1: Career Portfolio DUE

Oct 1: Project Record Sheets DUE

Oct 1: Diamond Clover DUE

Oct 3-9: National 4-H Week

Oct 11: Columbus Day - Office Closed

Oct 24: Awards Banquet, Rushville

Another great fair in the books! Thank you to all that volunteered, exhibited projects, participated in summer workshops, and continue to "Make the Best Better!" Reflecting on this years' fair a little, it doesn't even seem like it happened because the week went by so fast! Every year it always amazes me at how great the kids are and how great the volunteers are!!

I know things are not always perfect, and they never will be. BUT with great people like you I know we can adapt and work together to resolve those little challenges!

We will be trying to have some 4-H related events throughout the fall and spring this year, so please be on the look out for those activities!

There are certain things that might be changing for next year. SOOOOO PLEASE let us know if you have questions. If you don't know something contact someone at the office and we will help you.

Lastly, we are really needing more volunteers for our 4-H program. Talk to someone who would be interested and think about joining! Bring a friend!

I hope everyone has a good school year!

Congratulations to all the 4-Her's who sent items or competed at the Nebraska State Fair. A complete list of results can be found at: https://nebraska4hresults.com/2021-results/L/sheridan

Exhibits will be back at the Extension Office on Thursday, September 9. Please come pick up your exhibits as soon as possible.

Abigail Nelson Design Decision - BLUE

Bennett Anderson-Beguin - BLUE

Caleb Heck Welding - RED

Caleb Heck Woodworking - BLUE

Caleb Heck Design Decision - PURPLE

Colton Archibald Cooking 401 - RED

Emily Nelson STEAM Clothing 3 - RED

Emily Nelson STEAM Clothing: Beyond the Needle - PURPLE

Emily Nelson Portfolio Pathways - BLUE

Emily Nelson Sketchbook Crossroads - BLUE

James Morris Design Decision - BLUE

James Morris Taxidermy - RED

Josephine Kelly Food Preservation-Unit 3-Boiling Water Canning - RED

Kayli Rose Aerospace - WHITE

Kayli Rose Rabbit - PURPLE

Kayli Rose Rabbit - BLUE

Kayli Rose Rabbit - BLUE

Kirsten Heck Shopping in Style - PURPLE

Kirsten Heck Design Decision - PURPLE

Kirsten Heck Sketchbook Crossroads - RED

Kynsleigh Krebs Photography Level 2 - BLUE

Louisa Scott Design Decision - RED

Louisa Scott Design Decision -

MacKenzie Simonson Design Decision - BLUE

Maggie Scott Cooking 201 - WHITE

Myrisa Pieper Crochet - RED

Preston Kelly Food Preservation-Unit 3-Boiling Water Canning - PURPLE

Preston Kelly Food Preservation-Unit 3-Boiling Water Canning - PURPLE

Rowan Simonson Photography Level 2 - PURPLE - SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Checks are ready to be picked up from the Extension office.

Elizabeth Albrecht and Melissa Mracek are starting up a First Lego League robotics team again this year. We are hoping to hold practices on Friday mornings from 9 am until 10:30 am Starting September 10th at Lister Sage. This robotics program is for youth ages 10 to 14 years old. Youth will build and learn how to program a robot awhile creating an innovative solution to solve a problem around transportation. If you are interested, please contact Melissa Mracek at (402) 322-0655 for more information.

The 4-H Council is awarding $100 to the top Project Record Sheets in each age group. Due October 1st.

Junior: 8-9 years old

Intermediate: 10-13 years old

Senior: 14-18 years old

4-H Project Records are used by 4-H members to demonstrate the goals they have set, what they have learned, and what they have achieved during their 4-H year. Up to 3 records sheets should provide clear and detailed information so that anyone can understand the project and the outcomes and learnings. These 4-H Project Records allow 4-H members to express their learning in a variety of ways. Project record sheets detail your goals, what you did, what you learned, finances, feed records, productions records, etc.

Static sheet: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/Static%20Project%20Record%20sheet.pdf

Livestock sheet:

https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/Livestock%20Project%20record.pdf

Companion Animal sheet:

https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/Companion%20animal%20project%20record.pdf

The Achievement Application is the new standard for State 4-H awards including selecting delegates for National 4-H Conference and National 4-H Congress, as well as Nebraska 4-H Foundation scholarships. There are two versions: a Junior version for 8 to 14 year old's and a Senior version for 15 to 18. Only the Senior version is eligible for state awards. This application can be used for county awards as well.

The Junior version has a maximum of 3 pages to describe their 4-H Experiences, Leadership Experiences, Community Involvement, and Career Spark. This new format falls more in line with the old Career Portfolios.

Here are some tips for the various sections:

-Collective 4-H experience

• List or table different projects, skills learned, numbers of years in the program
• Talk in detail about 2 projects that highlight your year

-Leadership Section

• Positions and duties
• Utilize a table or graph to show multiple years
• Include Non 4-H experiences

-Community Service Section

• List all of them in some format
• Fully describe 2 activities
• Include your role and the impact

-Career Spark

• Explain how a project has sparked a potential job
• Don't know what your career will be? Talk about values or skills learned for any job or how you want to learn more or try something new to see if it could be a potential career
• Ex. You took the Babysitting class and thought you might like to be a Preschool teacher. You can talk about how you babysat in your local county and what you learned from it.

For the Senior Application members get four pages to complete the previous information plus an additional page for the delegate application.

Creativity is highly encouraged; applications can use bullet lists, infographics, photos, etc. to help tell their 4-H story. The application is available as a PDF, Word Document, or Google Document. More information and the applications can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/achievement-application

The Career Portfolios and Achievement Applications are due to the Extension Office by October 1st. You can also email them to Marie Nelson at mnelson82@unl.edu or Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu. Sample Applications are attached below.

Diamond Clover is a noncompetitive aspect of 4-H that allows youth to set goals for the 4-H year which are not tied to ribbons received. After fair is over, youth will write down their accomplishments under the goals they selected. At the Achievement Banquet they will be recognized and receive a 4-H pin with the stone that is related to their level. The forms can be found at: https://4h.unl.edu/diamond-clover. Youth can only complete one level a year but can start at any of the levels.

The Diamond Clover program has been adapted so 4-H members who do not participate in the County Fair can still apply for this recognition. Please contact the Nebraska Extension Sheridan County office if you have any questions at mmracek2@unl.edu.

The 4-H Council implemented 4-H Bucks program to help active 4-H members pay for workshops and 4-H camps.

Every year, 4-H members can earn up to $50 by participating in different activities such as speech contests, horse level testing, workshops, progress show, being a club officer, etc. Each activity you participate in, you receive a number of points.

If 4-H members who are Juniors earn 5 to points they receive $10, 10 to 15 points they receive $25, and 16 or more points they receive $50. Intermediate members must earn 7 to 12 points to earn $10, 13 to 19 points for $25, and 20 or more points for $50. Senior members must earn 9 to 15 points to receive $10, 16 to 23 points for $25, and 24 or more points to earn $50. Youth can utilize the 4-H Bucks to help pay for 4-H workshops, camps, etc. It is a scholarship program for youth being actively involved in 4-H throughout the year. Print the form here https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/Sheridan_County_Documents/Awards/achievement%20scoreboard%20sheridan%20final%202020.pdf

Free sewing classes will be starting soon held at the Extension office in Rushville from 1-4pm! Beginning sewers will be learning the fundamentals and skills needed to create and design beautiful projects! Limited space is available, as there is room for 5 students at each session. So please let the office know soon at mnelson82@unl.edu or 308-327-2312.

Clover Bud meetings will be happening at the Hay Springs School, Rushville Elementary, and Gordon Elementary. Schedule will be coming soon!

Clover Bud members are youth between the ages of 5 and 7 as of January 1st, 2022. These youth will experience teamwork, social interaction, and decision-making skills while participating in hands on activities. Upon participating in these workshops, youth will have Clover Bud projects to display at the 2022 Sheridan County Fair.

The 2021 Sheridan County 4-H Achievement Banquet will be Sunday, October 24, 5pm at the Extension Office at 800 Loofborrow Street in Rushville. There will also be an open house starting at 3pm, and the public will be invited to attend the Achievement Banquet. More information will be shared soon.

Youth members are also included on the 4-H Council. This is a vital role necessary to give our youth "voice" on decisions that affect their educational experience. 2-4 youth members ages 11-18 can serve on the council.

Any adult or youth interested in having your name added to the ballot for the Sheridan County 4-H Council is encouraged to call the office (308-327-2312). The annual election will be held at the Achievement Banquet in October.

Will be starting in Rushville and Gordon for youth ages 9 to 14. The Rushville group will meet on Mondays after school. They can contact Melissa at mmracek2@unl.edu for more information!

The first week in October is always set aside for National 4-H Week. From October 3-9, plan to celebrate National 4-H Week!

Ideas could include wearing 4-H attire to school, decorating a store window, putting up flyers to promote 4-H, taking baked goods to a neighbor or sponsor, visiting the nursing home or sharing time with someone, sending a thank you, stepping up to help a person in need and more. There are many things you can do to show your leadership skills and promote the value of 4-H.

The 84th Anniversary Western Junior Livestock Show is taking place on October 5-9 in Rapid City, South Dakota. Check out the page 4 in the rule book for the different entry fees. The schedule can be found in the rule book. https://www.westernjuniorlivestock.com/

4-H Online Enrollment for the 2021-2022 4-H year will not be open until mid-November. There is an upgrade called, 4-H Online 2.0, that will be happening for this year. Most other states use this version of 4-H Online. We have received reports that the 2.0 version is supposed to be more "user-friendly." I guess we will find out!

If you are in shooting sports you will be covered until November then you will need to enroll again for the 2021-2022 4-H Year.

If you have questions please reach out. The age range will remain the same. Youth 5-7 as of Jan. 1, 2022 will be considered clover kids and youth ages 8-18 as of Jan. 1, 2022 will be considered 4-H youth.

Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work in space? Well, here’s your chance to find out straight from the astronauts aboard the International Space Station right now! All Nebraska youth are invited to submit questions they’d like to ask the astronauts. Approximately 9-12 young people will be selected to video record their questions. Their questions will then be answered by the astronauts during an upcoming in-flight education downlink experience. More information on that will be coming soon. For now, submit your question at go.unl.edu/nebraskanautsquestion.

The Nebraska 4-H Gives Back program is an opportunity for a Nebraska 4-H member or a team of 4-H’ers to make a meaningful contribution to their community. This award recognizes the impact that 4-H youth make in their communities and celebrates the spirit of service-learning, a pillar of the 4-H experience.

Nebraska 4-H Gives Back projects are advised by local committees and reviewed and recognized at the state level. Participants of the Nebraska 4-H Gives Back program receive an award and are showcased statewide.

To achieve the Nebraska 4-H Gives Back honor, a 4-H member or team must complete a major service-learning project that benefits his/her community. Each 4-H member or team are responsible for the creation, coordination, and implementation of the project. The project must be of lasting value and large enough in size and/or scope to be worthy of Nebraska 4-H Gives Back recognition. 4-H members should plan on investing over 100 hours of service, and understand that it may take up to 24 months to complete this project. The project includes an initial proposal and final report that are both approved and reviewed in a two-step process. Proposals are developed and approved first by the local committee, and then by a State 4-H Program Administrator prior to the start of the project. Upon completion of the service-learning project, a final report is created to be reviewed and approved by the local committee, and then by a State 4-H Program Administrator.

Recipients will receive individual certificates of recognition once their project is completed, as well as, a $100 award to be received by the team or individual recipient. This can be used to celebrate their accomplishments or fund a future 4-H project. Recipients and their projects will also be showcased by Nebraska 4-H online. Some counties may choose to recognize recipients at county award nights. The proposal form is attached below.

To receive the designation as a Nebraska 4-H Club of Excellence, clubs must meet a certain set of criteria and document how this criteria was met. Clubs meeting the requirements will initially receive a certificate. In subsequent years clubs successfully meeting the requirements will receive a special insignia to place on their certificate. Clubs must apply annually to receive this recognition.

Clubs must:

• Have at least five members from at least three different families.
• Recite the 4-H Pledge at meetings.
• Meet at least six times per year.
• Choose/elect youth officers.
• Have youth serve in leadership roles.
• Have one club project, related to curriculum, which they do together.
• Have adult role model involvement.
• Be facilitated by organizational and project leaders who have successfully completed the volunteer screening.
• Have members who perform a presentation or public speaking at the club level or above.
• Complete one community service project.
• Have members who participate in county, district or state events.
• Celebrate member and club achievements.

Application

To apply for the Club of Excellence recognition, complete the Nebraska 4-H Club of Excellence Report of Activities. The completed form should be turned into the Extension Office by September 15.

Shooting Sports practice for BB Gun and Air Rifle will start on October 4th. They practice from 3:30 to 7 depending on when the youth show up. During October through December, practice is held the first and third Mondays of the month. In January they will start practicing every month and start attending the Panhandle Best Shoots. Youth need to be registered for 4-H to participate. Parents need to sign waivers the first meeting. Please contact Bruce Salisbury or Donna and Kevin Jech for more information.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.

The 4-H Youth Development program abides with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Copyright ©2021

Email: mnelson82@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/educational-programs/northern-panhandle-4-h/
Location: 105 Loofborrow Street, PO Box 329 Rushville, NE 69360
Phone: 308-327-2312
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNLSheridanCounty
Twitter: @SheridanCounty