Stevens County February News

Welcome to the Stevens County 4-H February Newsletter!

This newsletter will serve to share a glimpse into why “independence” is essential towards positive youth development. We will also explore our leaders council and ambassadors opportunities, learn about one of our 4-H clubs, and look into future leadership/project experiences!

In our winter newsletter, we explored one of the essential elements of 4-H Youth Development (belonging). We related this to our need to feel a part of something beyond ourselves and explored what social connectedness means (view Winter Newsletter). This month, we are going to explore another essential element called “Independence”. In 4-H, youth are encouraged to try new things and learn about themselves. The Elements of positive youth development resource shares that “As a result, they discover and practice their interests and skills, test their independence, and take control of their lives.” Helping a youth build a strong foundation of positive identity empowers them to grow in the following ways:

● Personal power— A young person feels they have control over things that happen to them.

● Self-esteem— A young person reports having high self-esteem.

● Sense of purpose—A young person reports, “my life has a purpose.”

● Positive view of personal future— A young person is optimistic about his or her future.

*Find information about this on page 10 of the Elements of positive youth development resource

In our 4-H program, what can we do to…

● Create experiences with youth that apply to real-life situations?

● Use the experiential learning cycle—experience, share, process, generalize, and apply?

● Allow adequate time to talk about the experience?

● Participate in community service or volunteer opportunities?

● Match youth with mentors?

I want to encourage you all to reflect on these questions with me as we continue to work with our community’s youth. One of my favorite phrases to use when I think about youth is to refer to them as “agents of hope”. How can we help our youth feel empowered to spread hope and become social change agents in our community? One way we can do this is by helping them develop the life skill of independence. The time is ours to do so.

-Savannah Aanerud, 4-H Extension Educator

More from Extension:

• Elements of positive youth development

• Developing high-quality learning environments for youth

• Social and emotional learning

• Youth work courses

• If there are any courses you are interested in taking that require a fee, please reach out to Savannah Aanerud.

• Are you interested in having a bigger role in Stevens County 4-H?

• Do you enjoy being a part of a team working towards positive change?

• Would you like to gain more experience speaking in public, working on service projects, designing fun activities, and using your voice for positive change in the community?

YES?! You are just the leader we are looking for!

In 4-H, our members should be actively involved in making decisions. The Leadership Council is composed of youth and adult representatives alike. Involvement in county-wide leadership builds on the skills that you learn in clubs. Youth roles include officer positions such as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, and Recreational Leader. These roles are voted on in the fall. All 4-H members in attendance at Leadership Council meetings may vote on the business of each meeting. ALL are welcome to attend our leaders council meetings throughout the year and we encourage YOU to come! Having youth rise to the occasion to grow in their leadership skills is what we STRONGLY value:)

Feel free to connect with Savannah Aanerud on how you can be involved or block out the next couple of meeting dates in your calendars and attend!

• March 25 | 7 p.m. @ the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC)

• May 20 | 7 p.m. @ the Stevens County Fairgrounds 4-H Dairy Barn

Stevens County 4-H ambassadors are youth in grades 6 through one year past high school who want to make a difference in 4-H and in our community. Our ambassadors use their skills in leadership, civic engagement, communication and teamwork to promote 4-H, plan events, guide younger youth and serve our county. Interested in becoming one? Connect with Savannah Aanerud at aaner032@umn.edu. It is never too late to join!

Scarlet, Jacey, Echo, and Tabitha (all 4-H ambassadors) are preparing for their 4-H Citizen Washington Focus Conference coming up in June! This is just one of the MANY leadership opportunities that one can take part in!

• Learn about more leadership opportunities here.

• Learn about Citizen Washington Focus here.

“Lake Hattie 4-H Club was started in 2019 and we consider ourselves "The club for busy people". We are very laid back. We have done lots of different kinds of projects the last few years. Science based activities are always a favorite in our group. We have done butter sculpting, basic robotics, homemade bouncy balls, May Day baskets, live animal demonstrations, crafts and lots of other things! Our most recent project is the club name signs in the 4-H Food Stand. We walked around Alberta and picked up garbage and we help with the Humane Society Haunted trail every year. We have a lot of fun and hope our club is successful for many years.”

-April Mevissen (Lake Hattie 4-H Club Leader)

Want to learn more about this club? Reach out to the club leaders April Mevissen and Kathleen Jost for more information (or connect with Savannah Aanerud).

Interested in having your Extension Educator (Savannah Aanerud) join you for a club meeting? Reach out to your club leaders to schedule a time with Savannah!

“Clover Connect” is a NEW Stevens County 4-H Program that will serve to match 4-H youth with an older member who will help provide guidance and mentorship throughout the 4-H year. Utilizing hands-on engagement, mentors will help provide a positive learning experience in project areas relating to both static and livestock. They can also assist you at the Stevens County Fair with 4-H livestock shows and general entry day!

Learn more about this program and sign up here.

Animal ID Deadline for Market Steer, Market Heifers, and Dairy Steers on February 15th!!!

If you are planning to show a Market Steer, Market Heifer, or Dairy Steer at this year's county fair, you NEED to ID that animal in 4-HOnline by Thursday, February 15th. You can read over the Market Beef Identification letter here. Also, here is a document for ID'ing your animal in 4-HOnline. If you have any questions, please reach out to Savannah Aanerud at aaner032@umn.edu or call 320-208-6575.

Stevens County 4-H Meat Goat Mentorship | Application due February 16

We are once again providing a fun, interactive, and educational opportunity to 4-H youth who are interested in the meat goat industry!

To learn more and apply for this mentorship, click here.

Horseless Horse Roundup Series

Ever wish you had a horse? Are you interested in learning more about horses? Join the 4-H Horseless Horse Round Up to explore more about horses (no horse needed!). This virtual series is open to all youth in grades 3 and up. We will meet weekly to dive into a new topic with activities, speakers and more!

To learn more, go to z.umn.edu/HLHRoundUp by February 1.

Horse Drill Team

Drill team offers 4-H'ers interested in the horse project a chance to develop leadership and teamwork skills and learn more about horses. In drill team, you'll learn coordination, timing, speed and synchronizing with other riders. Variety and creativity in dress and routine are encouraged. For grades 6 and up.

We are looking to see what the interest is so that we can start strong next spring/summer!

• Please fill out the Google Form here if interested.

• Learn more about drill team here.

Stevens County 4-H Shooting Sports | Registration due February 15

Do you like archery and/or air rifle and pistol? Interested in practicing your skills? Join us for our weekly Winter Shooting Sports Series! The league includes all the equipment, supplies and training you will need. Youth who participate will have the option to participate in the State Shoot Competition in September as well (must be 4th grade or older).

• Learn more and sign up for archery here.

• Learn more and sign up for air pistol and air rifle here.

Helping Hands Award Grant

Does your club or individuals in your club have passionate ideas but need help getting started? The Helping Hands Award is for Minnesota 4-H youth who want to turn their ideas into action! This award funds project ideas that are led by 4-H youth in partnership with supportive adults, local businesses and non-profit organizations. I want to highly encourage folks from our clubs to take advantage of this opportunity!

• The average awards are between $300-$2,000.

• Projects can focus on STEM, agriscience, healthy living, outdoor adventures, equity and leadership, but don’t hold back if you have an idea that falls outside these categories.

Learn more and read about the requirements here.

Were you unable to attend Virtual Club Officer Training? | November 26 & 28

If your club officer youth did not attend the virtual club officer training, they are expected to view the below recordings and resources which will help your clubs have a successful leadership year!

Club Officer Training Resources:

Session 1:

Session One: Welcoming Gatherings - Webinar Recording

Session One, Welcoming Gatherings- Slide Deck with Links & Videos

Session 2:

Session Two: Roles & Procedures - Webinar Recording

Session Two: Roles & Procedures - Slide Deck with Links & Videos

***Resource Folder with important links to activities, officer role descriptions, agendas, etc...

A note for…

Club Reporters | Please encourage club reporters to take pictures of club meetings and activities. They can use these for their club reporter book. It is also highly encouraged for them to write a blurb to put in the newspaper. If these pictures could also be sent to Savannah, that would be great! She can use them for social media/promotional/marketing purposes.

Club Secretaries/Treasurers | Encourage them to fill out the packet that the office provided for them.

If you have questions on this, contact Savannah Aanerud.

It is important to complete the re-enrolling process ASAP so that your family can receive Stevens County 4-H updates and appropriate mailings (animal ID information, project day invites, etc.). In addition, ALL 4-H youth need to be enrolled and adult club leaders need to be screened or their club’s charter will not be approved. View the following links to get started today!

• Join or Re-enroll in 4-H

• Volunteer with 4-H

February-March | Winter Shooting Sports Series begins

February 12 | Ambassador Gathering 6-8 p.m. (Crystal Lanes Bowling Alley)

February 15 | Market Beef ID deadline

February 15 | Shooting Sports registration deadline

February 16 | Goat Mentorship application due

February 26 | Livestock committee meeting at 6 p.m.

March 11 | Awards & Recognition Committee at 7:00 p.m. (Extension Office Room)

March 25 | Leaders Council Meeting @ 7 p.m. (WCROC)

March 31 | Food Partnership Challenge project deadline

April 11 | Food Stand Committee @ 5:45 p.m. (Faith Lutheran Church, Morris)

Let Savannah know if you have any questions by calling Stevens County 4-H at 320-208-6575 or email her at aaner032@umn.edu!

• Minnesota 4-H Website
  

• Stevens County 4-H Website

• Stevens County 4-H Facebook Page

• Stevens County 4-H Instagram Page

• Stevens County 4-H Calendar

• Stevens County 4-H SmugMug Pictures

• Join or re-enroll as a 4-H Member

• 4-H Volunteer Page

• Projects 4-H has to offer

Email: mnext-stevens@umn.edu
Website: extension.umn.edu/local/stevens
Location: 400 Colorado Ave., Ste. 103, Morris, MN 56267
Phone: 320-208-6575
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stevens-County-4-H-101660486563830/
Twitter: @UMNExt

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