Hall County 4-H Newsletter

New and returning 4-H families may now enroll at https://v2.4honline.com. (Returning 4-H families, please enroll under the same email login that was used the previous year; do not create a new account.) Enrollment fees remain $10 per youth. Fees may be paid online during the 4-H enrollment process or by check/cash at the Hall County Extension Office.

Reminders for 4-H Project Selection:

• Project selection in 4-H Online is optional (with the exception of projects listed below).
• Horse and shooting sports projects will continue to require project enrollment due to the parental consent required to participate in these projects.
• Youth are only eligible to exhibit in a specific project area or contest in a single county.

Adult Volunteer Enrollment: This enrollment is meant for volunteers who are club leaders, project leaders or workshop facilitators who work directly with youth. All other volunteers, such as 4-H Council members, Fair Superintendents or workshop/event helpers DO NOT need to enroll in 4-H Online.

If you have any questions regarding the enrollment process, please call the Extension Office at 308-385-5088. We are here to help!

If you are a youth 4-H member and did not get a Hall County Fair t-shirt this year, please stop by the office to get your shirt! We also have a few navy 4-H shirts (from 2023) in various sizes left. If you outgrew your previous 4-H shirt or need a replacement, please stop by the Extension Office and pick one up!

Award Sponsorships are available for Hall County 4-H animal and static exhibits! Contact the Extension office if your club, family or business would like to sponsor an award at the 2025 Hall County Fair! (Sponsorships are only $30!) Call 308-385-5088 for more information.

While the weather is cold and snowy outside, plans are underway for the 2025 Hall County Fair! If you have an interest in serving as a fair superintendent in the static exhibit area, please contact D’Ette by calling 308-385-5088 or emailing dscholtz2@unl.edu. We will be filling any open positions shortly. (If you were a superintendent in 2024, we will be contacting you soon!)

Hours for 4-H superintendents in the static exhibit hall include exhibit check-in day (Wednesday July 23, 3-6:30 pm), Judging day (Thursday July 24, 8:30-4), and exhibit release day (Sunday July 27, 3-4:30 pm). If you have any questions, give D’Ette a call!

Do you have a special skill or talent and would enjoy passing that on to youth in our community (or do you know someone who does)? If so, we need your help! We’re looking for adults/teens to lead workshops for our summer Kids College program.

Kids College workshops offer hands-on, learning opportunities for youth ages 5-18, and are held in the month of June. Need ideas? We can help! How about candy making, woodworking, jewelry making, metal working, rockets, bath bombs, or slime. Give us a call if you are interested in learning how to become a workshop instructor.

Workshop proposals are due to the Hall County Extension Office by Feb. 1. Contact Joyce at (308) 385-5088 or jkrolikowski2@unl.edu for more information.

Check out a STEM Backpack for your family during the winter season! Each of the backpacks contains theme-based books, activity sheets & materials, and a step-by-step lesson plan for adults. Most of the lessons are also available in Spanish.

Go to go.unl.edu/4-h-backpacks for more information & to find out how to check out one of these 4-H STEM Activity Backpacks from the Hall County Extension Office!

• Who: Any youth interested in sewing, ages 5-18.
• When: Saturday, January 11, 2025
• Where: Hall County Extension meeting room
• What Time: 1:00-4:00 pm
• January Project: Bowl cozies
  

Club Leaders: Annette Schimmer and Barb Hovie

• Annette 308-379-7191 | netterz95@gmail.com
• Barb 308-379-5208 | barbarahovie@gmail.com

PLEASE contact Annette or Barb if you plan to attend, or if you have questions. A list of supplies needed will be sent via email before the meeting.

How do boats and pennies go together? Join us for the next STEM Challenge to find out! Learn the science behind boats and how they can float on water. Design a boat and compete to see whose boat can carry the most weight before sinking.

• This STEM Challenge is for youth ages 5 and up.
• February 14, 2025
• 1-3 pm
• Extension Meeting Room
• $5.00 per youth. Non 4-H members welcome.

Kountryside Kids 4-H Club, in partnership with Grand Island Public Schools, is currently sponsoring a Little Free Pantry at Lincoln Elementary School. The club is inviting 4-H families and clubs to join them in keeping the pantry filled with food, hygiene, seasonal needs, and home essentials. If your family or club are able to contribute to the pantry, sign up for a week (or more) in 2024-25, by following this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45ABA72DA7FBCF8-45801707-lincoln.

The Little Free Pantry is supported by Hall County 4-H, the Nutrition Education Program (NEP), and UNL Extension. If you have any questions, call the Extension Office at 308-385-5088 or email LaDonna at ladonna.obermiller@unl.edu. For ideas of items to put in the Little Free Pantry, click Little Free Food Pantry Food Safety Information | UNL Food.

The 2025 plant will be Goldie Husk Cherry. Learn more about the Special Garden Project and how to get started at 4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/special-garden-project/.

To reserve your Special Garden Project seeds,

1. Enroll in 4-H at v2.4honline.com.
2. Complete the following google form: go.unl.edu/hallcosgporder by February 1, 2025.

The Nebraska 4-H Indoor Archery Competition will be held in Grand Island on January 25th, at the Aurora Cooperative Pavilion at Fonner Park.

NEW in 2025 - Indoor Archery Awards. Hall County 4-H members competing at the 4-H State Indoor Competition will receive awards at the Recognition Event at the Hall County Fair on July 26th.

Competitors MUST be registered in 4-H Online (and enrolled in the archery project) before registering for the event.

• The cost for the State Indoor Competition is $15.00, payable at the event.
• To register for the event, go to https://forms.gle/CMdchi8W6JrkMV4E8.
• If you have any questions, contact Becky Carmin at bowmins@gmail.com.

Check out Third City Archers indoor youth league! This will be at the indoor facility located at 317 N Elm Street in Grand Island. See practice dates in the attached photo. Please email thirdcityarchersgi@gmail.com for more information.

The youth league offers lots of opportunities for practice for 4-H competitions!

Go to 4h.unl.edu/shooting-sports for more information about the Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports program & to view the calendar of upcoming statewide shooting sports competitions!

In order to run a club, county, or multi-county 4-H shootings sports program, leaders and instructors must be certified by Nebraska 4-H. Volunteers must attend a Leader Certification Workshop designed to cover the needed knowledge and guidelines to become a Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Leader/Instructor. Go to 4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/shooting-sports-program/certified-leaders/ for information regarding upcoming leader certification workshops & updates. If you are interested in becoming a certified shooting sports instructor for Hall County 4-H, please contact LaDonna Obermiller at 308-385-5088.

February 8, 2025: Horse Judges School held at the UNL Animal Science Complex in Lincoln, NE

• Youth: Great opportunity for youth planning to compete in the horse judging contest at Stampede to learn more about judging and get in some practice judging
• Adults: Learn what goes into becoming a 4-H Horse Show Judge as well as the opportunity to recertify as a 4-H judge

March 29 & 30, 2025: 4-H Horse Stampede held at the UNL Animal Science Complex in Lincoln, NE

• Entries due: Friday, February 28, 2025
• Contests include:
• Public Speaking (may compete virtually through zoom)
• Demonstrations (may compete virtually through zoom)
• Horse Bowl
• Art
• Photography
• Horse Judging – new for 2025
• Hippology – new for 2025

July 12-16, 2025: Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo held at Fonner Park in Grand Island, NE

• Entries due: June 1, 2025
• Advancement levels and Horse IDs need to be completed by June 1

For more information regarding the 2025 horse events and contests, go to: 4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/horse-program/ or contact Lena Luck at lena.luck@unl.edu.

Do you have questions regarding the college decision process or a desire to learn more about CASNR (UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources) academic programs?

If so, check out the webinar series called “Zoom In To CASNR”, geared toward prospective college students (middle/high school) or current CASNR students. Go to https://go.unl.edu/vb2s to sign up.

A Farrowed and Owned Breeding and Market Swine division for youth interested in learning more about the swine industry is available for youth statewide in 2025! The Nebraska 4-H Farrowed and Owned Swine Cohort is designed to enhance the traditional 4-H swine project and cultivate the next generation of leaders in the swine industry by providing opportunities focusing on swine production as a goal of the 4-H member's project, along with accurate and complete record-keeping, industry knowledge, and engagement by the 4-H member. In order to participate, youth must be 4-H age 8-18 as of January 1, 2025, complete YQCA, farrowed their project animal(s) and participate in monthly virtual educational meetings. For more information, go to 4h.unl.edu/farrowed-owned. Registration deadline is February 1, 2025.

Hall County 4-H Council is sponsoring scholarships valued at $500 each! The scholarships are available to current Hall County 4-H members who are graduating seniors this year. Applications are due March 1st to the Hall County Extension Office at 3180 W Hwy 34, Grand Island, NE 68801 or cbeissenherz2@unl.edu. The application can be found: Council Scholarship Application fillable.pdf

or picked up at the Extension Office.

Two scholarships valued at $500 will be awarded to high school graduating seniors who are pursuing a program/career in agriculture/agribusiness. The scholarships will be given to applicants living or attending school in Hall County. The scholarships will be sent directly to the college, university, or technical school upon proof of registration. Applications are due March 1st. For more information, go to 2025 Scholarship Form Ag Society (fillable form).pdf.

The Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE) is pleased to offer the Cynthia Thomsen Scholarship. Nebraska WIFE is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving profitability in production agriculture. The one-year $2000 scholarship is available to any woman who lives in Nebraska who will begin her FIRST year in a University/Technical/Trade/Community College in a field related to agriculture and must be postmarked by March 15, 2025. The scholarship may be used at the school of the recipient’s choice in Nebraska. The application can be found here: Cynthia Thomsen Scholarship Application Final.pdf.

Have you thought about your 4-H goals for 2025? Now is the time to look at the Diamond Clover Program and the Clover Kids Recognition Program, and set those goals now. For more information, go to: Hall County 4-H awards. To find out more about state and national 4-H award opportunities, go to 4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/awards-recognition/.

Club Leaders, it’s time to fill out the annual treasurer’s report. Even if your club does not handle money, if your club has an EIN# the form still needs to be signed & turned in to the Extension office.

NEW: There is a Club Inventory Report and Club Information Sheet that must be filled out as well.

Forms will be sent via email. Reports are due to the Extension office by January 31st. If you have any questions, call Joyce at (308) 385-5088 or email jkrolikowski2@unl.edu.

Nebraska 4-H has made some changes to the volunteer screening policy and procedures. Beginning October 2024, all 4-H volunteers serving in a direct volunteer role, such as a club leader, project leader, or workshop presenter, will screen every five years based on their anniversary date. With this change, ALL volunteers serving in a direct role will screen during the 2024-2025 program year.

When enrolling in 4-H Online, volunteers will be redirected to the new screening vender, Sterling Volunteers. The new screening is a criminal background history check and will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. The cost of the screening is $16 and is paid during the screening process online. Volunteers must successfully pass their screening in order to serve in a 4-H volunteer role. All returning volunteers need to re-screen by March 15, 2025.

These changes were made to ensure all youth and volunteers are protected through increased volunteer screening level and enhanced user experience.

Important Notes:

• If you completed the Volunteer Orientation piece (40 minute video) last year, you do NOT have to complete the Orientation again this year.
• If you have a current Nebraska Conceal & Carry permit, you may NOT have to complete the screening/background check. We will need a copy of your permit for review.
• If the $16 fee for screening is a hardship, please contact Crystal at the Extension Office.

Raising Nebraska is the ideal space for 4-H, providing an engaging and flexible learning environment.

• Utilize one of the numerous spaces within our 25,000 square foot exhibit hall.
• Youth can explore more than a dozen interactive educational exhibits about agriculture and natural resources.
• Spaces come with state-of-the-art technology to support meetings and presentations.
• No rental fee for 4-H groups.
• Conveniently located on the State Fairgrounds at Fonner Park in Grand Island.

Contact Mandy Sullivan at (308) 385-3967 or mandy@RaisingNebraska.net for more information.

Hall County 4-H will continue using the Remind app (in addition to email & social media) to communicate important 4-H news, events & deadlines to 4-H families. Get information for Hall County 4-H right on your phone! Two-way text messaging makes it more convenient for families to receive important information. Plus, it’s free and easy to use!

Options to sign up for Remind:

• Option 1 - Click the link to sign up, https://www.remind.com/join/4h-hall.
• Option 2 - Text the message @4h-hall to the number 81010.

See the attached pdf below.

Please call Crystal at 308-385-5088 for assistance.

• January 20 - Martin Luther King Day; Extension Office is closed.

• January 25 - Nebraska 4-H Indoor Archery Competition, Aurora Cooperative Pavilion at Fonner Park.

• January 28 - 4-H Council meeting, 6:30 pm at the Extension Office.

• February 12 - Extension Board meeting, 4:30 pm at the Extension Office.

• February 14 - 4-H STEM Challenge, 1-3 pm at the Extension Office.

• February 17 - President's Day; Extension Office is closed.

Email: hall-county@unl.edu
Website: hall.unl.edu
Location: 3180 W Hwy 34, College Park, Grand Island, Nebraska, USA
Phone: 308-385-5088
Facebook: facebook.com/HallCounty4HNebraska