Hennepin County 4-H Newsletter

Read on for more ways to get involved

It’s the start of a new 4-H program year! Become a 4-H member or re-enroll if you are a current member to open a host of resources and opportunities.

Just a reminder: October 31st was the due date for 2024-2025 chartering documents to be submitted. We are now reviewing these documents for completion, and we will reach out to any clubs with missing information.

For more information on leading a 4-H club, including chartering, visit the Leading a 4-H club homepage. Please reach out to Extension Educator Ashley Purry and Administrative Specialist Bridget Doyle with any questions or concerns.

We're seeking presenters for the upcoming BLU workshops. BLU presenters help us provide an enriching and fulfilling learning experience. Extension staff, volunteers, youth leaders, university faculty & staff, and/or community and organizational leaders are invited to propose a 1-hour educational session to present at any of the four BLU workshops coming in February.

To start, please view the Call for Presentations document at: z.umn.edu/CalltoPres2025

There, you’ll find more information about what kind of presentations we’re seeking and how to submit proposals.

Once you’re ready to submit, you can submit your proposals at: z.umn.edu/BLUPresenters2025

Selection timeline is as follows:

• Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through December 18th, 2024

• Within 2 weeks of submitting a proposal: Presenters will receive notification if proposals have been accepted or if changes are needed.

• Between December 19, 2024 and January 17, 2025: Presenters will meet with Minnesota 4-H CEL staff

• One week prior to the BLU workshops: Final check-ins

Questions or want to chat through an idea?

For questions about presentation proposals, please contact Sutton Stewart (stewa313@umn.edu).

For questions about BLU, please email Meg Clark (hintz101@umn.edu).

Registration is open for Building Leadership and Understanding (BLU)! Youth in grades 6+ are invited to this leadership workshop to participate in hands-on activities, team-building experiences, and make a difference in their community. Pick one of four locations to attend in February.

These will be overnight, 2-day events running from Saturday 1:30pm - Sunday 11:30am at the following dates and locations:

• February 1st & 2nd at Camp Friendship in Annandale, MN
• February 8th & 9th at Redwood Lodge in Redwood Falls, MN
• February 15th & 16th at Camp Victory in Zumbro Falls, MN
• February 22nd & 23rd at Deep Portage in Hackensack, MN

Learn more including costs, daily schedule, and how to register at the website: z.umn.edu/BLUinfo2025

Reach out to Ashley regarding scholarship opportunities.

Registration deadline is Friday January 10th 2025

The Hennepin County Youth Leadership Foundation (HCYLF) is now accepting Small Grant Applications for 2025! We would like to know how we can help you and your club! Do you have a project idea that you would like to implement but need funds to support it? Do you have a community service project that needs financial support to get off the ground? Are you planning to attend Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) this year and need funding support?

The Foundation would like to partner with you and your club to support education and leadership opportunities to enrich your 4-H experience.

Small Grant Applications for 2025 are due no later than 3 weeks before the event, so plan ahead! Please contact Extension Educator Ashley Purry and Administrative Specialist Bridget Doyle for an application form and next steps.

Northern Lights is a statewide volunteer recognition opportunity designed to celebrate volunteer impact in key priority areas. All eligible Northern Lights nominees will also be considered for the National 4-H Salute to Excellence award.

In 2025, we encourage nominations of volunteers who:

• Welcome our youngest 4-H members and families through designing and delivering Cloverbud and/or public programming.
• Create learning environments for older youth (aged 12-18) that improve their self-concept, personal agency, resilience and community connectivity.
• Champion diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, creating spaces of belonging and empowerment for Minnesota youth of all identities.

Nominate a volunteer or group of volunteers who bring light to their local program and community!

Click to read more about the Northern Lights Program and access the nomination form: z.umn.edu/NLVRP2025 (estimated 15 minutes to complete)

Nominations are due January 21st, 2025.

Do you have an idea you’re passionate about and can’t find funding? The Helping Hands Award is for 4-H youth who want to turn their ideas into projects!

This award funds project ideas that are led by 4-H youth in partnership with supportive adults, local businesses, and non-profit organizations. Projects can focus on STEM, Agriscience, Healthy Living, Outdoor Adventures, Equity, and Leadership. Awards have ranged from $300 to $2000. Start thinking about your ideas and consider applying!

Applications open now, closing on February 14th 2025. View details and requirements at the website: z.umn.edu/HHAwardApply

Join the Junior Stitch Masters 4-H club offered with Ramsey and Hennepin Counties! Boost your sewing skills and learn to master techniques, with each month focused on different sewing topics of your interest. This club is available for teens 7th grade and above who have basic sewing skills. The club will include fun field trips and attending a fashion show.

To learn more or join please reach out to Colleen K at Colleen@stitchmasters.org

4-H Youth Development in Hennepin County, through a Hennepin County Green Partners Grant, is seeking program locations to share the Green Superheroes of Science (GSOS) program! Lesson supplies and resources, including curriculums and delivery models, are provided via a GSOS kit and training materials. GSOS can be facilitated by partners/educators or by trained teen teachers (7th grade-12th grade).

To become a partner site to receive GSOS training, resources, and kit materials, please contact Amie Mondl, Extension educator, at rober199@umn.edu, or Anne Stevenson, Extension educator, at steve020@umn.edu.

Project Bowl is a long-standing program in Minnesota 4-H and is the second most attended event of the year. In Project Bowl, teams of 3-6 youth members build skills working and thinking together while testing their knowledge in these 4-H areas: dairy, dog, general livestock, horse, llama-alpaca, plant science, poultry and rabbit.

Coaches and 4-H'ers (grades 3+) interested in learning more about the Minnesota 4-H Project Bowl program should check out the website for dates, locations, rules, references and more. Back again this year in the dairy and general livestock species is a third age division – read more about it in the project bowl rules and references at the Project Bowl Website: extension.umn.edu/4-h-showcase-events/regional-and-state-project-bowls

Youth grades 8+ will travel to Bayfield, Wisconsin with Trek and Trail Outfitting for a Kayak, Camp, and Hike experience this summer! Participants will be expected to join monthly zoom meetings from February through July for trip preparation. Note: This trip will have limited registration (15 spots) and requires a fee.

HAWKS Experience Summer 2025

Where: Bayfield, Wisconsin

Trip Dates: Sunday August 3rd - Saturday August 9th, 2025

Cost: 1000$ (350$ deposit and two payments of 350$ and 300$)

For more information and to register for a spot, see the registration form: z.umn.edu/HAWKSReg2025

Please note: While the facility being rented for this program is a Bible camp, 4-H camp at Sand Hill Lake is a non-religious program open to all youth grades 3-6.

4-H Camp at Sand Hill Lake

Where: Fosston, Minnesota

Trip Dates: Tuesday June 3rd - Thursday June 5th 2025

Cost: 225$ (Cost should not be a barrier to participation. Please contact us about scholarships that may be available.)

Registration window: Friday Feb 2rd - Weds April 30th, 2025

For more information and to register, visit the website: extension.umn.edu/event/4-h-camp-sand-hill-lake

Online Horse Certificate Courses begin January- secure your spot today!

Popular returning topics include composting horse carcasses, horse biosecurity, manure management, basic horse nutrition, growing and feeding horse hay, and horse pasture establishment and management. Brand new for 2025 is poisonous plants in the Midwest.

Registration has limited capacity, and there is an associated fee of 75$ per class due at time of registration.

Online Horse Certificate Courses

Series runs from Monday January 6th 2025 - Sunday February 16th 2025.

See the six-week schedule including descriptions and registration at: extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/horse-online-certificate-course

Let’s Talk About Disability is a five-session series designed to provide a safe place for youth in grades 6-12 to have important conversations about disability. This series demonstrates to youth with disabilities that they are valued and welcomed by 4-H and gives all youth the tools to be supportive and effective allies. It also serves to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and ideas related to disability inclusion and access in the 4-H program.

Online sessions will be held via Zoom from 6:30-8:00 PM on:

• Thursday, January 9th
• Thursday, January 16th
• Thursday, January 23rd
• Thursday, January 30th
• Thursday, February 6th

Register in 4HOnline at any point in the series. Please visit z.umn.edu/Letstalkaboutdisability for more information.

Are you part of a livestock or animal science Project Development Committee (PDC) in your county? Do you want to learn and gather ideas from others from across the state? Join us for a livestock PDC kickoff webinar to get your county animal science committees off to a great start!

Members of the state 4-H animal science team will cover the basics of a PDC, its purpose, policies and rules, finances and ideas for educational experiences. We will discuss all 4-H livestock project areas.

Statewide Livestock PDC Kickoff Webinar

Date: Thursday January 23rd, 2025

Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Via Zoom; Advanced registration required.

For more information and to register for a Zoom invitation, visit the website: z.umn.edu/LPDCKickoffWeb2025

This winter, 4-H is happy to bring back a fun virtual exploration series called "Science Sprouts: Growing Plants in Unique Ways". Over the course of three 30-minute virtual sessions, youth grades 3-5 will explore surprising, creative ways to grow plants - no backyard required. With easy-to-find supplies (most from your kitchen or craft drawer), these experiments will inspire your child to think outside the flowerpot. Virtual sessions will take place from 5:30 - 6:00 pm on the following dates:

• Monday, January 27th
• Monday, February 24th
• Monday, March 24th

This is a free program, with optional material costs. Registration is ongoing via 4HOnline.

Register by January 15th to receive a kit to help your young scientist grow alongside the series!

For more information, visit the website: z.umn.edu/WinterSSprouts2024

This fun online intro to filmmaking will teach you how to get the best angles for your film, focus on storyboarding, mobile filmmaking with a cell phone, and basics of editing. It will also introduce you to other youth filmmakers across the state. This workshop is designed for filmmaking beginners in grades 3 and up. If you want to learn how to make and edit videos, this program is for you!

Sessions will be held online from 5 to 6 p.m. on:

• Monday, January 27th
• Monday, February 3rd
• Monday, February 10th

This is a free program available to youth grades 3 and up. Register using 4HOnline.

Registration closes Wednesday, January 22nd 2024.

For more details and links, please visit the website: z.umn.edu/Intro2Film2025

Do you like the art of cake decorating? Extension educators from surrounding counties will be hosting a cake decorating series set to start in February. This series will include interactive Zoom workshops held on weekday evenings, as well as an in-person event on a Saturday. The four interactive Zoom workshops will teach different cake-decorating skills, and the in-person event will involve a cake challenge in each individual county.

If you're interested in joining us for this cake-decorating venture, please get in touch with Ann Olson from Benton County at olso7616@umn.edu.

4-H Choose your Outdoor Adventure

Learn more about 4-H outdoor education on your own time using self-guided lesson plans. Each area (Into the Outdoors, Birding, ATV Safety, and Exploring the Forest) contains self-guided exploration lessons you can do outside. Open to all, but geared towards youth grades 5-9.

Access anytime on the website: extension.umn.edu/4-h-outdoor-education/4-h-choose-your-outdoor-adventure

Steppin' Outdoors Activity Guides

Steppin’ Outdoors is a year-long series of activity guides designed to lead youth and their families in outdoor exploration. Each season of the year has three corresponding activities that encourage skill development, creativity, citizen science and more! Geared towards youth grades K -6.

Access anytime on the website: extension.umn.edu/yd-curriculum/steppin-outdoors-activity-guides

Get Outdoors 4-H Challenge

Sign up for the Get Outdoors 4-H Challenge! Starting in February, each month you will receive a challenge with activities and information to get outdoors. There will be prizes along the journey for those who complete challenges and benchmarks. Youth in grades K-13 and adults are welcome to participate.

For more information and a link to register, visit the website: extension.umn.edu/4-h-outdoor-education/get-outdoors-4-h-challenge

In the Plastic Sculpture Challenge, you will build awareness and knowledge on both the positive and negative impacts of single-use plastics and find ways to recycle or repurpose plastic. Use plastics you find to create an art sculpture on a theme or message you’d like to use. Show your art piece at your county fair, a community showcase, and the Minnesota State Fair!

Access the activities and join the challenge at any time, at the website: z.umn.edu/PlasticSculpt2024

A signature Horticultural Society community outreach program, Garden-in-a-Box (GIAB) distributes more than 800 gardening kits annually. Participating organizations across Minnesota receive free plants, seeds, soil, raised beds and education. With support from generous donors and sponsors, GIAB gives thousands of all ages the opportunity to learn how to garden and grow fresh food.

If your group has an outdoor spot that meets the following criteria, consider applying for a GIAB kit!

Requirements: northerngardener.org/what-we-do/giab-participant-criteria/

• Must receive minimum 5-7 hours sunlight
• Must have easy access to water. Overhead or sprinkler watering is not recommended.
• Have landlord approval to place 3' x 3' garden container(s) on the property
• Box is not suitable for balconies or wooden decks.

Apply at northerngardener.typeform.com/to/W4YVD9PN

For additional questions about this process, contact Program Coordinator Anna Marhefke at giab@northerngardener.org or (651)643-3601

Explore our growing youth development curriculum library for new and fresh ideas being added every month! Some examples of what you'll find in the library:

• Themed 4-H club agendas, which can be used or adapted in any youth program setting. Each includes arrival and welcome activities, and educational lesson, and recreation and refreshment ideas tied to a theme.
• 30-minute Seasonal Science is a series of nine activities that help youth in grades K-5 explore innovation through scientific experimentation and do-it-yourself crafting categorized by season.
• Independent Learning Guides that support Youth 4-H Project Areas
• Individual lessons and curricula on a variety of topics, such as gardening and agriculture, social and emotional skills, healthy living, college readiness, and STEM.

Ignite your child's spark with CLOVER, 4-H's online learning platform that helps kids become more confident, resilient, and independent. With 300+ interactive online activities available, CLOVER offers a wide range of activities and courses across Agriculture, STEM, Healthy Living, and Civic Engagement. Learn more and join for free on the website: 4-h.org/clover/about/

Check out the Clover Newsletter and Central Region Catalog for additional 4-H opportunities.

Ashley Purry, Extension Educator, (612) 596-2134, purry002@umn.edu

Bridget Doyle, Principal Office and Administrative Specialist, (612)596-2128, Doyle389@umn.edu

Google Calendar

Website: https://local.extension.umn.edu/local/hennepin/4-h

Events: https://extension.umn.edu/local/hennepin/events

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hennepin4H