Thurston County 4-H News
October 2015
Nebraska Extension - Thurston County
Jennifer E. Hansen, Extension Educator, jhansen6@unl.edu
Keith J. Jarvi, Extension Educator, keith.jarvi@unl.edu
Stacey Keys, 4-H Assistant, stacey.keys@unl.edu
Email: thurston-county@unl.edu
Website: thurston.unl.edu
Location: 415 Main Street, P.O. Box 665, Pender, NE 68047
Phone: 402-385-6041
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNLExtensionThurston
Twitter: @UNLThurstonCty
Upcoming Dates
Oct 1 - Career Portfolios DUE
Oct 4-10 - National 4-H Week
Oct 12 - Office Closed—Columbus Day
Oct 25 - Achievement Banquet
Nov 9 - 4-H Council Meeting
Nov 11 - Office Closed - Veteran's Day
Nov 11-13 - Office Closed - Jennifer & Stacey at meetings
Nov 26-27 - Office Closed - Thanksgiving
Achievement Banquet
It is hard to believe that fall is officially here, which means we need to prepare for the achievement banquet. The banquet will be held Sunday, October 25th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Rosalie Town Hall.
Join 4-H families for an evening of fellowship, food, recognition, and FUN! The Thurston County 4-H Council will be supplying meat for the meal. Families will need to bring two side dishes. Hope to see you for an evening of FUN and RECOGNITION!
NOTE: This was bumped up a week to avoid Halloween weekend!
Sunday, Oct 25, 2015, 06:00 PM
Rosalie, NE, United States
National 4-H Week
National 4-H Week will be October 4-10, 2015. Start brainstorming some ideas to increase our enrollment. The theme this year is "4-H Grows Here." Show the world how you are growing in 4-H, right here in Thurston County.
Also consider adding a science experiment (Motion Commotion) to your October meeting to celebrate National 4-H Science Day on October 7th.
Here are few ideas to try this year to promote 4-H.
· Ask local businesses to put a message about 4-H on their sign.
· Designate a “4-H Day” during 4-H Week and ask all 4-H members to wear their 4-H t-shirts to school.
· Furnish cookies for 4-H Open House at a local business or in conjunction with a community activity. Make sure your 4-H club has a sign there so you get the publicity.
· Make 4-H bookmarks and distribute them to school and public libraries during 4-H Week.
· Plan an anniversary party for your club. Invite former members and leaders.
· Put a “Happy” ad in local papers during 4-H Week.
· Fly a 4-H flag in the town square.
· The ideas are endless.
#4HGivesBig - Two Days to Make a Difference - Oct. 3-4
From Sidney to Falls City, Nebraska 4-H youth have been “giving big” to local communities. In 2014, communities benefitted from 726 youth/adult volunteers and 41 4-H clubs, giving 2,084 hours to local service projects with a value of $41,690. In 2015 and beyond, we want to grow Nebraska 4-H community service efforts and make them even bigger!
You are invited to be a part of a new community vitality effort by Nebraska 4-H. #4HGivesBig is a statewide weekend of service provided for Nebraska communities by Nebraska youth. The event will cultivate youth leadership and engagement, and foster community partnerships. Join the mission on October 3-4, 2015 – two days to make a difference.
Anyone can be involved – 4-H members, non 4-H members, 4-H alumni, friends, parents, volunteers, etc. #4HGivesBig provides two days for anyone in the community to work together to make a difference. You can work alone, with friends, as large groups, or collaborate with community organizations to serve your service mission. The project can be as small as cleaning up leaves in the park or as large as creating a service project that will last beyond the two days. Options are endless.
Post to social media using #4HGivesBig to allow everyone to follow your project. Join the mission and report your project at www.4h.unl.edu/4hcommunityserviceprojectmap by clicking on “New Project” at the bottom of the page on the right. For more information, contact your local extension office.
Out of the Office
The office will be closed October 12 for Columbus Day and November 26-27 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Jennifer and Stacey will also be out of the office November 11-13 for a conference. Please leave a message or email if you need anything during this time. Thanks.
Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium (NYBLS)
November 20-22, 2015 - Registration deadline Oct. 2
Freshman through Seniors
The annual Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Animal Science Complex on November 20 -22. The symposium is designed to introduce youth to careers opportunities and current issues in the beef industry, as well as offer education and practice in the use of leadership skills.
For the fourth year, the NYBLS planning committee is inviting freshman and sophomores to participate in an effort to reach students at an earlier point in their high school years, as well as continuing to give them a quality hands-on program, the schedule and program have expanded into two sessions. This year we will be running the Freshman/Sophomore sessions and the Junior/Seniors simultaneously so some of the sessions will be joint with the Junior and Senior group and some will be separate. We decided to give this a try to better utilize our speakers/presenters as well as some of our resources.
To learn more about the event or to register please visit: http://animalscience.unl.edu/ANSCExtensionYouthProgramNYBLS. Also, we have a facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NYBLS) where you can see what the youth have done in previous years.
Volunteer Information
Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports - Leader Certification Workshop
Find the HEART of 4-H - 2015 North Central Region 4-H Volunteer e-Forum
Save these dates for the 2015 North Central Region 4-H Volunteer e-Forum:
- the HEART of belonging
10/8/2105 at 6:00 p.m. (CT) or 10/13/2015 at 7:00 p.m. (CT)
4-H leaders will learn how to guide youth in developing a list of club or group expectations that accommodates all members, learn how to support youth with special needs, and discover resources to help them in their role as caring adults. In addition, volunteers will learn new activities to take back to their clubs and groups to foster positive behavior, belonging, and inclusion.
- the HEART of community
11/5/2015 at 6:00 p.m. (CT) or 11/10/2015 at 7:00 p.m. (CT)
Preparing 4-H volunteers to help youth find their voice as they become actively engaged in their communities. The session will include resources and models to incorporate mastery, belonging, generosity and independence as you include citizenship activities in 4-H settings.
- encouraging the HEART of leadership
12/3/2015 at 6:00 p.m. (CT) or 12/8/2015 at 7:00 p.m. (CT)
Young people do not magically become leaders at age 13. Leadership is nurtured from their first 4-H experience. Volunteers in this session will receive tools to help inspire youth of all ages to discover and develop independence and mastery.
Continuing Education
Animal Science - Open House
UNL Red Letter Days
Excited to make your college decision? Red Letter Days are an opportunity for you to explore college life at the University of Nebraska‒Lincoln during your senior or junior year of high school.
At this open house event, you'll get to:
- Explore campus with a current UNL student as your guide
- Attend academic informational sessions
- See what it's like to live in a residence hall
- Learn about ways to get involved on campus
- Find out important admissions, scholarship and financial aid information
- If you are interested in any health-related fields, check out our Pre-Health Red Letter Day: http://admissions.unl.edu/visit/on-campus/red-letter-days/pre-health-day.aspx
Cost
$10.00 per person
Dates - Pick one!
- September 25, 2015
- October 9, 2015
- October 23, 2015
- November 2, 2015
- November 13, 2015
- November 20, 2015
Registration
http://admissions.unl.edu/visit/on-campus/red-letter-days.aspx
Introducing True Red
This year, we’re starting a new initiative called True Red, which is designed to reward students who apply and are admitted to UNL early this fall. It’s our way of rewarding those students for showing dedication to their studies, their university, and their future.
Students who are admitted by November 2 will be enrolled in the True Red program and will get to enjoy:
- Expedited scholarship decisions.
- Early access to the housing contract and online room reservation.
- Early access to sign up for the New Student Enrollment orientation.
- Membership in the True Red Giveaway Club, with giveaways such as University Bookstore gift cards, Husker apparel, electronics, and more.
Fontanelle Hybrids 2016 Essay Contest
Who is Eligible: High school seniors who are active members of 4-H, FFA or another certified agricultural organization (excluding employees or family members of employees of Monsanto or its affiliates). Students must either live in or attend a high school in the state of Nebraska.
What Eligible Seniors Need to Do: Write and submit a 250-work essay on the topic: "What has had the greatest impact on production agriculture in your local community over the last 80 years?" Students should also review the full rules at www.Fontanelle.com/EssayContest.
How Eligible Senrios can Enter: By submitting their application and essay at www.Fontanelle.com/EssayContest.
Important Dates: Applications will be accepted beginning Oct. 1, 2015. The entry deadline is Nov. 30, 2015. Winners will be announced in spring of 2016.
Martha & Don Romeo Scholarship - Nebraska Association of Fair Managers
The Nebraska Association of Fair Managers will award a $500 scholarship to one qualifying 4-H male and a $500 scholarship to one qualifying 4-H female who are graduating seniors in the State of Nebraska and who plan to continue with post high school education. The scholarship will be awarded at the annual NAFM convention in January.
The selection of the scholarship recipients will be made by the NAFM Scholarship Committee whose members will consider the following:
1. Each applicant must have exhibited his/her 4-H projects in a County Fair
or at the State Fair within the last four years.
2. Each applicant must hold a 2.5 high school grade point average (based on a 4.0 system). Each applicant must also maintain a 2.5 grade point average for the first semester in college and carry at least 12 credit hours.
3. Each applicant must agree to apply the scholarship funds for tuition or fees at a two or four year college or its equivalent, to be judged by the committee.
4. Each applicant must have demonstrated support for his/her school and community.
5. Each applicant must exhibit during the application process a desire to achieve the goals of which he/she is capable.
6. Financial need will not be considered in the selection process.
One male and/or female finalist will be selected by each 4-H award committee in the Local Extension Office.
Applications are due in the applicant’s local County Extension Office by December 1, 2015.