Time to Celebrate a Successful County Fair
A huge thank you to everyone for making this year's fair successful! It is so great to see everyone's accomplishments and to celebrate them and how much they have grown. Please take some time to write a thank you note to the Sioux County Fairboard, 4-H Council, and volunteers who helped make this year successful. They devote their time and talents to the 4-H program, taking time away from their families and jobs.
Achievement Applications
It is Achievement Application time! Keeping records/writing achievement applications is a great way to hold onto your memories about each incredible year you have in 4-H. In a couple of years, you can look through these journals and remember what fun you had. Keeping records is also a great way to develop your skills in communication, organize your time, document events and actions, evaluate your own efforts, set goals, etc.
- Please complete the award application and submit with the Achievement Application
- Each application will be judged individually for award pins (could possibly receive up to 3 pins).
- There will be awards for "Outstanding 4-H Achievement Application" and "Outstanding 4-H Member"
- All ages are only allowed to apply for 3 program areas. Youth may apply for awards previously won.
- Clover Kids application will stay the same.
Senior Achievement Application (ages 15-18 as of 1/1/2023)
Junior Achievement Application (ages 8-14 as of 1/1/2023)
If you want to learn more about the new application, go to https://4h.unl.edu/achievement-application.
Deadline to submit Achievement Applications is September 22 by 4:00.
Nebraska 4-H wants to celebrate your everyday scientific achievements!
Science is a process of discovering the world around you through experiments and observations. By definition this even makes you a scientist. In fact, you probably use the scientific method every day without even knowing it. For example, it is Saturday morning, and your family is making pancakes but with too many people in the kitchen one of the ingredients gets added twice! Not only have the cooked pancakes puffed up twice their normal size, but they also taste funny (observation). You decide that someone added the baking soda twice (hypothesis). A family member suggests if you make the pancakes again without the extra baking soda breakfast will not be a total flop (prediction). You agree and make them again (experiment). The pancakes were delicious the second time around and it was decided too much baking soda was the problem (conclusion).
Could this scenario be altered to an experience you had while working on a 4-H project? Maybe you experimented with different types of fabric for clothing project, explored new ways of preserving fruit, tried three different paints to see what will work best for your glass lamp you designed or practiced using different photography techniques.
If you believe you used the scientific method in one of your 4-H static projects, consider applying for the Premier 4-H Science Award. All static exhibits which qualify for the Nebraska State Fair are able to apply for Premier 4-H Science Award. All applicants will be recognized for their use of science within their project area and will be eligible for a Premier 4-H Science Top exhibitor awards which includes a cash award sponsored by the Nebraska 4-H Foundation.
How can you apply? Identify which exhibit you will enter in the Premier 4-H Science Award. Simply, complete the Premier 4-H Science Award Application, found online at https://go.unl.edu/nsfpremierscienceapp. Deadline is Monday, August 21 at 12:00PM CT.
For more information about the Premier 4-H Science Award, contact Sarah Polacek at spolacek2@unl.edu.
Diamond Clover Awards
Deadline to submit Diamond Clover is September 22. Forms are available on the Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover website.
The Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover program encourages 4-H youth to engage in a variety of programs, projects, and activities that will enable youth to acquire skills and abilities that will prepare them for success in the future. The program is designed to reach and recognize all youth engaged in 4-H, from club members and campers to school enrichment, afterschool, and special interest program participants. The program consists of six levels that require a young person to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments.
Rules
- Youth may only receive recognition at each level once.
- Youth may only receive one level of recognition per year.
- Youth should begin at Level 1 and progress through Level 6. However, youth who are older when beginning may opt to start at a higher level (2-4) as is mutually agreeable to the participant and the parent/guardian or leader. In order for older youth to begin at level 5 or 6, the Extension staff must also be in agreement.
- Approval: Levels 1–4 require the approval of a 4-H youth’s parent/guardian. If the 4-H youth belongs to a 4-H club, club leader approval is also required (if 4-H youth belongs to more than one club, choose one leader to work with). Levels 5 and 6 require the approval of a local county extension staff member.
- Accomplishments: Each level requires participants to complete a specified number of accomplishments. The 4-H participant may choose accomplishment listed for each level. The accomplishments are age appropriate and increase in quantity and difficulty for each level. Parents/guardians, leaders, and Extension staff may suggest other accomplishments — comparable to those provided — to improve the individual learning experience of each 4-H youth.
Nebraska Extension Sioux County Office
Email: mmracek2@unl.edu
Website: go.unl.edu/siouxcofair
Location: PO Box 277 Harrison, NE 69346
Phone: (308) 668-2428
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLSiouxCounty