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Dakota County 4-H News
NOVEMBER 2023
Nebraska Extension - Dakota County
DAKOTA COUNTY OFFICE STAFF
Angela Abts—4-H & Youth aabts2@unl.edu
Julie Boyle—Food Nutrition and Health julie.boyle@unl.edu
Tammy Dunn—Office Manager tpeterson3@unl.edu
Brenda Sale—SNAP-ED bsale@unl.edu
Dakota County 4-H
Email: dakota-county@unl.edu
Website: https://dakota.unl.edu
Location: 1505 Broadway Street, Dakota City, NE, USA
Phone: 402-987-2140
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLDakotaCounty
Twitter: @NEDakota4HExt
Follow us On Facebook and Instagram!
Instagram: NE Extension Dakota County
Dates & Deadlines
NOVEMBER
6 - Extension Board Meeting
10 - Veterans Day - office closed
23-24 - Thanksgiving break, office closed
DECEMBER
4 - Extension Board Meting
15 - Achievement Applications due
12/25- 1/1/24 - Office closed for holiday break
LOCAL OPPORTUNITES
4-H AMBASSADOR APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!
Would you like to help promote 4-H in Dakota and Thurston Counties?
Apply to become a 4-H Ambassador.
Learn leadership skills, meet 4-H'ers from across the state, serve as a role model, help with workshops, member recruitment and more!
Link to the application is below. Contact the Extension Office for more information.
4-H ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
It's that time of year to start working on your Achievement Application, apply for County Awards and Diamond Clover Awards.
Complete the Achievement application, letting us know all about your 4-H years experiences, learning opportunities and your "why".
Then apply for County Awards.
Diamond Clover Awards are also available.
Forms and more information is available on our website. https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/dakota/projects-and-resources/
Applications are due on December 15th. But don't wait until the last minute!
CLUB OF EXCELLENCE
Club of Excellence summary forms are due September 15! The Nebraska 4-H Club of Excellence designation recognizes and celebrates 4-H clubs for engaging and empowering members. To receive and maintain the designation, clubs must meet certain criteria and submit an annual summary form to their local Extension office by September 15. More information and summary form templates are available at 4h.unl.edu/clubs-excellence.
2023-2024 4-H ENROLLMENT IS OPEN
Beat the rush! 4-H enrollment for 2023-2024 is now open.
There are some updates to project listings.
New requirements for volunteer enrollments
More detail to come.
TRY A PROJECT
WELDING
Welding is a highly desired skill, that could lead to a well paying job. Plus you can also be creative and resourceful!
EVENTS
AGE ELIGIBILITY FOR 4-H STATEWIDE EVENTS
As you know, in 2023, Nebraska 4-H lowered the age limit for participation in the Nebraska State Fair for all in-person events to nine years of age. That change increased our participation and provided more youth the opportunity to have an engaging learning experience. We had many positive comments from legacy families as well as new.
This fall, we have had follow-up conversations with many of you as well as the show superintendents and various teams that run these events during State Fair and throughout the year. Based on that feedback and our goal of increasing access, the decision has been made to change the age of eligibility in 2024 to be 8 years of age before January 1 (of the current year) for all in-person State Fair events (livestock, contests, fashion shows, contests) and other state competitions (Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo, PASE, communications contest). Note: there will be some events that will maintain their ages due to specific program rules (shooting sports, FIRST LEGO League Challenge robotics). Please check information on each specific event as it becomes available.
4-H Volunteer Road Show
Nebraska 4-H is excited to bring the 4-H Volunteer Road Show to volunteers statewide this November! The 4-H Volunteer Road Show will rotate host locations each year, get registered today at the location near you OR attend the virtual session! Please see the attached flyer for details regarding the dates, locations and times. The Volunteer Road Show is a great opportunity to experience project training and new ideas to bring back to your 4-H community.
DON & MARTHA ROMEO SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
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. Please share the application, found at https://www.nebraskafairs.org/newsletters.php, with high school seniors in your county.
Applications should be submitted to local Extension Offices by Thursday, November 30. Extension Offices in Nebraska are asked to return finalists to the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers (ATTN: Ricky Gennrich, PO Box 223, Bertrand, NE 68927 or rickygennrich@gmail.com) on or before December 10, 2023.
More details at: https://www.nebraskafairs.org/newsletters.php
The internNE, Powered by Aksarben initiative
The internNE, Powered by Aksarben initiative, previously recognized as the Intern Nebraska Grant Program (InternNE), is a $20 million collaborative effort between the Aksarben Foundation and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. The program aims to connect students and employers statewide by reimbursing eligible internship expenses.
Now through November 30th, businesses have the opportunity to submit internship opportunities for award consideration for the first round of funding support (there will be 4 application review periods per year). Awarded internship opportunities will be available for students to apply beginning January 1, 2024.
Any help spreading the word to businesses to register and submit internship postings is greatly appreciated! Below are a few resources to assist with promotion:
- Website: internNE, Powered by Aksarben (https://www.internneb.org)
- Communications toolkit to share information about this initiative (https://go.unl.edu/onfb)
- Program Guidelines (https://go.unl.edu/h40c)
- Guidebook to a developing a successful internship (https://go.unl.edu/4uo8)
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Shonna Dorsey at shonna@nebtechcollab.com or at 402-301-8814.
More details at: https://www.internneb.org
AG INNOVATORS EXPERIENCE
Nebraska 4-H is seeking three teens (age 13+) to be the State Teen Facilitators for the Ag Innovators Experience statewide. An additional 20+ teen facilitators are also needed to work with the 3 State Teen Facilitators to facilitate the Ag Innovators experience across the state of Nebraska in their local communities. The challenge, which will be led during the Spring of 2024 is ‘Protect the Plate’. The 2024 4-H Ag Innovators Experience, “Protect the Plate” explores how different technologies have transformed agriculture and how farmers, government and consumers must continue to innovate, learn, and adopt to grow more food in a sustainable manner while focusing on food safety.
If selected to be a teen on the State Leadership Team for Nebraska, youth will be expected to attend the Ag Innovators Experience Training in Champagne, Illinois on January 12th, 13th & 14th. They will be traveling with two Nebraska Extension Educators & travel expenses will be covered. The team will bring the information back to Nebraska to train 20+ other teen leaders across the state to reach youth in their local communities with the Ag Innovators Experience activities. This training will be in February.
Please pass the opportunity on to those youth in your counties who are interested in the opportunity to join the State Leadership Team or serve as a Teen Facilitator.
Link to Teen Leader & Facilitator Application Form: https://go.unl.edu/2024aginnovatorsapp
Applications are due November 22nd with final selection for the State Leadership Team and Local Facilitators being made and notified by December 1st.
For more information visit: https://4h.unl.edu/ag-innovators-experience
APPLICATIONS SOUGHT FOR NEBRASKA YOUNG ARTIST AWARDS
The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts is seeking applications for the 27th annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.
The awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska who are talented in visual art, dance, music, theater, and film and emerging media arts (which includes film, 3D models, interactive art, sound design and video games). These students exemplify the pinnacles of creativity in one of the fine and performing arts.
For the areas of music, dance, theater, and film and emerging media arts, students must submit an online application, which includes uploading a sample of their work and a letter of recommendation from a teacher. Full instructions are available at https://go.unl.edu/nyaa.
Visual art students must submit an online application and include a photo of their work for judging. The winning students will have their work displayed in person in the School of Art, Art History & Design’s MEDICI Gallery, and they will be invited to the Nebraska Young Artist Awards day in April. Visit https://go.unl.edu/nyaa for details.
The deadline for applications in all categories is Dec. 15.
The winning students will be invited to a special recognition day on April 3, 2024. Honored students and their parents will take tours of the arts facilities, attend classes, meet faculty and college students, have lunch and participate in an awards ceremony.
Students selected to participate in the Nebraska Young Artist Awards will also be asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents.
For more information, contact Chris Watson, director of recruitment for the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, at 402-472-0897 or chris.watson@unl.edu.
More details at: https://arts.unl.edu/hlfpa/nebraska-young-artist-awards
4-H STEM CHALLENGE
Looking for a unique way to engage and inspire young people in your club or classroom? Check out this year’s 4-H STEM Challenge. Developed by 4-H educators from across the country, Power Protectors is a collection of three activities that teach kids how to address real-world issues and explore careers in energy. The STEM Challenge kit is perfect for youth ages 8-14. Learn more at 4-H.org/programs/stem-challenge/
DOG JUDGES TRAINING
The 2024 Nebraska 4-H Dog Judges Training will be held in Lincoln in the Animal Science Complex on East Campus on Saturday, January 20th. New judges are always needed. If you are a parent or someone who wants to help our 4H youth with the dog project, please consider taking the training. This is also a good opportunity for local dog project leaders and older 4-H members to observe the training and better understand how they will be judged at the Nebraska State Fair 4-H Dog Show and local county fairs. Participants will be trained in showmanship and obedience. Participants must be 19 years old and up to be listed as a 4-H Dog Judge who is trained in showmanship and obedience. The training will include hands-on and classroom sessions.
DOG ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM
The Nebraska 4-H Dog Achievement Program encourages youth to engage in a variety of companion animal opportunities, events, and contests. The program is designed to equip youth with a variety of skills and abilities and prepare them for success in the future. The Dog Achievement Program is open to enrolled 4-H members ages 8-18.
The program consists of 4 levels that require youth to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments. For each level, the Dog Achievement program provides a list of recommended accomplishments from which 4-H youth choose their goals. At each level, youth must choose a specific number of recommended accomplishments they plan to achieve. Each level also has a certain number of required accomplishments that youth must complete in order to pass the level. The accomplishments increase in quantity and difficulty for each level. At the beginning of the level, participants plan what to accomplish and at the end, they report on their completed accomplishments. Successful completion of a level's Plan & Report form results in a 4-H youth earning that level of the Dog Achievement program.
LIVESTOCK ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM
The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects, including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition, by recognizing youth striving to improve their livestock project knowledge and leadership.
Members of Excellence are recognized within each 4-H livestock project area, including:
- beef
- sheep
- meat goat
- swine
- dairy cattle
- dairy goat
- rabbit
- poultry
The program consists of two levels that require 4-H members to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate and project-related accomplishments. For each level, the Livestock Achievement Program provides a list of accomplishments from which 4-H members choose their goals. Each accomplishment is worth a specific number of points. Intermediates, ages 10-13, must complete 100 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Intermediate Member of Excellence. Seniors, ages 14-18, must complete 150 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Senior Member of Excellence.
More Camps & Workshops?
As we find out about events across the state they are posted on our website, Facebook & Instagram.