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Table of Contents
Focus on Youth
News for OCES staff working with youth.
4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills.
February/March, 2007
Dear
4-H Educators, Members, Volunteers and Parents,
This
is the time of year when most of you are involved with youth livestock activities.
For some folks this is a treat. For others it is a time of real dread, as
there is good chance you will be cold, have a stuffed-up head and, more than
likely, will have to deal with someone being mad about something! For those
reasons it is important to remember the real purpose of youth livestock projects.
Obviously,
one purpose is to teach young people how to feed, fit, and show their animals,
but the more important purpose is to provide opportunities for personal growth
and development. The Josephson Institute of Ethics
has developed a curriculum identifying six core values which may help
to better describe the value of youth livestock projects. This curriculum also
presents the idea that people develop and strengthen character by practicing
certain behaviors, just as muscles are built through exercise.
The purpose of the youth livestock programs in 4-H and FFA is to provide opportunities
for young people to develop character. The character traits identified and some
practices (exercises) that may build character follow:
1. Trustworthiness
- includes honesty, promise keeping and loyalty.
- daily feeding, watering of animals (promise keeping)
- adheres to possession deadlines (honesty)
- adheres to withdrawal times on drugs and de-wormer; and uses only approved drugs
2. Respect - includes courtesy and proper treatment of people and things.
- proper care and handling for animals, treat humanely
- listens to and follows advice of advisors
- recognizes that animal projects are dependent on 4-H'ers to provide daily feed and water
3. Responsibility - includes the pursuit of excellence, accountability and perseverance.
- daily feeding and watering (even on the busy, difficult days)
- goes beyond providing the daily needs of the animal in giving additional time and attention to produce a winner
- adheres to deadlines for entry forms and for arrival at livestock shows
- never gives up in the show ring (perseverance)
4. Fairness - involves consistently applying rules and standards appropriately for different age groups and ability levels.
- feeds only approved livestock rations
- only the appropriate use of approved drugs
- accepts winning or losing with grace
- conduct in the show ring follows recommended procedure
- fitting and grooming of animals follows recommended procedures
5. Caring - promoting the well being of people and things in a young person's world. It denotes action and not just feelings.
- daily feeding and watering
- provides clean barn/stall for animal
- treats animal humanely at all times
6. Citizenship - includes making the home community and county a better place to live for themselves and others.
- accepting instructions
- winning and losing with grace
- helping others at stock shows
- teaching younger members
- treating animals humanely
- ensuring that your meat animal is safe for consumption
Youth livestock events also provide opportunities for Extension educators to network with many parents, grandparents, and supporters of youth. It is a time to provide encouragement for youth who may not understand that they sometimes gain more valuable lifeskills from at the bottom of the class than they would at the top. I encourage you to help youth and parents in your county keep the right purpose in mind as you continue in this show season.
Sincerely,
Charles Cox
Interim Assistant Director, 4-H Youth Development
86th State 4-H Roundup
Attached is the tentative schedule for the upcoming state 4-H Roundup. We have looked into the possibility of moving Roundup to later in the summer. Whereas we have determined that this is not feasible this year, we have started the process to see if we can use Gallagher after camp season in 2008.
Therefore, the dates of this years’ Roundup will remain May 23-25, 2007.
Roundup information will be posted to the 4-H website in late March. Registration information will be due April 30th. This year, we are doing two centra orientation sessions for educators. Educators are encouraged to attend one of the sessions. The first session will be on April 10th at 10:00 a.m. and then there will be a repeat session on April 11th at 10:00 a.m. Information will be emailed to the counties on how to register for one of the centra sessions. Some of the topics that will be discussed are the schedule, forms, expectations and deadlines.
Roundup Workshops
Attached is the nomination form for a workshop at the 86th state 4-H Roundup. I hope that you will consider teaching one. If you have someone in your county who would do a good workshop, please pass the form along to them.
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)
Information regarding the upcoming CWF trip can be found on teh 4-H website at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/events/cwf.htm
This year's conference will be July 5-15. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the state 4-H office.
Test Your WaterSense
Think you know everything there is to know about water? You can't be sure until you Test Your WaterSense. Try EPA's new interactive online quiz! Move the water-efficiency hero Hydro through water pipes and answer water-efficiency questions while avoiding water-wasting monsters such as Sogosaurus and Drainiac. Use the information you've learned on the WaterSense Web site and test your knowledge of water-using behaviors and common water-saving opportunities.
World Pen Pals
As we move into a more global society, we need to give our youth opportunities to learn about other countries and cultures. In the future it will be more important than ever that our youth understand how to communicate with people from other cultures. The attached information is a letter from World Pen Pals describing an opportunity for 4-H youth to share and learn with youth similar to themselves from other countries. You may have a club or family who would like to explore this opportunity.
Opportunities for Educators and Students Through Global Warming 101
This month members of Will Steger's exploration team will embark on a four-month, 1200-mile dogsled expedition around the Canadian Arctic's Baffin Island. Daily multimedia updates from the expedition will be posted on www.globalwarming101.com.
The site has free lesson plans, discussion starters, classroom activities, an interactive web form, Ask the Expert online Q&A events, opportunities for action and other resources. Daily video, audio and text updates, as well as real-time communication between students and expedition members will be available. No registration required for schools wishing to follow the expedition online.
February Mission of the Month: Innovation and Exploration
CYFERnet celebrates National Engineers Week and Black History Month with a tribute to inventors and innovation. We also begin to explore how seasons change with our "It's a Mystery" project.
Engineers Week: Engineering is about making things work and, more importantly, making them work better. This month, young people across the country can celebrate National Engineers Week (February 18-24) by taking part in some innovative activities: Debug a lunch-delivery system inspired by Rube Goldberg; design and build a kinetic sculpture; invent new uses for everyday objects; and more. Find out what it takes to be a great engineer!
African American Inventors Curriculum: This curriculum builds awareness of Black history while challenging youth to make something new out of an existing product. A few highlights: Create "magical globs" and relate your findings to George Washington Carver; design a traffic system to appreciate Garret Morgan's influence on public safety; and delve into Benjamin Banneker's work by creating a 3-D solar system. Mix and match the activities from 13 lessons, which include instructions and support materials.
It's a Mystery: The world turns, the sun rises. Different every day, but with a rhythm and based on science that has intrigued humans since the dawn of time. Now through May, we invite you to explore the mysteries of time, light and season. Register online for the official Mystery competition, which involves locating 10 global "mystery sites" based on the time the sun rises and sets. Or try CYFERnet's "Time Enough" activity, a look at the sunrise, sunset and daylight times in your community.
Click here for complete details.
4-H GIS/GPS Leadership Team Applications
The National 4-H GIS/GPS Leadership Team is now accepting applications
for the 2007-2008 program year. Members of the leadership team:
• Attend the ESRI Educational Conference in San Diego June 14-20 (transportation,
meals, and lodging expenses are not covered, but there is no conference registration
charge).
• Participate in a special Youth GIS educational component at the conference.
• Brainstorm, plan and play a leadership role in developing GIS/GPS national
projects and resources.
• Review proposals for the ESRI 4-H Software grants.
• Participate in monthly conference calls.
• Demonstrate, through presentations, training and writings the role of
GIS and programs using GIS in 4-H.
Click here to download the application. Deadline for applications is Feb. 28, 2007. Questions? Contact Tom Tate at
Jeff Sallee
4-H Unlimited - Discovery Unlimited
2007 Discovery Unlimited – May 4-5, 2007 - Saints Groves Camp, Stillwater. A promotional flyer is posted on the 4-H website. Please share this date and promote the program with both volunteers and youth, 11-12 years of age. The planning team has chosen the following workshops: Amazing Race—4-H Style, What Kind of Superhero Are You? and Superheroes Serving 4-H. Conference participants will receive T-shirts as part of the registration fee.
General information, registration materials and a letter for chaperones can be accessed from the Oklahoma 4-H web site under “ Event and Activities/Discovery Unlimited. Included within the general information is a web address for Saints Groves Camp where directions to the camp can be obtained.
The cost is $35 for each chaperone and delegate. The fee includes meals, lodging, T-shirt, educational materials and entertainment. There must be one adult chaperone for every five delegates, and the chaperone(s) must be certified 4-H Volunteers.
A suggested deadline of March 19th is recommended for collecting fees and RAM/Code of Conduct form at the county level. County registration is due in the state 4-H office on or before March 26th. This deadline is firm, as adequate time is needed to notify counties who submit alternates. Each county is responsible for determining how its county delegates and alternates are selected.
Please encourage your “tweeners” to attend Discovery Unlimited, May 4 & 5, at Saints Groves Camp in Stillwater. It is critical that our organization focus on these young people if we intend to maintain enrollment and increase participation of the 13-19 year olds. 4-H members who were 11-12 years old as of January 1, 2007, are eligible to participate.
Carrie Highfill, Committee Chair
2007 ESRI GIS Grant Program for U.S. 4-H
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4-H youth use GPS technology to help their communities.
ESRI, in cooperation with National 4-H Headquarters and Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)/U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and American Forests announces two 2006 ESRI GIS Grants for U.S. 4-H to support its geospatial outreach, education, and community involvement efforts. The goal of this program is to foster and support the integration of geographic information system (GIS) software in U.S. 4-H clubs.
Grant categories include an introductory grant for 4-H clubs new to GIS and an intermediate grant for those 4-H clubs that received previous ESRI 4-H grants and completed the grant requirements.
Eligible Applicants: A U.S. 4-H community or in-school club, 4-H after-school program, 4-H special interest group, 4-H school enrichment group, 4-H camp, or similar 4-H unit that meets regularly and is recognized as an authorized 4-H group within its state's 4-H program.
Applications due February 28, 2007. Click here to access the application guidelines for this grant.
Leadership Development Conference – 2nd Call for Workshop Proposals
Special thanks to the 24 who responded to our first call for workshops. The variety and selection are coming together very nicely. The state Volunteer Board would like to extend one last call to county educators, para-professionals and volunteers to present a workshop at the 2007 Parent-Volunteer Conference being held in Stillwater, July 14, 2007.
The proposal form is attached to this Focus on Youth or may be accessed on line at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/volun/eduopp.htm. Please consider topics appropriate for Track 2 and 3 or non-Ag related project areas for Track 1.
Proposals are due on or before March 14, 2007.
Ann Knopfel, State Volunteer Board Vice President
4-H Core Competency 6-Month Staff Evaluations DUE February 1
Due February 1, 2007 - access evaluations In Unit 3 notebook, on CD or at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/edu/comp.htm. All forms are listed under Evaluation. Please be sure to re-read the instruction before completing and submitting Forms 3A and 3B.
Form 3A Six Month Evaluation of Material Use UNIT 3
Form 3B Six Month Evaluation of Observable Change UNIT 3
REMINDER - The number being reported on the "Recognizable Changes" is a percentage. The total for each line being reported must equal 100%. The number being recorded is not the actual number of volunteers but a percentage. See examples posted on-line.
Reminders –
- Do Not report on any sections of Core 3 not being emphasized in your county during the 2006-07 program-year.
- As a state we are not collecting data on materials being used from Units 1 and 2. Please continue using each but be sure emphasis is on Unit 3 for the remainder of this program year.
Both evaluation forms were due to District 4-H Program Specialists February 1.
4-H PUBLICATIONS CORNER
The literature order form has been updated including enrollment, events, activities, and project material shelved at University Mailing.
No. 148—Land Judging Manual—price has changed due to unit cost increase from .50 to $1.00. The unit cost is $1.14 so the 4-H Publications Account is assuming a portion of this cost. No. 149—Rangeland and Ecosystem manual remains at $2.00 ea.
At the main 4-H website www.oklahoma4h.okstate.edu , open ‘Projects’ and there will be suggestions on how to decide what to do in each project in order to learn about a particular topic and ways to make exhibits for county and state fairs.
The 4-H Child Care Project is very complete with fact sheets on a Child Care Checklist, Kits, Puzzles, Crafts for Children, Charging for Child Care, It It for Me, and Reading with Children at no charge for Oklahoma Counties plus a Child Care 1 manual (.75 ea.)
No. 15—Caring for Planet Earth (grades 3-6) Environment packets are available as a School Enrichment Program and a 4-H club project (no charge).
No. 702—Horticultural Exhibit Preparation Guidelines Manual (no charge) copies are still shelved plus this manual is on www.oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/litonline/ and www.osuextra.edu .
No. 298—Terrarium Fact Sheet is now updated and on www.oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/litonline/
Oklahoma Gardening is available at http://www.oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/ by opening ‘Links’ and then ‘open’ OSU links. Also, No. 500—Classroom Activities (8 lessons) on Plant Science is available at www.oklahoma4h.edu/litonline/ by opening ‘Plant Science and Agronomy’.