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, 2008
Dear 4-H Educators, Members, Volunteers and Parents,
Dear 4-H Friends and Family,
From time to time we mention opportunities for youth to gain recognition
beyond 4-H. One of the opportunities that we have promoted is the Prudential
Spirit of Community Award. Nearly 200,000 youth volunteers across the
United States have participated in The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
program during the first 10 years following its inception in 1995. The
program, created by Prudential Financial, in partnership with the National
Association of Secondary School Principals, recognized more than 60,000 of
these middle and high school students at the local level during that time,
conferred state-level honors on approximately 6,000 of them, and brought
the top 1,040 to Washington, D.C., for national recognition.
Oklahoma 4-H congratulates Haley Armstrong, 16, of Norman. Haley is
a state winner from Oklahoma. She is a member of the Cleveland County 4-H
who initiated an ongoing collection campaign to provide dog and cat food
to 150 Meals on Wheels recipients in three towns so they do not have to split
their meals with their pets. The project was born when Haley heard that some
clients of Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to the homes of senior citizens
in need, feed a portion of their food to their pets because they cannot afford
pet food.
"It is important for them to keep their animals because many are
homebound, or they live alone," said Haley. "As an animal lover
myself, I understand the impact and importance pets have."
Haley recruited her 4-H club to help her solicit donations from dog clubs,
pet food companies, and local businesses. When that didn't produce enough,
they planned several fund-raisers, obtained a grant, won the support of a
local veterinarian, and launched a communitywide pet food drive. Over the
past three years, Haley and her fellow 4-H members have collected at least
21,000 pounds of pet food and $8,000 to buy more. The number of Meals on
Wheels clients receiving pet food has grown from 60 to 150, and the program
has expanded beyond Norman to two nearby towns. In addition, Haley has assisted
other 4-H clubs in starting similar programs in their areas.
Haley will be recognized at 4-H Day at the Capitol and will be one of two
state winners recognized by Prudential. If you have youth from
your county who are using their 4-H experiences to gain other forms of recognition,
please share their stories with us so we can let others know how they are
applying 4-H skills to their daily living.
Sincerely,
Charles Cox
Assistant Director, 4-H Youth Development
87th State 4-H Roundup
Attached is the tentative schedule for the upcoming State 4-H Roundup. The dates of this years’ Roundup are July 30 – August 1, 2008.
Roundup information will be posted to the 4-H website in April. Registration information will be due on or before June 23. This year, we will again be doing a couple of centra orientation sessions for educators. Educators are encouraged to attend one of the sessions. The first session will be on April 24th at 10:00 a.m. and then there will be a repeat session on May 15th at 10:00 a.m. Information will be emailed to the counties on how to register for one of the sessions. Some of the topics that will be discussed are the schedule, forms, expectations and deadlines.
Roundup Workshops
Attached is the nomination form to do a workshop at the 87th 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) Reminder
Information regarding the upcoming CWF trip can be found on the 4-H website at
http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/events/cwf.htm
This year’s conference will be June 12 - 22, 2008. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the State 4-H Office.
Cratering the Moon Challenge From NASA Quest
The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission will search for water ice at the south pole of the moon. Finding deposits of water ice would be a crucial step in deciding where to locate a human outpost on the moon. In this challenge, students are must design a lunar impact simulator and determine the optimal impact angle to get the most information from the impact. Registration begins in February 2008. Background references are available now at http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/lcross/
LIMA Challenge From NASA Quest
In this challenge, students become scientists and propose Antarctic research. The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica is the first true-color high-resolution satellite view of the Antarctic continent. Using this view of Antarctica, students must develop a research question and debate the value of studying the chosen feature. Registration is expected to begin in March 2008, but check the challenge site frequently for new resources to get ready for the challenge. http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/limaMoon Math! -- The Newest Addition to NASA Quest
Moon Math! is a set of two mathematics units designed for students in grades 6-9. The units are centered on the theme of lunar habitat design. Each unit is supported by paper-and-pencil activities, as well as an interactive software application.
All lesson plans and software applications for these units are free and can be downloaded at http://quest.nasa.gov/vft/#moon_math.
GLOBE at Night 2008
The 2008 GLOBE at Night Campaign will be held February 25 - March 8 to mark a monumental shift in human history when more than half the people on Earth are expected to be living in cities. Because of the ambient light of urban landscapes, many city dwellers have never seen a sky full of stars.
During the 2007 event there were 8,491 observations reported from 60 GLOBE countries, almost doubling the observations from 2006. You will be able to enter your night observations beginning Feb. 25, 2008.
Plan ahead to step outside, look up, and observe the stars at night!!!
State Parent-Volunteer Conference – Final Call for Workshop Proposals
The State 4-H Volunteer Board extends an invitation to county educators, para-professionals and volunteers to present a workshop July 12, 2008 in Stillwater. The 2nd call for workshop form is attached to Focus on Youth or may be accessed on line at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/volun/eduopp.htm. Thank you to the twelve who responded to the first call. Twenty-six more workshops are still needed. The final deadline has been extended to March 1, 2008. This deadline will be final in aiding our effort to have the conference program ready to distribute by mid April.
Theresa Bragg, State Volunteer Board Vice President
Volunteer of the Year and Lifetime Volunteer Awards
Each county may submit one nominee for each of the two awards: Volunteer of the Year (less than 10 years of experience) and Lifetime Volunteer Awards (an accumulation of 10 or more years of experience). County’s nominee(s) will be recognized at the state awards luncheon on July 12, 2008, as part of the State Parent-Volunteer Development conference.
The State Volunteer Board would like to have every county present and honoring a volunteer.
The application form and guidelines for 2008 District and State volunteer awards are available at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/awards/recogn.htm or are attached to Focus on Youth.
Nominations must be submitted electronically to district 4-H offices. Nomination includes application, three letters of recommendations and a photograph. The nomination is due no later than 5pm April 15, 2008.
4-H Core Competency Unit 3 - 6-Month Staff Evaluations were due February 1
On February 1, 2008 – Unit 3 evaluations reflecting August ’07-December ’07 were due. The forms can accessed in the 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.
REMINDER - The number being reported on the "Recognizable Changes" is a percentage. The total for each line being reported must equal 100 percent. The number being recorded is not the actual number of volunteers but a percentage. See examples posted on-line.
Reminders –
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Do Not report on the sections of Core 3 which were not being emphasized in your county during the 2006-07 program-year.
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As a state we are not collecting data on materials being used from Units 1 and 2 during the fiscal/Plan of Work year 2007 (January to December). 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 Core Competency Unit 1 – First Reports due August 1
The first review of Unit 1 curriculum was conducted on February 4th, and a second is scheduled for February 26th at 3 pm via CENTRA http://webconference.tamus.edu/LA/main/00000128215d00000116da94ddbc855b. The one hour session features county staff sharing their successes, using evaluation tools, as well as updates and changes to materials.
Updated Unit 1 evaluation forms can be down loaded at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/edu/comp.htm or are attached to Focus on Youth. All forms are listed under Evaluation on the website. Do not use evaluation forms on CD’s distributed prior to 2006, down load the newer versions. Please be sure to re-read the instruction for modifying reports to reflect the information being presented during this cycle.
REMINDER - The number being reported on the "Recognizable Changes" is a percentage. The total for each line being reported must equal 100 percent. The number being recorded is not the actual number of volunteers but a percentage. See examples posted on-line.
Reminders –
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Volunteer Evaluation - All volunteers should have already received Volunteers Level of Understanding form 1C (pre), later to be followed by form 1D (post) in December. Or they should be presented with a modified Volunteers Level of Understanding form 1E in November or December at the end of the Plan of Work cycle.
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Do Not report on the sections of Core 1 not being emphasized in your county during the 2008.
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We are not collecting data on materials being used from Units 2 and 3. Please continue using each but be sure emphasis is on Unit 1 during the 2008 plan of work cycle.
The first evaluation due (forms 1A and 1B) to District 4-H Program Specialists reporting Core 1 activities will be August 1.
4-H is a Rockin' n' Rollin' - Discovery Unlimited
2008 Discovery Unlimited – May 2-3, 2008 - Saints Groves Camp, Stillwater. Discover Unlimited is intended to help retain the membership of our "tweeners" in the Oklahoma 4-H program. 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.
Programming will be focused around our theme 4-H is a Rockin’ n Rollin’. Workshops and speakers will focus on what 4-H offers teens in the way of leadership, travel and friendship. Please help our planning team promote this program with youth 11-12 years of age.
Registration will be approximately $35 and will include housing, food, educational supplies and a T-shirt. All youth must register through their county Extension offices. No exceptions. County registration is due to the state office on or before March 24th.
All forms and a tentative conference schedule will be posted by February 29 at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/events/discovery.htm
Jerret Sanders, Discovery Unlimited Co-chair
Southern Region 4-H Volunteer Leader Forum Workshop/Funshop Proposals
SRVLF is soliciting workshop and fun shop proposals for the 2008 conference. Rock Eagle will be held October 2-5, 2008 in Eatonton Georgia. The “Request for Proposals” (RFP) is posted at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/volun/eduopp.htm or may be obtained at http://www.4hsrlf.org/08SRLF/index.htm. Workshop and Fun Shop proposals are due by the close of the business day March 3, 2008. If you have any questions, contact Nancy Alexander alexana@auburn.edu, (334) 844-2219.
Concurrent Sessions - 1 hour and 30 minutes in length - Sessions may be in any form deemed effective (presentations, panel discussions or experiential learning opportunities).
The mission of the Southern Region Volunteer Leader Forum is to increase the capacity of volunteer and salaried staff to contribute to the achievement of the mission of 4-H youth development and the Cooperative Extension system as a whole. The primary purpose of the forum is to educate and prepare participants to share what they learned back home. Participants benefit from the experiential learning activities which require them to discuss, use and apply what they learn. The ultimate application is for individuals and teams to teach others.
SRVLF is an excellent opportunity to meet adult volunteers from 13 southern states, Puerto Rico, Grenada, and the Virgin Islands and to share our expertise across state lines.
4-H Enhancement Grants Awarded
Over $20,000 in 4-H Enhancement Awards have been sent out to more than 40 local club and county programs. The grants are sponsored by the Hille Foundation of Tulsa, the SW Dairy Center, the Oklahoma Pork Council, Derald Suffridge and the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation. More grants were fully funded this year because we had additional funds. However, not all grants were funded or fully funded. Letters to all of the grant recipients and those not receiving grants should be in the mail by February 15th. Thanks to everyone that submitted a grant, and congratulations to those that were funded.
4-H Kids Helping Kids
For every county that participated in the Ronald McDonald and 4-H Fund Raising activity “Kids Helping Kids” this year, please remember that your final reports and money are due back in the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation office by February 28, 2008. Last year we had several counties that were very late because of the spring stock show schedule. This holds up all of the award distribution process, so we ask that you send in your results in a timely fashion. All clubs which participate in the program are expected to provide at least $25 to the campaign, and failure to turn in your report by the deadline does not excuse clubs from turning in all of their money. Any money collected in the name of the "Kids Helping Kids" campaign must be accounted for. Thank you for your assistance.
Why Do You Love 4-H?
As we work to promote the Oklahoma 4-H Program, we want to know what youth across the state love about 4-H. We are compiling a list of the "Top 10 Reasons to Join 4-H," and who better to tell us than the youth who make up Oklahoma 4-H?
We also want to hear from the volunteers who give of their time and talents. What are the "Top 10 Reasons to be a 4-H Volunteer?"
Ask your volunteers and 4-H’ers to send their “Top 10” (or at least Top 1) to kellie.strawn@okstate.edu.
Honoring the Past
As part of the upcoming Oklahoma 4-H Centennial Celebration, we want
to honor some of our first 4-H members. Do you know of alumni who were
members in the early days of Oklahoma
4-H? If you have information about individuals or 4-H families who we can feature
in Oklahoma 4-H publications, please send their names, contact information,
and a brief bio to kellie.strawn@okstate.edu.
FIRST Robotics Competition
Come learn about FIRST robotics and cheer on the Oklahoma County 4-H Robotics Team. See Flyer for more information.
Ambassador Applications
Instructions and complete packet for applying for State 4-H Ambassador can be found on the OK 4-H website under the Leadership section. Completed applications are due to Barbara Hatfield, Ambassador Volunteer Coordinator, by Friday March 21. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
2008 State and District 4-H Horse Show Rules
2008 State and District 4-H Horse Show Rules have been posted to Literature on-Line. Additional hard copies can be purchased for $3.00 or can be downloaded by you and copied.
The revised ATV Safety Leader’s Guide has received the “Reviewed and Recommended Seal” and is now available for sale. The revised guide is available for $10.00 and can be purchased at the 4-H Mall: http://www.4-hmall.org/detail.aspx?ID=781107
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4-H Publications OrdersTo order 4-H publications please call Donna Parrish at 405-744-8887 or you may email her at donna.parrish@okstate.edu. Donna will be handling the 4-H Publication ordering process. Work is being done to put additional 4-H publications online. If you have suggestions for publications you would like to see online please let her know. Every county should have received a spiral bound copy of the new Oklahoma 4-H Horsemanship Levels. Please share this publication with volunteers. Additional copies are available for $10.00 by contacting Donna Parrish. |