Focus on Youth
News for OCES staff working with youth.
September, 2010
4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills.
Table of Contents
Dear Educators and Volunteers,
In a recent article provided by Dr. Debbie Richardson through Ag Communication Services, readers were reminded that school is back in session, and parents need to realize their involvement with their child is important and contributes to success in school and in life. The article pointed out that "a home that encourages learning and supports positive physical, mental and emotional development can help a child succeed." Dr. Richardson pointed out how decades of research show that students whose parents are involved in their schools have better grades, are more motivated and have higher self-esteem.
Wow! That seems like the same things we know about positive youth development in 4-H. Youth who have long-term meaningful relationships with caring and significant adults are more likely to be successful in a whole array of factors.
As the new school year begins it is also a great time to recruit
new members into 4-H. BUT before you start recruiting members,
make sure you recruit volunteers first. If your get members but
have nothing to get them involved in, they are most likely going to
drop out after one year or sooner!
Research has shown that the best way to get people to volunteer is
to ASK. They are not usually going to come knocking at your door! Consider
people who are already involved in things in the community. Parents
who are involved in their faith-based community, school, or other clubs
may be good prospects.
Best wishes to you and your clubs in the new school year. Remember that the 4-H year is now based on the calendar year, not a fall date.
Charles Cox
Assistant Director, 4-H Youth Development
Operation:
Military Kids
I would like to thank everyone for the hard work and effort in supporting deserving Oklahoma military families. As many of you may already know, we have thousands of Oklahoma National Guard members who will be deploying over the next several months. The items donated for Hero Packs and Family Night Packs will be distributed at upcoming Departure Ceremonies, Yellow Ribbon events, and upon individual requests. If you know a military family that would like to receive some of these items, please let me know.
Recent News and Information:
Operation: Oklahoma
As a combat veteran, I would like to thank Brian Barton of Creek County and the many other 4-H'ers who surrendered their time over the July 4th holiday to honor our Vietnam veterans at the Operation: Oklahoma Traveling Vietnam Memorial. Barton organized 4-H'ers from around the state to read over 54,000 names of soldiers and Marines who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. Hooah! and Thank You!
4-H Military Clubs
Recently, a new 4-H Military Club was started by Lt. Colonel Kim Howerton and Tracy Lane at the Tulsa 138th Fighter Wing Air National Guard Base in Tulsa. This is a relatively new project that has received an extreme amount of interest from National Guard and Reserve military families. If you have a National Guard Armory, Reserve Armory, or one of the new Joint Forces Reserve Centers in your county, and would like help in developing a contact at these locations or creating a 4-H military club please let me know. We will begin creating curriculum specific to Oklahoma for the development of 4-H Military Clubs at National Guard and Reserve Armories.
Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK)
In the summer of 2010, with the help of Pittsburg County's Mike Carter and our OMK State Team, 30 military teens participated in the SOMK Phase 1 leadership camp at Jacob's Ladder in Chandler. The outcome of this event was the creation of a song, video, poems, and other forms of expression to raise awareness of issues facing military families. We would like the opportunity to raise awareness among our 4-H volunteers. If you would like to provide an opportunity to train your volunteers and 4-H’ers, please let me know.
Jenks Oklahoma Aquarium
Oklahoma OMK’s next event for military families is September 17-18 at the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks. The cost is $10 per person, and participants must register online at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/omk/aquarium/ . If you know a military family please spread the word!
Military Kids Science Museum Camp-In (Opportunity for 4-H'ers)
On Sept. 24, military families will be able to take advantage of a FREE camp-in at the Science Museum in Oklahoma City. We would like to showcase 4-H'ers and their projects during our evening activities to spark interest in the 4-H program. If you have a 4-H member with an outstanding project or 4-H'er who would like to provide a game, craft, etc., please have them complete the application form and return it to me by Sept. 1. Workshops are needed from 7-midnight, and sleeping arrangements will be made for those traveling long distances.
Once again, thank you all so much for the help and support!
Oklahoma Military Kids: Family Night Packages
2500 Oklahoma National Guards were deployed in 2009. It is estimated that 3500 will be deployed in 2011.
In support of the youth and families of our military men and women,
we will continue to 
collect
items for Hero Bags and add the preparation and presentation of Family
Night Packages. The Family Night Package will provide quality time
for families prior to deployment or upon returning home. Counties
will be encouraged to present Hero packs and Family Night Packages to
families residing in their county.
Materials are needed throughout the year. Cluster Representatives will pick up donations at the county extension office or district events upon request. Reports will be due June 1, 2011.
Ashlan Wilson and Mandy Schroeder. Chair and Chair Elect, Council Service Committee
2011 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
You can gain statewide or national recognition for your 4-H participants who demonstrate outstanding volunteer community service by joining in the 2011 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a prestigious, independent awards program that recognizes young people in grades 5-12 on the basis of their volunteer activities. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Last year, 137 county 4-H programs selected honorees in this prestigious youth recognition program, and 17 4-H'ers were among the 102 State Honorees for 2010. This recognition is extremely beneficial to 4-H'ers who have performed exemplary acts of service in their communities and to 4-H as a whole.
The implementation and information packet along with the online application instructions include an overview of the program and the documents you will need to nominate 4-H members in your county.
Four-H'ers can apply online at http://spirit.prudential.com or http://www.principals.org/spirit. Applications must be submitted to you by November 1, 2010. Then, your county 4-H program can select one middle level local honoree for every 1,000 members (or portion thereof) in grades 5-8 and one high school local honoree for every 1,000 members in grades 9-12.
Once you have selected your Local Honorees, you must certify their applications online by November 8, 2010. A state-level judging committee will pick the top youth volunteers in each state and the District of Columbia. These youth volunteers will receive silver medallions, $1,000 awards, and a fabulous trip to Washington, D.C., for national recognition events.
In Washington, a national selection committee will name America's top
10 youth volunteers for 2011. They win additional $5,000 awards, gold
medallions, crystal trophies, and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation
for charitable nonprofit organizations of their choice.
If you have any questions or need a paper version of the application
form, please call toll-free 877-525-8491. Additional information
is available at http://spirit.prudential.com.
By participating, we can applaud the terrific work of 4-H'ers and highlight
the emphasis that the 4-H community of young people across America places
on community involvement. I hope your county will participate.
Volunteer Research Knowledge and Competencies
The lesson plans for the 4-H VRKC (Volunteer Research Knowledge and Competencies) taxonomy are completed and posted on 4-H.org. You can currently locate the lesson plans at http://nextgeneration.4-h.org/volunteerism/. There are a total of 50 lesson plans from throughout the six domains of the taxonomy. Lesson plans are in 20-30 minute formats. They each include a lesson plan, pdf slide show, and evaluation. There were 29 contributing authors from throughout the extension system.
Lessons are designed to build competencies within 4-H volunteers in the following categories:
- Communication Skills
- Organization Skills
- Positive Youth Development
- Education Design and Delivery
- 4-H Program Management
- Interpersonal Characteristics
This effort came out of the research led by Ken Culp, III, University of Kentucky; Renee McKee, Purdue University; and Patrick Nestor, West Virginia University.
The VRKC Taxonomy is a key element that contributes to the National Learning Priorities Volunteerism Rubric found at http://nextgeneration.4-h.org/volunteerism. Please share these lesson plans with anyone who works in extension. This is a valuable educational resource for enhancing our volunteer programs. As always, thanks for your continued dedication to 4-H youth and volunteers.
NECV
The bi-annual National Extension Conference on Volunteerism will be held April 18-21, 2011 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The conference is designed for all extension faculty and staff who work with volunteers and volunteer programs.
Monday, April 18, will be a travel day. The conference will be held primarily on April 19-21. The facility is the Coeur d'Alene, located on the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene. http://www.cdaresort.com/resort/virtual_tour We anticipate that most participants will arrive via the Spokane, WA, airport. The hotel provides complimentary scheduled transportation to and from the Spokane airport. Spokane is approximately 35 minutes from the Coeur d'Alene.
There is a national planning committee in place to put together an outstanding conference. Please watch for additional information, including a call for workshop proposals.
Environmental Award Opportunity
A program of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the 2011 SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards will recognize the outstanding efforts of students and teachers across the US who are working at the grassroots level to protect and preserve the environment. The Environmental Excellence Awards program provides school and community groups with a monetary award and other prizes in honor of their environmental projects. The program is an awards program, not a grant program. Project applicants should be able to demonstrate significant accomplishments that have occurred prior to the submission deadline.
Deadline Date - December 1, 2010
Grant Resource - Sea World & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund
Category - Environmental Excellence Awards
Size of Grant - 8 awards of $10,000, 1 award of $15,000
Cost Sharing or Match - No
Web - http://www.seaworld.org/conservation-matters/eea/
4-H Football Game Day
This year we have negotiated a reduced ticket for you to get football tickets for the OSU v. Tulsa game. We are not doing any other 4-H Football Game activities this year, and you will pick up your tickets from the Athletic Department, not from the 4-H office. The normal price for tickets for this game is $90, and with the 4-H site listed here you can get them for $50 each. The website for the Ticketmaster site can be found at: http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/hgdh7t
2010 Clover Classic Golf Tournament
October 11, 2010, marks the date for the annual Clover Classic Golf Tournament held at the West Course of Oak Tree Country Club, in Edmond, Oklahoma. The Clover Classic supports the Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program.
The chance to help deserving 4-H youth is not the only thing you gain by participating in the Clover Classic Golf Tournament. You also have the chance to win fantastic prizes and have fun with fellow golfers. Past golfers have said the Clover Classic has the best prizes of any other tournament, and nobody goes home empty-handed. Every team and player receives a goodie bag filled with gifts.
Why play in the Clover Classic? For Oklahoma 4-H youth! For the gifts and prizes! For the fun!
Follow this link to download the 2010 Clover Classic Golf Tournament Brochure.
Overview of Best Bones Forever!
Best Bones Forever! is a national bone health campaign
for girls ages 9-14 and their parents. Led by the US Department of Health
and Human Services' Office on Women's Health (OWH), the goal of Best
Bones Forever! is to encourage girls to eat foods with calcium
and vitamin D and to get enough physical activity to build strong bones.
The campaign materials and Web
sites for girls and their parents
emphasize key bone-building behaviors. The campaign focuses on friendship
(girls and their BFFs building strong bones together), and it includes
a message of urgency for girls and their parents that conveys the importance
of building strong bones between the ages of 9 and 18: "Older than 9?
Now’s your time!" Campaign materials include a journal, magnets, posters,
and book covers for girls and a booklet (in English and Spanish) for
parents.
Best Bones Forever! has free campaign materials for girls and parents (some
of which are used by boys as well). These materials can be distributed by 4-H
at state and county fairs and events using the partner code: BBF4H914. Materials
can be ordered at www.bestbonesforever.gov/materials .
Coins for Kenya
Hats off to Taler for all or the work she has done on this project and to the counties who have collected change to support this effort. We know that many counties felt the rite of passage that the program is trying to replace (female circumcision) was too graphic and that some people who were personally offended by the topic simply did not promote it all. But the project is one that is very worthwhile, and Taler’s project is continuing to gain national recognition.
Even though Taler is now a freshman at SWOSU she is continuing to promote this project and we are still accepting donations on behalf of Dr. Chebet’s work in Kenya. Attached is a REVISED brochure that you can use to promote this program with volunteers in your county.
State Council Speakers Bureau
The team is eager to interact with the 4-H members in our state. Please do not hesitate to invite representatives to Volunteer Association meetings, County Council, Teen Leaders, county awards programs, local clubs or day camp. The team is here to serve YOUth and Volunteers!
The class of 2008 and 2009 has prepared a workshop and keynote address for presentation at the local and county level. A description and brochure of the presentations is posted at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/leadership/speaker.html.
Taler Sawatzky and Chrystal Patton, Chair and Chair-Elect,
State
4-H Leadership Council, SW Cluster Rep. 4 and 3
State 4-H Leadership Council
2010-2011 Service Projects
Flyers for all three programs are attached or can be downloaded at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/leadership/project.html.
Change for Change
Every
piece of change counts! It's simple; CHANGE the life
of an individual, organization or community by collecting loose “change”
at meetings, events and activities. As a club, choose a local,
county or state charity of your choice. Campaign for the Oklahoma Children’s
Hospital Foundation began July 30th at. Change will be collected
every three month - 11/1/10, 2/1/10, 5/1/10 and 6/1/10.
4-H - Making a Difference, ONE Project at a
Time
Each club is encouraged to plan a "new" or "innovative" service-learning
project during our "Year of Service." The project
could be for an individual, school, organization or community.
It’s as simple as 1,2, 3.
1. Determine a Need
.
2. Learn about the Need and what the club can do to meet the need or some portion of the need. Learn the skills, or acquire the knowledge necessary to plan and complete the service.
3. Plan and complete the project.
4. Celebrate by sharing the story. Using pictures, share the experience through a PowerPoint, MovieMaker, Video Production, Smilebox, etc.
A Service-Learning Action Plan, (SLAP Guide) will take you through the process step by step and provide a way to record plans. Or, invite your Cluster Representative to present a traveling workshop during the fall of 2010 for volunteers and youth. The workshop will provide an overview of the program and time for Q&A.
As a county we encourage "A Day of Service" for a county project. This program could be coordinated by county officers, teen leaders or ambassadors.
The council will recognize each club and county with a certificate upon receiving the completed SLAP guide and story on or before June 1, 2011.
2011 Dates Set
Parent-Volunteer Conference will be July 9, 2010 in Stillwater, OK
Discovery Unlimited will be May 20-21, 2010. Location TBA.
Leadership Team Retreat June 7-9, 2011 in Stillwater
4-H Volunteer Recruitment Toolkit
A
new addition to the 4-H Brand Network a 4-H Volunteer Recruitment Toolkit.
Professionally-voiced radio public service announcements have been added
in three formats: an urban voice, a generic voice, and a Spanish translation.
Each is 30 seconds long and includes background music. They are ready
for you to download and work with your local radio station(s) to add
a tagline with your contact information before broadcasting. These
PSA's, along with templates for a brochure, bookmark, ads in various
sizes, poster, and web banner, are available at: http://www.4-hbrandnetwork.org/apply/kitsvolunteer.aspx
The Volunteer Recruitment Toolkit has been funded by Monsanto but there is no mention of the company on the announcements or in the other templates.
We hope these will be useful as another resource to help you continue to recruit volunteers and engage more adults and youth in your 4-H program.
District Representatives filing for State 4-H Leadership Council
Application packet and forms posted at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/leadership/filing.html. Mandatory orientation will be conducted as a Lock-in from 7 pm Friday, November 5, through 1 pm Saturday, November 6th. Form attached.
Qualifications for a District Representative:
- Individual has demonstrated the life skills of Self-responsibility, Organization, Time Management, and Communication.
- Enrolled in 4-H, held or holding a local and/or county 4-H office, has served as an active and contributing member of committees at the local/county/district level, certified 4-H volunteer and completed a county report form/medal form or record book.
- Must complete State 4-H Leadership Council application, participate in consultation session and attend State and District Candidate Workshop the year running for office.
- Must have residency and be available within the state during the term elected to carry out duties of the position.
- Must be a county delegate and attend district conference and state 4-H Roundup the year seeking office.
- Representatives must reside within the cluster of counties elected to represent.
In the event no one files for a vacant position who resides within a cluster then qualified candidates from counties that border the cluster may file for the vacancy with the understanding of their responsibility to serve counties in that cluster.
- Cluster Representatives must be elected during their sophomore or junior year in high school so they will be available and accessible to service the counties during the 2-year term.
- At-Large Cluster Representatives will be elected for a one-year term and must be in their junior or senior year of high school.
The Purpose for a State 4-H Leadership Council:
- Serve as a role model for youth and representative and spokesperson for the 4-H Youth Development program at the two Land-Grant Universities.
- Uphold the high ideals, values and moral standards of the Oklahoma 4-H program.
- Conduct educational programming at the county, district and state levels.
- Actively travel within the cluster, district and state to fulfill responsibilities.
- Serve as an active and contributing member of state/district committees.
- Plan, conduct and evaluate council lead state and district events and activities.
- Seek opportunities to expand and diversify audiences and programs of the Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development Program.
- Serve as a "Youth Advisory committee" to the State/District 4-H Program.
Karla Knoepfli, Advisor, State Council
Go to Bat
National 4-H
Council has the privilege this year of being one of the charities selected
to participate in State Farm and Major League Baseball's "GO TO
BAT" program
- an online, charitable-giving initiative.
Here's how the program works:
- The program started Monday, July 12th, the night of the State Farm-sponsored Home Run derby, and runs until September 26th (the entire second half of the MLB season).
- Visit this web site to register and pick the CEE as the charity of your choice:
- For every day you log in until September 26th, you will be given one entry in the competition. If you choose to play the "homerun game," you have the chance to win 10 additional entries each day.
- State Farm will randomly select a weekly individual winner and award a donation to the charity they chose to support. For every home run hit in MLB games during the previous week, State Farm will donate $100 to that individual winner's charity. In addition, the selected winner will be awarded a trip for two to the 2010 World Series. 10 of these gifts will be awarded.
- The charity with the most entries at the close of the competition will receive $25,000.
Please take the time to register for this, and login regularly to give yourself and the CEE more chances to win!
Youth Opportunities in Plant Science at the Fair
The temperatures outside are still sweltering, but soon autumn will bring some relief from the heat and with it will come the season for Oklahoma and Tulsa State Fairs. This year, the Oklahoma State Fair begins September 16 and will run through September 26. The 2010 Tulsa State Fair will be held September 30 through October 10. While many people are familiar with the carnival rides and livestock shows associated with the fair, fewer are aware of the activities in the area of plant science.
There are several ways for 4-H members to develop life skills, gain
knowledge and compete for monetary prizes in plant science-related activities. The
first area is the project exhibit. The projects exhibited at the
state fair are blue-ribbon projects from county fairs across the state. There
are two main categories of project exhibits, field crops and forages. Field
crop exhibits consist of displaying produce such as corn ears, cotton
bolls, wheat grain, or alfalfa seed grown by the 4-H'er. These
displays are typically exhibited in a 1-gallon jar. Youth can also
exhibit forage displays. These displays have dried specimen of
native or introduced forages neatly arranged on a 3-foot by 3-foot board. Other
4-H members may want to enter a peanut information exhibit that increases
public awareness of one segment of the peanut industry.
The second opportunity is the Crops Judging Contest held at the Oklahoma
State Fair. This contest will be held at 10 am on Saturday,
September 18th in Barn 9. In one section of the contest, youth
will identify crops and weeds that are found in Oklahoma. 4-H'ers
in the junior division will identify only plant specimen, while senior
division contestants will identify both plants and seeds. The second
phase of the contest will consist of correctly ranking judging classes
of crops grown in Oklahoma. Both juniors and seniors will participate
in this section of the contest.
I hope you will encourage youth in your county to participate in the 4-H plant science activites in your county and at the state fair you attend! Specific rules, deadlines for entry, award information, and eligibility requirements for both the Oklahoma and Tulsa State Fair can be found at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/events/statefair.htm. Additional information can be obtained by contacting your county Extension office.
State Fair Judging Opportunities
Four-H members from across the state will have several opportunities
to test their knowledge at the Oklahoma State Fair on Saturday, September
18th. Four-H members can compete in insect identification, crop
judging, horticulture judging and consumer judging events. For
more information on the judging events, please refer to the 2010 4-H
Fair Book for Counties. All judging events will be held on the Oklahoma
State Fair Grounds in Barn #9.
To receive gate passes, counties must send request by mail or email with
names of the 4-H judging contestant participants by contest to Sonya
Gaver, Oklahoma
State Fair, P.O. Box 74943, Oklahoma City, OK 73147 by August 30.
Please sign in and register for each contest 30 minutes prior to the
start of each contest.
4-H HORTICULTURE JUDGING
9 AM Barn # 9
4-H CROP JUDGING EVENT
10 AM, Barn # 9
4-H INSECT IDENTIFICATION
10:30AM, Barn # 9
4-H CONSUMER JUDGING
Barn # 9
Juniors 11:30 AM
Seniors 1:00 PM
American Royal Photography Contest
The American Royal and the B.O.T.A.R. Organization are pleased to continue
the American
Royal Photography Contest. Students will be divided into groups by
grade: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Entries will be accepted in the
categories 35 mm, Digital, Black and White, and Special Effects.
All photographs should be no smaller than 7 x 9 and no larger than 8
x 10. The photographs should follow the guidelines for submission. All
pieces will be submitted via mail to Al Davis at 1701 American Royal
Court, Kansas City, MO 64102. All art must be submitted by 5 pm, October
1, 2010. No late entries will be accepted. If you would like to have
your photo returned, please send a stamped and addressed envelope when
you submit your photo to the American Royal.
Photography Mounting Guidelines
- Black and white and color photographs may be submitted (from 35 mm or digital cameras)
- Photographs entered should have been taken within the last year.
- There should be no white border on the photo print or no underlay or borders added to the print when it is mounted.
- All photos should be no larger than an 8” x 10” and no smaller than a 7” x 9” after trimming.
- Photos should be mounted on an 11” x 12.5” sheet of white or cream studio matte board across the narrow side (11”). The board should be vertical when the photo is mounted.
- Photos should be mounted with the print 1” from the top of the board and with equal distances from both sides of the board.
- Photos should be permanently mounted with photographic adhesive.
- There should be no writing on the front of the photo or the board.
- Please fill in the identification form and mount it in the top right hand corner on the back of the board. The form should include exhibitor's name, age, address, phone number, and the location of the photograph.
- For the protection of the photograph, it is suggested that you deliver it in a protective plastic bag.
American Royal Children's Book Writing Contest
Are you interested in writing a children’s book and getting it published? The American Royal and the B.O.T.A.R. want to help you! Our Children’s Book Writing contest is a contest to encourage writing and literacy among the youth of Greater Kansas City. Student divisions will be K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grades. The winner of this contest will be the featured author for our 2011 Reading Round Up program as well as having their book sent for publishing. This book will be the third in a series of books. The first book is, “Diesel’s Day at the America Royal,” written by Ashley Noblit (available at American Royal) and the second was “ARF” by Carlie Gernhart. The book should be written at no more than a 4th grade level and incorporate the American Royal experience as the key theme. This is a short story, therefore it may not exceed 1000 words. Stories should be submitted to Al Davis at the American Royal no later than October 1, 2010.
Septemberfest Update
We have an outstanding group of 4-H’ers who will be representing 4-H and its diverse projects at Septemberfest this year. Septemberfest is held on the Governor’s Mansion lawn in Oklahoma City on September 11. If you are participating, please remember that we have moved from the Agriculture venue to the Education venue. A map of our new location is forthcoming so you will know where to find us. This year, we’ll be offering activities in the areas of Cloverbuds, small animal/companion animal projects, safety, citizenship, performing arts, science and technology, healthy living, shooting sports and nutrition. If you have questions, please call Jessica at 405-744-7960.