Robotics Competition
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, 2012
Dear Educators and Volunteers,
We are pleased to welcome another new member to the State 4-H staff. Karolyn Bolay will be working with the 4-H Foundation as development associate. I have asked Karolyn to provide a brief bio about herself to help you get to know her better.
Hello, everyone! My name is Karolyn Bolay, and I am the new development associate for the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation. I am extremely excited about the opportunity to work with the Oklahoma 4-H program and Extension educators through this capacity.
Growing up in Perry, Okla., I was raised in a family that was incredibly involved in the 4-H program. My grandfather was an Extension Director and an Agriculture Educator for many years, while my mother and aunts were all active members. In fact, my mother always said two parts of the 4-H program were not options: speeches and record books. So, you could say I was destined to be an active member of the 4-H program from the beginning!
While in the 4-H program, I started small with project areas like wildlife and small animal. As I continued to grow in the program, these project areas quickly developed into leadership, citizenship and public speaking. As my passion for 4-H and serving others grew, I had the opportunity to serve as a Northwest District officer and a State 4-H Ambassador. I was also given the chance to travel to Denver Western Roundup, Kansas City Global Conference, Citizen Washington Focus in Washington, D.C., and National Congress in Atlanta, to represent Oklahoma 4-H with my peers. While all of these trips were fun and memorable, I can now see how these experiences taught me a multitude of life skills and made me the person I am today.
When my 4-H career started to come to a close, I began to look forward and realized Oklahoma State University was the place for me to further my education. I received a bachelor's degree in agricultural communications with minors in agricultural leadership and agricultural economics. Upon graduation, I worked in the communications field writing agricultural news for a radio network. When I learned of the position in the 4-H Foundation, I jumped at the chance to work with 4-H again.I am excited about the challenges and experiences that I will discover in my work through the 4-H Foundation and with the Oklahoma 4-H program. With a 4-H background that can be traced back generations in my family, I am thrilled to work on leaving that legacy for those generations to come.
As I get started on this task, I gladly welcome any suggestions on potential donors, thoughts on fund development, or any unique ideas on how to show the positive impact that Oklahoma 4-H can have on youth. I am also planning on making contact or visiting you all as soon as possible to learn more about your programs and the needs within your counties.Again, if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me and I will be happy to talk with you! I am looking forward to meeting with each of you as we work together to continue the legacy of the 4-H program for the future youth of Oklahoma.
Charles Cox
Assistant Director, 4-H Youth Development
Oklahoma State University
2012 OSU Youth Horse Judging Clinic
Please see the attached flyer regarding the upcoming OSU Youth Horse Judging Clinic. It will be held Saturday February 18 at the OSU Animal Science Arena. Members of the past and present OSU Collegiate Horse Judging Team will work with small groups of youth similar to a practice workout. Instruction, guidance and encouragement on placing classes, organizing notes and giving reasons will be provided by students, educators and youth with past experience with competitive judging. Pre-enrollment is required. The deadline for enrolling is February 13th.
Project WET releases DiscoverWater.org
Project WET Foundation recently released DiscoverWater.org - a brand new FREE online resource for students and teachers about water and water related topics including: water on Earth, the water cycle, ocean, fresh water, watersheds, water
conservation and protection, direct and indirect water use and water and
health.
Celebrate Bake and Take Month in March
For the past several years, 4-H has been participating in Bake and Take month. Last year, we expanded the promotion by adding awards for a scrapbook competition. This year we are continuing the scrapbook competition PLUS adding a video category!!!!
Oklahoma State University's Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center (FAPC), the Oklahoma Wheat Commission and the Made in Oklahoma Coalition are teaming up with Oklahoma 4-H to promote Bake & Take Month in March. Four-H members across the state are asked to bake products made with "Oklahoma-milled flour" and using Made in Oklahoma Coalition products while completing the steps of service learning (preparation, action, reflection and celebration).
The Made in Oklahoma Coalition and the Oklahoma Wheat Commission are sponsoring awards to the top three 4-H clubs in each category. Top entries in both the scrapbook and video category will receive 1st place $250, 2nd place $150, 3rd place $100. The top entry in each category will also receive the opportunity to tour an Oklahoma food processing company. See the attached file for more information.Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)
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Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) is a week-long 4-H citizenship program for youth that takes place at the National 4-H Conference Center, just miles from Washington, DC. Youth, ages 15-19, will learn about the history and culture of our nation while having fun and meeting new people from across the country. Information regarding the Oklahoma upcoming trip can be found on the 4-H website. This year's Oklahoma group will be traveling and attending June 14-24, 2012. Registration information is due by February 29, 2012. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the state 4-H office. |
4-H Day at the Capitol
4-H Day at the Capitol will be held Wednesday, April 4th. Information about the event and registration forms were emailed December 20th. Reminder forms are due to Cathy Allen February 1st for both participants and educational display applications. All Capitol Day participants must attend a training session. Training dates include:
February 26, 3:00 p.m. (face to face training) OSU; 123 Animal Science Bldg, Stillwater
March 14, 4:30 p.m. (Centra)
March 22, 1:30 p.m. (Centra)If you have any questions please call Charles Cox or Cathy Allen at 405-744-4493.
4-H Ambassador Application Now Available
2012 4-H Ambassador applications are available by clicking on the Ambassador link of the 4-H website or at the following address http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/ambassador/become.html Applications are due to Cathy Allen March 31st. Ambassador interviews will be held on the OSU campus Saturday, May 12th
Bullying and Suicide Prevention Webinar
Co-hosted with the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention
When: Thursday, February 2, 2012, 3:00-4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Presenters:
Young-Shin Kim, MD, PhD, MS, MPH, Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine
Bennett Leventhal, MD, Deputy Director, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric ResearchBrief description:
Many schools and communities are struggling to find effective ways to prevent both bullying and suicidal behavior among youth. This webinar will provide the latest research and science on the relationship between bullying and suicide and will outline some of the shared risk and protective factors. The webinar will also discuss the main principles of a comprehensive whole school approach to bullying prevention. This presentation will be interactive, with opportunities to ask questions.
Participants will:
- Recognize the complex relationship between bullying and suicide.
- Understand key research findings related to effective bullying prevention approaches.
- Identify ways to integrate both bullying prevention and suicide prevention into school violence prevention initiatives.
Additional resources to be referenced during the webinar:
- Suicide and bullying: Issue brief (SPRC)
http://www.sprc.org/library/Suicide_Bullying_Issue_Brief.pdf - Best Practices in Bullying Prevention and Intervention (Stopbullying.gov)
http://www.stopbullying.gov/community/tip_sheets/best_practices.pdf - Bullying and Youth Suicide: Breaking the Connection (NASP)
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/Bullying_Suicide_Oct2011.pdf - Understanding Bullying (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pub/understanding_bullying.html
Register online
Space is limited. Please register at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/512217688
After you register, you will receive an e-mail containing information about how to participate in the webinar via the phone and internet. If you have any questions about your registration, please contact Tiffany Kim, SPRC Project Coordinator, at 202-572-3717 or tkim@edc.org.
All Due Dates listed in this publication are the dates that county staff are to have items in the state 4-H office or other designated location. Each county will establish due dates prior to the dates posted here. These dates are set to accommodate things like screening of applications, processing payments, and adequate mailing time. All forms should be submitted through your county Extension office unless otherwise indicated. Forms that require an Extension Educator's signature may not be processed if mailed directly.