Maine 4-H Foundation 2022 Annual Report

Download and Print: Maine 4-H Foundation 2022 Annual Report (PDF)

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The Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation (DBA Maine 4-H Foundation) is a group of dedicated volunteers who recognize the positive impact of youth development programs on the lives of youth. We believe in 4-H and other youth development programs and activities of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension; we believe in young people; we believe in volunteers, and we believe in the future!

Since 1965, our work has been to support and strengthen the programs available to the youth and adults of Maine through 4-H and other youth development educational programs.

4-H changes lives, encourages personal goals and aspirations, and engages young people in real life education and leadership.

— Miranda, 4-H Alumni

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2022 Annual Report Contents:

• Positive Youth Development
• Magic Lantern Innovation Center
• Outdoor Education and 4-H Environment Learning Centers
  • Tanglewood
  • Blueberry Cove
  • Bryant Pond and Greenland Point
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
  • STEM Ambassadors
  • 4-H Aquaponics
• Animal Science
• Agricultural and Healthy Living Leadership and Summits
• The Need for Nutrition Support and Education
• National 4-H Leadership Programs
• Maine 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees
• Financial Management

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Positive Youth Development

Every year 4-H reaches thousands of young people in every county in the state of Maine! Youth Participate in 4-H through clubs, learning centers, camps, schools, afterschool, and special interest programs. Dedicated and committed UMaine Extension faculty, staff, and hundreds of volunteers provide positive learning experiences for youth across Maine. 4-H focuses on providing youth with learning experiences that empower creative and critical thinking, youth aspirations, and lifelong learning. The Maine 4-H Foundation is dedicated to supporting the truly creative and life-changing programs supporting Maine youth.

Magic Lantern Innovation Center

The Magic Lantern Innovation Center opened in December of 2021 and has been actively engaging the youth and the community in educational programs, visual and performing arts, theater, and STEM programs. To date, the Innovation Center has held programs for over 2,500 young people in the Bridgton region. In addition, we have been holding family fun and educational programs on puppetry, outdoor adventure films, music, and special film festivals. We are engaging the community, local schools, afterschool programs, and recreational departments for individualized programs. Our focus remains on the aspirations of youth, and community collaboration.

Outdoor Education and 4-H Environment Learning Centers

The Maine 4-H Foundation has been supporting outdoor education, hands-on natural resource experiences, and our 4-H Camp and Learning centers for many years, including starting two of our four environmental centers. Over 9,500 Maine youth participate in day and residential programs, and over 70% are on scholarships supported by organizations, fish and game groups, IF&W, non-profits, towns, educational programs, and the Maine 4-H Foundation.

Tanglewood 4-H Learning Center

Tanglewood has a rich history with Maine 4-H as the longest-running 4-H Camp and Learning Center. Young people and alumni hold Tanglewood close to their hearts as the camping and educational experiences for our youth are all about community and being connected. Our Maine youth share a summer of growing in their connection to nature, understanding their place in the world, and their relationships with others. It is truly an amazing place for our young people, our counselors, and our year-round staff. Whether your child or teen takes part in a summer camp or school-based program, Tanglewood will provide a life-changing experience.

Blueberry Cove 4-H Learning Center

Blueberry Cove came into the 4-H Learning Center world in 2007 as a sister camp to Tanglewood. On the ocean offering valuable connections to our marine life, Blueberry Cove is another extraordinary program. Young people take part in either our day or smaller residential programs and feel a part of the “fun and awesome community.” Blueberry Cove is also offering our Outside Classroom programs in partnership with Tanglewood.

Bryant Pond 4-H Learning Center and Greenland Point Camp

The Maine 4-H Foundation helped to start both Bryant Pond and Greenland Point. We continue today to be involved in funding scholarships and special projects. Bryant Pond is home to an incredible selection of summer outdoor experiences from outdoor natural resources to survival skill building, to Junior Maine Guide. Passionate about teaching outdoor skills and confidence, the Bryant Pond staff also leads the programs at Greenland Point. Young people find both camps to be a place where they can learn and belong to a community designed to build friendships and confidence. All of our 4-H Camps have lakefront, riverfront, or oceanfront campus cabins and lodges designed for summer fun. Each camp is unique.

Visit the 4-H Camps and Learning Centers page for more information.

4-H STEM Education and STEM Ambassadors
(Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math)

Developing Maine youth’s STEM literacy is vital to ensuring that our state continues to thrive economically and socially. Given the remote and diverse communities where Maine youth live, informal education can help minimize inequities in rural youth STEM education and career pipelines. Future career opportunities in Maine will depend heavily on STEM skills, whether in the growing fields of healthcare and engineering, or in positions requiring technical skills, such as in the construction, and maintenance of transportation and energy systems.

4-H STEM Ambassadors

4-H STEM Ambassadors are trained University of Maine System (UMS) students enrolled as 4-H volunteers who facilitate hands-on STEM activities with youth 8–14 years old throughout Maine. Since 2014, our 4-H STEM Ambassadors program has enrolled and trained more than 500 UMaine System students who have facilitated in-person, hands-on learning experiences fostering youth STEM enjoyment, literacy, and identity, reaching more than 6,000 Maine youth in classrooms, libraries, and afterschool clubs across the state. In 2021 the program reached more than 300 students, grades 3-8, across 18 sites with the help of 39 volunteer Ambassadors and staff. And in 2022 the program spent the first part of the year upgrading its virtual programming and then reached another 89 students at seven sites with the help of 11 Ambassadors. Through this program, youth ages 8-14 come to view these 4-H Ambassadors as mentors and leaders in their community.

4-H Aquaponics

Youth participants gained a deep understanding of novel, complex systems while practicing important life skills such as resiliency, record-keeping, and troubleshooting. They also developed skills that are sought after by the aquaculture industry, including basic knowledge of fish biology, understanding water quality issues, project management, teamwork, and more), specifically related to Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). The 4-H Aquaponics Project is being lauded as a viable workforce development program for the aquaculture sector in Maine and nationally. The program received the 2021 Denise Miller National 4-H Innovator Award from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals.

Animal Science

Maine 4-H is dedicated to animal science and agricultural education. Programs are delivered through volunteer-led clubs, county, regional, and statewide workshops, multiday programs, online education, and resources. Each year Maine 4-H members participate in local and state fairs. 4-H members work toward qualifying to attend the Eastern States Exposition with their animals.

In addition to supporting hundreds of Maine youth at fairs across Maine, 4-H sent over 50 4-H members and 30 volunteers to Eastern States (ESE). When asked about their 2022 4-H ESE experience 4-H members said it was “awesome and can’t wait for next year” and that it “is one of my favorite events of the year.”

One 4-H member remarked that ESE is “very fun and helped me be more independent.” Another described their experience by saying “I had a lot of fun and met people in my team that I became very close with. I really enjoyed the experience overall and can’t wait for next year.”

When asked about the impact of participating in ESE as a 4-H team member one 4-H’er said it “has helped me be more independent and confident. I was lucky enough to be captain of the Quiz Bowl Team.”

“I never had intentions of joining the team or going to ESE. I’m definitely going again next year – it is life-changing.” Another stated that “It has had a positive impact on my life. I have learned so much from this experience from teamwork to perseverance through numerous early mornings, education, and amazing learning opportunities.”

In 2022, the Maine 4-H Foundation not only supported major funding for the teams, but the board also voted a matching grant to committees for over $20,000.

Agricultural and Healthy Living Leadership and Summits

There has been a decline in formal agricultural programs being offered to high school youth. Students who have even a small desire to explore agriculture and what it means to them have fewer opportunities to fan that spark and to pursue future interests related to the food system. With the world population growing, how do we meet the need of feeding 10 billion people by 2050 if we are not engaging with that interest early in young people’s lives?

To meet this need, Maine 4-H has developed several new Ag-related programs including: Maine 4-H Ag Ambassadors, Teen Ag Symposium hosted at the UMaine campus, National 4-H Healthy Living and Agriscience Summits, and county-based 4-H Fridays on the Farm. In 2022 over 50 leadership youth participated from across the state.

The Maine 4-H Ag Leadership Programs have resulted in an increase in

1. club membership;
2. participation in national and state trips;
3. participant’s self-confidence and sense of connection;
4. understanding of the Maine food system, and how this might support them in future ag-related careers;
5. the food system, gaining knowledge that they feel would help them find jobs in the future; and
6. confidence in talking to people about their future career goals.

The Need for Nutrition Support and Education

The Maine 4-H Foundation helped support the college and high-school-level Maine Hunger Dialogue again this year.

Maine has the second-highest rate of food insecurity in New England and ranks 35th in the nation. The USDA estimates that 9.5% of Maine households are food insecure.

Nationally, 12.5% of households with children under the age of 18 and 9.5% of households where an older adult was living alone experienced food insecurity in the last year. With hunger affecting people from all walks of life in all communities, it is essential that every measure be taken to feed our neighbors in times of need.

National 4-H Leadership Programs

Every year the Maine 4-H Foundation sends teens to Citizenship Washington Focus, National 4-H Congress, and National 4-H Conference. Each program is uniquely designed to help our teens understand our government, how laws are made, how Congress works, and how to explore possible careers. Engaging youth in changes within the 4-H program is also key to these leadership experiences.

Leadership education and experience are a key focus of the Maine and national 4-H program. Maine sends a delegation each year of young people from ages 15-19 to participate in National 4-H Conference. Young people have a voice. They prepare briefings on important topics of interest to them. Federal officials in Washington get to hear these briefings from our youth leaders.

Young people not only learn during the conference but they are also engaged and empowered to create positive social change in their communities and within the 4-H program.

Citizenship Washington Focus gives our Maine 14–19-year old’s the opportunity to explore our democratic process while experiencing our Nation’s capital. Get the inside scoop about how our government works from prominent guest speakers and interact with Maine’s state senators and representatives and their staff. Our national leadership trips are the experience of a lifetime for many of our Maine youth. The Maine 4-H Foundation supports our leadership delegates with the majority of the expenses. This would not be possible without the generous support from our donors and the 4-H community.

Thank you for all of your support over the years. The Maine 4-H Foundation is pleased to offer our wonderful supporters the opportunity to partner to direct their gifts to specific programs. We honor donor-directed gifts 100% of the time.

The Maine 4-H Foundation is also pleased to offer legacy opportunities for 4-H community members wishing to endow a property, leave an endowed fund, and support future generations of youth exploring their passions through 4-H.

Maine 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees

2023 Officers

• President: Carla Lafayette
• Vice-President: Sean Cameron
• Secretary: John (Jay) Nutting
• Treasurer: Lynn Gallagher
• Scholarship Chair: Deb Chase
• Learning Center Chair: John Knuerr

Trustees

• Jason Judd (2023-1)
• Karen Hatch Gagne (2024-2)
• Katherine Kugelman (2024-2)
• Susan M. Scacchi (2025-1)
• Jon Olson (2025-2)
• Molly Stifler (2025-2)
• Dr. Ron O. Brown (2026-1)
• Justin Kiger (2026-1)
• Dr. Lavon Bartel (2026-2)
• George Conant (2026-2)
• Mike Sawyer (2026-2)

Youth Trustees

• Maddie Gray (2024-1)
• Jacob Mitchell (2024-1)

Honorary Members

• Scott Johnson
• Lincoln Merrill
• Taylor Mudge
• Devora Stager

Financial Report

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Maine 4-H Foundation, York Complex #1, Orono, Maine 04469
For more information contact: Susan Jennings, Executive Director, at 207.615.7300, susan.jennings@maine.edu

Photo Credits: UMaine Extension 4-H and 4-H National Marketing Resources

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©2023

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 Boudreau Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).