August 2025: Androscoggin-Sagadahoc Counties 4-H Newsletter
Androscoggin-Sagadahoc County 4-H Newsletter
Dates to Remember | County News | Club News |State News
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Dates to Remember
- August 14, 2025: Registration opens for 4-H Family STEM Clubs
- August 15, 2025, 4:30 PM: Application deadline for Big E Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship
- August 17, 1:00-4:00 PM: And/Sag 4-H Open House
Information on these opportunities (and more) can be found below!
County News
As summer winds down and a new school year approaches, August is the perfect time to reflect on all we’ve learned, accomplished, and enjoyed through 4-H. Read on for important updates, upcoming events, and ways to stay involved this fall!
Project Records due September 30th
It’s hard to believe the end of the 4-H year is just around the corner!
Each year we look forward to finding out all about your projects from this 4-H year. Review Project Record requirements here.
Questions? Contact Laura!
4-H Open House!
Help us spread the word!
We’re very excited to host a 4-H Open House on Sunday, August 17th from 1 to 4 pm.
Would you or your family be interested in sharing your 4-H experience with folks? We’re hoping the day will offer a time of connection between clubs, showcase the amazing projects you are working on (yes you can show off your fair exhibits!), and encourage more 4-H volunteers and youth members to join us.
We’ll have some special guests, including the UMaine Touch Tank – an up-close and hands-on experience with aquatic life!
If you’d definitely like to join us, please email Laura: laura.personette@maine.edu.
Family STEM Club coming this fall
Know a family interested in 4-H? Share this opportunity!
Together, youth and their caregivers will explore various STEM activities while experiencing how 4-H can help youth thrive! This is a great opportunity for adults interested in seeing how 4-H clubs run and for kids interested in joining 4-H. Families will engage in hands-on activities together, with opportunities for adults to explore leading 4-H activities with support from 4-H staff.
All sessions will meet from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm at the Extension Office at 24 Main Street, Lisbon. Youth must be ages 5 to 11 years old and a resident of Androscoggin or Sagadahoc County to participate.
Both series will be hosted by 4-H staff, all sessions will have different hands-on STEM activities for you and your child(ren). Participation is free, registration for either or both series is required (by Thursday, September 11th for Series 1 and Thursday, October 23rd for Series 2) and space is limited.
Find this event on our website.
Club News
Oh YEA! 4-H Grows True Leaders
The Kashekee Summer Youth Program, delivered in partnership between 4-H and the Somali Bantu Community Association, is once again in full swing. Six teenagers work with 3 community volunteers and staff to grow, cook, and explore with 40 Somali Bantu elementary school students. Last week, youth harvested the cilantro that they had previously planted in the youth garden at Liberation Farms in Wales and then used that harvest the following day to make tacos and homemade salsa.
Midcoast Mainers
Get the full scoop on the 2025 Midcoast Mainers’ Horse Camp in the September newsletter!
State News
Skip the Stress – Get Info College with 4-H Direct Admission
Great news for Maine 4-H high school juniors and seniors: applying to college just got a whole lot easier. With 4-H Direct Admissions, you can be automatically considered for admission to all seven of Maine’s Public Universities—no Common App, no test scores, no essays, no recommendations, and no application fees required!
If you’re enrolled in any 4-H program in Maine, you’re eligible. Just click to opt in, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Click here to opt in. We will do the rest.
Click here to learn more about 4-H Direct Admissions
This is your future—made simple. #BeyondReady
Big E Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship
Every two years Maine has the opportunity to select an Eastern States Exposition participant to receive a $500 scholarship towards continuing his or her education beyond high school, and this is one of our years!
This is a scholarship that was established by The Morris Family who are longtime concessionaires at ESE. A total of three $500 scholarships are awarded each year. In 2025 and future odd-numbered years, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont will each name a scholarship recipient. In even-numbered years, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut name a scholarship recipient.
Visit the website for all information about applying. Materials must be received by 4:30 pm on Friday, August 15, 2025. If you have any questions, contact Jessy Brainerd at 207.581.3877 or jessica.brainerd@maine.edu.
Maine 4-H Celebrates “The Year of Youth in Agriculture” with New Ag Challenge
The state of Maine has officially declared 2025 as “The Year of Youth in Agriculture,”an exciting initiative to highlight the vital role young people play in the future of our state’s agricultural landscape. In celebration of this significant declaration, Maine 4-H is thrilled to encourage all our members to delve deeper into the rich and diverse world of Maine agriculture.
Agriculture is a cornerstone of Maine 4-H as well as the economy and heritage of our state, offering a vast array of unique and rewarding opportunities, from traditional farming and livestock management to innovative food production, sustainable practices, and agricultural technology. This is the perfect time for our 4-H members to explore the many facets of this dynamic industry.
To help you do just that, Maine 4-H is launching the 4-H Ag Challenge! This special challenge is designed to guide members through an exploration of the unique and vast opportunities within Maine agriculture. To complete the challenge, members must complete activities from each section, with the number of required activities varying by age group:
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- Cloverbud (ages 5-8): 2 activities per section
- Junior (ages 9-13): 3 activities per section
- Senior (ages 14-18): 4 activities per section
4-H Ag Challenge Download (PDF)
Once you’ve completed your activities, please return the form to the 4-H Ag Leadership team at extension.4hagleadership@maine.edu or to your local UMaine Extension office. As a special reward for completing the challenge, you will receive a specially designed Maine 4-H Ag Challenge hat! Prizes will be mailed to those who complete the challenge. This challenge will run through the entirety of 2025, giving you plenty of time to explore!
If you have any questions please contact:
Megan Cook
4-H Youth Development Professional, Aroostook County
megan.cook@maine.edu
207.532.6548