March 2025: Androscoggin-Sagadahoc Counties 4-H Newsletter
Androscoggin-Sagadahoc County 4-H Newsletter
Dates to Remember | County News | State News
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Dates to Remember
March 2025
- March 7, 2025: Deadline to register for 4-H Page Day
- March 8, 2025, 9:30 AM: Western/Central Regional Public Speaking Contest
- March 8, 2025, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM: 2025 Engineering Week Expo
- March 19, 2025, 6:30 – 8:30 PM: 4-H Volunteer Connections: Growing Beyond the Ribbon
- March 19-23: Maine Science Festival
- March 20, 2025: Last day to sign up for 4-H Tick Project Mentor Training
April 2025
- April 5, 2025: State Public Speaking Event
Information on these opportunities (and more) can be found below!
County News
CLYNK bags are now available to support the 4-H Leaders’ Association!
Bloomin’ 4 Good
Club News
No club updates this month, check in next time!
State News
Save the Date – 4-H Summer Learning Series
4-H Page Day in Augusta – Sign up Now!
Date: March 18, 2025
Where: Augusta Maine State Legislature
Time: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Deadline: First come, first serve, March 7
If you are interested in serving as a page – please complete this form.
An opportunity to participate in 4-H Page Day is being offered on Tuesday, March 18. It is Maine Agriculture Policy Day in the Maine Legislature, a time dedicated to celebrating the hardworking farmers, producers, and agricultural leaders who sustain Maine’s economy and rural heritage. It’s also a time for youth to get actively involved in their democracy, to see how and who makes decisions that impact our state, and to be involved in that process themselves. 4-Hers age 13 or older are encouraged to serve as Honorary Pages. The Maine 4-H program has up to 20 slots for Honorary Pages and registration is first come, first serve with a deadline of March 7.
What does a page do? Legislators are constantly communicating and making decisions while in session and pages make that communication possible. Pages hand out information packets or place the paper information on their desks. Pages will also run communication and documents directly from legislator to legislator. It’s fast paced and pages will be moving around the chambers quite a bit, taking direction from the Clerks. We will meet at 8:30 for pictures and an orientation. Then at 9:00am we will divide our group with one going to the House and the other to the Senate where each group will receive their instructions. Session will begin by 10:00am and will likely conclude around 12:30pm, but the timing is never certain. Lunch will be on your own.
If you have questions or would like to request an accommodation please do so by March 7 by contacting Karen Giles, karen.giles@maine.edu .Thank you!
Penobscot and Piscataquis County Speak Up, Maine 4-H!
The Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties’ Speak Up, Maine 4-H! Public Speaking Showcase will be held at Central Hall Commons, 152 East Main St, Dover-Foxcroft on March 15 at 1:00 pm (with a snow date of March 16 at 1:00 pm). Enrolled youth must register to participate by March 7, 2025 via ZSuite (you must be logged into ZSuite to go to the registration page): https://4h.zsuite.org/event-registrations/34969
For more information, contact Trisha Smith at trisha.smith1@maine.edu
Public Speaking – Save the Date!
The state Public Speaking event has a new name! Speak Up, Maine 4-H! A Public Speaking Showcase will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the University of Maine in Orono. The snow date is Sunday, April 6. Stay tuned for events and details on our website soon. Please contact your local county office for information about your local events happening soon.
Become a 4-H Tick Project Mentor!
We are looking for volunteers to guide youth in learning about ticks and community science through the 4-H Tick Project.
Mentors will:
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- Facilitate hands-on learning experiences through 4-H activities in classrooms, after-school programs, and/or community events.
- Model tick collection protocols and identification techniques.
- Share best practices for tick safety with young people.
- Make a valuable contribution to their communities.
No prior experience with tick science is required. The training will provide all the necessary knowledge and resources. This opportunity requires volunteers to work with educators and youth in various learning environments, including outdoors in tick habitat.
For more details and to register for the training, please visit: extension.umaine.edu/hancock/tick-project/volunteer.
The deadline to register for the training is March 30, 2025.
Summer Camp at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove
Registration for Summer Programs at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove 4-H Camps opens on January 6, 2025, at 6 PM. We would love to see you at one of our 4-H Camps this summer! 1 and 2-week overnight camps, day camps, outdoor trips, and teen leadership camps are open for anyone to attend. This is a great opportunity to diversify your 4-H experience and continue building awesome skills. Scholarships are available from the Camps and the 4-H Foundation to help with tuition costs.
Some sessions fill up fast! To start planning your summer experience, please check out the program pages on our website which have more information and dates. We are excited to welcome you to the Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove Family! For questions, please email or call Emma at the contact information below.
Website: www.umaine.edu/tanglewood
Email: extension.tanglewood4h@maine.edu
Phone: 207.789.5868
4-H Volunteer Connections: Register Today!
We are offering THREE virtual interactive sessions this winter for all 4-H volunteers! Join us for regional training and networking opportunities with 4-H volunteers from our 13 states in the North East Region! Session topics include the following:
– Growing Beyond the Ribbon – March 19, 2025 – 6:30 – 8:00 pm
To read more about each session and register, visit our website!
Sign up for one, two, or all three! Sessions are free, but you must register! Questions? Reach out to Jen Lobley at jennifer.lobley@maine.edu We hope to see you there!
2025 Engineering Week Expo
The Maine Engineering Promotional Council (MEPC) Engineering Expo will be held Saturday, March 8th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the University of Maine Field House in Orono. This family-friendly FREE event invites the community to explore the world of engineering through demonstrations and hands-on activities. The 4-H Science and Engineering Center will be there along with Maine engineering firms, schools, government agencies, and societies who are invested in engaging young minds in career pathways involving engineering. For more information on the Engineering Expo please go to the website.
Explore Maine’s Aquaculture Industry with Virtual Field Trips from 4-H
Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) are an innovative way for youth to explore and learn about places and people that would otherwise be infeasible! These immersive, online experiences bring Maine’s thriving aquaculture industry to life—no travel required.
Accessible at no cost, the Virtual Field Trips are designed to break down geographical and financial barriers, making high-quality, hands-on learning available to all. Register online to receive a link to the VFTs. Each field trip also comes with complementary 4-H activity guides and lesson plans to help facilitate meaningful engagement with youth.
The first VFT currently available features the University of Maine’s Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR), a large-scale, land-based aquaculture facility in Franklin, Maine. Additional virtual field trips are in development and will be rolled out throughout 2025 and 2026. These experiences offer insight into seafood production, workforce development, career exploration, and STEM concepts related to aquaculture technologies.
To register for a virtual field trip, visit our webpage.
For more information: contact Carla Scocchi, 4-H Youth Development Professional, carla.scocchi@maine.edu.
4-H Science Toolkits
Maine 4-H has a lending library of 4-H Science toolkits. These come with activities and materials around a variety of topics. Recent additions include:
– eBird Explorers, exploring Ornithology for Cloverbuds
– Harmful and Shifting Species, which examines species impacting the Maine coast
– Power Protectors, which involves exploring energy use and an introduction to renewable energy through engineering design challenges.
Reach out to your local 4-H staff person or email 4-HScience@maine.edu to make a reservation or with any questions.
Save the Date: Northeast Livestock Expo (NELE)
The Northeast Livestock Expo (NELE) will take place from May 16 – 18, 2025 at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Windsor, Maine. More information can be found on their website, and entry forms and schedules will be available in 2025.
Save the Date: UMass Animal Science Academies
UMass 4-H is inviting Maine 4-H members to participate in two weekend workshops for animal and veterinary science.
The Explore Vet Science will take place on Saturday, June 14 th and Sunday, June 15th at the UMASS Farm facilities in Hadley, MA. Participants will get hands-on animal experience, working with UMASS faculty and staff, to learn about the work of the veterinarian and career opportunities in animal and veterinary science. There will be an overnight dorm option available. This program is for youth ages 13-18.
The Animal Science Cattle Academy will take place on Friday, June 20th through Sunday, June 22nd at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Northampton, MA. This event is for any 4-Her with a dairy, beef, or working steer project. Participants will learn fitting, showing, and other aspects of their project from several experts from across the northeast! Youth are invited to bring their projects to the academy. However, we may have a local dairy farm to provide dairy heifers this year!
A registration form will be sent out once schedules are finalized for both events. Cost and other program information will be provided with registration. To express interest in the program as well as provide feedback for planning please visit https://forms.office.com/r/Wec5U3Bnca for the veterinary science academy and https://forms.office.com/r/5TNYM5wjwh for the animal science academy.