4-H February Newsletter 2023
Presque Isle Public Speaking Workshop – Feb 13 at 3:30
Houlton Public Speaking Workshop – Feb. 16 at 3:30
Aroostook County Leaders Association Meeting, in person and zoom option- Feb 21 at 6:00 (zoom link available)
Maine 4-H Foundation Post-Secondary Education Scholarships application due – March 1 at your county Extension office
County Public Speaking Tournament – March (exact date TBD)
Ag Ambassadors Program start date – March 7
4-H Page Day in Augusta – March 23
New Member registration deadline – April 1
State Public Speaking Tournament – April 8
Spring Tractor Supply Paper Clover Campaign – April 26 – May 7
Animal Approval Forms due – June 30
Northern Maine Fair – August 3-6
County News
It’s 4-H Public Speaking Season!
Does the idea of Public Speaking form a knot in your stomach? Then 4-H Public Speaking might just be the right place for you. 4-H Public Speaking focuses largely on communication and how to effectively share the ideas and topics that are important to you. Our County workshops and tournaments are small scale events that will put youth at ease in front of a small panel of judges and friends. Participating in one of our workshops doesn’t commit youth to competing in the tournament and is a great way to try out public Speaking and see what it’s all about.
Please send us an email to sign up for a workshop. If you can’t make it to the workshop but still are interested in learning more about 4-H Public Speaking let us know and we will find a time to meet with you.
Presque Isle Workshop – Monday, Feb 13th: 3:30 – 5:00
Houlton Workshop – Thursday, Feb 16th: 3:30 – 5:00
The County Public Speaking Tournament will be held in March and is open to all ages. Youth ages 9 – 18 can qualify for the state level tournament by competing in the county event. Cloverbuds (age 5 – 8) will receive participation awards.
Club News
Members of the Evergreen and AV Dairy Clubs spent some time in the kitchen recently. Members had some messy and tasty fun learning how to make soft pretzels.
Maine 4-H Foundation Post-Secondary Education Scholarships
These scholarships are available to participants in the 4-H Program, pursuing higher education. Deadlines: March 1, 2023, to local UMaine Extension county office by email; March 8, 2023, by email documents to the Maine 4-H Foundation.
Application Form (Word) for the following scholarships.
State 4-H News
Maine 4-H Equity Challenge for all Maine Youth
Are you a photographer? A performer? A writer? Then consider the 4-H Equity Challenge. The challenge is for youth ages 5-19 to create a digital photograph, a performance, a presentation, or a writing piece that tells why every Maine youth belongs in a welcoming and inclusive environment. There are prizes based on age. This challenge is open to any 4-H’er or partner organization in Maine.
There are helpful guides and a rubric to help you understand what judges will look for in an entry. To submit an entry or to find out more information go to the Maine 4-H Equity Challenge webpage.
To participate, submit your creation by February 24, 2023.
4-H Algae SPIN Club
Maine 4-H will offer a short-term online 4-H club about algae and its impact on surrounding ecosystems. Intended for youth ages 12-15, the special interest, or SPIN, club will meet from 3:30-5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays from March 7-April 11. Required registration closes Feb. 10.
The Algae SPIN Club will explore all things algae – why it’s important, how it can be used, harmful algae blooms and related community action. In this club, youth will have the opportunity to taste algae, create a seaweed lava lamp, and observe and analyze the growth of an algae sample at home.
The 4-H Algae Series will introduce ecological knowledge and experiment skills by exploring algae in different ways each week while making connections with youth from around the state. UMaine Extension 4-H staff will lead the meetings and provide guidance for the algae growth experiment
The club is free; limited to 10 participants. Register by Feb. 10 on the event webpage to receive the link and at-home materials. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.581.8206 or sarah.sparks@maine.edu. Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage.
State Public Speaking Tournament – Save the Date!
Our state public speaking tournament will be held on April 8, 2023 at DP Corbett Hall on the University of Maine campus. Youth must qualify for this event by achieving a score of 78 or higher at their county or regional tournament. Check the website or with your county 4-H staff to find out when your county tournament will be held.
Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador and Ag Symposium- Teens sign up now!
For teens that are 13-18 years old, we invite you to join us for our Ag Ambassador program this spring! This will be an opportunity to connect with other teens from around the state to explore and share your interests in the Maine food system, agriculture, climate change, environmental justice, and where all these interests collide. The spring 2023 cohort will meet from 3:30-5:00pm on Tuesday afternoons from March 7 to April 18 on zoom with an in-person celebratory luncheon in Orono for families on April 20. The luncheon will kick off our overnight Teen Ag Symposium at the UMaine Orono campus on April 20 and April 21. This will be a hands-on exploration of many aspects of the Maine food system and the research and education happening at the University.
Additional details about the program can be found on the program website. To register, visit the event website. For more information or to request reasonable accommodation, contact Sadee Mehuren; 207.342.5971; extension.4hagleadership@maine.edu.
4-H Page Day in Augusta – March 23, 2023 – Sign Up Now!
Date: March 23, 2023
Where: Augusta, Maine State Legislature & First Amendment Museum
Time: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Deadline: First come, first serve, March 3, 2023
UMaine Day at the Legislature, Thursday, March 23, is approaching. It’s a day where Cooperative Extension gets to highlight our awesome programs, and 4-H is one of the best! 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 22 slots for Honorary Pages and registration is first come, first serve with a deadline of March 3.
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.
NEW: First Amendment Museum- Supreme Court in Action! The Museum will host our group from 1:30-3:30pm with a free interactive learning series that places each of us into different roles within the U.S. Supreme Court. You will get real life court cases to argue for or against, to make a ruling, and to report on, to get an in depth look at what happens when free speech, the courts, and citizens come together. Democracy can be messy, so let’s dig in!
If you are interested in serving as a page, please register via the online form. I f you have questions or would like to request an accommodation please do so by March 3 to Alisha Targonski at alisha.r.targonski@maine.edu. Thank you!
2023 4-H Volunteer Training Opportunities
As we get ready for the new 4-H year, we are looking forward to offering a variety of learning experiences (both in person and virtual) for our 4-H volunteers. Sessions are free of charge, but require registration. Some sessions have limited space. Visit the 4-H Volunteer Calendar of Training Opportunities to learn more and register!
Androscoggin/Sagadahoc 4-H Monthly Workshops – Open to All Maine 4-Hers!
Come join the Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties 4-H program at their monthly workshops – the Third Friday of every month (unless otherwise noted) from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Lisbon Extension Office at 24 Main Street. Anyone interested can contact Cathy Gray to find out more information.
Currently Scheduled Topics:
– February 17, 2023 – Short Film Making
– March 10, 2023 – Spa & Relaxation Science
– April 21, 2023 – Movie Premier Night
– May 19, 2023 – Wool Spinning Workshop
Maine 4-H Days: Save the Date! July 21 – 22, 2023
We’re back for fun times, workshops, overnight camping and more at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Kennebec County! More information to come, so save the dates!
ESE Dairy Intent Forms
The 2023 Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States intent to participate form is available online at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy/. In order to be eligible for participation on the Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States Team this fall, 4-H members must submit their completed intent form online or to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office before February 25, 2023. Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 with any questions.
2023 Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Contest
The Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl contest will be held on February 25th at the UMA Randall Student Center in Augusta, ME. The contest consists of a general knowledge exam, individual questions, and buzzer questions. The contest will serve as the official tryout for the Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Team that will represent Maine 4-H at ESE this fall. The contest is open to all 4-H dairy project members ages 9-18, regardless of whether or not they wish to try out for the quizbowl team. Contestants will be divided into two age divisions, Jr.’s ages 9-11 and Sr.’s ages 12-18.
For a complete set of rules for the contest, study materials, and directions to the venue please visit https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy/. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu.
ESE Sheep Team Intent Form
The 2023 Maine 4-H ESE Sheep Team intent to participate form is now available online at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/sheep/. If you are interested in participating in the team, the form must be submitted to Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or mailed to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office by April 1, 2023. At ESE the team, along with teams from other New England states, show their sheep and participate in a sheep blocking contest. Together the team prepares an educational display and participates and competes in knowledge contests against teams from other states.To be eligible you must have participated in a 4-H sheep project for at least one year and be at least 12 years old as of December 31, 2022.
Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 for more information.
EFNEP
Try this delicious Chicken Noodle Soup to warm you up on these chilly days.
