March 2023 4-H Newsletter
Cumberland County 4-H News
4-H Calendar
State 4-H News
4-H Club Happenings
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
March: Hannaford Community Bag Program- Falmouth location
March 7- April 18: 4-H Ag Ambassadors, Tuesdays from 3:30-5:00 p.m. virtual program for any Maine teen 14-18 interested in the food system, agriculture, the environment, and community.
March 10: CWF Applications due to County office
March 16: CC 4-H Leaders & Volunteers Meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Online & Gorham Public Works, 80 Huston Road, Gorham
March 22: Maker Series #1: Basics of Maple, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
March 23: 4-H Page Day in Augusta, 8:30am-3:30pm, Sign up by March 3
April 1: ESE Sheep Intent Forms due
April 7: Camperships & Scholarships due to County Office
Campership Applications Now Available
Campership applications will be due on Friday, April 07, 2023 by 4:30PM. Camperships are scholarships for youth to attend a summer camp of their choice. Applications are now available on the 4-H Camperships page. Please email completed applications to allison.pollock@maine.edu.
4-H Scholarship Applications Now Available
Cumberland County 4-H Scholarship applications are due Friday, April 7, 2023 at 4:30PM. If you need help applying for any of these scholarships or have questions, please call or email Allison at 207.781.6099, allison.pollock@maine.edu. Please note that the application for the 4-H Leader’s Association, Linda Clark/Margy Justice Memorial, and Susan P. Grover Memorial Scholarships are all the same, but the requirements for each are different. The Extension Homemaker’s Scholarship has a different application form. All applications should be emailed to allison.pollock@maine.edu
For more information and applications please visit the 4-H Scholarships page. A packet with scholarship applications and information will be mailed early March to all seniors currently enrolled in Cumberland County 4-H.
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)
Would you like to go to Washington D.C.? Would you like to meet 4-Hers from other parts of the country? Do you want to use a hands-on approach to learn about our government?
CWF is a weeklong experience in Washington D.C. While in D.C. you will stay at the hotel 4-H uses in D.C. You will learn how to develop communication and planning skills, discover your role and responsibilities as a citizen and learn about our government. You will also visit with Maine’s congressional delegation, spend a day on Capitol Hill and tour other D.C. landmarks. You will have fun!
The deadline to submit your application is March 10, 2023, by 4:30 P.M. in the county 4-H office. Interviews will be conducted with members of the Cumberland County Leader’s Association Awards Committee. Interviews will be held the evening of Monday, March 20th. You will need to schedule your interview before or when you turn in your application to the office. For information: https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/4h/events/citizenship-washington-focus-scholarship-info/
Maker Series
One Wednesday afternoon each month March – May, we will offer a themed-activity for youth ages 5-10. 5-8 year-olds must have an adult present for assistance and some projects encourage adult assistance for all ages. Current 4-H enrollment is not necessary for participation in the Maker Series program. You can choose to join us for one project or all three. Registration ends one week prior to each class or when full (Maximum of 12).
- Dates: Wednesdays, March 22, April 26, May 24
- Time: 5:00-6:00 PM
- Location: UMaine Extension Cumberland Office, 75 Clearwater Dr, Falmouth
- Cost: FREE
For more information & to register: https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/4h/mmspring/
New Project Records are HERE!
Co-designed with Maine 4-H volunteers, youth and staff; these project records have been designed to best serve the needs of Maine youth. Please visit our newly designed project record website https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/project-records/. Project records are required for all Maine 4-H Youth. Stay tuned for upcoming trainings. Please contact your 4-H Leader for specific pages that will be required for your project.
CC 4-H Leaders Association Meeting – March 16, 7:00PM
Join us on Thursday, March 16, 7:00PM in-person at the Gorham Public Works Building (80 Huston Road, Gorham) or online via Zoom for a Leaders Association meeting. These meetings are a chance to meet volunteers, and to offer input on 4-H programming in Cumberland County! All volunteers are welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like the Zoom link please email allison.pollock@maine.edu
Hannaford Community Bag Fundraiser!
Each month, the Hannaford Community Bag Program gives back to our communities by selecting a nonprofit local to each store to benefit from the purchase of every Community Bag. Hannaford Community Bag Program, launched in October 2015, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work. Hannaford Supermarket has chosen Cumberland County 4-H to receive $1 from every Community Bag sold the month of March in their Falmouth location.
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!
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is hiring!
We are hiring a position in our office—an Administrative Specialist that supports the Food & Nutrition and 4-H Youth Development programs. Interested applicants can find job details and apply via this link: https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobid=80625
Club Happenings
Fashion Revue
Our theme this year was ‘A Flurry of Fashion’ and the stage was decorated beautifully with snowflakes & other sewing themed items. Fashion Revue was a small group this year of only 5 participants. We had a stuffed pillow, stuffed cat, stuffed elephant, orangutan and a corset for projects this year made by the 4-H members. Congratulations to all that participated this year.
Your 4-H Club Happenings could be featured here! Just email extension.4-hcumberland@maine.edu by the 25th of each month with information about your club meetings, events, or fundraisers. Pictures are always a plus!
State 4-H News March 2023
Building Background on Vernal Pools
Although spring may seem like a lifetime away, it is just around the corner! This means that vernal pools will be full of life soon. Join fellow practitioners to learn about content and activities around vernal pools! Gabby Brodek, Washington County 4-H Youth Development Professional, and Dr. Rachel Wolf, a learning science researcher at Stanford University, are facilitating a 90 minute virtual session for adults where you will build background knowledge, discuss connections to climate science, and explore example activities to support youth learning around vernal pools.
Sessions will be held on Monday, March 6th 3:30-5pm and Friday, March 10th 11-12:30pm, EST. Each session will review the same material. Click here to register for the event.
This information session is a component of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s Spring Learning Theme: Vernal Pools, a product of Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE), a NASA funded collaborative focused on building partnerships and pathways that provide youth with opportunities to engage in locally relevant learning experiences around climate and data science.
Apply Now for National 4-H Trips
National 4-H Trips are excellent opportunities to meet 4-H members from across the nation. Participants learn about many career options, and learn through educational workshops at Congress or become a part of a team making recommendations to National 4-H Council at Conference. To learn more about these trips, visit: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/national-trips/.
New for 2023: Complete and submit your application and supplemental materials online!
Any Maine 4-H Youth, ages 14 to 18, is eligible to apply. Applicants must be current Maine 4-H members both at the time of application and the time of the actual trip. Application packets must be submitted online, or sent to your county office and postmarked by April 25, 2023. Interview dates will be the second week of May, 2023. If you have any questions, please contact Heidi Palmer at 207.310.4235 or heidi.thuotte@maine.edu.
2023 National 4-H Congress is November 24 – 30, 2023 in Atlanta GA with an orientation for the trip on October 21, 2023. 2024 National 4-H Conference has not yet been announced, but will likely take place in April of 2024 in Washington, DC., orientation for that trip will be announced to those selected. Leaders and office staff, if you have senior members in your clubs, please encourage them to participate. They are amazing trips!
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.
Public Speaking Online Workshop
The Maine 4-H Communication Science Team invites all enrolled 4-H members to an open-to-all workshop on March 15th from 6 – 7 pm. Participants will learn about using posters and slide decks to enhance their presentations, as well as have an opportunity to practice different parts of their own presentation for informal feedback. Please contact cathy.gray@maine.edu for more information. Register online.
Western/Central Regional Public Speaking Contest
The Western/Central Regional Public Speaking Contest is now open for youth from all counties to register. The event will be on March 25th, with a snow date of March 26th at the Jewett Hall Auditorium on the University of Maine Augusta Campus (UMA). The event will begin with registration at 10:00 and last until about 3:00.
Cloverbuds are welcome to join in! This event will also be a qualifying event for the State Public Speaking Contest in April. Lunch will be on your own and you can bring a bag lunch to enjoy during our break. Register online. Reach out to Tara Marble with any questions at tara.marble@maine.edu.
Save the Date for 4-H Dairy Judging and State Show!
The Maine 4-H Dairy Judging Contest will take place on May 6th, 2023 at Hardy Farm in Farmington, ME and Silver Valley Farm in New Sharon, ME. The contest is open to all enrolled dairy members and will serve as the official tryouts for the Maine 4-H Dairy Judging Team.
The Maine State 4-H Dairy Show will take place on July 22nd and 23rd at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Windsor, ME. The contest is open to all 4-H members who want to participate and will include educational workshops, a fitting contest, a grilled cheese contest, and more!
For more information on upcoming 4-H dairy events visit extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy or contact sadee.mehuren@maine.edu; 207.342.5971
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!
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!
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.
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
UMaine Extension Cumberland County offers many different workshops throughout the year. To learn more about our workshop offerings please visit https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/upcoming-events/