KL 4-H Newsletter–December 2023

Send articles to cynthia.rogers@maine.edu

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

December 12 KLLA Meeting, 6 pm, Extension office, Waldoboro, and Zoom

December 15 4-H Re-enrollments due (see article about ZSuite below)

December 23 Applications due for Ignite by 4-H National Youth Summit, ages 14–18, travel March 14–17 (see article below)

January 5 Fryeburg Fair Intent to Sell forms due

January 10-April 9 Volunteer Connections Virtual Workshops

January 15 ESE Beef Team Intent to Participate form due

January 22 Deadline to register for KL 4-H Public Speaking Workshop (1/27)

January 27 KL 4-H Public Speaking Workshop, 9 am–noon, Extension office, Waldoboro, snow date 2/3

January 31 Oxton Trust Applications due

December Birthday

Happy Birthday to Izzy B.!

New 4-H Leaders!

We have three recently certified 4-H leader volunteers in Knox and Lincoln Counties. Welcome to Matt Hikida, Krystle Gagne, and Lauren Armstrong!

Matt is a new leader of the Aldermere Achievers 4-H Club in Rockport. He is the Program Coordinator at Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s Erickson Fields Preserve, involved in educating youth through the Teen Ag and Kids Can Grow programs.

Krystle will now be a helper volunteer for the Horse Feathers 4-H Club in Waldoboro. Her daughter is a member of Horse Feathers.

Lauren will be heading up a new 4-H-based after school program at the Warren Community Center. She was in 4-H as a kid and looks forward to sharing the 4-H experience with youth. We look forward to getting to know you all better!

County Events 4-H Survey

A survey will soon be arriving in your email inbox. 4-H staff and leaders would like your input! What counties-wide events and activities would you and your family like to see in 2024? We are looking forward to offering some county events this winter and spring. Please take a few minutes to tell us what you think. Look for the survey in your inbox in the next week or two. Thank you!

4-H Public Speaking Workshop—Hold the Date!

There will be a 4-H Public Speaking Workshop on Saturday, January 27, 9am-noon at Knox-Lincoln UMaine Extension (snow date February 3). Come try some fun activities that will get you ready to confidently speak to a group! This workshop, open to all ages and levels of public speaking experience, is great preparation for participating in the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking Tournament in March, and the State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament in April. If you have competed in the tournament before and want to hone your skills. New to public speaking? This workshop is for you, too! Register for this workshop by January 22 by contacting Pamela Doherty at 207.832.0343, Pamela.doherty@maine.edu.

Looking Forward: Project Records 2024

Judges and staff were impressed with the records that were submitted this year, we only wish that some members had told us more! While only the basic record is required (and that is perfectly fine), including at least some of the additional optional pieces gives judges and staff a much better picture of your work and learning. It also lets you reflect on your own learning and accomplishments and helps you set goals for future years.

To encourage members to submit more optional pieces with their records, the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders’ Association would like to announce that for 4-H Year 2024 (which we are in now), extra effort beyond the basic record will be recognized with higher award amounts. In other words, the more components that you complete well, the higher the value of your award can be.

A description of the award incentive requirements will be announced very soon!

Re-enroll by December 15!

ZSuite is the 4-H enrollment option available for families for the new 4-H Year. Current families can log into their ZSuite account and complete their re-enrollment, as well as all required forms, online. If you enrolled yourself last fall for the 2022-2023 year, you can simply visit ZSuite and use the password you set at that time. If you DID NOT use ZSuite to enroll in 2022-23, visit ZSuite, click “Forgot Password?” and complete the prompts using the email address where you receive your 4-H communications.

image of a calendar — Image by Memed_Nurrohmad from Pixabay

Once you are in ZSuite, reenrollment is just a few clicks away:

Login at https://4h.zsuite.org
Click on the PRIMARY profile and enter your 4-character PIN.
Click on the name of the youth member you wish to enroll.
Click on ENROLL MEMBER NOW.
Review/update the requested member information. When you are done with that, click NEXT
Here you will read and electronically sign the 4-H participation waiver(s), click NEXT
Here is where you will select your club or clubs and desired projects. There may be clubs and projects listed that carried over from your enrollment during the last program year.
To add clubs, select your county. This defaults to the county submitted when you created your account. You may need to select another county to find your desired club.
Select your Club from the drop-down menu. Select ADD CLUB.
To add projects for any of the clubs, select ADD PROJECT for the desired clubs. Select the desired project from the drop-down menu. Select ADD PROJECT and selection will be added to the club. Feel free to add additional clubs or projects. If you make a mistake or wish to remove a project, select the X and confirm you wish to delete the project.
When done making your selections, click Submit.
Enrollment records need to be active/green status before engaging in 4-H activities and to register for events.

ZSuite has a help menu that offers step-by-step instructions in the system, as well as live chat for questions. You are also welcome to reach out to your county staff. Re-enrollments are due December 15.

4-H Volunteer Workshops for the 2023-2024 4-H Year

We invite you to participate in our 4-H Volunteer Connections virtual workshops! Join other 4-H volunteers from the Northeast region to learn, share and engage with one another on a variety of topics related to 4-H. All workshops are free and offered via Zoom in the evenings from 6:30–8:00 pm.

January 10 – Creating LGBTQ+ Inclusive Programs
February 13 – Be a Positive Communicator
March 12 – Finding Space for Mental Wellness in Every Program
April 9 – Animal Science: Strong Relationships and Sportsmanship

Oxton Trust Applications Due January 31 for All of 2024

Through the generosity and foresight of Robert Oxton, the Oxton Trust Fund was established to support 4-H youth development programs and activities in Knox and Lincoln Counties. The funds are available annually. Clubs, volunteers, and members should anticipate what funds they expect to request for the entire 2024 calendar year and apply for funds to the Oxton Trust Committee by January 31, 2024.

If a club, volunteer, or member discovers a need for funds later in 2024, a special meeting of the committee can be called, and an application considered at any time. Funds available for mid-year requests, however, will be more limited.

Grants may be awarded for 4-H youth development programs and projects falling into one of the following areas: leadership, youth development and special programs. Applications can be submitted by 4-H staff, volunteers or members enrolled in the Knox and Lincoln Counties 4-H program. Download the Oxton Trust application form or request a paper form from the Knox-Lincoln Extension office.

4-H Tick Project

The 4-H Tick Project is a community science project engaging K-12 youth and educators, made possible through a partnership between 4-H Youth Development, UMaine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, Maine Forest Tick Survey, and members of the Learning Ecosystems Northeast partnership. The project provides youth an opportunity to explore ticks and tick-borne diseases, which is a connected story of climate, ecosystem change, and public health.

All educators interested in teaching about ticks in Maine are encouraged to participate in the project at no cost to you. This is a great project for 4-H clubs, SPIN clubs, home school groups, and more. For more information and to register, visit the 4-H Tick Project webpage.

Fryeburg Market Animal Intents Now Available

Intent to sell forms for Fryeburg market projects are now available online. Steers must be owned and in the possession of the 4-H member by December 31 and intent forms, including RFID tags, bill of sale, and photos of the steer must be submitted by January 5. Lambs must be owned and in the possession of the 4-H member by June 1st and intent forms, including bill of sale, scrapie tag number, and photos of the animal, must be submitted by June 5. For more information on 4-H market animal projects please contact your county cooperative extension office or call 207.581.3877.

Maine 4-H ESE Beef Intent to Participate Forms are Now Available

The 2024 Maine 4-H Beef ESE Intent to Participate form must be submitted by January 15. This is a requirement for all youth intending to participate as members of the Maine 4-H Beef Team at the Eastern States Exposition in September. Youth must be 12-18 years old as of December 31, 2023 and have completed one year in a beef project prior to this year. Please contact Kristen Grondin, kristen.grondin@maine.edu, 207.581.8193, with any questions.

Ignite by 4-H

Who is eligible: All youth of high school age (14-18)
When is the event: March 13–17
Where: Washington DC metro area at the Westin Washington D.C. Downtown Hotel/Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C.
Timeline: Applications need to be completed by December 23
Cost: The Maine 4-H Foundation has graciously funded the majority of the registration and travel costs for youth. Youth will be responsible for $300 towards the cost of the trip. We encourage youth to reach out to the County offices and programs to seek out additional funding support. If youth need help or assistance please have them contact tara.marble@maine.edu.

Spark your imagination and passion! Ignite by 4-H, an inclusive teen event, returns March 2024 to Washington, D.C. Join us for four days of inspiring speakers, workshop sessions, activities, and entertainment. The summit will provide high-school-aged youth from across the country the opportunity to explore the best 4-H has to offer in STEM, Agriscience, and Healthy Living. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover exciting career paths, make connections, and create an action plan to ignite change in your community!

See the Ignite by 4-H website for more information. Apply to Ignite by 4-H here.

If there are any questions or concerns please contact tara.marble@maine.edu

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, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).