KL 4-H Newsletter—October 2024
Send articles to cynthia.rogers@maine.edu
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
October 1 Start of the new 4-H Year
October 8 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders’ Association (KLLA) Meeting and Volunteer Voices Event, 6 pm, Extension office, Waldoboro
October 12 Fall Family Day, 11 am – 2 pm, UMaine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Tanglewood, Lincolnville
October 15 Children’s Water Festival, UMaine Orono
October 17 Knox-Lincoln Extension Assoc. Open House, Annual Meeting, 4:30 – 6:30 pm, Aldermere Farm, Rockport
October 17 Deadline to register for 4-H Climate Civic Action SPIN Club, online
October 20 KL 4-H Year-End Celebration, 2 – 4 pm, Beaver Lodge, Hope
November 1 Deadline to apply for 4-H National Trips (age14 – 18—enroll before this date to apply!)
November 12 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders’ Association (KLLA) Meeting, 6 pm, online only
November 12, 19 “Start Your 4-H Volunteer Journey,” 6 – 7 pm, online
December 15 4-H Re-enrollments due (see article about ZSuite below)
October Birthdays
Happy Birthday to Orin C., Carson D., Elise L., Alexandria M., and Milo P.!
Leaders, Lend Your Volunteer Voices October 8!
We want to know what is important to YOU as a Maine 4-H volunteer! Join us for an evening of connection, brainstorming and sharing with other 4-H volunteers from your county. Tuesday, October 8, 6 – 8 pm at the Knox-Lincoln Extension office in Waldoboro. Dinner will be provided. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required: Register for 4-H Volunteer Voices. Questions? Contact Cindy Rogers, 207.832.0343, cynthia.rogers@maine.edu.
The business meeting of the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders Association will follow the session.
2024 4-H Year-End Celebration October 20
Join your fellow 4-H members and leaders for the 2024 4-H Year-End Celebration at Beaver Lodge in
Hope, Maine, Sunday, October 20, 2 – 4 pm. Bring a snack to share at this beautiful location, and enjoy a celebration of the highlights and achievements from the past 4-H year!
Look for an invitation in your email inbox very soon. We look forward to seeing you there!
Knox-Lincoln Extension Annual Meeting and Open House
The Knox-Lincoln Counties Extension Association will hold its annual meeting and open house on Thursday, October 17 from 4 – 6 pm at Aldermere Farm, 20 Russell Avenue in Rockport, Maine.
Meet staff and board members from University of Maine Cooperative Extension and learn about the programs Extension provides for the Knox and Lincoln Counties community; from Maine Families’ support for new parents, and 4-H Youth Development to Home Horticulture, Sustainable Agriculture, and Climate Resilience.
Tour Aldermere Farm’s new Program Barn and Welcome Center and meet some of the iconic Belted Galloway herd while learning how Maine Coast Heritage Trust utilizes agriculture as a key conservation strategy. Hear about Aldermere Farm and Erickson Fields educational offerings, such as Farm Hands, 4-H Club, Kids Can Grow, Teen Agricultural Crew, and Erickson Fields Community Gardens, as well as our partnership with the Knox County Gleaners, a program of Come Spring Food Pantry in Union.
The free event will conclude with a short business meeting and a question and answering session for the public. Light snacks. Registration is not required. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation contact extension.knoxlincoln@maine.edu, 207.832.0343.
Re-enrollment Time—Families Can Do This Online!
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 4-H year (2023-2024), you can simply visit ZSuite and use the password you set at that time. If you DID NOT use ZSuite to enroll in 2023-24, visit ZSuite, click “Forgot Password?” and complete the prompts using the email address where you receive your 4-H communications.
Once you are in ZSuite, re-enrollment is just a few clicks away:
- 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.
NEW: you must be enrolled by October 31 to qualify for 4-H National Trips.
APPLY NOW for 2025 4-H National Trips!
Exciting news! Applications are now open for the 2025 4-H National Trips, featuring 4-H Conference and 4-H Congress. These events offer incredible opportunities for leadership development and national networking. Any enrolled Maine 4-H Youth, ages 14 to 18 is eligible to apply. Applicants must be current Maine 4-H members at the time of application and the time of the actual trip.
- 4-H Conference: April 11 – 16, 2025 in Washington DC
- 4-H Congress: November 28 – December 2, 2025, Atlanta, GA
Apply online by November 1, 2024: 4-H National Trips Application. Don’t miss your chance to be part of these transformative experiences!
Interviews will occur early December 2024. Reach out to Kristy Ouellette at kristy.ouellette@maine.edu with any questions.
Fall Family Day at Tanglewood
Come to Fall Family Day at the UMaine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Tanglewood, 184 Tanglewood Rd, Lincolnville, ME from 11 am – 2 pm on October 12.
Join us during the best season at Tanglewood, the Fall as we celebrate autumnal changes. This is a free family event open to all ages and abilities. Activities include cider pressing and tasting, face painting, pumpkin painting, garlic planting, nature bracelets, a campfire and s’mores, and time to explore the beauty of the woods at Tanglewood. This is a great opportunity to learn more about our programs and 4-H. For more information, contact Emma at extension.tanglewood4h@maine.edu or 207.789.5868.
4-H Climate Civic Action SPIN Club
This is a 3-part series for youth ages 12 – 18 that will dive into real-world issues and what we can actually do about them. Join Christopher and Sarah as we take a look at the impacts of climate change. Christopher is a second-year graduate student at the School of Policy and International Affairs (Global Policy with a focus in Climate Change and Environmental Policy).
Together we will learn about climate change from a global and a local perspective and explore opportunities for individual action to make a difference. This will involve hands-on, minds-on learning to unpack this big topic. This series will be held via Zoom, Mondays, October 28, November 4, and November 11, from 4:30 – 5:30 pm. Registration closes October 17. For more information, and to register visit Maine 4-H Virtual Learning Open Registrations.
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.
Register for a virtual Aquaculture field trip. For more information: contact Carla Scocchi, 4-H Youth Development Professional, carla.scocchi@maine.edu.
4th Annual Maine STEM Film Challenge
Join us for our 4th annual Maine STEM Film Challenge! Hosted by the STEM Outreach program at the University of Southern Maine, the Maine STEM Film Challenge is a fantastic fall semester opportunity open to students of any level. This challenge is self-paced and very easy to get started with.
Divisions Include:
-K-3 grades
– 4-5 grades
– 6-8 grades
– 9-12 grades
– Any college grade
Teams of 1 to 10 students storyboard, design, edit, and produce a 3 to 10 minute informational, multimedia video about any STEM topic of their choice. Films are evaluated on content, production quality, artistic merit, and accessibility. Groups of any kind are welcome to participate, including schools, community groups, and families.
Full challenge description, rules, rubrics, and past winning videos are available on the Maine STEM Film Challenge Website. If you’d like to be kept in the loop during the challenge season, click on the “Pre-Registration” link to get started! For more information, email msfc@maine.edu.
Start Your 4-H Volunteer Journey Training
Thinking about becoming a 4-H volunteer? We are looking for people to help youth find their spark and thrive! We offer lots of ways to be involved depending on your time and interests. Join us for two one-hour virtual sessions to help you with your decision. By the end of the two-part series, you will have completed four short e-Learning modules to introduce you to the 4-H program, participate in an experiential learning activity, learn about the key aspects of positive youth development, and be introduced to ages and stages of youth. This core training will wrap up with an outline of next steps and an introduction to your county staff contact so you can begin the application process if you choose. No pressure to commit, no cost, and no reason to not attend! Please note, these sessions are for individuals who are not currently enrolled 4-H volunteers.
– Tuesdays, November 12 & 19, 2024 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Register to Start Your 4-H Volunteer Journey
Northern Maine Children’s Water Festival at UMaine
Join Scarlett, Melissa, and the 4-H Science and Engineering Learning Center at University of Maine, Orono, as they explore organisms found in the ocean on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Kids get a chance to touch, hold, investigate, and explore species found in the Gulf of Maine. This free, hands-on, learning festival is geared towards 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. The event will be filled with a variety of water resource professionals that promote the value of clean water and healthy habitats, as well as provide teachers with materials and lessons they can use in their own classroom. For more information visit the Children’s Water Festival website.
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.
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).