4-H Happenings, May 2022
Contents
Important Dates:
- May 9, 2022: Deadline to register for the Oxford County June Jamboree
- May 15, 2022: Deadline to submit Maine App Challenge application
- May 20, 2022: Deadline to submit College Scholarship application
- May 26, 2022: Last 4-H for All meeting
- June 3, 2022: Registration opens to 4-Hers for 4-H Summer Learning Series
- June 6, 2022: Registration opens to the public for 4-H Summer Learning Series
- June 6, 2022: Deadline to register for Adulting 101 Virtual Club
- June 10, 2022: Deadline to submit Maine 4-H Fryeburg Fair Market Lamb Intent Form
- June 11-12, 2022: Oxford County June Jamboree
- June 22, 2022: 4-H STEAM Day
- June 30, 2022: Deadline to submit all other Commodity Intent Forms
- July 5, 2022: Priority deadline to register for STEM Exploration Course
- July 27-31, 2022: New Dates for the Union Fair
County News
College Scholarships
Attention high school seniors: we have college scholarships available! Please reach out to Karen Giles at karen.giles@maine.edu for an application. The deadline to submit applications is May 20.
4-H STEAM Day- Explore Forensics!
June 22 at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds. This will be a FREE event! More details coming soon!
STEAM Multi-Adventure Camp at Bryant Pond
STEAM through a week with us participating in exciting activities including survival skills, shooting sports, engineering, a challenge course, and more. Each day will focus on a skill designed to test your abilities and challenge you to think outside the box! You never know when you may need to build a survival raft capable of saving your team or a catapult that could possibly sink it. You will also spend time on our rifle, shotgun, and archery ranges where fun and science collide, creating the ultimate thrill factor leaving a smile on your face. Although the primary goal will be focused on exploring these skills and challenges, you will also participate in all of our traditional summer camp activities like canoeing, swimming, campfires, and more.
Cost: $700/youth ($25-50 out-of-pocket cost/youth)
Dates: August 14-19
Ages: Rising Juniors and Seniors (16-18)
Sign up form coming soon.
Updating Record Sheets
What Are Your Favorite STEM activities?
We have some program plans in the works and are looking for your input! Do you do STEM activities or programming for 4-H or at your school? If you have a fun or creative idea for a STEM activity for Somerset County youth, please email Karen Giles at karen.giles@maine.edu.
Animal Approval Forms
Don’t forget to submit your animal approval forms (pdf) to your county office. These forms must be submitted by the deadline for your commodity to participate in 4-H shows or other events this summer. If you think you might be interested in going to the Big E this fall, put in your animal approval form by the deadline!
- Market Lambs: June 10
- All other sheep classes: June 30
- All other commodities: June 30
Club News
Don’t Forget to Submit Your Secretary’s Reports!
This is a friendly reminder that each club’s secretary should be submitting a report to this office after each meeting. Photos are encouraged too! These reports help us stay in the loop with what is happening within your clubs. Secretaries may email a digital copy to extension.somerset@maine.edu or mail a physical copy to Somerset County Cooperative Extension, 7 County Drive, Skowhegan, ME 04976.
What Has Your Club Been Doing?
We would love to use this space to share stories directly from clubs. Please send us your news and events so we can share them in this newsletter! You may send them to karen.giles@maine.edu or to emily.collins3@maine.edu. We would love to hear and share what your club has been learning and doing!
State News
Events and Opportunities
4-H For All: Spring 2022
The purpose of this virtual club is to provide new and potential members and their families a place to learn about 4-H and to connect youth across the state. Youth will choose a project to complete and learn more about 4-H and how to become involved. We want you to join and engage in our 4-H program! There is no cost, and meetings will help challenge you to create new goals and discover new passions. Open to youth 5-13, the last meeting will be held May 26 at 10 a.m. Register on the 4-H For All Club page.
4-H Summer Learning Series
After an incredibly successful 4-H Summer Learning Series over the past two years, Maine 4-H will once again offer virtual experiential learning workshops and clubs to youth ages 5-18 from July 5 – August 5, 2022. Planning is still taking place, but topics in previous years have ranged from engineering, art, science, animals & agriculture, food & nutrition, teen leadership, and more.
Early registration will be available to enrolled 4-H’ers on Friday, June 3, 2022 and will open to the public the following Monday, June 6. Help us spread the word to your friends and communities – enrollment in 4-H is not required to participate, this event is open to all! For more information, visit the 4-H Summer Learning Series webpage.
Adulting 101: 4-H Virtual Club
Are you a teen worried about impending adulthood? Do you want to know how to find answers to your questions about money, jobs, and roommates? Consider joining the Adulting 101 SPIN Club! Over the course of six meetings, we will learn some basic adult skills, including how to manage stress, interview for a job, and take advantage of existing resources in your community. Each week will cover a different topic: life/work balance and stress management; saving, spending, and credit; nutrition on a budget; resumes and interviews; rent and roommates; and a topic chosen by the participants! Access to a computer is required for participants, a smartphone won’t be sufficient.
Youth ages 13 – 18 need to register on the Adulting 101 webpage by June 6, 2022 for this club which will meet via Zoom on Wednesdays June 22 – July 27 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm.
Summer Camp Opportunities
Visit the Summer University Youth Programs’ Youth Summer Camps page to learn about a huge variety of camp experiences available to youth. From our traditional 4-H Camp and Learning Centers, to camps that focus on Academics, Art, Music, or Sports – there is something for everyone.
STEM College Research and Career Exploration Course
Registration is open for an innovative four-week college STEM research course for qualified high school students (rising 11th–12th grade). This tuition-FREE course is offered by the University of Maine, July 18–Aug. 11, at the UMaine Hutchinson Center in Belfast, at UMO, and UMaine Machias. For more information and to register, visit the STEM Exploration Course webpage.
Maine 4-H Virtual Learning Hub
Maine 4-H Virtual Learning is a hands-on, virtual learning program for youth ages 5-18. Workshops will be organized by age and topic. Topics include engineering, science, animals and agriculture, teen leadership, and more.
Workshops will range from single-time events to short-term programs (typically four to six sessions). Participants will engage in hands-on activities, interact with other 4-Hers, and meet positive adult role models.
No prior experience with 4-H is required to participate. This is a great way for those who are interested to learn more about 4-H.
- Check out the upcoming 4-H Virtual Learning Programs we have planned in the coming months: Visit the Upcoming Events: Statewide Virtual Offerings for 2021-2022 page.
- Learn which virtual event registrations are open: Visit the Open Registrations page.
- Interested in becoming a Volunteer Presenter? Visit the Become a Volunteer Presenter page for more information and to complete an interest form.
Read what 4-H Parents, Youth, and Teachers have to say about these 4-H Virtual Learning offerings: Visit the 4-H Parents, Youth, Teachers: Stories and Testimonials page.
Scholarships and Grants
Maine 4-H Foundation Summer Camp Scholarships
The Maine 4-H Foundation has a limited number of scholarships for 4-H members for Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, Greenland Point, and Tanglewood. These scholarships are applied by the camp when you register and pay the deposit for camp. Scholarships are available from $50 to $200 depending on the camp expenses and needs.
The Maine App Challenge
Love technology? Here is a chance to put your passion to a purpose and win a scholarship along the way! The Maine App Challenge is an incredible opportunity for Maine middle school and high school students who are 13 years of age and older to create a mobile application with a chance to win a scholarship and other valuable rewards. A series of innovation workshops from the University of Maine Foster Center for Innovation will help you get started! There are three scholarships available for the top mobile apps: $6,000 for first place, $3,000 for second place, and $1,000 for third place.
Other awards include $500 to the high school with the highest participation, tablets to the first 50 completed submissions, a guaranteed internship interview for the top 10 submissions following his/her college sophomore year. Visit the Tyler Technology Maine App Challenge website for more information.
Fairs and Shows
4-H Market Lamb Intent for Fryeburg Fair – Deadline Change
Youth planning to participate in the market lamb program at Fryeburg Fair need to submit the online 2022 Fryeburg Fair Market Lamb Intent form by June 10. Alternatively, youth may print, complete, and mail a paper version of the Market Lamb Intent form (pdf). Market lambs must be owned and in the possession of the 4-H member by June 1, 2022. Please contact your local Cooperative Extension office with any questions or to obtain a printed copy of the form
Oxford County June Jamboree
This year’s Oxford County June Jamboree will be held June 11 & 12 at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds. This is an opportunity for youth enrolled in sheep, swine and horse projects to join us for our livestock clinic! We will have presenters teach about showmanship and animal care. We will be doing t-shirts, rabies vaccinations for sheep and horse, and Coggins vaccines for horses as well! Overnight accommodations and meals will not be provided (besides Saturday night pizza if you request it). Registration cost will vary depending on number of attendees. Please see the June Jamboree registration page for further details. Register by May 9.
Union Fair – New Dates in 2022
The Union Fair will be happening earlier in the summer, starting this year. The dates for Union Fair 2022 will be July 27-31, about a month earlier than in years past. Please plan accordingly, and check the Union Fair website for updates. Knox-Lincoln Extension staff produce a 4-H Union Fair Information Booklet each year. Once the 2022 pdf document is ready for distribution, it will be shared with all Maine county Extension offices. The booklet will also be available for download on the Knox-Lincoln 4-H website. Questions? Contact cynthia.rogers@maine.edu.
Leaders Meeting Minutes
April 27, 2022
Attendees: Eleanor Pooler, Sherri Grunder, Karen Giles, Lori Swenson, Cheryl Perkins
Minutes:
Fairground: Steam Day on June 22 is a go at the fairgrounds. We can use midway area and under the grandstands or Constitution Hall and the picnic area. We’ll tell Becky we will use the midway and grandstand area. Karen also asked Becky about the improvements on the grounds. She said David has just started on the outdoors. Karen will contact David about the improvements and when we would like them done by. (Fix the broken boards in the middle area would be a first priority.)
Upcoming events:
- Animal Approval Forms– Contact the office to find when they are due or look online at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/forms/ and to download a copy .
- May 20th– Scholarships-The deadline is supposed to be May 1st. We will extend it to May 20th. We will go over the applications at the May meeting so that Karen can let the guidance offices know.
- May 21-22 Boots & Spurs is participating in the 10 Mile Yard Sale at 1300 West Ridge Road (closer to the Athens end) as a fund raiser.
- June 3– Registration for Forensics Day due.
- June 22– Forensics Day
- July 8-10- Horse tryouts for Eastern States.
- August 14-19 STEAM multi-adventure camp for 16-18 rising Juniors and Seniors in Somerset and Franklin counties. Most of it is subsidized by a grant. There will be a nominal $25- $50 fee. There are camperships available that would be able to cover the out-of-pocket fee for some campers. If interested, call the office for an application. More information can be found at the link below.
Forensics Day- We will be contacting a variety of agencies to see what we can get demonstrations of. Lori will buy the Teachers Pay Teachers forensics unit. Then we will cross check it against the 4-H Forensics curriculum.
Record Sheets- There will be a state-wide revamping of record sheets. If any leader or current or former members (within the last few years) are interested in participating in the process, contact Karen at the office.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May, 25th 6:00 at the Extension Office Lori motioned to adjourn meeting. Sherri seconded. Meeting adjourned.
Action List
Karen-
- Contact Maine Search and Rescue to see if we can get a SAR dog or horse
- Contact the Police academy about a police dog
- Contact wardens for SAR dog if no luck with Maine SAR.
Lori-
- Contact Skowhegan Police to see if they can do any kind of forensic stuff.
- Buy TPT forensics unit and send to Karen.
Sherri-
· Will look through the 4-H catalog for $5 items for the Forensics Camp