Waldo County 4-H Newsletter – June 2023

June 1, 2023 Waldo County 4-H Newsletter

Upcoming Dates:

June 10: 4-H Adulting 101 SPIN Club registration due

June 17: Pride Festivities 2023, Portland

June 25-30: Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)

July 21-22: Maine 4-H Days, Windsor Fairgrounds

July 22-23: 4-H Dairy State Show, Windsor Fairgrounds

Waldo County 4-H News:

Animal Approval Forms Due June 30! 

All 4-H members that plan on exhibiting livestock in 4-H shows this summer need to complete their 4-H animal approval forms and lease forms by June 30th. Forms can be found online at extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/forms/ or copies can be obtained by contacting the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office. Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 with any questions.

Union Fair 4-H Exhibition Hall Entries Due June 30! 

Waldo County 4-H members ages 5-18 are invited to enter 4-H exhibits in the Union Fair exhibition hall! Entries are due June 30th and must be sent to the Knox/Lincoln Cooperative Extension office. For more information and copies of entry forms please visit extension.umaine.edu/knox-lincoln/4h/union-fair/.

Waldo County 4-H Members Compete in State 4-H Dairy Judging 

Independent Waldo County 4-H members Lena and Asa M. participated in the Jr. Division of the 4-H Dairy Judging Contest. Lena, pictured left, took home top honors in the Jr. Age group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waldo County 4-H Member receives ME 4-H Foundation Scholarship

Waldo County 4-H member, Lydia S. from the Little Beavers 4-H Club, was selected to receive a scholarship from the ME 4-H Foundation! Lydia has been a 4-H member since age 5 and has participated in several 4-H projects including dairy cattle and STEM. Lydia is a published author under the pen name JoJo Thoreau, and she has used her platform to inspire, encourage, and help others. Lydia will be graduating from Mt. View High School this June and is planning on studying psychology and linguistics. In speaking of her 4-H experience Lydia says, “My valuable  4-H years and experiences have helped me realize how important it is to continue to stay dedicated to myself and the world around me, and to give back to my community.” Congrats Lydia!

 

State 4-H News:

UMaine 4-H Invites You to be a Part of Pride 2023

4-H will be participating in pride festivities in Portland on June 17, 2023.  A pride event is a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, the rights won, and recognition of these individuals as existing and loved members of our communities. 4-H will participate in the parade portion by walking with a banner. Participants should plan on being at the event from 10:30am – 2:30pm.

This event is open to any 4-H member or 4-H volunteer. Friends, family, and 4-H alumni are welcome but must have a 4-H member/volunteer hosting them.

To register, or for more information, go to this webpage at: extension.umaine.edu/4h/4-h-at-pride-events/. If you have questions you can email 4-hpride@maine.edu.

Register Now for the 2023 4-H Summer Learning Series

2023 marks the FOURTH year Maine 4-H is offering a Summer Learning Series!  This year, workshops will run from July 5 – August 10, and there is something for everyone. Registration is is now open for all enrolled Maine 4-H members at extension.umaine.edu/4h/summer-learning/registration/, and opens to all others on Monday, June 5.

Would you like to learn more about the different birds in your backyard and beyond? How about a chance to bake along with a real chef – they will send you the ingredients in the mail!  You can learn to paint different creatures in the ocean, or discover how ANY person can become a real scientist at home! Dive into the different workshop options at extension.umaine.edu/4h/summer-learning/workshops/4-h-fun/! To register or learn more, head to our website at extension.umaine.edu/4h/summer-learning/!

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 at: 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 county 4-H staff with questions.

Did you know you can complete your project record through ZSuite? There are simple instructions for getting started on the ZSuite User Help page at zsuite.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/static/Help/ZSuiteHelp/RecordBooks.html.  You can work on your project record through the year – and even upload photos directly from your phone!

4-H Adulting 101 SPIN Club

The “4-H Adulting 101 Series” will introduce basic adult life skills by exploring a different topic each week including personal values; building healthy relationships; buying and caring for a car; youth entrepreneurship; mindfulness and stress management; and a topic chosen by the participants. UMaine Extension 4-H staff and guest speakers will lead the discussions.

The club is free; limited to 20 participants. Register by June 10 on the event webpage to receive the Zoom link and introductory email. For more information, or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.324.2814; erin.mcdonald1@maine.edu.

Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage at extension.umaine.edu/4h/virtual-learning-hub/open-registrations/.

4-H Tick Project

Registration is now open for the 4-H Tick Project.  A community science project where youth collect, identify, and learn about ticks – while also contributing to real research about ticks in Maine! Sign up to receive tick collection materials, access to youth activities, educational resources, and UMaine Extension Tick Lab testing services. This is a great project for 4-H clubs, SPIN clubs, homeschool groups, and more. For more information and to register, visit the 4-H Tick Project webpage at: extension.umaine.edu/hancock/4h/tick-project/.

Save the Date for 4-H Dairy State Show!

The Maine State 4-H Dairy Show will take place on July 22nd and 23rd at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Windsor, ME in conjunction with Maine 4-H Days. 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! 

Registration Opening June 21st for New 4-H Teen Leadership Program: YOUth Have a Voice!

YOUth have a Voice! Youth in Governance and Civic Engagement is a nine-month program open to teens and recent high school graduates who are interested in taking a more active role in serving their local communities, the state, or the country.  Youth will learn leadership skills and ways to participate in civic action by completing a service project in a topic of their interest.  Youth projects will be in one of three categories: 

1.)   Youth Board Member: Join a board or advisory council as a youth representative. 

2.)   Policy Leader: Provide input to a policy or rule being developed. 

3.)   Public Service Leader: Carry out a community service project. 

Teens will be mentored by adults to assist their learning of civic processes and ways to meet their project goals.  The program will be from late August 2023 to May 2024 and the total time commitment may vary from 30 to 80 hours depending on the type of project. 

The program will be open for teens ages 14+ years old or entering high school in the fall of 2023.  Interested teens will need the following items to register for the program: 

  • Fill out the application form found on this link. 
  • Two letters of recommendation from adults who are not related to the applicant 
  • Briefly describing (100 to 500 words) why you are interested in this program 
  • A signed Program Requirement Summary Form 

Registration will be open from June 21 through July 31, 2023.  The program will be limited to 16 youth.

To learn more about the program, you can attend one of the following 45 minute information sessions on June 7th: 

For questions, please contact Andrew Hudacs, andrew.hudacs@maine.edu, (207) 581-8204