4-H News in Washington County, February 2019
Important Dates
February 9– Winter Tracking Workshop, Liberty, Maine
February 9– Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament Information Session, 10 a.m.
February 18– President’s Day, Office Closed
February 22– CWF Application Deadline
March 1– Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarship Deadline
March 2– Engineers’ Week Expo, University of Southern Maine, Gorham
March 8– National 4-H Trips Application Deadline
March 9– Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament, University of Maine at Machias
March 10– Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament Snow Date, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
March 13-17– Maine Science Festival, Bangor
March 23– Maine Science Fair, Bowdoin College, Brunswick
March 23– Washington County 4-H Robotics and Engineering Expo, University of Maine at Machias
April 6– Maine 4-H State Public Speaking Tournament
April 27– CWF Orientation
May 31-June 1– 4H@UMaine
June 29-July 6– Citizenship Washington Focus, Washington D.C.
July 19-21– Maine 4-H Days, Windsor Fairgrounds
Washington County News
Maine 4-H Foundation excited to be building a new program at Greenland Point Center in Princeton
University of Maine 4-HCamp and Learning Center at Greenland Point Video
The new University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Greenland Point in Princeton, Maine, expected to open in June, will be an environmental camp and center for youth and the community, focused on outdoor education, ecology and conservation.
The Maine 4-H Foundation’s purchase of the former children’s camp, located on a peninsula in Long Lake in Washington County, was made possible with the help of numerous donations.
“We are very excited about the property and want to thank all of our wonderful donors that helped make this purchase happen,” says Carla Lafayette, Maine 4-H Foundation board president.
Donors on the project who helped raise the initial $350,000 to purchase the property include the estate of Jay Stager, the Bolger Foundation, Quimby Family Foundation, John T. Gorman Foundation, Maine Community Foundation through a donor-directed fund, the estate of Harold H. Brown, First National Bank, Machias Savings Bank, Bangor Savings Bank, USDA Rural Development funding and many individual contributors, including a generous anonymous donor.
Many other donors have come forward to assist with facility upgrades and the purchase of equipment and materials needed to run the summer camp.
The newest facility improvements and youth scholarships are available for Maine youth with the help of supporters, including Maine Timberlands Charitable Trust, Great Northern docks, Mardens, the George Ramlose Foundation, Hometown Foundation, the Agnes M. Lindsay Trust, the Baders, Morton-Kelly charitable Trust, the Simmons Foundation, the Penobscot County Conservation Association, the Harmon Foundation and many more individual donations.
Fundraising for this project is part of the University of Maine’s $200 million Vision for Tomorrow comprehensive campaign.
The new programs being offered in the summer 2019 are available online: University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Greenland Point website
To learn more about the Greenland Point project, contact Ryder Scott, director of 4-H Camp and Learning Centers, 207.665.2068, ryder.scott@maine.edu; or Jen Lobley, Extension professor, Washington County, 207.255.3345, jennifer.lobley@maine.edu.
Groundhog Day Event- 4-H Community Education Assistant Sandy Copel-Parsons led a plant pot making workshop with youth at the Porter Memorial Library.
4-H Public Speaking Reminder – Every 4-H member in Washington County is encouraged to participate in Public Speaking! Youth choose a topic of their choice and then practice the important life skill of public speaking by giving presentations to their clubs, community, and at the county and state tournaments.
An informational session will be held on Saturday, February 9, at the office beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament will be held on March 9 at the University of Maine at Machias, Science Building, Room 102, snow date of March 10 at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension office, 28 Center Street in Machias. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. ALL 4-H’ers are encouraged to practice their Public Speaking Presentations in February before the county tournament!
Get all the details – including tips for planning your presentation and registration for the 2019 county tournament – on the Public Speaking page on our new website!
Public Speaking participants are encouraged to register online for the county tournament.
The State Public Speaking Tournament will be held on Saturday, April 6, at noon at the Neville Hall, University of Maine in Orono.
Don’t hesitate to contact any of the 4-H Staff with your Public Speaking questions!
2019 Maine Science Festival – Washington County 4-H has $25 gas cards available to families who attend the 2019 Maine Science Festival on March 13-
17 and are willing to complete a simple evaluation. For more information or to reserve your gas card please contact us by phone, email, or message us on facebook! We have several cards to give away, so please help spread the word around the county — they can go to anyone planning to attend – not just 4-H’ers! They will be given on a first come, first served basis.
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) – CWF is a National 4-H trip geared toward 4-H youth ages 15-18. This years trip will take place the week of June 29 – July 6th. If you are interested in applying for CWF, please submit an application and a $25 deposit by February 22nd and hold April 27th for a mandatory orientation meeting. Scholarship funds to help cover the fees will be available. For more information, contact Tara at the Extension Office at 255.3345 or tara.a.wood@maine.edu.
Details have been emailed to 4-H members ages 15-18. If you do not receive one, please call the Extension Office.
4-H Scholarships and Grants- Did you know that the Maine 4-H Foundation offers scholarships and grants to 4-H members AND clubs? Opportunities include College Scholarships; Pitch Your Ideas Grants; Service, Innovative Education, and Philanthropy Grants; and of course – Norma Hardison Creativity Grants to 4-H Clubs!
For Washington County 4-H members…The Jeremy Strater Scholarship was established in 2017 at the University of Maine 4-H Foundation in partnership with the Washington County Extension Association. The funds are designated to support higher education scholarships for Washington County 4-H members exclusively.
Jeremy Strater Scholarship was created through a gift bestowed to the Washington County Extension Association. Jeremy Strater was a long-time supporter of Cooperative Extension. This scholarship is designed to support Washington County 4-H member scholarships for post-secondary study.
Visit the Maine 4-H Foundation page for more information. Scholarship deadlines are approaching! They need to be turned in to the Washington County Extension office by Friday, March 1.
4-H Accident Insurance
Please contact Tara Wood at 255.3345 or tara.a.wood@maine.edu if you still need to pay your annual 4-H accident insurance premium. The fee is $1/per 4-H volunteer/member or $2/per horse project 4-H volunteer/member. Thank you!
2019 Washington County 4-H Robotics and Engineering Expo
The 2019 Washington County 4-H Robotics and Engineering Expo will be held on Saturday, March 23 at the University of Maine at Machias from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 4-H clubs who have participated in robotic or engineering projects are encouraged to attend and participate in the activities. Please find all information about the event and online registration at the Washington County4-H Robotics and Engineering Expo page.
Spectators are also welcome to attend the morning session from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. to see the local school and 4-H club teams exhibit their robotic and engineering displays and demonstrations to judges.
State 4-H News
Save the Date for 2019 Maine 4-H Days
Maine 4-H Days will take place July 19 – 21 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. If you are interested in helping to plan next year’s event, please contact Jessy Brainerd at brainerd@maine.edu or 207.581.3877.
Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee
July will be here before you know it, and we are looking for a few good volunteers to join the fantastic current Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee. Joining this committee gives you the chance to help come up with ideas and plans for one of our biggest statewide events! If you are interested in joining the Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee, or have general questions/comments/recommendations about the event, please email brainerd@maine.edu, or call 207.581.3877.
Come to Orono for the 2019 4H@UMaine May 31 – June 1!
Planning has started and the wheels are in motion thanks to the efforts of a tremendous team! We are always looking for individuals interested in helping with pre-event planning or attending the event itself! Stay tuned for details. For more information about 4-H@UMaine, contact Greg Kranich atkranich@maine.edu or 207.581.3292.
Citizenship Washington Focus
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capital during the week of June 29 to July 6, 2019. CWF is a leadership program conducted by the National 4-H Council for high school youth ages 14 to 18. Delegations of 4-Hers from across the country spend six days touring the city and attending leadership skill-building workshops. This summer, the Maine delegation will travel down on Saturday, June 29 and travel home Saturday July 6, 2019. You will stay at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside Washington, DC. Visiting the most popular sites in Washington, DC will be a part of the trip, including spending the 4th of July in our nation’s capital. There is a mandatory orientation for Maine delegates on April 27th, 2019. For more information visit the Citizenship Washington Focus website. Contact your county 4-H office for details about how to be a part of this experience if you don’t hear from them very shortly. All county offices have different criteria/dates to apply, so please contact them ASAP. Websites are currently being updated. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: heidi.thuotte@maine.edu.
National Trips
National 4-H Trip Applications Are due March 8th, 2019 (Conference and Congress) 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/. Websites are currently being updated. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: thuotte@maine.edu
2019 Engineers’ Week Expo
Every year, near George Washington’s Birthday, engineers across the country celebrate National Engineers Week, as George was a civil engineer who founded our nation. Here in Maine, our custom is to hold a huge “Expo” for all those young engineers (people who explore ingenuity) to visit and get to know us better. Our next Expo will be in southern Maine at USM in Gorham, with a banquet event the night before in Portland. Those of you who’ve come, already know how intense and fun it can be! We hosted over 3,000 last time it was at USM!
Our Expo will be from 9:00-2:00 Saturday, March 2, 2019 in the Field House at USM’s Costello Sports Center. Snacks will be available, with souvenir tee shirts. Campus tours will be available. See http://www.engineeringme.com for general information. Depending on our sponsors, some busing costs will be available.
Winter Tracking Workshop
Please join us for a Winter Tracking Workshop hosted by Maine Wildlife Habitat Education Program. February 9, 2019 from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm at Lake St. George Park in Liberty, Maine. Everyone is welcome to this free event, but pre-registration is required. More information available at: Winter Tracking Workshop
2019 Maine 4-H Public Speaking Tournament
The 4-H State Public Speaking Tournament will be held Saturday, April 6, 2019 at the University of Maine at Orono. 4-H Youth ages 9 to 18 who have participated in their county 4-H public speaking tournament and received the required score are invited to participate. For youth in counties which do not hold public speaking tournaments, arrangements may be made through their county’s Extension office to present their presentation to their county’s 4-H staff in order to be eligible. More information is available at: Maine 4-H Public Speaking Tournament .
Please provide feedback on Project Records!
Click the link to take the survey.
You are invited to participate in a statewide research project being conducted by Kristy Ouellette and Jennifer Lobley, Extension Educators at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. 4-H volunteers and staff from all over Maine will participate in this study.
Purpose of this research project: We recognize the value of our 4-H volunteers. As a state we have rolled out new 4-H Project Records. We want to have a better understanding of your beliefs and understandings of the function of these records. What will you be asked to do? If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete an on-line survey with questions pertaining to your attitudes and beliefs regarding 4-H project records in Maine. The survey will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete. Risks: Except for your time and inconvenience, there are no foreseeable risks to you in participating in this study. Benefits: You will be eligible to enter into a raffle for a $25.00 gift card to Hannaford. Confidentiality: As a participant you will be anonymous. Investigators or a student will enter data into a computer. Data will be kept on a secured computer with only the investigators or a student having access. Data will be kept for a period of 5 years. Voluntary: Participation is voluntary. If you choose to take part in this study, you may stop at any time during the study. You may skip any questions you do not wish to answer. Participation in the on-line survey implies consent to participate.
Contact Information: If you have any questions about this study, please contact Kristy Ouellette at 207.353.5550 or kristy.ouellette@maine.edu If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact Gayle Jones, Assistant to the University of Maine’s Protection of Human Subjects Review Board, at 581.1498 (or e-mail gayle.jones@maine.edu).