4-H in Washington County – April 2020
Dates to Remember
April 6, 13, 20, 27: Mainely Dish Online Series
April 7, 14, 21, 28: QuaranTEEN Science Cafe Online Series
April 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7: Eating Well for Families Online Series
April 10, 17, 24: 4-H Fridays Online Series
April 16: #EmpoweringMEandYou via ZOOM
April 25: State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament via ZOOM
April 25: Live 4-H Public Speaking Tournament Awards Ceremony
May 29-30: 4-H@UMaine
June 27-July 5: CWF, Washington D.C.
July 5– Summer Camps begin at 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Greenland Point
July 16-19: Maine 4-H Days
Message to our 4-H families and volunteers regarding COVID-19
We all know that this is a time of many uncertainties. Our worlds have literally been turned upside down and we are all adjusting to a temporary new normal. While we do not have all of the answers we want to assure you that things will be okay. Our Maine 4-H staff has been working hard to put together some wonderful resources for youth, families, and volunteers. We encourage you to stay up-to-date by following our Washington County 4-H Facebook page and if you have questions, please call or email. We will get through this together.
UMaine Extension COVID-19 Resources
Scholarships Still Available for Summer Camps at Greenland Point
4-H Camp and Learning Center at Greenland Point is accepting registrations for the 2020 summer camp season! Plenty of scholarships are available. Please contact the office today to reserve your scholarship by calling 207.255.3345 or emailing tara.a.wood@maine.edu. To find out more about the Greenland Point 4-H Camp and Learning Center, visit the website.
At this time, I know we are all adjusting to our new realities. Some leaders have reached out to us to ask HOW to connect with folks in their clubs during this time. The platform- Zoom is a very popular option for many people. It can be used over and over again and allows free usage for meetings less than an hour. Leaders can sign up for the free version here: https://zoom.us/ and send out links to their members who will not need to “sign up” if they do not want to. Here you can find a short video tutorial on how to use Zoom (if you never have before) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spi7-7hpgU8&feature=youtu.be
Facebook Messenger also allows you to create groups and do video calls with many users, and this is also free. The first 6 participants will show up on video but group up to 50 can have access to all the audio capabilities. Users need to have a Facebook Messenger account to access this.
More helpful tip sheets will be coming soon!
While many of us are at home to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus, it may be easy to let boredom creep in. 4-Hers (and parents) don’t despair! There are many ways to keep your hands and minds busy. Here are some resources to help engage youth in educational experiences at home.
● Learn at Home: Educational Resources to Use During School Closures – Keep your youth engaged in educational experiences through this collection of helpful resources for parents and caregivers. These resources are for youth of all ages and have a large variety of topics. To learn more, visit https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/learn-at-home/.
● Maine 4-H Friday – Each Friday, watch for a new hands-on activity that you can try out with simple materials you have at home. Watch a short video clip to see how it’s done or download the 4-H Learn from Home activity sheets. You can check out these videos on the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Facebook page or by searching for #Maine4-HFriday.
● QuaranTeen Virtual Science Cafes – Come join Vermont 4-H and Maine 4-H for their virtual science cafés! Youth grades 7 to 12 are invited to join in discussions with scientists to learn about their work and to participate in informal discussions. These virtual cafes will be offered on Tuesdays (in Maine) and Wednesdays (in Vermont) 3 – 3:45 pm. They are FREE, however registration is required. To learn more and to register visit https://www.uvm.edu/extension/youth/announcements and https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/learn-at-home/teen-virtual-science-cafes/.
● “Mainely Dish” Mondays – This is a video series created by EFNEP that features a video recipe every Monday. Check out these videos at https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/efnep/recipe-video-series/
Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament
4-H members from across Washington County and their family and friends gathered on March 7th at the Washington County Community College (WCCC) in Calais for the annual 4-H Public Speaking Tournament. It was a wonderful day filled with demonstrations and illustrated talks. Well done 4-Hers!
Gratitude is extended to the judges, Abdou Hagenimana, Georgie Kendall, and Marshall Mercer, who shared their time and knowledge. Thank you to the Cobscook Currents who provided snacks for the event.
Congratulations and good luck to Mikaila L., Cali B., Linda J, Nellie B., and Noah M. who have qualified and registered for the State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament. More information about a virtual statewide event should be coming soon!
On March 31st, 4-H volunteers should have received an email concerning a volunteer impact study. Please take the time to complete the survey if you haven’t already. Your input is valuable. Please contact Tara Wood if you did not receive the survey and would like to participate.
Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply Co. Postponed for Spring 2020
If the event is rescheduled for a later date, we will let you know. In the meantime, please hold the fall dates, 10/7/20-10/18/20.
Eating Well for Families-Online Series
Do you want to learn how to live healthier for you and your family from the comfort of your home? University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Washington County CAN Prevention Council will offer a free five-session nutrition education program to parents and caregivers every Thursday from April 9 through May 7, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., using ZOOM, a video and audio communication technology.
Eating Well for Families sessions will focus on learning healthy, budget-friendly cooking and nutrition tips and will include cooking demonstrations.
Register online by April 6 at [https://extension.umaine.edu/washington/eating-well-for-families/]. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Rita Stephenson, 207.255.3345; rita.stephenson@maine.edu.
4-H News from the State
#EmpoweringMEandYou – Stress Less Online Workshop for Teens – 04/16/20, 6:00 – 7:00PM
The National 4-H Healthy Living Summit Team from Maine will be presenting their Stress Less lesson plan developed at the 2019 Summit and presented at the 2020 Summit. Any youth ages 13 – 18 are welcome and encouraged to attend. 4-H participation is not required! This hour-long lesson was designed by and for teens to educate others on the effects of stress and how they can combat and cope with stress in their daily lives, and the lives of others. Youth will start by identifying what the effects of stress are, and then have the opportunity to practice a variety of coping strategies that can help to reduce these effects on the body. Youth will also learn and practice how to reframe their own negative self-talk and redirect that of others as it relates to stress. If you are interested in attending this workshop please RSVP here by Monday, April 13, 2020 to receive a reminder email and the Zoom link. For questions or information on offering this to your county or club, please email or call Sara Conant, conant@maine.edu, 207-781-6099.
Camp Scholarships Available
The Maine 4-H Foundation has camp scholarships ranging from $100-$200 available for 4-H members to anyone week of 4-H camp. Try one of our University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers at Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, Greenland Point and Tanglewood. Call the camps to ask for a scholarship. Scholarships are based on need and first-come, first serve. https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/camps/
National 4-H Dairy Conference
The 66th National 4-H Dairy Conference will be held September 27 to September 30, 2020in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo and attendees will have the chance to visit Expo as part of the conference agenda. Additionally, the conference will offer opportunities to learn more about careers in agriculture, seminars on dairy topics, and a wealth of chances to interact with dairy 4-H members from across the country.More info about the conference can be found here (check back for updates as they happen): https://national4hdairyconference.org/2018/11/07/join-us-in-2019/The Maine 4H Animal Science Dairy Committee would love to try and send/support a team of motivated kiddos who are involved with the Dairy Goat, or Dairy Cattle Project Areas for this very unique and meaningful opportunity.The National 4H Dairy Conference requires that 4H team members: Have spent at least 3 years in those project areas, and be at least 15 years old but not yet older than 18 (4H age).
We are also looking for potential VOLT Chaperones who might like to help organize and facilitate this trip. If we have an idea of how many kids are interested we can plan our fundraising efforts accordingly. Interested parties can contact Tara marble at marble@maine.edu, or 207-778-4650 at the Franklin County Office.
Save the Date for 2020 Maine 4-H Days
Maine 4-H Days will take place July 16 – 19, 2020 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.