4-H in Washington County News – July 2024
Table of Contents
Dates to Remember
4-H Science Fridays
Reminder: Washington County 4-H Photography Contest
Washington County Fair 4-H Exhibit “Show Your Sparks”
Project Records Reminder
Cobscook Currents 4-H Club
Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders
News from the State
Dates to Remember
July 5-August 10: 4-H Summer Learning Series
July 19-21: Maine 4-H Days
July 26: Washington County 4-H Photo Contest Deadline
July 26: 4-H Science Friday- Ag and Ecology 101, Part 2
August 16: 4-H Science Fridays- Blueberries
August 24-25: Washington County Fair
In June and July youth at 4-H Science Fridays are exploring the relationship between agriculture and ecology. In June, youth collected data from three different ecosystems on the UMaine Machias campus, discovering which one would be the best location to plant a crop or garden. They wrapped up the afternoon by starting seeds to be planted at home, now knowing what factors to keep in mind when choosing a location.
Reminder: Washington County 4-H Photography Contest
A reminder that all photographs for the annual photo contest must be submitted to the Washington County Cooperative Extension office by Friday, July 26th. All photos must be mounted on a 8×10 or larger foam board or cardboard for stability. A separate entry label for each photograph is required and can be found on our photo contest website. Please let us know if you need any entry labels or materials.
Washington County Fair 4-H Exhibit “Show Your Sparks”
Whether you are busy in a garden, participating in club activities or exhibiting leadership skills, we want youth to show their sparks at the Washington County Fair, August 24th and 25th, through the 4-H Exhibit! The exhibition categories are as follows:
- Civic Engagement/Community Service
- Conservation/Natural Resources
- Crafts
- Food Preservation
- Garden
- Leadership
- Club Exhibit
Register your exhibition by Friday, August 16th on our exhibition page. Each exhibit submission will need an exhibit card which are available at the Washington County Cooperative Extension office. Visit our website for more information about the exhibit categories and guidelines: https://extension.umaine.edu/washington/4-h-exhibit/
Throughout the year youth participate in 4-H in a variety of ways, attending club meetings, exploring new and existing interests, and helping out in their communities. Project records provide a structure to set goals and reflect on them. When youth are preparing exhibits for the Washington County Fair, it’s a great time for them to reflect on their projects and their past year within 4-H! For information about project records please visit our website or contact Gabby Brodek, 4-H Youth Development Professional, at gabrielle.brodek@maine.edu or 207.255.3345.
Recent meetings included a lovely day with the Brissette family who taught the club members about raising goats and rabbits. A yummy snack was provided inside after the goat and rabbit introductions.
On June 12th, the club met at Cobscook Bay State Park. They had a GREAT time learning photography techniques from Leslie Bowman. Leslie is looking forward to seeing pictures taken by club members. Thank you, Leslie!
June has flown by, and the Oh Yea! 4-H Grows True Leaders staff ended the month with an amazing teen-teacher training. Using the Summer of Science curriculum presented, 4-H professional Jason Palomo, and community partner, Maria Paniagua, will then pass this training on to the teenagers participating in the education program at the Blueberry Harvest School. The teens will keep the lessons rolling by leading the youngsters from the blueberry-picking community in experiential-learning workshops. Once completed, the teenagers will be rewarded for their hard work throughout the past year with a nice honorarium. The Summer of Science curriculum provides hands-on lessons about extracting DNA samples from bananas, practicing scientific collaboration through teamwork, and examining various soils and substrates for food production.
However, the next big event for Oh Yea! 4-H is the True Leaders in Equity conference in Washington D.C., where four teens will be representing Washington County at the national gathering. This convention will not only raise awareness in the differences between equality and equity, but will also mine the suggestions from teens about how to best improve equity around their communities. Once again, our 4-H members are excited to be working with peers from around the country as well as enjoying the urban setting of our lovely capital.
Finally, Oh Yea! 4-H will be running some great workshops at Maine 4-H Days at the Windsor Fairgrounds on July 19th – 21st . At this event, all 4-H members and their families have been invited to campout for a fun-filled weekend, staring with a dance for the teens in the evening once they’ve set up their tents. On Saturday, July 20th , our teens will start with the workshop “Not-Your-Everyday Paper Airplanes”. Next, “Bullmoose Bootcamp” will get the kids’ blood pumping with some body weight exercises and a game of fugby (fake rugby). Finally, we will close out the workshops with “Screen Printing for Artistic and Entrepreneurial Expression.” It is going to be a great weekend!
News from the State
- 4-H Summer Learning Series
Registration for the 4-H Summer Learning Series is in full swing! There are still several workshops available for youth to sign up for: Virtual Touch Tank, Fun in the Forest, and our Summertime Send-Off are still available. This year, workshops will run from July 5 – August 10, and there is something for everyone. Registration is currently open for all youth. - Maine 4-H State Dairy Show Registration is Open!
Maine 4-H invites you to participate in the 2024 Maine 4-H State Dairy Show! This year’s event will take place from July 19th-21st at the Windsor Fairgrounds in conjunction with Maine 4-H Days. The contests are open to all 4-H dairy project members ages 9 and above and include a grilled cheese and milkshake cookoff, a dairy cattle fitting contest, and a dairy cattle show. For a complete schedule and registration information visit umaine.edu/4h/dairy/maine-4-h-state-dairy-show/.For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation please contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971 or Allison Pollock at 207.781.6099. - Summer at 4-H Camps at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove
The UMaine 4-H Camps at Blueberry Cove and Tanglewood have summer camp openings and scholarships to support Maine youth to attend. We are excited to connect 4-Hers to our programs.Overnight camps and Discovery Trips, ages 8-15: Week-long programs at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove or adventures along the Appalachian Trail or Downeast Farm Camp with Painted Pepper Farm.Teen Leadership programs, ages 14-17: Two and three-week immersion trips to build leadership skills while exploring Maine’s beautiful natural areas via canoeing and backpacking.We have scholarships available to cover up to 75% of the tuition for these programs. Funding is also available for first-time campers from National 4-H via CAMP III funds!Check out programs online at edu/tanglewood, email emma.beaudry@maine.edu, or call 207.789.5868. - 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 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, homeschool groups, and more. For more information and to register, visit the 4-H Tick Project webpage.