4-H News in Washington County – September 2024
Table of Contents
Dates to Remember
Youth Showed their Sparks at the Washington County Fair!
4-H Science Friday – UPDATE
Crafting Clovers 4-H Club – UPDATE
Conservation Career 4-H Club – STILL TIME TO REGISTER!
4-H Photo Contest – Lubec Memorial Library
Washington Academy Garden
Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders
News from the State
Dates to Remember
September 2024 – July 2025– Conservation Career 4-H Club
September 18 & 25: Start Your 4-H Volunteer Journey
September 27: 4-H Science Fridays- Apples
October 15-November 12: Super Sitters Virtual 4-H SPIN Club
October 15: Northern Maine Children’s Water Festival at UMaine
October 25: 4-H Science Friday- Forensic Science
Youth Showed their Sparks at the Washington County Fair!
The Washington County Fair remains as the highlight of the year for 4-H staff, youth and volunteers! Youth’s projects were on display in the exhibition area, spanning from fly fishing ties to artwork and fruit preserves, and were admired greatly by the public. The Cobscook Currents 4-H Club volunteered their time on Saturday, hosting a wool felting workshop that was enjoyed by a wide range of ages. For the second year in a row, a 4-H’er who won the $50 scavenger hunt prize used that money to purchase a pig from the pig scramble, the last event of the 2-day fair – what a tradition!
Thank you to all the volunteers, youth and staff who made this event possible by contributing projects, judging projects, hosting a workshop, setting up, tearing down and more!
August in Washington County, Maine only means one thing…blueberries! During our 4-H Science Friday program we learned a lot about blueberries, including their history in Maine, what they can be used for and how they taste. Youth ranked four different batches of blueberries, two local and two out-of-state. Our winner? Josh Pond Farm in Whiting!
Upcoming 4-H Science Fridays:
Sept. 27th – Apples! Did you know that without grafting every apple tree would produce a different apple? So how do we get an abundance of the common varieties we see in stores? Join us to find out the answer through hands-on activities, including modeling a grafting technique!
Oct. 25th – Forensic Science! Youth have gotten pretty good at asking questions, making observations and using evidence to draw conclusions during our Science Friday programs. Put those skills into practice to uncover a mystery for our spooky October program!
Find out more and register by visiting the website.
Crafting Clovers 4-H Club – UPDATE
4-H’ers learned a new technique, weaving, at our August club meeting! The club was busy putting final touches on their club exhibit, Friends Forever in 4-H, which they submitted to the Washington County Fair Exhibition Hall.
Conservation Career 4-H Club – STILL TIME TO REGISTER!
There are still spots available in our new 4-H Club! UMaine Cooperative Extension 4-H and Maine Coast Heritage Trust are partnering to offer a new 4-H club. Conservation Career 4-H Club will be a year-long club program designed to help Washington County youth ages 14-17 explore conservation career fields, build relationships with industry professionals, gain clarity on their aspirations, and foster a connection to place. The club will meet year-round, starting in September, 2024. The structure alternates between bi-monthly meetings and site visits, typically falling on the third Thursday of each month. The site visits will take place during school hours, youth will be able to leave school for these educational experiences, with teacher permission. To see the club schedule and to register, visit our website.
4-H Photo Contest – Lubec Memorial Library
Photographs from this year’s 4-H Photo Contest were on display at the Washington County Fair August 24th and 25th. Currently they are on display at the Lubec Memorial Library and will be for the month of September. Stop on by to admire the artwork of our local 4-H’ers.
Congratulations to all our 2024 participants!
4-H was able to help support the Washington Academy garden this summer by attending weekly volunteer days and supporting several WA students with their time and effort in the garden.
Oh Yea! 4-H Grows True Leaders is laying low for the month of September to gear up for a busy year of programs starting in October. Oh Yea! 4-H is continuing their working relationship with Principal Williams at Princeton Elementary by joining the school’s “S.T.E.A.M. Block” every Friday. The students have expressed interest in revitalizing their old garden, so for the first semester the 4-H club will concentrate on getting the garden ready to produce loads of vegetables next Spring.
Also, to accommodate the needs of the Milbridge community, Oh Yea! 4-H will be leading the 4-H kids in experiential activities for two hours every month at Mano En Mano’s new daycare center during their civic meetings, called Nuestra Voz (Our Voice). To follow up those monthly meeting, Oh Yea! 4-H will meet two weeks later for a two-hour block to finish up our crafts and activities. As the parents participate in civic concerns of their Latino community, the 4-H members and anyone else who wants to join can experience cooking, crafts, and cultural lessons that integrate American holidays and traditions with those of the community’s home countries. Stay tuned for a calendar of events to come.
Finally, Oh Yea! 4-H is partnering with Cathy Lookabaugh from Maine Coast Heritage Trust who will provide the families of our program with different wilderness and outdoor excursions once a month. Maine Coast Heritage Trust will provide experts to guide our 4-H group in activities such as foliage identification and foraging, bird-watching and animal tracking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and kayaking and canoeing. We can’t wait to get started, so anyone interested in joining us between the ages of 8 – 18 can contact the UMaine Machias office.
News from the State
Super Sitters Virtual 4-H SPIN Club
Are you interested in babysitting? Do you have younger siblings at home? Do you want to feel more confident working with kids? This is the perfect 4-H club for you! The Super Sitter Babysitting Course is designed to prepare youth ages 12-16 for babysitting responsibilities. During this SPecial INterest club, teens will learn basic safety measures and how to respond to emergency situations when caring for young children. Participants will discover what is appropriate at various stages of child development through hands-on activities, scenarios and more!
This club will meet virtually Tuesdays from 3-4pm October 15-November 12. One in-person session will be held on November 19th in Aroostook and Washington counties.
Participation is free, registration is required. Space is limited to 15 participants. Registration closes September 30th. Registered participants will receive a link to access the meetings online and will also be provided with at-home materials. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Gabrielle Brodek at gabrielle.brodek@maine.edu or 207.255.3345.
To register:
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- Enrolled 4-H members need to be logged into ZSuite, and then go to the internal registration page.
- For youth who are outside of 4-H or don’t have a ZSuite account, please use the external registration page.
Start Your 4-H Volunteer Journey Training
Thinking about becoming a 4-H volunteer? We are looking for people to help youth find their spark and thrive! We offer lots of ways to be involved depending on your time and interests. Join us for two one-hour virtual sessions to help you with your decision. By the end of the two-part series, you will have completed four short e-Learning modules to introduce you to the 4-H program, participate in an experiential learning activity, learn about the key aspects of positive youth development, and be introduced to ages and stages of youth. This core training will wrap up with an outline of next steps and an introduction to your county staff contact so you can begin the application process if you choose. No pressure to commit, no cost, and no reason to not attend! Please note, these sessions are for individuals who are not currently enrolled 4-H volunteers.
Upcoming Sessions:
– Wednesdays, September 18 & 25, 2024 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm
– Tuesdays, November 12 & 19, 2024 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm.
For more information or to register visit the information page.
Northern Maine Children’s Water Festival at UMaine
Join Scarlett, Melissa, and the 4-H Science and Engineering Learning Center as they explore organisms found in the ocean. Kids get a chance to touch, hold, investigate, and explore species found in the Gulf of Maine. This free, hands-on, learning festival is geared towards 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. The event will be filled with a variety of water resource professionals that promote the value of clean water and healthy habitats, as well as provide teachers with materials and lessons they can use in their own classroom.
Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Location: University of Maine, Orono
For more information visit the Children’s Water Festival website.
4-H Tick Project
The 4-H Tick Projectis 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.