4-H News in Washington County – June 2025
Dates to Remember
4-H Camps and Learning Center Scholarships- Two left!
Washington County 4-H Photography Contest
Washington County Fair “Sow Your Sparks”
Downeast Birding Festival School Day
The Challenger Center
Index Survey- Youth ages 12-18, we need your help!
Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders
4-H Science Fridays
Crafting Clovers 4-H Club
Cobscook Currents 4-H Club
News from the State
June 5: Fryeburg Fair 4-H Market Lamb Intent Forms Due
June 8: Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders Father’s Day Event at Mano En Mano
June 8: 4-H Sheep and Goat Clinic at Cumberland County Fairgrounds
June 13: 4-H Camp and Learning Centers Scholarship Deadline
June 13-14: June Jamboree at Blue Hill Fairgrounds
June 14-15: Explore Vet Science, UMASS Farm facilities in Hadley, MA
June 16: Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders Canoe/Kayak Adventure
June 17, 18 & July 24: Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders Summer of Science Teen Teaching Training
June 20-22: 2025 UMass 4-H Cattle Academy
June 27: 4-H Science Fridays-Fish Biology
June 30: 4-H Annual Index Survey Deadline
July 6-11: Maine Summer Transportation Institute (MSTI) Residential Camp
July 7-August 8: 4-H Summer of Science Learning Series
July 18-20: Maine 4-H State Dairy Show, Windsor Fairgrounds
July 25: Washington County 4-H Photo Contest Deadline
August 23 & 24: Washington County Fair
November 28 – December 2, 2025: 4-H Congress in Atlanta, GA
4-H Camp and Learning Scholarships – 2 left!
We currently have two remaining scholarships remaining to attend camp at one of the 4-H Camp and Learning Centers in Maine. Youth must currently be enrolled in the Washington County 4-H Program and registered for camp. Please complete the 4-H Camp Scholarship request form by June 13, 2025 to apply. This is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. This scholarship is in addition to ones being provided by the 4-H Camp and Learning Centers.
Washington County 4-H Photography Contest
Pull out your cameras and start snapping away! We have added a new category to the annual Washington County 4-H Photo Contest: Action! All photos must fit into the following categories:
- 4-H Activity
- Action- New!
- Animals
- Architecture
- Nature/Landscape
- People
The Photo Contest is open to all enrolled 4-H youth, ages 5-18. Photos must be from the current 4-H year (Oct. ‘24 – Sept. ‘25). The deadline to submit photos is Friday, July 25, 2025. For more information on how to submit, the categories offered, and judging criteria visit the program webpage.
Washington County Fair “Sow Your Sparks”
The Washington County Fair symbolizes the near-end of the 4-H year, where 4-H youth and volunteers can celebrate the projects they have worked on throughout the year. You’ve already done the hard work–now you get to think about showing it off!
This year’s 4-H Exhibit theme is “Sow Your Sparks”. Open to all Washington County 4-H youth, ages 5-18, are invited to submit exhibition items. We have added two new categories! Check out the list of categories below. Which one does your 4-H project fall under?
- Animals- New!
- Civic engagement/Community Service
- Conservation/Natural Resources
- Crafts
- Engineering- New!
- Food Preservation
- Garden
- Leadership
- Club Exhibit
See the webpage for more information about the categories, guidelines, ribbons and premiums.
Downeast Birding Festival School Day
Downeast Maine sees a lot of activity during fall and spring bird migration. The coastland and sprinkled Maine islands act as resting spots for migratory birds. Every Memorial Day weekend since 2003 Cobscook Institute hosts the Downeast Spring Birding Festival, planned by 20+ community members from 10 partnering organizations. As part of the Birding Festival, Washington County 4-H participates in the School Day event, where local middle schoolers come to Cobscook Institute or Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge to learn about birds. Gabby Brodek, 4-H Youth Development Professional, engaged youth in a hands-on owl pellet dissection activity. Youth explored the pellets, identifying and examining the bones of small animals the owl’s ate.
Sixteen youth, ages 11-15, from Hancock and Washington counties traveled to the Challenger Learning Center in Bangor for an “out of this world” experience, said one 4-H youth attending. The youth were split into teams, Mission Control and Space Station, and each had their own role they were responsible for. For some this was maneuvering a Mars Rover on uneven terrain, for others it was keeping track of the station’s temperature, humidity and pH to ensure the safety of all astronauts. Everyone played a huge role in the success of the mission!
Index Survey – Youth ages 12-18, we need your help!
Each year National 4-H completes an Annual Index Survey to measure the impact of 4-H across the country. In order to receive results for Maine we need to reach a certain number of responses. Please complete the brief, 8 minute, survey to help us shape Maine 4-H!
Survey Deadline: June 30, 2025
Take the survey here: https://4hcouncil.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_envLlXgHZyRJGXs
By submitting the survey, you’re giving permission for your child to participate. Youth can choose to stop the survey at any time. Let’s make sure Maine youth are represented—thank you for supporting this important effort!
For the month of June, Oh YEA 4-H Grows True Leaders will be busy as usual. On June 8, Mano en Mano, will be celebrating Father’s Day with the participation of our 4-H members. It is going to be a showdown between fathers and father-figures against the kids! The Milbridge community has been looking forward to this Father’s Day celebration for two years because last year’s event was rained out. The fathers have been promising a victory ever since! To address the food system aspect of our program, OH YEA 4-H will be providing healthy snacks and energizing beverages. The
Father’s Day celebration will be Sunday, May 8 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at the Milbridge Baseball Field, 24 High St., Milbridge, ME 04658.
Then on June 16, Maine Coast Heritage Trust will be hosting Oh YEA 4-H on our first canoeing and kayaking adventure. 4-H Professional, Jason Palomo, trained with the UMaine Machias Assistant Director of Fitness & Aquatics, Lindsay McMahon, to gain American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification for just such occasions. In the past, Oh YEA 4-H had to shy away from aquatic events because of safety concerns, but not anymore. All 4-H members and their families are welcomed to attend, and the 4-H team will be making a healthy lunch at the end of the river tour. Since school will be out, canoeing/kayaking event will be on Monday, June 16, at 9:30 a.m., meeting at Reynold’s Brook (Orange River), in Whiting, ME.
Then just two days later, 4-H Teens will converge on the UMM campus to start their Summer of Science training. They will be learning hands-on curriculum about food science that the teens will then teach younger children at Blueberry Harvest School in August. The three days of training will take place on June 17, 18, at UMaine Machias and July 24 at Mano en Mano. We will end each session with a special guest. Kerrie Cormier from the Maine Department of Transportation will provide a forum on Driving Safety for Teens, and Jessica Crowley from Sunrise County Economic Council will lead an Entrepreneur Workshop. Finally, the special guest for the last day of training will be about drug addiction awareness and how to react in case of an emergency.
For any questions, please call the UMM Cooperative Extension at (207) 255-3345.
Unfortunately May’s 4-H Science Friday: Gardening was cancelled due to rain.
Next month on June 27th 3-4:30pm Meg Begley, 4-H Science Professional, will be joining us to teach us what a fish biologist does. Youth will experience what it’s like to be a fish biologist by identifying fish and performing a model stomach analysis to understand where fish species fit within a mystery lake ecosystem.
For more information and to register for future sessions, visit the program 4-H Science Fridays webpage.
The May meeting for Crafting Clovers 4-H club was full of fun and exciting activities. We all had a chance to share snacks and do an ice breaker about going on a picnic together. After cleaning up everyone was able to use the solar beads that Gabby brought for us. We made bracelets or necklaces, and waited for our outdoor activity to see if the beads changed color in the UV light outside. Our club joined National Parks Ranger Michael from St. Croix Island National Park Service for an astronomy experience. We were not able to use his telescope to look at the sun because it was too cloudy. However we were able to create a map of the solar system using cones. Everyone helped to walk the paces between the sun and the eight planets. It was educational and exciting to be outside and learn about our solar system. The solar beads did change color in the UV rays from our sun, even though it was cloudy they turned pink and blue, and purple. Such a great cosmic adventure! Thank you to Ranger Michael and see you all next month!
The Cobscook Currents 4-H Club headed to Leighton Point to practice their camera skills and take photos for the Washington County 4-H photo contest in July.
News from the State
4-H Summer Learning Series – Register Now!
Maine 4-H is back with another exciting year of hands-on virtual programming with the 4-H Summer Learning Series!
There are workshops for all age ranges!
Cloverbuds can check out barnyard animals or animals under the sea! Go from the garden to the kitchen to learning about the weather!
Youth ages 9 – 11 have lots of fun opportunities too! From a day at the spa to designing a flood-resistant community, or go from embroidering a design to dissecting a squid or an owl pellet! There are so many diverse options!
Ages 12 and up have plenty to do as well! Adulting 101 is back for another year of building relationships and learning life skills! You could also learn to paint Ukrainian eggs, or boost your babysitting skills.
Registration opens for enrolled Maine 4-H members Friday, May 23, 2025, and then to all youth starting June 2. Registration is first-come, first-serve – so sign up soon!
Adulting 101 is Back!
This summer we’re going to start packing our bags to hit the road to adulthood. Join teens from across the state in this virtual series designed to introduce real world skills necessary for #adulting.
Registration opens May 23rd through the Summer Learning Series, open to all Maine youth ages 13 to 18, and closes June 10 on the event webpage: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/summer-learning/
For more information or to request reasonable accommodation, contact 207.324.2814; erin.mcdonald1@maine.edu.
Skip the Stress – Get Into College with 4-H Direct Admissions!
Great news for Maine 4-H high school juniors and seniors: applying to college just got a whole lot easier. With 4-H Direct Admissions, you can be automatically considered for admission to all seven of Maine’s Public Universities—no Common App, no test scores, no essays, no recommendations, and no application fees required!
If you’re enrolled in any 4-H program in Maine, you’re eligible. Just click to opt in, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Click here to opt in. We will do the rest.
Click here to learn more about 4-H Direct Admissions
This is your future—made simple. #BeyondReady
Save the Date! 4-H Sheep and Goat Clinic
Maine 4-H is hosting a sheep and goat clinic on June 8th! Join us at the Cumberland County Fairgrounds for a day of hands on learning. Workshops will be for both new and experienced project members and you don’t need an animal to participate. Registration details will be available soon.
Make Your Voice Heard – 4-H Annual Index Survey Now Open!
We’re inviting youth ages 12–18 to take part in the National 4-H Annual Index Survey—a brief, 8-minute survey that helps measure the impact of 4-H across the country. By participating, your child’s voice will help shape the future of 4-H in Maine and beyond.
Survey Deadline: June 30, 2025
Take the survey here: https://4hcouncil.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_envLlXgHZyRJGXs
By submitting the survey, you’re giving permission for your child to participate. Youth can choose to stop the survey at any time. Let’s make sure Maine youth are represented—thank you for supporting this important effort!
2025 ESE Working Steer Information
The 2025 4-H ESE Working Steer Tryout information as well as updated team information can be found online at umaine.edu/4h/working-steer/. New this year are ESE Working Steer Intent forms, updated tryout requirements, team apprentice guidelines, and volunteer interest forms. If you have any questions, please contact Hillary Arsenault, ESE coordinator, at maineworkingsteer@gmail.com; 207-592-3320 or Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu; 207.342.5971.
Save the Date: Maine 4-H State Dairy Show July 18 – 20
The Maine State 4-H Dairy Show will be held on July 18-20th at the Windsor Fairgrounds. All 4-H dairy project members are invited to attend. There will be a grilled cheese cookoff, a milkshake making contest, and a fitting contest on Saturday followed by a show on Sunday. For more information visit umaine.edu/4h/dairy/maine-4-h-state-dairy-showor contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971; sadee.mehuren@maine.edu.
Smithsonian 4-History Project and 4-H Youth Have A Voice!
We currently have openings for the Smithsonian 4-History Project as part of the 4-H program Youth Have A Voice. In this project, 4-H’ers will conduct research and interviews to learn more about their community and share their findings through a video project with support from 4-H leaders and the Smithsonian team. The project will last from August 2025 to March 2026. See the attached flyer for more information!
Additionally, we have openings in the “traditional” 4-H Youth Have a Voice program for Maine teens (14 -19 years old or entering high school in the fall) who are interested in taking a more active role in serving their local communities, the state, or the country. Participants will learn leadership skills and ways to take part in civic action by completing a service project in a topic of their interest. Topics can range from agriculture, aquaculture, STEM education, animal care, renewable energies, disaster preparation, environmental conservation, food security, and more.
Interested teens should be ready to work both independently and with groups of peers and adults. High school teens can register for the program by completing a non-competitive application found on the program webpage. A three credit Early College course at UMaine in leadership development may also be available for interested students.
If you have any questions, please free to contact Andrew Hudacs, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, (207) 581-8204, andrew.hudacs@maine.edu.
Fast, Affordable, and Impactful: Financial Literacy Training for Mainers
The Maine Business School and University of Maine Cooperative Extension have launched Finances in a Flash, a self-paced online course designed to boost financial literacy in under two hours. Priced at just $24.99, the course covers key financial management topics such as budgeting, cash flow, emergency fund planning, and interpreting financial statements. It’s ideal for small business owners, new agricultural producers, aspiring entrepreneurs, freelancers, professionals, and students entering the workforce.
Participants who complete the course earn a Finances in a Flash micro-badge, a digital credential that signifies proficiency in the basics of financial literacy and business finance. These micro-badges support stackable, skill-based learning and align with the University of Maine System’s commitment to accessible, career-relevant education. Take a proactive step toward financial confidence—register now or contact Laura Wilson at laura.wilson@maine.eduor 207.581.2971 for more information.