4-H News in Washington County – January 2026
Dates to Remember
January 10: Oh YEA 4-H Teens-Teach-Tech- Princeton
January 15: 2026 Maine 4-H Beef ESE Intent to Participate
January 17: Oh YEA 4-H Teens-Teach-Tech- Milbridge
January 21: 4-H Volunteer Connections
January 22, 29 and February 5: Farm Animal Care FUNdamentals 4-H SPIN Club
January 23: 4-H Science Friday: Coastal Watersheds
January 25: Speak Up, Maine 4-H! Public Speaking Workshop, Hancock County
February 17-20: Winter Ecology Camp
February 17-20: Winter STEM Virtual Workshop Series
March 6: Speak Up, Maine 4-H! Public Speaking Tournament Registration Deadline
March 14: Speak Up, Maine 4-H! Public Speaking Tournament in Calais
March 15: Speak Up, Maine 4-H! Public Speaking Tournament in Calais Snow Date
April 10-15: 4-H Conference in Washington DC
April 11: Speak Up, Maine 4-H! State Public Speaking Tournament in Orono
April 12: Speak Up, Maine 4-H! State Public Speaking Tournament in Orono Snow Date
November 27-December 1: 4-H Congress
4-H Science Fridays are back for 2026!
Engage in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) topics and skills with 4-H staff and volunteers throughout the 2026 year! Targeted for youth ages 9-14, this program allows youth to explore a variety of STEAM projects through hands-on activities that build curiosity, confidence and a growth mindset.
Each month 4-H Science Fridays will have a specific theme. We will meet for an hour and a half, 3-4:30pm, at the University of Maine at Machias. The program is free, registration is encouraged, as the maximum number of participants is 20.
Goals
- Become more familiar with the University of Maine at Machias campus
- Engage in high quality STEAM activities that relate to youth interests and sparks
- Promote interest and enjoyment in STEAM
- Foster a sense of belonging with peers and adults
January 23, 2026: Coastal Watersheds
Explore coastal watersheds using a 3D enviroscape model! Youth will interact with the model to demonstrate coastal pollution sources and prevention, while gaining understanding about watersheds.
Register for the January session and find out about more upcoming sessions on the 4-H Science Fridays website!
Speak Up, Maine 4-H! Public Speaking Workshop – DATE CHANGE!
Hancock County will be hosting a public speaking workshop on Sunday, January 25th, from 2:00 – 4:30 pm. Washington County 4-H’ers are invited to attend! By attending this workshop, youth will begin to learn what it takes to give a good presentation and get the chance to practice the skills they learn in small groups! Small snacks and refreshments will be provided. Space is limited, so sign up today on the Hancock County Public Speaking website to reserve your place or contact the Extension Office at 207.667.8212.
Speak Up, Washington County 4-H!
Do you have youth who LOVE to talk? Can’t wait to share their spark? Or maybe just want to step out of their comfort zone? Join us for a wonderful showcase of everyone’s sparks through our Speak Up Showcase!
This year, we’ve made a few exciting changes to our program, and we can’t wait to see what our 4-Her’s make of them. First, our judging sheets have received a little update. These new sheets have ample space for judges’ feedback and include a few new aspects for judging presentations. Be sure to check them over as you begin to prepare for the showcase this year.
In addition to the new feedback forms, we also have a new category! Youth asked and we heard loud and clear that they were in need of additional avenues to share their sparks. This year, we are launching the Performing Arts category – it’s time for our musicians, dancers, actors, singers, and more to shine!
For more information about the county event and to register visit the Speak Up, Washington County 4-H! Webpage. The registration deadline is Friday, March 6th.
Save the Date: All of our 4-H youth are invited to prepare for this year’s Washington County 4-H Speak Up Showcase, which will be held on Saturday, March 14 at 1pm at the Washington County Community College. For those who qualify – the state Speak Up Showcase will be held on Saturday, April 11th at the University of Maine in Orono. The snow date is Sunday, April 12. Stay tuned for events and details on our website soon.
Cobscook Institute, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Downeast Coastal Conservancy and 4-H are partnering to give you the best winter ecology experience possible! This camp is for youth ages 11-14 and will take place over February break, Feb. 17-20 from 12-4 p.m. at Cobscook Institute. Youth will take to the outdoors to learn about animal tracking, animal adaptations, snow and ice science, and the subnivean zone. For more information and to register visit Cobscook Institute’s Winter Ecology camp page.
Tractor Supply Company Paper Clover Campaign
2025 celebrated 15 years of partnership between Tractor Supply Company (TSC) and National 4-H Council. Washington County’s TSC is in Calais and each year they welcome 4-H with open arms, collaboratively striving to provide opportunities for local 4-H’ers. Donations from the Paper Clover Campaign fund local scholarships for youth for camp, national trips, leadership opportunities and more. Thank you all for your support!
Lubec Community Outreach Center Engagement Night
Last month 4-H joined Lubec Community Outreach Center’s (LCOC) Parent Engagement Night where families participated in activities, games, and workshops, while they could see what youth have been up to during their time in LCOC’s afterschool program. Gabby, 4-H Professional, was there helping youth and families make solstice lanterns. Lanterns and candles are often used during the solstice and winter months to bring more light into our shortened days. Gabby will be there this month with model ice cores, to explore how we can learn about the history of an environment from layers of ice.
Club Updates
In November and December youth gathered at Calais Elementary School where they created crafts inspired from cultures around the world. Throughout the weeks youth used their hands to make art, their health to play collaborative games, their heart to learn about other cultures, and their head to problem solve their innovative ideas.
In December teens visited Downeast Salmon Federation in East Machias to learn not only about the current projects and operations, but also how each staff ended up in their position today. Teens learned how the organization juggles hatchery operations, habitat and land conservation, and outreach. The group even braved the cold temps to take water samples from the East Machias River.
Oh YEA 4-H is heating up for the new year and trying to keep warm in this especially cold winter. We have not yet created our calendar of events for the upcoming semester, but we are meeting with our community partner, Mano en Mano, this month to get it ready.
We closed out 2025 with a very cold foraging hike for wreath-making materials, accompanied by Jasmine Haines from Healthy Acadia and funded by the Onion Foundation. We held an amazing traditional Ukrainian egg decorating workshop with Tanya Zivkovic at Calais Elementary School. We also attended the tranquil studio of Schoodic Arts for All with Anna Woolf in Winter Harbor, ME for a ceramic-making seminar to make drinking vessels for bees, important pollinators in our ecosystem.
This Saturday, Jan. 10 , the Princeton OH YEA 4-H will have their first installment of Teens-Teach-Tech with Ed Latham and Milbridge OH YEA 4-H will have their second installment the following week, Jan. 17 . The 4-H teens are building computers in the first class and installing the operating system in the second lesson.
To close out the month, 4-H will be providing assistance at The Maine Agricultural Trade Show at the Augusta Civic Center Jan. 13 through the 15. Hold tight for our new calendar of events because it’s going to be packed! If your youth is between 8 and 18 and is interested in learning more about Oh YEA 4-H, contact the UMM Cooperative Extension at (207) 255-3345 and ask for Jason Palomo.
News from the State
Farm Animal Care FUNdamentals 4-H SPIN Club
Are you interested in learning about livestock animals (such as cows, goats, or sheep)? How do we care for them? How do you know what to feed them, how do you actually do regular health checks and have proper housing? Join the 4-H Animal Science SPIN club. We will have 3 virtual sessions focused on what livestock need to live a healthy life and one field day that provides hands-on experience. Set yourself up for success in your 4-H project by learning the basics of animal care. Participants do not need any prior animal experience or currently own livestock to participate. This is a beginner/introductory level program.
This is a free opportunity for youth ages 9 – 18. Virtual sessions will be Thursdays, January 22, 29th, February 5, 2026, 4:00-5:15 pm. February 12th will be an optional session for youth who intend to participate in a 4-H livestock project. The final session will be geared towards youth who are beginning their journey into raising livestock. Learn More and Register Here before January 9, 2026.
Winter STEM Virtual Workshop Series
When: February 17, 18, 19, 20 from 10am to 11:15am
Where: This virtual series will meet on zoom
Cost: Free
This February, ignite a new appreciation for winter! Join our hands-on, curiosity-driven virtual science series designed for youth ages 10 and up. Through guided inquiry, investigation, and observation, we will explore all the wonders of the cold season. Get ready to transform your view of winter! Register here by February 3, 2026 or contact emily.booth@maine.edu for more information.
4-H Public Speaking Update
You asked, we’re excited! Performing Arts demonstrations will now be part of Speak Up, Maine 4-H the statewide Public Speaking Program.
From dramatic monologues to musical performances, this creative category is your time to express yourself and share your spark center stage.
Performing Arts demonstrations include:
– a spoken introduction
– your performance
– and a spoken conclusion
Save the Date! The State Showcase will take place on April 11th (Snow Date April 12th).
Specific details, including updated evaluation tools and judges’ support for all categories, will be available soon on the Speak Up, Maine 4-H website and through county staff. Stay tuned!
Maine 4-H ESE Beef Intent to Participate Forms are Now Available
The 2026 Maine 4-H Beef ESE Intent to Participate form is now available online and must be submitted by January 15, 2026. This is a requirement for all youth intending to participate as members of the Maine 4-H Beef Team at the Eastern States Exposition in September. Youth must be 12-18 years old as of December 31, 2025 and have completed one year in a beef project prior to this year. Please contact Kristen Grondin, grondin@maine.edu, 207-581-8193, or Cathy Bartlett Gray, cathy.gray@maine.edu, 207-743-6329 with any questions.
2026 Maple Sugaring 101: From Sap, to Syrup, to Sales
Maple Sugaring 101 is a virtual program open to Maine youth ages 10+ who are interested in learning about the entire maple sugaring process and how to create a commercial grade syrup. Participants will learn about forest management, tapping trees, transporting sap, using an evaporator, grading and storing syrup, and operating a maple sugaring business. The program will be three one-hour sessions on Zoom, one session per week, during the afternoon. Exact dates will be released in January 2026.
Each week, participants will learn about the process and connect with other young maple sugar makers through online meetings led by University of Maine Cooperative Extension experts. This program will also prepare youth for a new Level 1 digital badge called 4-H Foundations of Maple Sugaring Enterprise. Youth who complete the program will get free access to the learning modules to earn the digital badge.
Independent club members or youth who are interested in the program but are not a member of a participating club are welcome to register!
If you are interested in this program, please complete the interest form so we can follow up with you about registration:
Club leaders who would like to have their club participate in this program, please contact your 4-H County Professional or Andrew Hudacs by Monday, January 26, 2026: hudacs@maine.edu, (207) 581-8204. For more information, please visit the Maple Sugaring 101 webpage.
4-H Foundations of Maple Sugaring Enterprise Micro-Credential
The University of Maine System (UMS) 4-H Foundations of Maple Sugaring Enterprise Micro-credential is a learning pathway for teenage youth to learn the essential aspects of the maple industry. Students completing the program demonstrate the foundational knowledge and skills to work in a maple forest, sugarhouse, and produce commercial-grade maple syrup and value-added food products. Additionally, participants understand how skills and traits gained during work in the maple industry are transferable to other workplace situations.
Students ages 14+ may enroll in the micro-credential pathway and learn the material through an instructor-led class or by self-study.
Link to 4-H Foundations of Maple Sugaring Enterprise Micro-credential webpage.
Students progressing along the micro-credential pathway will earn and receive a digital badge at each milestone they achieve. There are three digital badge levels of knowledge and skills on the pathway that must be completed before proceeding to the next level. All three levels cover learning topics for working in the woods, the sugarhouse, the kitchen, and operating a business. The three units for each digital badge and learning level are called “Woods Work”, “The Sugarhouse”, and “Kitchen and Business”.
The 4-H Maple Sugaring 101 virtual program will prepare students for the Level 1 digital badge.
The Level 1 knowledge exam is the first of three parts required to earn the full micro-credential. There is no cost to enroll and take the Level 1 assessment. After passing this test, students can then demonstrate their skills with an approved instructor to complete Levels 2 and 3.
To learn more or to sign up for the pathway, please email hudacs@maine.edu or by phone, 207.581.8204.
ESE 4-H Dairy Team Intent Forms are Due March 1, 2026
The 2026 Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States intent to participate form is available online. In order to be eligible for participation on the Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States Team next fall, 4-H members must submit their completed intent form online or to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office before March 1, 2026.
Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 with any questions.
4-H Volunteer Corner: Your corner for connection, tips, and tricks!
Fuel the Spark!
Okay, Maine 4-H volunteers- we have shared information about “youth sparks” in our past three editions of the 4-H Volunteer Corner. Now it’s YOUR TURN- tell us how YOU are helping to support or fuel a youth spark! Fill out this short form to highlight one example of youth spark and the role you played, and your name will be entered into a drawing for some cool 4-H swag! YOU MAKE a difference! Tell us how you do it!
4-H Volunteer Huddle:
Join us for a short “gather and learn session” to help you up your game. We meet on the first Friday of each month from 12:00-12:30 pm via Zoom. Whether you are an experienced 4-H volunteer or just getting started, there’s something for everyone. We’d love to see you there! No registration required! An email will be sent to you with the Zoom link.
February 6, 2026- Igniting Youth Sparks: Hands-On Strategies for 4-H Volunteers Discover how to identify and nurture the unique passions, interests, and talents—“sparks”—that inspire young people to thrive. Get hands-on activities and strategies for igniting and sustaining youth sparks in their 4-H clubs.
4-H Volunteer Connections
January 21, 2026 Volunteer Excellence: Recognizing Achievement, Inspiring Growth
6:30-8:00pm. Free to attend, but registration is required! Register here!
Your Voice is Needed! Passionate about 4-H Poultry & Rabbit Projects?
Help shape the new 4-H poultry and rabbit tracks that will debut at Eastern States in 2026! We are forming planning committees for each species and are looking for knowledgeable, enthusiastic 4-H volunteers and interested youth to join us in developing high-quality, engaging opportunities for 4-H members across the region. Join one of our upcoming drop-in virtual information sessions to learn more. We’d love to have your experience, creativity, and passion at the table! Contact Sadee Mehuren, sadee.mehuren@maine.edu 207.342.5971
Info Session Dates: Jan 6, 2026 06:00 PM, Jan 22, 2026 06:00 PM
Zoom Link: https://maine.zoom.us/j/84571900345?pwd=r3r8fH1VVWNHu7AtR6h2MIam8b9oPw.1
Password: 058775
Resource Spotlight
4-H Club Leader Handbook is a resource designed to help new club leaders get off to a strong start, containing specific information for facilitating the 4-H club model. Check out this amazing resource online or contact your county office for a printed copy.