logo.tifFocus on Youth
News for OCES staff working with youth 4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership,
citizenship and life skills.

http://agweb.okstate.edu/fourh
November, 2005
Dear Extension Educators, 4-H Youth Development:

Oklahoma was represented at NAE4-HA in Seattle, Washington the first week of November by about a dozen OAE4-HA members. It was a good meeting but certainly did not top the national meeting held in Oklahoma City in 2004. Many people were still wearing their 2004 NAE4-HA conference shirts!

A number of Oklahoma members received recognition. Congratulations go to the following:

Cathy James and Tracy Branch – Achievement in Service Award
Karla Knoepfli & Greg Owen – Distinguished Service Award
Charles Cox – 25 Year Award

There are many categories of national awards where Oklahoma 4-H Educators excel, including:
USDA/Army 4-H Youth Development Salute; Excellence in 4-H Club Support, Educational Technology; Excellence in Teamwork, Natural Resources/Environmental /Stewardship; J.C. Penney 4-H Afterschool; Excellence in Teen programming; and Annie E. Casey Family awards, to name a few. I encourage each of you to select an award category in which to make application next year. Show pride in your programming efforts and apply for these prestigious awards.

Sincerely,
lhsig
Lynda Harriman
Assistant Director
4-H Youth Development
Registration forms and information for the Kansas City conference can be found at
This years’ conference will be held March 8-11, 2006, at the Kansas City Airport Hilton, Kansas City, Missouri. Registration forms and payment are due to the State 4-H office prior to December 9, 2005. If you have questions, please contact Tracy or Judy in the State 4-H office.
Sponsored by Chesapeake Energy Corporation

The following is information about a new program at the OYE. I hope that some 4-H members will seek to win this program.  It would especially be nice to have some 4-H members win the jackets which they are planning to present at the FFA Convention. It would be nice to see some 4-H members recognized at the FFA Convention!

What is it?  The Academic All-State Program is a new program offered through the Oklahoma Youth Expo and Chesapeake Energy Corporation.  This program is designed to provide leadership opportunities as well as prospective internship possibilities to a select group of Oklahoma Youth Expo scholarship applicants.  

Who qualifies for selection?  The Academic All-State Program will consist of 16 members chosen from the top 30 OYE scholarship applicants. Only the top 30 scholarship applicants, as determined by the OYE scholarship judging panel, will be considered for selection.  All 30 applicants selected for interviews will receive a minimum of $2,000 OYE scholarship.  Fourteen of the 16 students chosen as members of the Academic All-State Program will each receive a $5,000 scholarship while the top two members will each receive a $10,000 Express Ranches Scholarship.

How will members be selected?  During the month of January, the Oklahoma Youth Expo judging panel will interview the top 30 scholarship applicants in order to determine the 16 students who will receive the honor of being named to the Academic All-State Program.

What is required and what opportunities are available?  The 16 students chosen for this honor will assist the Oklahoma Youth Expo during their freshman year in college with promoting the OYE and its Scholarship Program.  Students will be involved in public speaking and public relations opportunities and the Advanced College 101 Program.  Members of the Academic All-State Program will also have the unique opportunity to closely experience Oklahoma’s Legislative Process and will have their registration fees covered for their attendance to the Agriculture Future of America Leadership Conference held in Kansas City, Missouri.  Finally, those selected for this honor will be presented with an All-State leather jacket, provided by the sponsorship of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, during a general session of the Oklahoma State FFA Convention.



We would like invite you to check out the new 4-H website. We have kept the same information with a brand new look. You may notice we have tried to reorganize and streamline the site for your convenience.

The website has a new shorter address: http: //oklahoma4h.okstate.edu

However, the old web address will still take you to the same place.
If you find any mistakes we have made in this transition, please let us know.


Congratulations to Alan Vandeventer on receiving this grant for Oklahoma. Thanks also for his contributions and leadership for other staff with military installations.

CSREES National 4-H Headquarters, U. S. Army Child and Youth Services (CYS), and U. S. Air Force Family Member Programs (FMP) continue their commitment to provide military youth around the world the opportunity to experience 4-H clubs. Military 4-H Grants provide funding through State 4-H Military Liaisons, to counties for establishing 4-H clubs on military installations and for integrating these clubs with 4-H programs. This funding also provides 4-H opportunities to youth of National Guard and Reserve members who are more geographically dispersed.

4-H Headquarters, Army CYS, and Air Force FMP have collaboratively provided more than $2 million over 3 years to support 4-H clubs in 31 states and U.S. Territories. While the Army and Air Force have made the commitment to cover all curriculum and registration costs for their youth in 4-H programs, this grant funding is used for staff, enrollment materials, 4-H programs, 4-H media, newsletters, travel for state and county staff to installations, and training for military 4-H leaders.
The states and territory receiving grants in 2006 include:
Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington.

Due to a problem with the tag manufacturer, the deadline for sheep and goat nominations has been extended. All sheep and goat nominations must be postmarked on or before Monday, December12, 2005. Sheep and Goat Nomination Kits are to be requested on or before December 1, 2005.
Please review the Oklahoma Youth Expo scholarship Web-page. This page has been updated to reflect new scholarship opportunities as well as a change in the deadline of the Grand River Dam Authority Scholarship. All Scholarships, with the exception of the Harley Custer Memorial Scholarship, must be postmarked on or before December 15, 2005.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the information above, please feel free contact Show Manager Melissa Eisenhauer, (405) 235-0404.
No. 149—Judging Rangeland for Livestock and Wildlife Values Manual (slt. update) is now available to order. This manual is $2 ea. shipped to Oklahoma county Extension offices.

No. 510—Small Animals “Cats” Manual (no charge) provides excellent information on  background, breeds, training, food, health care, and suggestions for leadership/citizenship activities in a 4-H cat project.

No. 545—Breeds of Swine 4-H Quiz Gram FS (no charge) is available to order and is a good learning tool to help 4-Hers to learn various swine breeds. This fact sheet will also be available on the website.  

No. 541—Horse Quiz Gram FS is also available to order and can be printed from the 4-H website “Literature Online.”

Wood Working Fact Sheets are now on Literature Online. The fact sheets inform how to make wood block bookends, hot pad holder, bird houses, doghouse bookends, fishing rod holder, making a spice shelf, building a dog house, and gun cabinet.

No. 696—4-H Shooting Sports Education Project Manual ($1.25 ea.) is available. These shelved manuals are ordered from Indiana Coop Ext 4-H and used by counties in Oklahoma per county request. This manual provides additional information for the growing 4-H Shooting Sports Program.

No. 151—Let’s Learn about Milk FS is available on POD and 4-H website Literature Online.