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Table of Contents
Focus 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.
June, 2008
Dear
4-H Educators, Members, Volunteers and Parents,
Everyone has a story! During the next year we will be frequently
asking for folks to share the impact of 4-H in their lives. You
may also have something to share about how 4-H is impacting your community
or of how you are sharing the 4-H brand with your world. You
can post your successful programs, samples of ideas that work and just
general good news through the National 4-H Brand Network. This
is also a good way to seek out new ideas that you may want to try. To
learn more visit this website: http://www.4-hbrandnetwork.org/feedback/
Another new and exciting tool that will soon be available is Access 4-H. This
is a social network similar to Facebook, MySpace, and others which will also
provide many other resources for members, parents and volunteers. Imagine
that you are in a rabbit club at Fort Sill and want talk about your rabbits with
other 4-H members with the same kind of rabbit in another part of the country. This
site will be able to help you make that connection. At this time the site
is still under development, and folks over the age of 13 are able to check it
out and test it through the National 4-H Council Website.
Finally, plans are well underway for Roundup. There are many new and exciting
things this year. We will have a great time at the Colvin Center pool and
with many great workshops and events. We are also inviting anyone who wants
to come to the Honor Night Assembly to come and join us this year. If you
have not already begun to make plans to attend, do so! If your county does
not have a point system in order to come, you might also want to talk to your
educators about using this a tool to encourage more teens to come and learn about
4-H.
Sincerely,
Charles Cox
Assistant Director, 4-H Youth Development
Send your Name to the Moon aboard LRO
NASA invites people of all ages to join the lunar exploration journey
with an opportunity to send their names to the moon aboard the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft.
The Send Your Name to the Moon Web site enables everyone to participate
in the lunar adventure and place their names in orbit around the moon
for years to come. Participants can submit their information, print a
certificate and have their name entered into a database. The database
will be placed on a microchip that will be integrated onto the spacecraft.
The deadline for submitting names is June 27, 2008.
For more information about the LRO spacecraft and its mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/main/index.html.
State Recognition of County and Lifetime Volunteers
The State 4-H Volunteer Board is courteously extending the deadline for counties to recognize their volunteers during the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at the Leadership Development Conference July 12, 2008. The Oklahoma Farmers Union graciously sponsors lunch for the recipient and one guest.
Please understand that this individual(s) will not be considered for the district and state awards since this is an extension of the original deadline.
Please use the attached revised form for county volunteer(s) who you want recognized at the luncheon. The form, letter of recommendation from 4-H staff member and a photograph must be received electronically in the State 4-H Office on or before June 13, 2008. This deadline is firm.
We look forward to honoring the outstanding work our local and county volunteers provide the 4-H program.
State 4-H Volunteer Board
National 4-H Conference Applications
National 4-H Conference is a working conference and a training ground for youth who are focused and committed to working for the Oklahoma 4-H program. Funds are being invested in training delegates to return to Oklahoma for the maintenance and implementation of 4-H programming. 2009 delegates will be making more than a personal commitment of their time. Initially delegates will be expected to pay 2/3rds of their transportation, lodging and registration. If the delegate fulfills his/her duties the funds will be reimbursed to the family. The application for 2009 delegates is available online and is due July 1. Interviews will be scheduled and conducted during free time/social activities during Roundup.
Oklahoma’s delegates must be team players. The delegation will function as a team for approximately two years from the time you attend Conference until the Back Home Action Plan is completed. Pre- and post-conference work is mandatory. Delegates will work cooperatively with previous teams in learning, maintaining and coordinating existing programs.
National Conference is an opportunity for youth and adults to solicit input from a diverse cross-section of the Cooperative Extension System and to strengthen and expand the 4-H Youth Development program at local, state, and national levels. National Conference is an intense week of committee work, workshops, legislative visits, and presentations. Delegates will contact and meet with Oklahoma decision makers during their time in our nation’s capital.
Scholarships – 4-H Parent-Volunteer Conference
Oklahoma 4-H received a grant from National 4-H Council, in partnership with Monsanto, to underwrite our State Parent-Volunteer Conference for a second year. The scholarship application is attached or can be downloaded at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/volun/duopp.htm.
“4-H is supported nationwide by a dedicated network of volunteers who know the value of strong, positive youth development. Partners like Monsanto make it possible for 4-H to continue to build and sustain our volunteer base and ensure that even more youth enjoy fulfilling 4-H experiences,” said Donald T. Floyd, Jr., president and chief executive officer, National 4-H Council.
“Monsanto has a long-standing tradition of providing support for 4-H,” noted Jim Tobin, director, biotech business development, Monsanto, who presented the $500,000 training award to 4-H. “Many company employees were 4-H members, and tell us that they credit 4-H for many of the skills they use today to do their jobs—a real credit to the 4-H volunteer leaders who assisted them in their learning process.”
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. For additional information, please visit www.monsanto.com.
Our funding will be used for Langston University and Oklahoma State University to enhance our volunteer certification process by encouraging new volunteers to attend the Conference. Up to one-hundred (100) $30 scholarships would be awarded to “certified 4-H adult volunteers” applying to attend the conference for the first time.
To be eligible for the scholarships the volunteers must all ready be certified – paper work, screening and orientation completed prior to making application. The volunteer must complete the scholarship form and have it signed by the county educator/university representative prior to submitting the scholarship application. Scholarships will be dated as they are received in the state 4-H office.
If awarded a scholarship the volunteer is expected to do a presentation at their local club for parents/volunteers or at a county Parent-Volunteer Association meeting. Scholarships will not be awarded in counties where the 2007 reporting process was not fulfilled.
County educators please be sure volunteers making application are committed to attending and returning home to share their experiences. We want all scholarships to be used the day of the conference. Any one who chooses not to make use of their scholarship will need to notify the state office 1 week prior to the conference so alternates can be notified.
State Parent-Volunteer Conference
"Celebrate the Oklahoma 4-H Tradition" is the theme of the 2008 State Parent-Volunteer Conference. The conference is schedule for July 12, in Stillwater.
Conference program, workshop descriptions and enrollment form are available online http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/volun/eduopp.htm. For the second year, Monsanto scholarships will be available for certified volunteers attending the conference for the first time.
The program and enrollment form were mailed directly to 700 volunteers whose name and address were submitted to the state office as club leaders of “chartered” clubs. Please assist the State 4-H Volunteer Board in promoting the conference to all other parents and volunteers in your county.
Track one will be devoted to sharing events and activities planned for the Oklahoma 4-H Centennial celebration – July 2008 through December 2009. Thirty other workshops are sure to motivate the first time volunteer, as well as challenge the veteran volunteers/educator.
The conference will include door prizes, as well as a silent and live auction. Lisa Totty, Okmulgee County Volunteer has designed and constructed a quilt for the live auction. This one of a kind quilt is in celebration of the Oklahoma 4-H Centennial Celebration. Proceeds from the live auction will go towards the endowment of a Volunteer Development Scholarship with the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation.
During the luncheon Oklahoma 4-H will recognize volunteers who have been selected by their county for Volunteer of the Year and Life-Time Service awards and announce the District and State award recipients.
The early bird enrollment fee of $30 and enrollment form are due on or before June 20. Any enrollment postmarked after June 20th will be responsible for the full enrollment fee of $40.
Ann Knopfel, State 4-H Volunteer Board President
“A Taste for All” - Southern Region 4-H Volunteer Forum
Looking for a way to rejuvenate your enthusiasm as a volunteer or county educator? Rock
Eagle is the place! The best way to describe the experience is 4-H Camp
for Adults. The days are packed with excellent workshops and the evenings
are filled with entertainment and Fun Shops.
The conference will be held in Eatonton Georgia, October 2-5, 2008. Full Conference registration will not exceed $250. A $50 deposit is due July 18, 2008. The remaining balance is due August 22nd. Visit the host state conference site for current information regarding the conference. Oklahoma’s registration information is attached and posted at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/volun/duopp.htm. Participants are responsible for their own transportation. Oklahoma typically travels as a group via air transportation.
The mission of the Southern Region 4-H Volunteer Leader Forum is to increase the capacity of volunteer and salaried staff to contribute to the achievement of the mission of 4-H youth development and the Cooperative Extension system as a whole. The primary purpose of the forum is to educate and prepare participants to share what they learned back home. Participants benefit from the experiential learning activities which require them to discuss, use and apply what they learn. The ultimate application is for individuals and teams to teach others.
SRVLF is an excellent opportunity to meet adult volunteers from 13 southern states, Puerto Rico, Grenada, and the Virgin Islands.
4-H Dime Drop for Habitat for Humanity – Only $3.60 to our GOAL!
Deadlines:
- Club funds and report (down load report form at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/events/dimedrop.htm) due to county office by July 1, 2008.
- All county funds are due to the state office on July 7, 2008 to be eligible for Roundup recognition.
In the fall of 2002, the Oklahoma 4-H Officer Team set the Goal to team with Habitat for Humanity and raise enough money to build one house for a low-income family. In year six of this project, the team’s goal is to see the goal accomplished.
Our goal was to involve half of the youth in our traditional club enrollment - approximately 15,000 of our 31,000 members saving 36 dimes or $3.60 would complete the initial goal of $54,000! This would be a wonderful accomplishment and a substantial gift as we begin our 4-H Centennial Celebration in 2008.
Jerret Sanders, State 4-H President
Each One Reach One
Reports due May 15, 2008. Deadline extended to June 13th. Forms down loadable at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/volun/eachonereachone.htm.
Jerret Sanders, State 4-H President
Centennial Road Trip
In the April issue of Focus on Youth we highlighted the purpose, objective and goals for the Centennial Road Trip. Now for the Road Trip updates and our need from each county.
Train the Trainer Teams - Each district is currently
in the process of recruiting two teams as Train the Trainers (T3
teams). A team is defined as one adult volunteer, one
county educator and 3 youth from geographically different locations throughout
the district. The teams will attend an overnight “Train the
Trainer” workshop on July 18-19 and
in turn plan and conduct a day Road Trip prior to facilitating two simultaneous
state wide trainings in their district on August 16th. The teams or members
of the team will be called upon to present workshops at the county and district
levels from August 2008 – December 2009. Interested parties should contact
their District Program Specialists no later than June 30, 2008.
State-wide Road Trip Training/In-service – On August
16 a live telecast will be conducted from Stillwater and facilitated
by T3 teams on location in two geographically different locations per district. The
training is for teams of club leaders, volunteers, youth and county educators
who want to conduct Road Trips. District Program Specialists are scheduling
the sites within each district.
Registering County Sites/Activities – We are seeking
to identify and post sites with 4-H historical significance, geographical or
geological interest, educational, social/recreational, service opportunity,
or clubs interested in an intrastate exchange experience. The activities/ideas
being posted will be a resource for clubs planning Road Trip activities
on location or in route during a day trip, overnight or multi-day trip.
Adult volunteers, youth and county educators have been assisting us with
this process. A project goal is to have sites identified in all
77 counties. Please work with the county Parent-Volunteer Organization,
Teen Leaders, County Officers, etc. to identify sites by August
1, 2008. The County
Site Registration Form and Intrastate
Exchange Registration forms are attached.
Oklahoma 4-H Centennial Challenge
Are you ready for the Oklahoma 4-H Centennial Challenge? Join Jessica Stewart, state 4-H marketing coordinator, and several Centennial committee members in the Centennial Challenge workshop at the State Parent-Volunteer Conference July 12 in Stillwater. Learn what Velcro, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and the Oklahoma 4-H Centennial have – or should have – in common. Workshops are one hour long and divided into four sessions by district to give you the opportunity to ask questions, provide suggestions, and learn more about Centennial planning. The Oklahoma 4-H Centennial needs YOU to be a success!
2009 4-H Beekeeping Essay Contest Theme is “The Dance Language of Bees"
The 2009 4-H Beekeeping essay contest is “The Dance Language of Bees.” The contest is sponsored by the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees. Essayists are invited to learn about the honey bee's dance language, how it was discovered, how it works and how it provides colonies the ability to find and exploit floral resources. Entries must be submitted to the state 4-H office by February 2. Send attention to Karen Brown. Contest rules are attached.