Several of our colleagues have been recognized for their outstanding accomplishments recently.
Clyde Jackson, 4-H CYFAR Coordinator in Fairfax, was elected President-Elect of NAE4-HA during the national conference in Seattle, October 30-November 3. Clyde is the 3rd Virginian to hold this title. He also was the recipient of the NAE4-HA Meritorious Service Award.
Leslie Prillaman, 4-H Agent-Roanoke, and Ruth Wallace, 4-H Agent-Buckingham, were both awarded the NAE4-HA Distinguished Service Award.
Billie Jean Elmer, 4-H Agent-Surry, and Mary Elizabeth Williams, 4-H Agent-Clarke, were both awarded the NAE4-HA Achievement in Service Award for early career professionals
The 4-H Virtual Forest Interactive Web-Based Program won the NAE4-HA National Communicator Team Award, which was developed and produced by the Virginia 4-H program.
Marcia Meador, 4-H Agent--Charles City/New Kent, was awarded the NAE4-HA 25 Year Service Award.
Elwanda Luttrell, 4-H Volunteer in Frederick County, was awarded her 45 Years of Service to Virginia 4-H pin at the Fall Conference of the Virginia Association of Adult 4-H Volunteers (VAA4-HVL) in Charlottesville.
Dale Nixon, 4-H Volunteer--Hampton, was installed as President of the 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association at the VAA4-HVL Spring Conference in Charlottesville.
Rose Talbott, 4-H Volunteer with Virginia Beach, was awarded the Outstanding District Volunteer of the Year Award for 2005, representing the Southeast District; Jean Powers, Virginia Beach 4-H Volunteer was awarded the State Outstanding Volunteer Leader Award for 2005. Both were honored at the VAA4-HVL Spring Conference in Charlottesville.
Cynthia Rowles, 4-H Agent--Frederick, was honored by receiving the Outstanding District Agent Award for 2005. Cynthia is from the Northwest District.
Dianette Ferguson, 4-H Agent-Suffolk, was awarded the State Outstanding 4-H Agent for 2005.
Congratulations to all these 4-H folks. We look forward to having more awards announced in the future, reflecting on the good contributions that staff are making on behalf of youth and adults involved in 4-H. 4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills.
Bob Meadows
New All Stars will be tapped during State 4-H Congress next summer. If I can help you with answers to specific questions, please let me know. We hope to have lots of 4-H All Star nominations, both member and volunteer, for 2006. (Carol Nansel)
The Wizards are offering reduced-price tickets, free food coupons, special half time recognition of 4-H and a post-game activity for 4-H members. In addition, every ticket sold will provide a $2 donation to the Virginia 4-H Foundation. Groups of 40 also receive two free tickets. Go to the 4-H web site http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/ and click on the Wizards logo to access a ticket ordering form. December 16th is the ticket ordering deadline.
This promotional offering is open to any 4-H member and their family, volunteer leaders and their family, 4-H friends and Extension employees. Basically anyone who is a part of or supports 4-H is invited to take advantage of this offer!
This could be a great unit-wide 4-H outing. Consider a caravan or a bus trip. Make a day or weekend of it in the DC area! Partner with 4-h programs in neighboring units. Obviously there are many citizenship learning opportunities in the DC area. The National 4-H Center would make a nice place for lodging of 4-H groups. (http://www.4hcenter.org/)
This event is a great marketing opportunity for 4-H, plus it will provide our Foundation with a valuable contribution and provide 4-H members and supporters an exciting family or club outing at a reasonable cost!
We had several hundred 4-H supporters attend last year! We hope you will consider joining in on the fun!
For more information refer to the flyer on the Virginia 4-H web page http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/ or contact : Pete Leibman of the Washington Wizards: Phone: (202) 628-3200 x 3835 or email: leibman@washsports.com (Joe Hunnings)
The IRS has assigned a Federal Income Tax Group Exemption Number to 4-H which must be used by all 4-H Clubs and affiliated 4-H organizations when filing or corresponding with the IRS. This information has been sent to each unit 4-H office and may be obtained from the respective unit 4-H agent or 4-H program assistant in charge of the unit 4-H program. Please check with your local office for further details. (Bob Meadows)
The CYFAR 2006 Program Showcase provides an opportunity for Extension professionals and others from across the nation to display their work being conducted through CYFAR on behalf of children, youth, and families at risk. All Program Showcase proposals are reviewed by the same committee reviewing workshop, poster and computer lab proposals to ensure high quality presentations.
The Research Presentations at CYFAR 2006 will feature nationally known youth and family researchers presenting their findings with application to CYFAR programming. Research presenters are designated by the Conference Planning Committee. Their selection is based on issues pertinent to CYFAR programming.
CYFAR 2006 provides an exciting opportunity for Extension staff, collaborators, and volunteers working toward the CYFAR mission, to learn and to share resources with colleagues and collaborators across the nation. The conference brings together the resources of CYFERnet with the community and state Extension faculty who build and sustain effective programs for at risk children and their families.
CYFAR 2006 is planned for:
South Dakota, home of Mt. Rushmore the Shrine of Democracy, is excited to be the host for the 2006 National 4-H Camping Institute. Plans are underway to make sure all attendees have a Monumental Experience. The National 4-H Camping Institute will be held February 17-21, 2006 at the Cedar Canyon Wesleyan Camp in the heart of the beautiful Black Hills. At this time we are looking for workshop proposals from individuals interested in sharing their camping knowledge with the camping enthusiasts attending. Please take the time to visit the South Dakota 4-H Website at http://4h.sdstate.edu and go to the National Camping Institute link to fill out the Call For Proposals and return it to the address on the form. We would like to encourage you to visit our website often to find out what to expect and when things are going to happen as final plans develop.
For more information contact LaDonna McKnight at 605-673-4971 or email at mcknight.ladonna@ces.sdstate.edu. We look forward to seeing you in the beautiful Black Hills in February. (Barry Garst)
I was also impressed with the professionalism and maturity of the Virginia 4-Hers. Each exhibited with the grace of true winners whether they finished with a blue ribbon or a mission endured! I never heard a complaint about the lack of tack stalls - thank you for your sharing nature - and more than once I heard stories of 4-Hers that were helping their fellow 4-Hers overcome a challenge during the weekend!
I relished the opportunity to meet many of you and apologize for the lack of time to allow me to meet and get to know all of you, however, I look forward to strengthening friendships in the years to come! I also apologize for the excessive use of exclamation points but it is the only way to adequately express via email the impact that you all have made on me!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO BETTER VIRGINIA'S YOUTH! (Celeste Crisman)
If you click on the above link and you don't get to the website, then copy and past the above link to your web browser and you will get there! Sometimes the hyperlinks don't transfer correctly. (Celeste Crisman)
Team A: Caitlin Flathers, Danielle Minnick, Marilea Showalter, Maggie Gregg
Team B: Leighann Smith, Claye Paca, Margaret Paca
Both teams did an outstanding job and brought home a wealth of goods ranging from scholarships, duffle, tote and hanging bags, saddle bags, gift certificates, hats, t-shirts, leather therapy products along with the LARGE, coveted pewter horse trophy that attracted quite a bit of attention in the airports!
Please congratulate these team members on their hard work and accomplishments and begin to ready your county teams for next year! (Celeste Crisman)
Hippology Competition - 21 teams competing!
Holly Bleck
Hannah Lowson
Raty Syka
Tara Odonnell
Team Demonstrations - 17 teams competing
Julie Carrington
Andy Carrington
Horse Judging - 20 teams competing
Caitlin Flathers
Marilea Showalter
Maggie Gregg
Danielle Minnick
There accomplishments were huge and please join me in congratulating them! These 4-Hers have worked diligently and we are all very proud of their accomplishments - Virginia's finest continues the winning tradition..........! Detailed Results are attached.
I challenge our Volunteer leaders will begin working with your 4-Her's in all of the available competition areas as I would love to see Virginia representation in all competition categories for next year!!!
Special thanks to those who coached and traveled with the various teams throughout the year - Bertha Durbin, Carrie Swanson, Anne-Carter and Cabel Carrington, Yvonne Miller, Andrea Weis and Julie Williamson. Your devotion to Virginia's youth has and will continue to positively impact their lives forever!! Once again, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!! (Celeste Crisman)
National & Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world, mobilizes young people to identify and address community needs through service, supports youth on a life-long path of service and civic engagement, and educates the public about the role of youth as leaders and assets.
Local service activities are a normal part of 4-H club programs. The goal in 2006 is to have every Unit 4-H program involved in service learning activities on the weekend of National & Global Youth Service Day. This will enable Virginia 4-H for the first time to join together across the state in service to our communities and to capture the impacts of those efforts.
Planning Tool Kits, Service-Learning Curriculum Guides, posters, grants, and more are available for youth, parents, teachers, and organizations. The state office will be sharing these resources with you shortly.
Plan now to involve your 4-H clubs in the National & Global Youth Service Day set for April 21-23, 2006 (Joe Hunnings)
IFYE Representative: Participants between the ages of 19-30 can experience life in another country first-hand by living with host families from 3 to 6 months. This is not the typical tourist's eye view of a foreign land, but a chance to participate in daily living and learn about the customs and culture of another country while sharing about your life in the United States.
IFYE Ambassador: For youth between the ages of 15-24, this program features a summer abroad. The purpose of he program is to assist youth in acquiring knowledge, developing skills and forming attitudes that will help them become productive citizens of the global community.
Countries participating in the above two exchanges may include, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Jamaica, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
Japanese Exchange: Youth between the ages of 13-18 will spend a month in Japan, departing Virginia in mid-July. Besides living with a host family, they will attend a week of camp and visit places of interest in the area where their host families live. An additional two-week extension to attend the Nihongo (Japanese) Institute for indepth language and culture study is also available.
Hosting: Unable to travel at this time or past the age range? Then you can still participate by letting the world come to you. Host families are needed for periods of two to four weeks. Host families receive advance info on the delegate. This is a great chance to experience another culture without leaving home. Both urban and rural families are needed. Why not welcome an international visitor into your home in 2006?
High School Exchange: There is also a high exchange for hosting delegates for the school year from Japan and former Soviet republics such as Azerbaijan, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Kazahkstan, Turjikistan, Ukraine, etc.
The deadline to apply as an outbound Representative or Ambassador is January 15 and for Japan is February 15. Host family applications are due by April 1. For more information, contact your unit Cooperative Extension Office or State Coordinator Dottie Nelson, P.O. Box 144, Bland, VA 24315, work 800-752-0673 or home 276-688-4028, or email dottieifye@yahoo.com. (Dottie Nelson)
Founded in 1904 on 50 acres on the outskirts of Thessaloniki, the American Farm School is a private, nonprofit high school boarding school in northern Greece primarily serving the rural population of Greece and the Balkans. The campus now includes 320 acres, which includes some land for small farming and horticulture projects for the students to learn about and appreciate agriculture. Since 1970, the school has offered "Greek Summer," a unique experience for inbounds from other countries allowing them to live with a Greek village family, assist with a needed village project, and enjoy the historic sites and natural beauty of Greece.
Josh is looking forward to ten months in Greece so that he can expand on his Classical Studies of Greece and update it to the 21st century and on a personal level. Josh will have many weekends free and some holidays in order to explore some of the country on his own or visit students' families.
Bon Voyage to Josh! (Dottie Nelson)
We are tentatively planning two additional trainings at this time...one in Rifle at the Lafayette Gun Club on the outskirts of Newport News before the end of the year and one in Northern Virginia (rifle and archery) in mid January - possible the Fredericksburg area. More details later...
Please mark your calendars for the weekend of February 3 - 5, 2006. That is our annual work weekend and shooting education council meeting. I would like to reserve a two hour block of time during that weekend for a meeting of all training team members. The National 4-H Shooting Sports Committee has come up with a new idea - they will be sending a team to each state to do a "program review." The main focus of the "program review" will be state workshops (in Virginia we call them Instructor Certification Weekends). This "team" will be looking at how we conduct our General Session and how we conduct our Discipline Sessions including course outlines, use of national curriculum (instructor manuals), practicums, credentials of training team members, etc.
We need to get our "ducks in a row!" PLEASE NOTE: This program review is meant to "enhance" our program; it is not meant to be punitive. We need to make sure our youth, our volunteers and our state and national donors are getting the "biggest bang for their time commitment and bucks!" Did you know that a half million dollar endowment has been set up at the national level for 4-H Shooting Sports thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ron Coburn of Salvage Arms?
However, if we are not meeting the national minimum standards, our State 4-H Program Leader (Dr. Bob Meadows) will be hearing about it!
Not sure of the time frame for program reviews (I would guess over a period of several years), but it might be best if we get started now and make sure we are ready when they visit Virginia. Would love for Virginia to be a "model" for other states!
Thanks again to all of you that served on the training team this year and I look forward to working with the rest of you at upcoming events. ... (Jinx Baney)
Youth and adults will have the opportunity to participate in workshops covering a variety of natural resources topics such as wildlife ID, tree ID, intro to GPS, map and compass, roadkill, wildlife habitat, collecting wildlife specimens, sounds of the night, cruising timber, fish ID, reptiles and amphibians, butterflies, wildlife calls, and much more. Group demonstrations may include falconry, taxidermy, and hunting and trapping. There will also be many fun activities such as a night hike, nature crafts, and habitat enhancement projects.
All meals, lodging, and activities are included. Participants must bring clothing appropriate for the weather as many classes will be outside regardless of the weather. They must also bring a sleeping bag, pillow, and personal items. It is recommended that each person bring a "travel mug" for hot chocolate, tea, and coffee to help save on the use of paper products. A brochure with registration information will be sent to each Extension Office via email and will also be in the December 4-H Information newsletter.
This event is designed as an introduction to 4-H Natural Resources programs. Intro classes on forestry judging, Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP), Soils judging, and Envirothon will all be offered. New 4-H Agents are welcome to attend to learn more about programs that they can offer in their counties.
Pre-registration is required. The cost of the weekend is $78.00 per person (includes all meals, lodging, workshops, and activities) regardless of arrival and departure time and date.
Please share this information with your 4-H members and volunteers and remind them that the registration deadline is January 9th.
For more information, contact Jennifer Mercer, Extension Agent, 4-H; Augusta County; jamercer@vt.edu or 540/245-5750 (Jennifer Mercer)
White pine- for Blue Ridge counties and west
Hardwood seedlings- for targeted Chesapeake Bay counties in Tidewater and the Shenandoah Valley- Accomack, Augusta, Chesapeake, Clarke, Frederick, Gloucester, Hampton, Isle of Wight, James City, Lancaster, Middlesex, Newport News, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northumberland, Page, Portsmouth, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Virginia Beach, Warren and York
For pine seedlings, Extension Agents must consolidate orders from their county and send one request to the local Virginia Department of Forestry forester by Jan. 15. More information: http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/environment/pineseed/
For hardwood seedlings, Extension Agents must consolidate orders from their county and send one request to Jeff Kirwan by Jan. 15. More information: http://teacherbridge.cs.vt.edu/public/projects/NOAA+Project/Free+Seedlings
New! Leaders Guide to handling seedlings: http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/environment/pineseed/leadersguide.pdf (Jeffery Kirwan)
Please note: Seedlings are provided through a cooperative arrangement with the Virginia Department of Forestry, and with funding from the US Forest Service and Neff Lumber Co., Harrisonburg, VA. (Jeffrey L. Kirwan,)
Click here for Informational Brochure. Please note that registration (and other forms) and payment are being collected through the Washington County Extension Office. Registration deadline is January 27, 2005. For more information, please contact Katie Eide at keide@vt.edu or (276) 608-8413. (Barry Garst)
Other Character Counts! Resources Needed
Please promote this opportunity to interested families and school systems in your unit. (Andrea Johnson)
NJHA programs are designed to help young people obtain a basic understanding of, and develop skills in the ever expanding art and science of horticulture. These programs help the horticultural industry by training and recruiting youth in many specialized fields of horticulture. http://www.njha.org/
For 2006, the PSECC will initially put its primary focus on one contest in particular. It is called the "Horticulture Contest." Here is how NJHA describes that contest:
Purpose: The production, marketing, and buying of horticultural crops (fruits & nuts, vegetables & herbs, flowers & indoor plants, and trees & shrubs) requires a detailed knowledge of many subject matter disciplines. The horticulture contest is a training program that teaches individuals to recognize and judge the quality of some of the most important horticultural crops produced and/or consumed in North America. Participants must also be able to answer questions and solve problems on horticultural subjects. 4-H teams are made up of 3 to 4 individuals, 15-20 years of age.
Plans are to encourage the creation of 4-H Horticulture teams at the unit level and the development of a Horticulture Contest at the district and state levels in 2006. The state winning team will be financially supported to attend the NJHA national convention held in the fall of the year and participate in the national contest. District 4-H contests are typically held between March and May of each year and of course Congress is held in June and is where we have state level competitions.
Environmental Horticulture agents, Master Gardener Coordinators and MG volunteers are all being encouraged to work with 4-H agents and volunteer leaders to form and train 4-H Horticulture Contest teams and to assist with the Horticulture Contest at district and state levels.
Additional information about NJHA and the Horticulture Contest will be provided to 4-H agents and others in the near future. In the mean time, if you would like to learn more, please contact Joe Hunnings (hunnings@vt.edu; 540-231-6371). (Joseph R. Hunnings)
To learn more about 4-H JMG programs, contact me, Joe Hunnings at 540-231-9410 or hunnings@vt.edu (Joe Hunnings)
Virginia Cooperative Extension has developed the America's Anniversary Garden to help individuals, communities, and groups mark America's 400th Anniversary with a signature garden planting. The signature gardens will have red, white, and blue color schemes. All across Virginia, city and town entrance corridors, public gardens, sidewalk containers, hanging baskets, residential lawns, and other forms of gardens and landscapes will display the colorful theme in 2006 and 2007.
4-H Clubs should consider planting an America's Anniversary Garden as a service project in their communities. Doing the planting on National & Global Youth Service Day set for April 21-23, 2006 would be great timing! For more information about the garden see VCE pub 426-210. (Joe Hunnings)
This event will be a rewarding, hands-on experience for youth interested in science activities. Participants may register at a cost of $70.00 which includes all activities planned for both Friday and Saturday, March 24-25, 2006. All interested individuals should contact Airfield 4-H Center at (757) 899-4901 to request registration information. The registration deadline for participants is March 17, 2006. (Andrea Johnson)
If you have a question about the ESRI GIS Grants for 4-H, send an email to 4-HGIS_external@esri.com or go to ESRI 4-H Web site. To learn more about 4-H GIS/GPS Integration Projects, contact Tom Tate, CSREES national program leader. (Joseph R. Hunnings)
National Gardening Association presents the Youth Garden Grant Program
NGA is delighted to announce that The Home Depot has returned as our Youth Garden Grants sponsor for 2006. Over the last 22 years, NGA's Youth Garden Grants program has helped more than 1.2 million youngsters reap rewards and vital life lessons from working in gardens and habitats, and thanks to the generosity of The Home Depot, we can reach many more eager young learners. NGA awards Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered, outdoor garden programs. In evaluating grant applications, priority will be given to programs that emphasize one or more of these elements:
Prize Structure
In 2006, 150 programs will receive Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of gardening materials and supplies particular to the needs of their program, and an activity package from NGA. Each award package includes:
How to Apply
Who should apply: Schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and intergenerational groups throughout the United States are eligible. Applicants must plan to garden in 2006 with at least 15 children between the ages of three and 18 years. Previous Youth Garden Grant winners who wish to reapply must wait one year and have significantly expanded their garden programs.
Award categories: Youth Garden Grants will be awarded to 1) start-up programs that are just beginning or have yet to break ground, and 2) established programs that have completed one or more outdoor garden seasons.
Application Deadlne: Applications must be postmarked and mailed no later than November 30, 2005.
For more information go to this web site: http://assoc.garden.org/grants/ (Joseph R. Hunnings)
Wildlife Habitat Grant
The Virginia 4-H NREE grant provides up to $1,500 for projects that enhance wildlife habitat and understandings among Virginia youth. Last year, everyone who applied received at least partial funding! Applications were sent last week via e-mail from Barry Fox to 4-H Extension Agents. Let me know if you need a copy and I will e-mail it to you. Jkirwan@vt.edu (Jeff Kirwan)
Schoolyard Habitat Grant
Checkout this national program to provide funding for schoolyard habitat. Go on-line for information and to apply on-line: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=AboutLowes/outdoor/index.html
(Jeffrey L. Kirwan, Ph.D)
Possible Funding Opportunity For After-School Programs
Virginia 4-H has just received an opportunity to use grants, up to eleven, to create FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams for the 2005 fall season. The Grants cover $500 of the $630 costs of creating a new FLL team. http://fundingopps.cos.com/alerts/21285
Director's Letter
Calendar of Events
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