The 4-H Update
March 4, 2022
Gears In Motion 4-H Club Advances to World Championship
Gears In Motion 4-H Club won the First Place Champions Award and the Robot Performance Award at the Nebraska State competition on Saturday, February 25, 2022, held at Raising Nebraska in Grand Island. The Champion Award is presented to the team that demonstrates having a balanced, strong performance across all judging categories – Core Values, Robot Design, Innovation Project, and Robot Performance. Gizmo Gang, competitive team name, will advance to the FIRST Championship World Festival in Houston where they will compete against 100 teams from around the world.
In addition, the teams Innovative Project, earned the Global Innovation Award Nomination at the State Competition. The team has been invited to participate in a separate competition showcasing their innovative project for the opportunity to be chosen for a separate 20 team global competition later this summer.
Gizmo Gang participated at the Nebraska State Championship amongst 40 teams from all around the state. The team started their season in last August tasked with completing robot missions and identifying how to improve the transportation of a product. The team qualified for State competition through the Henderson Regional Qualifier held on February 5, 2022. At this Qualifier event, they were also awarded the Second Place Champion Award and the Global Innovation Nominee Award. Gizmo Gang also took third place honors in the robot game with a best team score of 425 points.
Team members include Liam Cronican, Aaron Thernes, Henry Thernes and Grace Warta.
New Opportunities and This Week's Deadlines
4-H Horse Stampede - Due March 4
Summer Internship Available - Apply TODAY!
Great for students interested in STEM or a STEM career
Individuals interested in this PAID internship will need to have a desire in teaching youth and a dynamic personality that is able to keep middle-school aged youth engaged in daily activities for 3 hours.
Availability Requirements -May23rd to Aug12th
Learn more here.
Scholarships - Due March 11
4-H Camp Scholarship - due March 11th
The Douglas-Sarpy 4-H Council will be selecting current 4-H members to receive 4-H camp scholarships.
Learn more here.
4-H High School Scholarship Application - due March 11th.
The Douglas-Sarpy 4-H Council will be selecting four current 4-H members, who are seniors in high school, to receive college scholarships.
Learn more here.
4-H Alumni Scholarship - due April 1st.
The Douglas-Sarpy 4-H Council will be selecting four alumni 4-H members to receive college scholarships.
Learn more here.
Upcoming Events
Clover Kid 2022
Parents and children ages 5-7 are invited to be a part of the Douglas-Sarpy 4-H Clover Kid Program.
2022 Clover Kid Dates:
March 15 from 6-7 pm – Chickens and learning more about the 4-H Speech Contest
April 19 from 6-7 pm– Gardening Basics and Learning about Rabbits
Nebraska Extension Douglas-Sarpy Counties is located at 8015 West Center Road, Omaha. There is no cost to attend, but participants are asked to preregister with Rachel at rwright4@unl.edu.
4-H Rabbit Show, March 19
The 4-H Spring Rabbit Show will be held Saturday, March 19, 9 a.m. at the Lancaster Event Center Fairgrounds – Exhibit Hall. See Details at https://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/companionanimal. For more information, call Bob at 402-525-8263 or the Extension office at 402-441-7180.
Rabbit Showmanship video here.
Poultry, Rabbit and Cavy Meeting
Parents, leaders and youth are invited to attend the annual 4-H Poultry, Rabbit and Cavy Meeting.
When: April 19 from 6:30-7:30 pm
Where: Douglas-Sarpy Extension office at 8015 West Center Road, Omaha.
For more info. contact Brett Kreifels, Urban Program Coordinator, brett.kreifels@unl.edu,
402-444-1799
Mechanical Engineering Workshop - Sign Up March 23
When: March 30, 2022 from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Nebraska Extension Douglas-Sarpy Counties is located at 8015 West Center Road, Omaha.
Cost $15
In this engaging workshop, youth (ages 8 and older) will learn about mechanical engineering and apply skills learned to build cardboard automatas! Cardboard automata is a type of mechanical sculpture made of simple materials. As youth build, they can explore simple machine elements such as cams, levers, and linkages in a playful way. Join us as we bring stories and ideas to life with these cool mechanical sculptures that can be entered into fair!
Sign up by March 23 at: https://cvent.me/m7R221
4-H Public Speaking Workshop - March 24
4-H Public Speaking Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 6:30 PM
Join us at the 4-H office for the public speaking workshop where kids can learn about the contest and parents can sign their kids up for 4-H!
Sign up at https://forms.gle/CKvgBvGKj41C1P4z6
2022 UNL Chick Days - March 26
2022 UNL Chick Days: March 26, 2022 10am -2pm
Where: Animal Science Complex, University of Nebraska-East Campus, Student Commons
More info. and registration can he found here.
Cat Show and Small Pet Show Informational Meeting - March 29
4-H Sign up assistance will be available at the end of the presentation.
When: March 29 from 6-7 pm (presentation 6-6:30, question and answer 6:30-7)
Where: Douglas-Sarpy Extension office; 8015 West Center Rd., Omaha
RSVP with Rachel at rwright4@unl.edu
Virtual Companion Animal Challenge Contest - Entries Due April 1
The Companion Animal Challenge offers a variety of 4-H companion animal contests that don't require live animals, including a Demonstration Contest, Essay Contest, Art Contest, and Photography Contest. Youth have the opportunity to display their companion animal knowledge through these contests both as individuals and as part of a team.
More information can be found at: https://4h.unl.edu/companion-animal/challenge
Watch this video for tips and suggestions for the Virtual Companion Animal Challenge Contest! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yjQ7sNpyuo
Leader Training - April 5
April 5, 2022 6-8 PM
Join 4-H staff to talk about risks management and volunteer resources. Ideal for new and established leaders. This free training will be at the Douglas- Sarpy Extension office at 8015 W. Center Road, Omaha.
RSVP Today with Katherine at ksundgren@unl.edu
Big Red Camp - Scholarships Due April 13
Big Red Camp Scholarships applications can be found at https://forms.gle/ky3kzD75dwvmxtjSA.
- Applications are due April 13, 2022 (Wednesday).
- After the application deadline, our 4-H team will select the top 10 applications and notify the winners via email by that Friday, April 15th.
Application winners will receive will instructions for registering for their camp and the special “code” that they will need to use to bypass the payment section of the camp registration.
The camp will be June 12th-June 17th. Learn more at https://4h.unl.edu/big-red-camps-sessions
“Building Better Babysitters” Workshop - April 15
Open to youth ages 11 and older
Cost is $15
When: Friday, April 15, 2022
Workshop: 10 am - 3 pm
bonus pre/post sessions from 8-10 am and 3-5 pm
Pre-activity (8-10 AM)
Take it to fair! -Workshop to create a toy, game, or activity made for a selected and identified age group. (Human Development, Class 1-6). Youth can arrive anytime between 8-10 for this session.
Building Better Babysitters workshop (10-3 PM)
Youth will learn about ages and stages of Child Development, safety, nutrition, and the business of babysitting. Bring a sack lunch (refrigerator is available if needed).
Post-activity (3-5 PM)
Kids in the kitchen! Learn ideas for healthy snacks that you can make with young children when babysitting.
Sign up at: https://cvent.me/RRV79n
Fair Information/Resources
The 4-H Pick Your Project is an online project selection guide used to explore Nebraska 4-H projects here.
Purchase 4-H Manuals at:
- UNL MARKETPLACE: https://marketplace.unl.edu/ne4h/curriculum
- NATIONAL 4-H MALL: http://www.4-hmall.org/Category/educationresources.aspx
Statewide and National Opportunities
Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Recognition Awards
Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Recognition Awards honors adult and youth volunteers, as well as and multi-generational families, who have provided meaningful contributions to Nebraska 4-H. One Outstanding Adult Volunteer Award and One Emerging Adult Volunteer Award winner will be chosen for each of the state’s 11 Nebraska Extension Engagement zones. One statewide winner will be named in the each of the youth volunteer and multi-generational family categories.
The nomination period runs through March 15. Nominations can be submitted by any 4-H member, family, supporter, or Extension staff member. Nominees must fit the award categories and can be a volunteer for any Nebraska 4-H experience. Some examples may include 4-H club leader, project leader, junior leader, county or State Fair volunteer, special interest volunteer, such as robotics or shooting sports, afterschool club volunteer or 4-H camp volunteer. More information, along with the nomination form, is available online at: https://4h.unl.edu/volunteer-recognition.
Winners will be announced virtually the week of April 18, in which Nebraska 4-H will be celebrating the Week of the Volunteer. A special awards presentation will take place at the 2022 Nebraska State Fair.
For more information, visit https://4h.unl.edu/volunteers/recognition
Livestock Achievement Program
The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition by recognizing youth striving to improve in their livestock project knowledge and leadership. Learn more at https://4h.unl.edu/livestock-achievement-program
Enroll in 4-H for the 2022 4-H year
Nebraska 4-H has transitioned to 4honline 2.0. To enroll, click here.
For returning families, please do not create a new account; rather use your log-in credentials for 4honline used in previous years. Instructions can be found here: https://4h.unl.edu/enroll/returning-member.
Enrollment instructions for new families can be found here: https://4h.unl.edu/enroll/new-member.
Please note the enrollment fee for Douglas-Sarpy counties is $10.00 per member and is paid online. Enrollments are due June 15, 2022.
Please contact Mary Dierks at mdierks@sarpy.com with any questions.
All 4-H Volunteers for Douglas-Sarpy 4-H will need to be rescreened this year regardless of their last screening. To enroll and begin the screening process visit and enroll via 4-H Online. Volunteers may not work with youth until volunteer enrollment and screening is complete.
Mark Your Calendars
4-H Events | Nebraska Extension (unl.edu)
March 15 from 6-7 pm – Clover Kid Club
March 24 - 4-H Council Meeting at 6:30 PM
March 24 - Speech Workshop 6:30 -7:30 PM - Sign up https://forms.gle/CKvgBvGKj41C1P4z6
March 31- STEM Workshop - 5:00 PM-6:30 PM
April 5 - Leader Training from 6-8 PM- RSVP ksundgren@unl.edu
April 15 - Building Better Babysitters workshop https://cvent.me/RRV79n
April 15 - 4-H Public Speaking contest entries DUE
April 19 from 6-7 pm– Gardening Basics and Learning about Rabbits - Clover Kid Club
April 28 - 4-H Public Speaking Contest (evening time TBD) "A Guide to Making Great 4-H Speeches" - https://4h.unl.edu/documents/guidetomakinggreatspeeches.pdf
May 19 - 4-H Presentation workshop, 6:30-7:30 PM
My 31 - 4-H Table Toppers workshop 6:30-7:30 PM
June 4 - 4-H Small Pet and Cat Show 9 am at the Sarpy County Fairgrounds
June 10 - 4-H Presentation contest entries DUE
June 12-17, 2022, Big Red Camps (times TBD)
June 14, 2022 1:00 PM-3:00 PM - Rocket Building Entry-Level Workshop
June 15, 2022 1:00 PM-4:00 PM - Rocket Building Advanced-Level Workshop
June 16 - 4-H Fashion Show workshop, 6:30-7:30 PM
June 21 - Douglas-Sarpy 4-H Presentation Contest (times TBD)
June 24 - 4-H Table Toppers contest entries DUE
June 30 - Douglas-Sarpy 4-H Table Toppers Contest (times TBD)
July 8 - 4-H Fashion Show contest entries DUE
July 8 - Rocket Launch Entry Forms Due
July 13 3:30 PM-6:30 PM - Rocket Launch Contest (times TBD)July 14 - Douglas-Sarpy 4-H Fashion Show judging day (times TBD)
August 4 - Douglas-Sarpy Public Fashion Show @ Sarpy County Fair (time TBD)
Nebraska Extension in Douglas-Sarpy Counties
Email: douglas-sarpy4h@unl.edu
Website: www.douglas-sarpy.unl.edu
Location: 8015 West Center Road, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 402-444-7804
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/douglassarpy4h