1. Your local 4-H Club is your foundation, you need to keep it a priority in your schedule. Anything you choose to add needs to be "in addition" to the 4-H club meetings. Adding something shouldn't be at the sacrifice of local 4-H meeting attendance.

2. Is it time to add something? Do you intentionally read the information that your 4-H advisor sends about your 4-H club activities? Did you complete at least one 4-H project this year? Would your advisor consider you to be an active/engaged/responsible member who attends the majority of club meetings and is ready for something new?

3. Are you able to add additional meetings to your overall schedule?

• What is your school schedule like?
• What is your sports schedule like?
• Do you have additional commitments?
• Think about the fall, winter, spring, and summer months ahead and not just the "now".

• Realize when you sign up, people are COUNTING on you.
• Membership means you see it as important, and you are willing to prioritize it.
• You bring a unique set of talents, ideas, and skills to the group.
• You are investing in your personal development which has great value

5. Being a member does have rewards.

• Since you learn best when "doing" something, it is to your benefit to be active and participate!

Doing something once is eye opening, but working at life skills requires time, dedication, and repetition to hone your skills and see measurable improvement!

Public speaking. Did you know that the #1 fear in America is public speaking? 4-H has multiple opportunities for you to gain quality speaking skills. As you do, your confidence will grew over the years!

• It will help in school, interviews for college/clubs/awards/jobs, giving impromptu speeches, your future career, and in lots of areas in life!

Team Building takes practice and requires a team...if you are consistently at the meetings, then you can be better prepared to participate in discussions and decisions.

Planning/Organizing skills begin with your project. It is also good to plan things for your club. When your skills are ready to grow, one of the county/state opportunities would be a great next step!

Self-Discipline is a skill that should be growing as you grow. There is less of someone telling you what to do and more of you taking the initiative. "Wanting" to be involved in additional 4-H opportunities isn't just adding your name to a list. It requires you to become responsible with your time and be self-motivated.

Social Skills can be sharpened as your circle of influence increases.

There are "soft skills" that employers are saying are very important to them as they plan to hire new employees. Research has shown that multiple years in 4-H helps to develop these skills and helps our next generation to be work force ready along with being valuable members within the community.

You’re Invited to apply to be on the Franklin County Teen Leaders Council for 2022. We are looking for Franklin County 4-H members who are at least 13 years old or in the 7th grade. Our meetings will mostly be held on the 4th or 5th Tuesday of every month from 6:30-8:30.

The Teen Leaders Council is a Franklin County 4-H club that focuses on preparing teens to be caring and contributing leaders through educational and leadership opportunities. Other opportunities will include fun outings and service-learning projects.

Tentative Teen Leaders Council Calendar

(All Dates and Times are subject to change)

January 25, 2022 6:30-8:30pm

February 22, 2022 6:30-8:30pm

March 22, 2022 6:30-8:30pm

April 26, 2022 6:30-8:30pm

August 23, 2022 6:30-8:30pm

September 27, 2022 6:30-8:30pm

October 25, 2022 6:30-8:30pm

November 22, 2022 6:30-8:30pm

December 13, 2022 6:30-8:30pm

Interested in applying to serve on the Franklin County Teen Leaders Council?

(2021 members must reapply.)

• Fill out the easy TLC application here by December 31.

They meet monthly (January - July), often on Sunday afternoons in Hilliard but have also planned other dates/times when attending field trips and exhibits.

Requirements: Open to 4-H clothing members (with at least one year of construction experience) who are at least 12 years of age (by 1/1/22)! The board is looking for bright, motivated 4-H'ers who want to learn more about clothing and textiles.

Expectations:

• help with a station at the Winter Project Fair
• help plan and conduct a county sewing workshop
• organize at least one event for Franklin County clothing participants
• read the fair fashion review narration cards
• assist with various activities surrounding the judging and the fashion review

Fill out the application today!

Deadline to apply 12/1/2021

They typically meet the first or second Tuesday, monthly, at the Franklin County Extension Office.

Requirements: Youth must have their driver's license or temps with plan to get their license.

Other Information:

• Teen drivers interested in leadership / community service opportunities should join CARTEENS!
• Use your skills to teach court mandated teens with driving offenses once a month.
• Items like gift cards and college scholarships are great incentives for CARTEENS members.

No application is required. Contact Sue Hogan for more information at hogan.239@osu.edu.

**There are a limited number of positions**

Due to the success of the program (camp) and the large number of applications, not everyone who completes the application process will receive a position.

Requirements: youth who are 14 years old by camp can apply. Applicants should have:

• good attendance with their 4-H Club
• demonstrate their attention to deadlines at the club level
• completed a 4-H project in 2021
• if they have attended camp, but aren't a 4-H member, they need to have contacted a club and have plans for club membership

Expectations:

• to prioritize camp meetings in their schedule
• new counselors should plan to attend 30-40 hours of training/meetings
• returning counselors need to have a minimum of 24 hours of training/meetings
• to fully participate in the activities at meetings and to attend Camp Counselor Workshop (weekend in April)
  
• to practice camp songs, games, dances
• be actively involved in planning one evening recreation at camp and help lead classes
• plan to attend camp in it's entirety including set-up and clean-up (June 13-17, 2022)
• and many more that will be shared and discussed with applicants and their parents

Applications and more information can be found here!

Each year, the Franklin County 4-H Council raises money to support our local 4-H program. Part of the money they raise goes to providing 4-H teens with amazing opportunities to take part in trips and camps throughout Ohio and nationally. More detailed information about these opportunities can be found on our website. The opportunities that teens can apply and compete to receive full scholarships for include...

Citizenship Washington Focus: June 19-24 (Ages 15 and older)

Ohio 4-H Leadership Camp: June 1-5, 2022 (Ages 15 and older)

Camp Canopy: Forestry & Wildlife Conservation Camp: June 12-17, 2022 (Entering Grades 9-12)

Ohio 4-H Sea Camp: July 15-19, 2022 (Ages 15 and older)

APPLICATION PROCESS

• To apply for a Franklin County 4-H Trip Scholarship, complete the Ohio 4-H Achievement Record Application and submit it to the Franklin County Extension Office no later than January 19, 2022.
  (2548 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210)
  *Ohio Achievement Record is not compatible with Google Docs. Please use Microsoft Word to fill out the form.
  
  
• Some dates for these trips overlap with Franklin County dates which are beyond our control.
  Franklin County 4-H Camp: June 13-17, 2022 (Monday - Friday)
  Franklin County Fair: July 18-24, 2022

These 27 awards recognize a 4-H member's achievement in a specific area. Areas include: Beef, CARTEENS, Citizenship & Community Service, Clothing & Textiles, Communication, Companion Animals, Creative Arts, Dairy, Environmental Sciences, Family Life & Child Development, Foods & Nutrition, Gardening & Horticulture, Goats, Health & Safety, Horse, Llama, Leadership, Mechanical & Engineering Sciences, Personal Development, Photography, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep, Shooting Sports, Swine, Veterinary Science, and Woodworking. Each achievement award winner will receive a trip to the National 4-H Congress and which is scheduled to be held in Atlanta, Georgia in late November 2022.

• To apply to be selected as the county nominee for a State Achievement Award and compete for the statewide award, complete the Ohio 4-H Achievement Record Application and submit it to the Franklin County Extension Office no later than January 19, 2022.
  (2548 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210)
  *Ohio Achievement Record is not compatible with Google Docs. Please use Microsoft Word to fill out the form.
• ONE COPY OF THE COMPLETED APPLICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED PER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD THAT YOU ARE APPLYING FOR.

State Junior Fair Board: SJFB is comprised of representatives from several different youth organizations in Ohio including 4-H Youth Development. State Junior Fair Board members help strengthen and coordinate State Fair activities in a fast-paced, action-packed month at the Ohio State Fair. Junior Fair Board members are expected to attend meetings and stay at the fair for the entire 12 days.

• To apply for this opportunity, members need to complete an Ohio 4-H Achievement Record and submit it to the Franklin County Extension Office no later than January 19, 2022.
  (2548 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210)

OTA Local Government Award: Two $1,500 awards are available to any 4-H high school senior who has completed a local government-type activity that has had a significant impact on the applicant's community, township or county.

• To apply for this opportunity, members need to complete the Ohio 4-H Achievement Record Application and submit it to the Franklin County Extension Office no later than January 19, 2022.
  (2548 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210)
  *Ohio Achievement Record is not compatible with Google Docs. Please use Microsoft Word to fill out the form.
  

SPECIAL NOTE: Some of these opportunities require applications and have a limited number of openings. Please don't be discouraged if space is limited and you aren't given a position. Continue to be involved in your club by taking on additional leadership roles or applying for something else - focus on Making the Best Better.