4-H Council Member Candidates
We will be electing new members to the 4-H Council and are looking for interested adults and youth. The council is composed of 6 adults and 6 youth members. Adult members serve a 3-year term, while youth members serve a 1-year term and can serve 3 terms. We would like to invite anyone who’s interested in serving on 4-H Council to contact the office. Youth members need to be at least 13 years old by January 1, 2021.
Please contact us by February 28th at 5 pm to be considered.
Jefferson County Nebraska 4-H Youth Development YouTube Channel
COVID-19 Update
In-person 4-H club meetings and workshops are currently permitted as everyone has made progress to lower our county into the “Yellow” on the COVID Risk Dial. 4-H clubs must put some planning into hosting an in-person reorganizational meeting.
To allow for proper social distancing, please arrange to have access to a large enough space to spread out, have attendees sit as families, and strongly encourage using sanitizer and wearing masks. Think about using a heated shop, or garage, instead of a more confined family dwelling to gather at. Treats and activities that encourage close face to face exposure should be avoided at the re-organization meeting.
4-H Winter Fun Pack
Looking for ways to keep the young people in your life engaged this winter? Check out the 4-H Winter Fun Pack - a collection of activities that youth can do on their own at home! Each recorded session of Living Room Learning is led by a Nebraska 4-H Youth Development professional. Getting started is simple: gather supplies, click the recording and let us do the teaching.
The materials required for this resource are all things you can find at home! This resource was created with all areas of 4-H in mind, including: Family Consumer Sciences, Environmental Education and Earth Sciences, Healthy Living, STEM, Communication and Expressive Arts and more!
Access the resources here and let the fun begin: https://4h.unl.edu/winter-fun-pack
4-H Online Enrollment is Open Now
Enrollment is open for 2020-2021 Jefferson County 4-H. NOTE AGE CHANGE: All 4-H youth (ages 8-18) as of January 1, 2021 are required to enroll online every year. We encourage all members to enroll using a computer and not your mobile device. Enrollment instructions for new members can be found at the Extension Office or online at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/jefferson/4-Hforms/ Call the office 402-729-3487 with any enrollment questions.
4-H Online Enrollment Link: https://ne.4honline.com/Login.aspx?403D4050364539525371705375593D
New 4-H Member Enrollment Instructions Link: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/jefferson/Steps%20to%20Enroll%20New%20Member.pdf
Re-Enrollment Instructions Link: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/jefferson/Reenrollment%20Returning%20Members.pdf
Clover Kid Enrollment Information
Enrollment Link:
https://ne.4honline.com/Login.aspx?403D4050364539525371705375593D
Diamond Clover Forms
The program consists of six levels that require a young person to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments. For each level, the Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover program provides a list of accomplishments from which 4-H youth choose their goals. The accomplishments increase in quantity and difficulty for each level. At the beginning of the 4-H year, participants plan what to accomplish and at the end of the 4-H year, they report on their completed accomplishments. Successful completion of a level's Plan & Report form results in a 4-H youth earning that level of the Diamond Clover program.
Diamond Clover Forms can be downloaded at http://4h.unl.edu/diamondclover. Forms are due to the Extension Office April 1, 2021.
Volunteers, We Need You!
For 2021, all volunteers need to go through a screening to assist with 4-H related activities (including 4-H County Fair activities). There are two different types of volunteers, and screenings that go with these volunteers. You must fill out the form prior to volunteering.
- Direct Volunteers – All 4-H Volunteers who work directly with youth (examples include: ring personnel at livestock shows, room monitors for contests, etc)– must complete the Direct Volunteer Form (Printable or Electronic or through 4HOnline – still open for volunteer enrollment) & DHHS Background Check ($5 fee). Must be approved prior to completing the volunteer activity. If you have enrolled as a volunteer on 4HOnline, then you have already done this!
- Indirect Volunteers – Any person who provides support services for Youth Activities (examples include: opening gates, announcers, superintendents, 4-H Building host, weigh-in, etc.)– must complete the Indirect Volunteer Application (Printable or Electronic) and must be approved prior to completing the volunteer activity. If your volunteer has enrolled as a volunteer on 4HOnline or filled out the Direct Volunteer form, they do not need to fill out the Indirect Volunteer Application.
If you have a question regarding which of these volunteer roles you will be fulfilling, please contact the Extension Office (402) 729-3487.
2021 4-H Public Speaking Contest
Developing 4-H’ers self-confidence and effective public speaking skills are two goals of the Nebraska 4-H public speaking contest. The local contest date has been set for Monday, April 5, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. You must pre-register for the contest by Wednesday, March 31st by calling the office or sending an email to hayden.hemphill@unl.edu. Top three winners from each age division (except novice) will be selected to advance to the Regional Speech Contest at UNL East Campus in Lincoln in May. The top seniors in the Regional contests will advance to the State Contest held during the State Fair to compete for a $500 U.S. Savings Bond and a college scholarship. Resources to help you prepare for the Public Speaking Contest available at https://4h.unl.edu/public-speaking
We follow the same rules as the regional contest. Ages are as of January 1, 2021.
Age Divisions
Four age divisions are used in the 4-H Public Speaking Contest and are based on the
4-H member's age (the age of the youth before January 1 of the current year).
- Novice Division: 4-H ages eight (8) and (9)
- Junior Division: 4-H ages eight (8) to ten (10)
- Intermediate Division: 4-H ages eleven (11) to thirteen (13)
- Senior Division: 4-H ages fourteen (14) to eighteen (18)
Speech Category Rules
- Length of Speeches:
- Novice Division: May recite a poem, read/tell a story
- Junior Division: 1 to 3 minutes.
- Intermediate Division: 3 to 5 minutes.
- Senior Division: 5 to 8 minutes.
2021 Jefferson County Fair Dates & Theme
2020 Jefferson County Fair Event Videos
Check out our Youtube videos on our channel showcasing the events of the Jefferson County Fair! Playlists include all the videos for a particular show or event. Check out the videos from the fair!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMY3WfF8GnGUrEBvVKEsgeA/playlists 
Citizen Washington D.C. Focus Trip Information
Due to the uncertainty of COVID-19 and how long it will be a significant health threat, our Washington D.C. group of Gage, Jefferson and Saline counties has decided to postpone a trip until 2022. We just don’t want the youth to spend that kind of money and not be guaranteed even if we are able to go that we would get to see and do all the things we would like to do and have done in the past.
With that being said, this gives youth more time to fund-raise for the trip. If you have ideas or suggestions of new fundraising, please contact the office!
Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the new changes to the CWF trip program requirements, the payment plan, or fundraising opportunities. As always, we are open to suggestions, especially regarding fundraising!
Quality Assurance Training
Dave Barnard will also be holding a YQCA training for youth at Tri-County High School on Thursday, February 11th at 1:30 pm for youth that can make that time work in their schedule.
Horse Advancement Levels Testing
Horse Advancement Level Testing
Winter months are a great time to work on Horse Advancement Levels. Information and study materials are found in the Horse Project Member Manual and Advancement Level Manual at the Extension Office. We also have the Nebraska 4-H Horse Show & Judging Guide available.
Website: https://4h.unl.edu/horse/advancement
4-H Cat Club
A message for all cat interested youth:
Do you like cats? What about learning how to care for or show them? Maybe you have heard about the 4-H Cat Club in the past and wanted to join, but couldn't make the monthly meetings.
Do we have good news for you, or what? We are pleased to introduce this year's self-paced Cat Club! No more being bummed that you missed the hour long meeting every second Thursday. You will now have access to monthly lessons and activities that you can complete on your own time. The first lesson can be found here on September 5th: https://4h.unl.edu/companion-animal/cat-club
If you are interested, please stay tuned and register today!
Animal Science: Inspiring Your Future Scholarship Contest
This is the inaugural year for the Animal Science: Inspiring Your Future Scholarship Contest and we will be awarding ten $5000 scholarships. We want students to tell us their digital story about an individual or animal who has inspired them to pursue an education and career in animal science. This can be done via video, essay, pictures, a combination of those things, or really any medium that allows them to comfortably express themselves. The website link is below that lists out the contest details and link to apply and submit their digital story. All entries must be submitted by Noon on February 15th!
More details at: https://animalscience.unl.edu/Inspiring-Your-Future-Scholarship-Competition
Jefferson County Farm Bureau Student Mini Grant!
The grant is offered to all Jefferson County FFA & 4-H students.
The application can be found on our website at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/jefferson/4-Hforms/, applications much be postmarked by March 15, 2021 and application interviews will be on March 21st. Please contact Judy Zimmerman at 402-729-2728 with any questions.
Virtual Field Trips
There are also numerous field trips that have been archived to view at your convenience. Check them out. See the link below to view of all the tours available.
NEW 4-H Photography Showcase!
How Does It Work?
Each month, a new photo will be selected from the online submissions. Selections will be made based on creativity, timeliness, technical execution, originality, and appropriateness. The selected photo will be showcased across the Nebraska 4-H social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Youth photographers will be credited wherever and whenever their photo is shared or published.
This opportunity is open to all enrolled 4-H members. Photo recommendations, file specifications, rules, and guidelines for participation are available online at https://4h.unl.edu/photography-showcase.
Workshop Ideas
Nebraska Extension - Jefferson County
