Hello, Jackson County 4-H Families!

Happy Lunar New Year!

We're incredibly excited to offer our Southern Oregon Leadership and Activities Retreat next month over President's day weekend, February 18-20. This will be such a fun time for youth ages 12-19 to hang out, experience life on a college campus, and learn all about leadership! Registration closes for this on February 8! See below for more information.

Our Foods Contest will be this Saturday and registration now open for February 25th's Presentation Contest. Our Presentation Contest has a wide range of possible opportunities, from impromptu to demonstrations and even performing arts! Of course, all out contests take practice to be proficient, but if you're new to public speaking, you can always sign up for the impromptu speeches and test the waters! Again, see below for more information.

STEP Classes are now available to register for on our website! More info below, but we have an exciting series for our 2023 "STEP it Up" as we dive a bit deeper, though still at a level for beginners, into cooking, food preservation, science, sewing, and arts. Let's grow those skills in preparation for county fair!

Final reminder in a newsletter: the early bird enrollment period for 4-H ends on Tuesday, January 31. Please enroll in 4-H and pay your fees by January 31 or the price will go up.

Keep up the awesome work y'all are doing as we gear up for 2023!

Cheers,

Lena and Steven

As Sophie is preparing for the trip to National Conference, she is fundraising for the costs of her trip. If you or someone you know would be willing to support Sophie, don't hesitate in reaching out to the Extension Office at 541-776-7371!

• Ambassadors: Monday, January 23 from 7-8:30 pm in SOREC classroom.
• 4-H Livestock Judging Meeting: Tuesday, January 24 from 6:00-7:30 pm at Crater High School Science Building room 208
• New Leaders Orientation Meeting: Wednesday, January 25 at either 10AM or 6PM in SOREC Classroom
• Foods Contest: Saturday, January 28th at South Medford High School (times vary)

• Staff In Office to Help With Enrollments: All day Monday, January 30
• Early Bird Enrollment Deadline: Tuesday, January 31
• Enrollment Financial Assistance Requests Due: Tuesday, January 31
• STEP: Let There be Light (Electricity): Tuesday, January 31 at 6:30PM (Register before one day in advance)
• Jackson County 4-H Association Meeting: Feb 1 in Extension Library
• Interstate Exchange Meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 6:30 pm SOREC classroom
• STEP: Heart-Felt Applique Wall Hanging Pt. 1 (Felt Applique): Thursday, February 2 at 6:30PM (Register before one day in advance)

• SOLAR Registration Deadline: Feb 8
• Sheep Leaders Meeting: Feb 8, 6:30 pm
• Livestock Superintendents Meeting: Feb 9
• Animal Science Education Zoom Meeting: Thursday, February 9 Register Here
• STEP: Heart-Felt Applique Wall Hanging Pt. 2 (Felt Applique): Friday, February 2 at 6:30PM (Register before one day before Pt. 1)

Check out our new webpage for the STEP program at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/4h/jackson/step-classes!

You can register for STEP Classes at this link! There are STEP it UP classes for all 4-H ages, so take the time to check them out! Some of them are two-parters this time, which means that you should attend both sessions. We'll make pizza, paint cactus rocks, learn about electricity, make schlep bags, preserve our own fruit, and much, much more! Check it out!

If you have signed up for the Foods Contest, you should have received an email from Steven with your time and some information. The contest will be held this Saturday, January 28, at South Medford High School.

Information and Rules: beav.es/5Xe

The Annual Presentation Contest is coming up on Saturday, February 25th from 9AM-6PM! Just like the foods contest, please register ahead of time at the link below and enter the time blocks that work best for you!

Ages: Open to all 4-H Members

Registration Deadline: Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023

Contest Date: Saturday, Feb 25, 2023

Register at: jackson4h.fairwire.com (do not create a new account if you have already shown in 2023, but make a new account if you haven't competed yet in 2023 with 4-H)

Jackson County 4-H is excited to announce 4-H summer camp at Camp Myrtlewood for 2023!

We are looking for Camp Counselors who are in 8th-12th grade to volunteer for the 2023 4-H overnight camp season at Camp Myrtlewood in Myrtle Point, Oregon. Volunteer camp counselors gain valuable job experience, learn about leadership and responsibility, and become role models for the 4th-7th grade campers. 4-H Camp Myrtlewood will occur between July 24 and July 28. 4-H and non-4-H youth from Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, and Douglas, Lake, and Coos County in Oregon are welcome to apply. Applicants for camp counselor must be 16+ years old by July 1, 2023 (completed 10th grade) and applicants for CIT (counselor in training) must be 14-15 years old (completed 8th or 9th Grade). If you're younger, be on the lookout for camp registration later this Spring--campers can be ages 9-13!

Apply Here!

Registration is open for SOLAR and closes February 8th. The Southern Oregon Leadership and Activities Retreat is scheduled for February 18-20th at Southern Oregon University. It is designed for teens to learn career skills, leadership and teambuilding, and provides an opportunity to make new friends and stay in the dorms at SOU. This is open to all youth ages 12+, whether in 4-H or not!

Scholarships for 4-H Members: up to $100! Fill out the Financial Assistance form found on our website enrollment page, and turn it into the Extension Office by February 1.

Registration Link: https://beav.es/5LD

Information: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/4h/jackson/events/southern-oregon-leadership-activities-retreat

The early bird member enrollment deadline is January 31, 2023. After this date, the price jumps!

Cost per child in a family before January 31:

Children 1 and 2: $40 each

Children 3 and 4: $15 each

Further Children: $0

Cost per child in a family after January 31:

Children 1 and 2: $60 each

Children 3 and 4: $30 each

Further Children: $0

Spread the word: members can pay by cash, check, or credit/debit card through OSU Marketplace. At the end of your 4-H online enrollment, you must select "Pay by Cash/Check" regardless of how you actually intend to pay. Make sure that, in 4-H online, you click through all the way to submit. Then you can either bring cash or check to the Extension Office or pay at the fee site.

4-H Online Enrollment Site

Jackson County 4-H Fee Payment Site (card only)

Reminder: leaders will not have access to see their clubs until they are approved leaders. Member registrations will not be approved until a club has two approved leaders, so if you haven't completed all steps of leader enrollment, please be sure to complete them!

The Horse supers would love to get input from your clubs for the April 29th event they are planning. Horse members, fill out the following link!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BBXGGZM

Charter Link

The 4-H Resume is a wonderful tool for you to teach your members what 4-H is all about - activities, leadership and community service. Please recommend all members showing at fair complete them by the due date (see deadlines document). A link to the fillable pdf will be emailed to all families in early February.

4-H Resume

Finally, here's an oft-requested form for your convenience (now fillable)!

Animal Science Record

Looking to get out of the house during spring break? Youth in grades 8 through 12 are invited to attend the Youth Voices in Action leadership conference in Salem, Oregon. Youth will have developing their leadership skills, practicing public speaking, and working in teams while meeting with state agency representatives and legislators to solve real life problems.

There are a limited number of scholarships available through the Katy Zollner Scholarship fund. Deadline for applying for this scholarship is February 10th. The scholarship may say it has “preference” counties but it is open to all youth so feel free to apply! The registration fee will cover food, lodging and conference expenses except for one dinner out.

Check out this link for more information!

Cost:

$175 early bird till February 15th

$200 February 16th - March 1st (Closed)

Dates for Youth Voices in Action: Tuesday March 28th to Friday March 31st.

Registration is open -- early bird deadline is February 15th -- closes 3/10/2023.

The Early Learning Division is asking for feedback on your family’s experience searching for and using child care. Take the survey and help make a difference! Your input will help the state understand family needs and increase support for child care providers.

All parents and caregivers who complete the survey will receive a

$20 Amazon gift card!

Visit https://redcap.link/ChildcareSurvey2022-M to complete the 15-minute survey.

Survey closes January 31, 2023.

Questions? Contact Denise Ford with ODI at (916) 205-6851.

Monday - Friday - 2 hrs/$40/day

Figaro’s Pizza of Phoenix, OR is Owned & Operated by Oregon Natives “Micah & Amanda Adams.” 4-H and FFA has been a Staple in our Communities throughout Southern Oregon, in which Micah and Amanda both participated. Micah graduated in 2007 from Crater High School, and was nominated Treasurer of his 4-H Club during his Junior Year and President of his 4-H Club during his Senior Year. Micah and Amanda are both looking to Support our Local 4-H Clubs looking to partner with their store with Generous Discounts. Whether it is for a Club looking to host an event for their Members, or fundraising, we hope that Club Leaders will put their Trust in our capabilities and the quality we strive to perfect! Figaro's will be supplying pizzas for SOLAR this year!

This publication will be made available in an accessible alternative format upon request. Please contact Steven McIntyre, Education Program Assistant at steven.mcintyre@oregonstate.edu

Oregon State University Extension Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, familial/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, genetic information, veteran's status, reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).