Nebraska Extension - Thurston County
Stacey Keys, Extension Assistant, stacey.keys@unl.edu
Samantha Beutler, Office Staff, samantha.beutler@unl.edu
Upcoming Dates
May 7 - Horse: District & State Entries DUE (strongly encourage you get your county horse IDs in too)
May 10 - Thurston 4-H Council Meeting
May 28 - Adventure Day Camp Registration Deadline
May 31 - Office Closed - Memorial Day
June 1 - Youth Leadership Conference Deadline
June 11 - F2F YQCA Certification
June 14 - Joint 4-H Council Meeting
June 15 - DEADLINE DAY
- Enrolled in 4honline
- Enrolled in Projects
- ALL Livestock affidavits (including county Horse)
- State Fair Beef, Sheep, Swine, & Goat DNA & Nominations
June 28-29 - PASE/Life Challenge @ UNL
June 30 - State 4-H Speech @ UNL
July 5 - Office Closed - 4th of July Holiday Observed
July 10-14 - State Horse Show @ Fonner Park, Grand Island
July 21 - ALL Dakota-Thurston County Pre-Fair Entries DUE
July 21 - Dakota-Thurston YQCA Certification DUE
July 29 - Dakota-Thurston 4-H Fair Clothing Day
July 31 - Pre-Fair Clean Up
Aug 1-8 - Dakota-Thurston County Fair
Aug 10 - State Fair Animal & In-Person Contest Entries DUE
DON'T FORGET - Enroll in 4-H Now!
Want to participate in 4-H Fair Activities? You MUST be enrolled by June 15th.
Visit ne.4honline.com to enroll for the 2020-2021 4-H year!
There is a $5 enrollment fee.
Cloverleaf Livestock: Pay Club
Rosalie Feeders, TC Roughriders, & Independent: Pay the Office Directly
NOTHING'S CHANGED!!! But since it's a new year we need you to re-enroll at ne.4honline.com. There are step by step sheets at http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/thurston/4-h-enrollment. For both new families and families that already have profiles. If you already have a profile make sure you DO NOT make a new profile.
If you are a VOLUNTEER for our program we also need to you to re-enroll in our online database. Again step by step information can be found at http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/thurston/4-h-enrollment. NEW Thurston County volunteers will need to do a background check before Volunteer Enrollment will be complete!
If anyone of you has questions please call the office and we'll do our best to work through any issues.
Keep Up on Facebook!
Thurston County Summer Workshops!
GET REGISTERED NOW!!! https://go.unl.edu/thurstonsummer2021
You'll find attached our full Summer Workshop Flyer! We can't wait to spend the summer with you!
4-H Adventure Day Camp
WHERE: Neligh Park Log Cabin, West Point
WHEN: June 4, 2021
7:45-8:00 a.m. Camper Check-in
8:00 – 3:30 p.m.
WHAT: Be prepared to have fun….
- Wear clothes that can get dirty
- Old tennis shoes
Bring:
- Bug Spray / Sunscreen
- Water bottle
- Extra set of clothes
- Life jacket
COST: $35.00 per camper
AGES: Youth ages 8 – 11 years as of Jan. 1 of the current year **Masks are not required; optional
Return the completed registration form (https://go.unl.edu/adventurecamp2021) and $35.00 per camper by May 28 to: Nebraska Extension in Cuming County, 200 S Lincoln, Room 50, West Point, NE 68788 Make checks payable to: University of Nebraska-Lincoln.Youth counselors ages 14-18 may also use this form, but will not need to include the registration fee. Come join us for a day of fun!
Those youth who completed their 4-H Achievement Applications last fall, will be eligible for a full scholarship to this camp! Just let the office know!
Register for the *NEW* 2021 4-H Youth Leadership Conference (YLC)
Stacey is a part of this planning team for this amazing summer event, so if you have any questions, just ask!!!
Big Red Camps!
If you are unfamiliar with Big Red Camps, they are residential, career exploration camps held at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. By participating in a camp, youth get the opportunity to explore the Nebraska campus, meet people from across the country, spend time investigating an interest or potential career, and have a lot of fun! During the week-long camps, participants will work with our university faculty to explore the topic of their particular camp. New this year, we are adding in some fun and engaging professionalism and employability skills programming throughout part of our time together, and youth participants will be able to earn a digital badge to add to future scholarship applications and their own resume. After spending several fun-filled days on campus, participants' families are invited to attend a special capstone event where youth showcase their achievements. Big Red Camps will take place the week of June 13-18, 2021. Early bird registration ends on April 5, 2021. Topics and costs vary so please visit the website for more information.
Announcing the 2021 4-H Project of the Year Featuring TEC Box Educational Kit
Nebraska 4-H is thrilled to announce the first-ever Project of the Year, focused upon Entrepreneurship and featuring the TEC Box Educational Kit! The Project of the Year provides the perfect 4-H Club project and is also a great way for new youth and families to get started in 4-H.
This year’s Educational Kit introduces youth to the exciting world of entrepreneurship through the TEC Box curriculum! The kit includes the curriculum and materials youth need to complete four hands-on activities. The activities help youth think for themselves, practice empathy and solve problems as they learn about entrepreneurship. Youth will invent their own product to make bicycles safer and develop a new game that can be enjoyed with family and friends. These activities and lessons lay the groundwork for a county and state fair eligible exhibit: Class F531006 - Entrepreneurship Challenge.
The TEC Box Educational Kit includes a printed facilitator guide and one youth workbook, inflatable 4-H kickball, sports cones, washi tape, felt, yarn, pipe cleaners, foam, and dice. Kits are only $25 plus shipping and may be ordered through the UNL Marketplace.
A social media post announcing the 2021 4-H Project of the Year will be shared this afternoon from Nebraska 4-H; please reshare it through your 4-H social media channels.
If you have any questions regarding kit contents and ordering, feel free to contact Tracy Pracheil (tpracheil2@unl.edu); if you have any questions regarding the TEC Box curriculum, feel free to contact Jacie Milius (jacie.milius@unl.edu).
Trophy Donors Needed
Trophies will be presented at the 2021 Dakota-Thurston County Fair at a cost of $20.00 awards please contact the Dakota County Extension Office.
Trophies add great incentive for our 4-H'ers to excel. Please remember at fair time and throughout the year that ribbons are awarded for the merit of the project and items such as trophies should be based on competition.
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals - YQCA
YQCA is available as an online program for youth everywhere in the United States. YQCA in-person workshops may be available to where state 4-H or FFA offices or stat/national livestock organization have partnered to have qualified trainers offer in-personal workshops. This is what Nebraska 4-H/FFA have adopted this year and so we will be using the new system. Instructions on how to use the online system can be found at: https://4h.unl.edu/yqca-instructions.
Requirements:
Online – 3 modules @ $12 total (to receive full certification you must complete 3)
OR Face-2-Face training @ $3 total Scheduled for June 11th, 9:00-11:00 am @ the Pender Fire Hall.
OR Test Out for Intermediate @ $36 or Senior @ $48
Thurston County 4-H Council has voted to provide scholarships for these fees of the online or face-to-face sessions after youth fill out a short form. Found here: https://unl.box.com/s/20uwv5vi6jtl4ef55wvmrebkj9kmk1lp
Any tradition 4-H member (8-18) in your family that is enrolled in a beef, goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep and/or swine project must be certified to show at county and state fair! If you have questions please contact us!
Here are some quick Log In Instructions:
1. Go to yqca.org from your computer browser and select Sign In/Register Tab
2. Sign in and register using the 4-H Online box
3. Select the name of your organization from the pick list Nebraska 4-H Youth Development
4. Use your 4-H Online user name and password to start the process
5. Select the member name taking the course
6. Select the age of the member in the appropriate box
7. When the age is selected the appropriate courses will be selected
8. Select online choice (Instructor led class will be developed by your local instructor)
9. Select payment method credit card or if you have received a coupon code from your Extension Office you will enter it at this time to purchase the courses
10. After completing the three courses be sure to save and print out a completion certificate and take it to your Extension Office
11. If you encounter problems you can contact help@yqca.org
Dakota-Thurston Fairbook is HERE!!
Call for 4-H Photography
Whether it’s your favorite photo you’ve taken this fall or one you took to the county fair, we want to see it! Submit your favorite photo for a chance to be showcased. The 4-H photography showcase offers members a project exhibition opportunity beyond traditional print media. 4-H’ers are invited to submit their favorite photo they’ve taken for a chance to have it showcased online for thousands of 4-H fans to admire.
Link to more info: Nebraska 4-H Photography Showcase
District & State 4-H Horse Registration - DUE May 7th!
District & State Horse show Entries are due online MAY 7TH!
Horse ID forms are due to your county extension office on May 7!
Here is a step-by-step video on how to register:
District and State Horse Show Webpage: https://4h.unl.edu/state-horse-expo
UNL Livestock Judging Camp
The UNL Livestock Judging Camp is designed for 4-H and FFA members looking to improve their livestock evaluation and oral reason skills. Activities will focus on proper evaluation with an emphasis on reasons format, terminology,
and presentation.
Registration is $300 per person and includes all meals, lodging, and materials. The registration deadline is May 21. go.unl.edu/judging-camp
Questions? Contact
Blaine French at
402-472-8834
2021 4-H State Dog Show
Mark your calendars and reserve your hotel rooms!
The 2021 4-H State Dog Show will be BACK at the Nebraska State Fair this year! More information regarding the show can be found on the State Dog show webpage (https://4h.unl.edu/dog-show) & the Nebraska State Fair webpage (https://4h.unl.edu/state-fair)
4-H Dog Achievement Program
The program consists of levels that require a young person to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments. For each level, the Dog Achievement 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 Dog Achievement program.
More information can be found at: https://4h.unl.edu/dog-achievement-program
For any questions, contact Grace Kim at Grace.kim@unl.edu
It is recommended on the program page that Plan & Report Forms should be to county offices at least 1 month prior to the county awards night for youth to be recognized.
