1. Virtual Retirement Celebration Honoring Tracy Behnken
2. Welcome Mickayla!
3. Nebraska Extension DHM Phase/Covid-19 Risk Dial Guidance
4. New 4-H Year Begins! Enrollment is Open
5. State Level 4-H Achievement Applications - Due January 15
6. 2021 Special Garden Project
7. 2021 Special Agronomy Project - Updated Info
8. 2021 Spotlight On 4-H Newsletter
9. Virtual Learning Opportunities - Winter Fun Pack
10. 2021 Innovative Youth Corn Challenge
11. 2021 Severe Weather Awareness Poster Contest
12. 2022 4-H Youth in Action
13. Nebraska Cattlemen's Classic Youth Judging Contest
14. 2021 4-H Horse Stampede
15. 2021 District 4-H Horse Shows
16. Animal Science "Inspiring Your Future" Scholarship
17. Fed Steer Challenge - Deadline Extended
18. 2021 4-H Summer Camps
19. Other Statewide Events and Resources

*NEW OR UPDATED INFORMATION IS BOLDED!

January 15.............................................State 4-H Achievement Applications Due

January 18.............................................Office Closed for Martin Luther King Holiday

January 29..............................................Deadline to Order Special Garden and/or Agronomy Seed

March 27................................................4-H Horse Stampede - East Campus-Lincoln

June 28 & 29...........................................PASE & Life Challenge Contests, East Campus-Lincoln

June 30...................................................State Public Speaking Contest, East Campus-Lincoln

July 30 - August 4, 2021........................2021 Washington County Fair

Dear Washington County 4-H Families,

I will be retiring from my position as Extension 4-H Educator/Lead Educator in Washington County on Friday, January 15, 2021. On January 18, I will be assuming the position as Farmer Relations and Communications Manager in Nebraska for Midwest Dairy.

I have been part of the Extension system for more than 32 years with the last five years serving in Washington County. I have truly enjoyed working with the 4-H members, parents and volunteers of Washington County. Your passion for the 4-H program and all of the great things you have to offer has been an inspiration. Although I will be leaving my position, I know that the Washington County 4-H Program is in great hands with our talented staff (Jaki, Mickayla and Mary) and the strong support of the 4-H Council and dedicated volunteers. I have confidence that they will continue “To Make the Best Better”.

I wish you all well and know that you will continue to great things because of 4-H!

Tracy

Topic: Tracy J. Behnken Retirement Celebration

Time: Jan 12, 2021 03:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://unl.zoom.us/j/96576123551

Meeting ID: 965 7612 3551

Hi Everyone! My name is Mickayla Blender, the new 4-H Extension Assistant in Washington County! I am originally from Eustis, Nebraska. I participated in Frontier County 4-H for 12 years as a member. I attended college at Fort Hays State University where I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science this past December. While in college I was a summer assistant for Frontier and Phelps /Gosper Counties. After getting settled, I plan on pursuing a master's degree. In my free time I enjoy spending time with friends and family, being outside, and traveling. I am excited about joining the team here in Washington County, getting to know the families and joining the community of Washington County!

Nebraska Extension DHM Phase/Covid-19 Risk Dial Guidance

Follow Most Restrictive Guidance: State DHM or Local Health Department Covid-19 Risk Dial

CURRENTLY – ORANGE

4-H Clubs (events, activities, meetings)

Recommend meeting virtually; Facial coverings required for in person meetings; Follow additional local/county guidance.

Effective November 30, 2020

Nebraska 4-HOnline Enrollment Link: https://ne.4honline.com/Login.aspx?403D4050364539525371705375593D

Please note that the 4-H project history has been cleared and you must enter the project name and the number of years you have participated in it. You will find your history by going into your Family Account and choosing Member Reports.

You might also notice that the Virtual Robotics project shows up in the project history but has been removed this year as the curriculum is no longer available.

4HOnline Technical Error

4HOnline is currently experiencing an error in processing payments. A team is working to address this issue as soon as possible, we will notify you when the system is functioning properly. In the meantime, users are still able to go into their account and update all info to the current year for 4-H Enrollment, but your payment will not be able to be processed at this time.

• Don’t forget! State-level 4-H Achievement Applications are due January 15th! The Nebraska 4-H Achievement Application is a standard application form used for the selection of county and state award winners, including delegates to National 4-H Congress and National 4-H Conference, as well as Nebraska 4-H Foundation scholarship award recipients. Learn more at 4h.unl.edu/achievement-application.

NEW: Special Agronomy Project

The Nebraska Extension Special Agronomy Project gives 4-H members an opportunity to experience a crop that is grown, was grown or has the potential to be grown in Nebraska. Youth participate by receiving seed and resources to grow the crop, research traits of the crop and determine the viability of that crop in the part of the state they live. The project allows 4-H members interested in agronomy to grow something fun, new, and different.

To kick-off the inaugural year of the special agronomy project, youth will explore teosinte. The plant looks and is very similar to corn, in fact it is believed to be the wild ancestor of today's corn!

For youth to participate:

Enroll for the 2021 Special Agronomy Project by enrolling in any of the Field Crop Project levels through 4-H Online.

Contact your local Nebraska Extension Office and let them know how many seed packets you need. If you do not contact your local Extension Office, seeds might not be available for you. The county office will order seeds as a county unit then distribute them to the members.

Seeds will be sent to the County Extension Offices. Pick seeds up from your local county Extension office when the county tells you the seeds are available (should be around March or April).

4-H members enrolled in the Special Agronomy Project will:

· Receive a ‘packet’ of teosinte seeds (one packet per youth) in March/April

· Grow their seeds in their garden or pots

· Receive written resource materials AND virtual, live or recorded videos/field trips

· Be eligible to enter an exhibit at both the County and/or State Fair in the agronomy project area:

o G750011 - Special Agronomy Project - Educational Exhibit (SF259)

o G750012 Special Agronomy Project -Video Presentation

o G750013 Special Agronomy Project (Freshly Harvested Crop)

Enroll for the 2021 Special Agronomy Project through 4-H Online by enrolling in ANY level of the field crop project area and contact your local Nebraska Extension Office to order packets of seeds. The local Extension Office will order and distribute the seeds.

Contact our office by Friday, January 29, 2021 to order your seeds.

Enrollment Change: Thanks to those who have emailed or called and expressed interest in this project. For youth to participate in 2021, they will need to enroll in any level of a field crops project in 4-H Online and let the extension office know if they’d like to participate. We aren’t able to get a special class added to 4-H Online for 2021. Thank you and sorry for the confusion.

Find the January Spotlight Newsletter at:

https://www.smore.com/unt6r

Looking for educational resources you can use from home? We've got you covered! 😉

Nebraska 4-H is now offering a variety of virtual learning experiences, such as Living Room Learning and Boredom Buster Challenges. We've also collected some of our favorite activity guides that are perfect for hands-on learning at home.

Check out our virtual and at-home educational resources at https://4h.unl.edu/virtual-home-learning.

From the team that brought you Living Room Learning and the 4-H Summer Fun Pack, we are proud to announce a new resource for our 4-H youth during their winter break: The 4-H Winter Fun Pack! ​Copy and paste the information below to share with your counties. Attached is a graphic to share as well!

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

• 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. Learn more and submit a photo at 4h.unl.edu/photography-showcase.

• Ever wonder how cats became domesticated? Interested in learning more about caring for a feline friend? How about showing a cat in 4-H or exploring careers related to cats? We’ve got answers to all these questions and more in our NEW Companion Cat Science online course! The course is free and open to all youth, parents, and leaders interested in advancing their knowledge of cats and the 4-H cat project. Youth do not need to be enrolled 4-H members to participate. Learn more at 4h.unl.edu/companion-cat-science.

• We’re excited to kick off our NEW Companion Animal Webinar Series next week! During our first webinar, we’ll be discussing basic small animal wellness. The Nebraska 4-H Companion Animal Webinar Series is great for leaders, parents, and senior aged youth who want to advance their knowledge in companion animal-related topic areas. Webinars will be hosted on the first Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM CT/5:00 PM MT. Learn more at 4h.unl.edu/companion-animal-webinar-series

The Nebraska Innovative Youth Corn Challenge is approaching its tenth-year engaging youth in crop science-based education. The Innovative Youth Corn Challenge (IYCC) was created as a partnership between the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Extension. Since the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge program’s inception in 2012, 74 teams have participated in the program with 37 teams successfully harvesting and analyzing their plot data. A total of 147 youth have participated.

This program continues to evolve and has exciting changes planned for the 2021 growing season with IYCC 2.0. A citizen scientist component will encourage youth to connect with researchers on a real problem facing corn growers and assist in collecting data or designing a tool to solve a real-world problem.

The IYCC 2.0 will also feature an agricultural literacy piece which will help others understand corn production practices and highlight teams’ efforts. This will allow youth to promote their own work through creative works such as a video or other multimedia tool. Nebraska Extension will execute this evolving, innovative and in-depth program in 2021, which will be the tenth year creating agricultural, science-informed graduates in the agricultural industry.

Prizes for participation in this project include 1st place - $1,000, 2nd place - $500, 3rd place -$250, “Extra Mile” Award $200, CORN Communications Award $200 and $50 for completion of the project. In addition, each team receives a crop scouting kit valued at over $200, plot sign and the opportunity to engage with UNL agronomic professionals through “ask an agronomist” sessions.

For more information about this program and to register, go to https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/cornchallenge. Registration is due March 15th. Contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu or (402) 759-3712 for details about this program.

• Applications for the 2022 4-H Youth in Action awards are now open! This awards program, coordinated by National 4-H Council, recognizes four outstanding young people ages 15-19 making meaningful impacts in their communities. Winners receive a $5,000 scholarship, an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. for National 4-H Council’s Legacy Awards, a personal promotional video showcasing their 4-H impact story, and much more! Learn more and apply at go.unl.edu/4hyia.

The 2021 4-H Horse Stampede is scheduled for Saturday, March 27th on UNL’s East Campus. This is an outstanding opportunity for youth interested and a part of the 4-H Horse program. If you have questions, please contact our office.

The Horse Stampede includes:

• Speech Contest: (Individual event)
• Junior Division: (age 10-13 as of January 1)
• Senior Division: (age 14-18 as of January 1)
• Demonstration Contest: (Individual or Team of two)
• Junior Division: (age 10-13 as of January 1)
• Senior Division: (age 14-18 as of January 1)
• Art Contest:
• Elementary: (age 8-11 as of January 1)
• Junior: (age 12-14 as of January 1)
• Senior: (age 15-18 as of January 1)
• Champion Senior Art will be retained for use on the cover of the State 4-H Horse Show program in 2021
• Photography Contest:
• Elementary: (age 8-11 as of January 1)
• Junior: (age 12-14 as of January 1)
• Senior: (age 15-18 as of January 1)
• Champion Senior Photography will be retained for use on the cover of the State 4-H Horse Show program in 2021

-Categories include:

*Careers with horses

*Horse health and/or nutrition

*Good husbandry/grooming

*Training and showing

*Human-horse bond

*Horse service or citizenship

The 4-H Horse Bowl is also a part of this event.

The primary objective of Horse Bowl contests is to provide an opportunity for youth enrolled in 4-H horse projects to demonstrate their knowledge of equine-related subject matter in a competitive setting where attitudes of friendliness and fairness prevail. These contests will provide an educational experience for both participants and spectators.

Age Divisions

Junior: 10-13 years of age as of January 1 of the current year

I wanted you all to be aware of a scholarship opportunity for high school seniors and transfer students who are admitted animal science majors looking to enroll in the Fall 2021 semester at UNL. 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!

Find all the information at:

https://animalscience.unl.edu/Inspiring-Your-Future-Scholarship-Competition

• Miss the application deadline for the 2021 Nebraska 4-H Fed Steer Challenge? Well, we have good news for you. The application deadline has been extended! Apply now at 4h.unl.edu/fed-steer-challenge.

We have exciting news! Registration for Summer Camp 2021 is now OPEN! Check out our exciting 4 and 5 day overnight camp offerings at the NEBRASKA STATE 4-H CAMP in Halsey! Charter bus transportation option offered select weeks from Lincoln (UNL East Campus) and Grand Island (Raising Nebraska)! Register by Jan. 31st to receive 10% off per session! Use code: EARLYBIRD21

See full camp descriptions and register online: https://4h.unl.edu/camps-centers/summer-camp/schedule

• Cat Club - https://4h.unl.edu/companion-animal/cat-club
  

• Dog Showmanship Video Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?reload=9&list=PL579hRei5D7xwKTqpe8kJw0GnfKK4x8l4
• Virtual Dog Club - https://4h.unl.edu/virtual-dog-club
• Companion Rabbit Science Online Course - https://4h.unl.edu/companion-rabbit-science

• Companion Animal Workshop - https://4h.unl.edu/companion-animal-judges-workshop