Otoe County 4-H Wednesday What-Nots
October 6, 2021
Otoe County 4-H Council Fundraiser
The Otoe County 4-H Council and Merz Ink are proudly teaming together this National 4-H week! Shop at stores.inksoft.com/otoecounty4H for all your Otoe County 4-H clothing needs and a portion will be kicked back to support the Otoe County 4-H program.
Customize your order with your club name or the county program, it's up to you! There's something here for everyone! You don't have to be in 4-H to shop or enjoy this fundraiser. So spread the word!
The online store open on Sunday, October 3rd and will be open through Sunday, October 10th. All orders will be available for pick-up during the 4-H Achievement Celebration on November 7th.
It's Nation 4-H Week!
Find your spark during National 4-H Week! National 4-H Week is held every year during the first full week of October. This year's celebration will be held from October 3rd through the 9th. Celebrations for this event can be customized specifically for your club or county. This may include planning educational events, special celebrations, community service projects, etc.
The Extension Office will be closed on Monday, October 11th in honor of Columbus Day.
Otoe County 4-H Council Meeting
Join us on a trip to Kearney to see Temple Grandin
Thursday, 10/7 and Friday, 10/8 - Extension Office will be short staffed
2023 Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) Experience
Nebraska Extension in Cass, Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee, Otoe, and Richardson counties, together with their respective 4-H Councils are again sponsoring a Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) experience in 2023. At this time, we are uncertain of what CWF will look like in 2023 due to the cancelling of CWF2020, moving CWF2021 to a virtual conference, and the selling of the National 4-H Center. However, we have been told by National 4-H Council that in person events are going to start happening again in 2022 at alternate locations and they will continue long into the future, so we are moving forward with planning the CWF2023 experience.
The objectives of CWF are to:
- Strengthen communication, leadership, and other life skills;
- Understand the importance of civic and social responsibilities as they relate to the development of better citizens and leaders;
- Exchange ideas, practice respect and form friendships with other youth from diverse backgrounds; and
- Experience hands-on learning while having fun in our nation’s Capital City.
At this time, the experience is estimated to be a nine day/eight night trip via airplane with additional stops in New York City and Gettysburg. The approximate cost is $2,400. The itinerary and costs are approximate due to the nature of planning a trip so far in advance, and the uncertainty of the future of CWF currently.
The priority sign-up period for CWF2023 is now through May 15, 2022. Youth who sign up during this time period will be on the priority list. As participants sign up, they will be age-prioritized from oldest to youngest. The minimum age to participate is 15 by June 1, 2023 and maximum age is 18 by June 30, 2023. Each participant must be a current 4-H member and maintain active membership in 4-H through the conference year. Anyone signing up after May 15, 2022 will be put on an alternate list. The alternate list will be on a first come, first serve basis.
The first payment of $240 is due June 1, 2022 to reserve the 4-H’ers place in the CWF2023 experience. 4-H’ers not making the first payment by this date may lose their reserved space on the prioritized list.
Become a 4-H Youth Leadership Ambassador!
Hey High School Age Youth!
We are so excited that you are interested in becoming a part of the Nebraska 4-H Youth Leadership Conference Ambassador Team.
As a part of this group we hope you can be a voice on the youth perspective, develop & practice leadership skills that you can take back to your communities, and collaborate with Extension Staff and 4-Hers across the state to plan & implement the 4-H Youth Leadership Conference!
The deadline for applications for the Ambassador team is Friday, October 15th, 2021! Apply here: https://go.unl.edu/2022ylcapp
If selected our first meeting will be Sunday, November 7th, 2021 at 4-6pm CT (via Zoom). From there we'll meet monthly to create an amazing experience for you and other high schoolers across the state!
The 4-H Youth Leadership Conference will be held June 24th-26th, 2022 at the Nebraska State 4-H Camp in Halsey, NE!
If you have questions or would like to know more please contact Julie Kreikemeier (julia.kreikemeier@unl.edu) or Stacey Keys (stacey.keys@unl.edu)!
2021 4-H Volunteer Road Show
Nebraska 4-H is excited to bring the 4-H Volunteer Road Show to volunteers statewide this November! The 4-H Volunteer Road Show will rotate host locations each year, get registered today at the location near you. Please see the attached flyer for details regarding the dates, locations and times. Each Road Show location will have the following schedule: meal and table topics, 4-H Volunteer Impact and Introduction of Resources, choice of workshops for session 1 and 2 and finished with a wrap-up session on introducing parliamentary procedure to youth. Visit https://4h.unl.edu/volunteer-road-show for more specific information and registration link. Registration closes one week prior to each Road Show session.
Cheryl and Erin will be going to the Beatrice session. If anyone wants to carpool, call the Extension Office to line up your spot.
4honline 2.0 Transition
Raikes School Application Deadline November 15
Nebraska 4-H youth participants interested in pursuing a STEM-related major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln may be interested in the Raikes School. The Raikes School at Nebraska is a leading educational honors program offering an interdisciplinary education in computer science, engineering, business, and innovation for high-ability students. The Raikes School aims to develop leaders for information technology driven industries through industry and community partnerships, project-oriented curriculum, and real-world application.
A competitive applicant has a passion for computing, business, and a desire to pursue a rigorous education. There are no strict cutoffs for academics, but competitive applicants typically earn a 3.8+ GPA and 30+ ACT/1400+ SAT. High school coursework in math, computing, and business are encouraged. Ideally looking for well-rounded students that exhibit leadership skills and a desire to serve their community.
We recommend students apply to Nebraska by October 15th. The Raikes School Honors application must be submitted by November 15th. Students can submit their Honors application via MyRed after applying to the University.
Students can learn more about the Raikes School on our website: https://raikes.unl.edu. Follow our social media on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Check out a full virtual tour of the Kauffman Center, home of the Raikes School, at raik.es/tour.
If students have questions about the Raikes School, contact Adam Britten, Assistant Director of Recruitment and Outreach, at adam.britten@unl.edu or 402-472-0737.
More details at: https://raikes.unl.edu
Martha and Don Romeo Scholarship
Application can be downloaded at https://go.unl.edu/qvid.
This Scholarship is awarded during the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers Convention Banquet, which will be held in Kearney, Nebraska, on Saturday, January 22, 2022. Winners will be notified by January 3, 2022.
Return completed application to your local County Extension Office by November 30, 2021.
4-H Shooting Sports Shotgun Leader Update Session
A Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Update Session is scheduled for mid-October near Ashland. It will be held October 15, 6:30-9:30 pm, at the Ashland Gun Club. The early bird deadline to register for the Update training is October 6. More details can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/shooting-sports.
4-H Shooting Sports Leader Certification Workshop
Halloween Bash at Halsey 4-H Camp
Join us on Saturday, Oct. 23rd for a spooktacular fall event at camp! This event is open to all ages and will include carnival games, caramel apples, treats and prizes, hayrack rides, tie dye, an escape room, and a haunted forest! Register online prior to the event to receive $5 off!
This event takes place at the 4-H Camp in Halsey. Interested in attending, but live hours away? We have options to reserve a family cabin for an overnight stay!
More information and online registration: https://4h.unl.edu/camps-centers/school-year-camps
Questions? Contact Katie at kzabel2@unl.edu
More details at: https://4h.unl.edu/camps-centers/school-year-camps
4-H Council Elections
If you would like to place your name on the 4-H Council ballot please contact the Extension Office at 402-269-2301 or a Nominating Committee member. 4-H Council Nominating Committee members include:
- Megan Brehm (meganbrehm1@gmail.com)
- Julie Van Meter (jvanmeter001@gamil.com)
The 4-H Council needs one youth and one adult from each of the three districts for a two-year term. 4-H council normally meets 10 times a year to provide guidance to the Otoe County 4-H program. Please consider placing your name on the ballot! Please let us know by Friday, October 15th if you are interested.
Nebraska Extension in Otoe County
Deb Weitzenkamp, Unit Leader, Extension Educator, deb.weitzenkamp@unl.edu
Erin Steinhoff, Extension Assistant, erin.steinhoff@unl.edu
Cheryl Goff, Office Manager, cheryl.goff@unl.edu
Email: Otoe-County@unl.edu
Website: www.otoe.unl.edu
Location: 620 1st Street, Syracuse, Neb, USA
Phone: (402)269-2301
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nebraska-Extension-in-Otoe-County