Sioux County Newsletter
February 2021
Calendar of Events
Feb. 1 – Beginner Sewing Class
Feb. 7 – Hyannis Panhandle Best Shoot
Feb. 14 – Mitchell Panhandle Best Shoot
Feb. 15 – Office is Closed (President’s Day)
Feb. 15 – Beginner Sewing Class
Feb. 21 – Alliance Panhandle Best Shoot
Feb. 23 – 4-H Council Meeting
Feb. 28 – Ogallala Panhandle Best Shoot
Mar. 7 – Kimball Panhandle Best Shoot
Mar. 14 – Chadron Panhandle Best Shoot
Mar. 20-21 – State BB Shoot
LOG N Camp
Kick off your summer right by joining Panhandle 4-H staff at the LOG N Camp at Halsey State 4-H Camp on May 25-26th. During this camp youth in grades 5th through 7th will get to experience the TRUST course, go canoeing, travel down the zipline while learning valuable leadership skills to take home with them. The fee is $85. Scholarships may be available from the 4-H Council!! Contact Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu for more information.
Panhandle Best
The Sioux County 4-H Shooting Sports will start competing in the Panhandle Best series. At the end of the Panhandle Best Series, a complete list of results will be posted in the newsletter. Results are also sent to the local media as soon as they are available. Competition results can be found at Orion Results Center.
Panhandle Best 2021 Dates
- Feb 7 Hyannis
- Feb 14 Mitchell
- Feb 21 Alliance
- Feb 28 Ogallala
- Mar 7 Kimball
- Mar 14 Chadron
- Mar 20-21 State Championships
Best of luck to all the Shooting Sports members as you continue learning about and enjoying this lifetime sport!
Save the Dates
April 11 – Sioux County Speech Contest
May 18-20 – Babysitting Basics Class
May 21 – Dawes Livestock Judging Contest
May 25-26 – LOG N Camp
May 27 – Birdhouse Workshop
June 2-3 – Wilderness Wonders Camp
June 9 – Food Preservation Workshop
June 10-12 – Fort Robinson Horse Camp
June 10-11 – Design Camp
June 15 – 4-H Enrollment for fair due
June 17 – Western Livestock Challenge in Hemingford
June 28-29 – PASE at UNL
June 30 – State Speech Contest
Speech Contest
Through the 4-H Public Speaking Contest, youth have the opportunity to write a speech or public service announcement (PSA) that incorporates the topic of 4-H and deliver it to an audience. The Public Speaking Contest helps youth develop skills in communicating with an audience, learn how to organize and prepare a speech, develop speech delivery skills, learn how to present themselves to others, and develop self-confidence. After participating in the County Contest, five youth from the Intermediate (11-13) and Senior (14-18) age divisions will have the opportunity to present at the State Speech Contest on June 30th in Lincoln, NE.
Youth between the ages of 5 and 18 are eligible to participate in the County Contest on April 11th. The PSA’s should be no longer than 60 seconds in length. The theme for 2021 is “Opportunity 4 All”. Only public domain sound effects and music can be included. Within the last 10 seconds, the PSA must include “Learn more about the Nebraska Extension 4-H Youth Development Program at 4h.unl.edu.“ Those who are presenting a speech must have 4-H as the main component of the speech without props. Clover Kids do not have a time limit, Juniors must speak between 1-3 minutes, Intermediates have between 3-5 minutes, and Seniors have between 5-8 minutes.
For more information visit: https://4h.unl.edu/public-speaking.
Nebraska 4-H Month
Help us celebrate 4-H month by sharing some of our favorite memories with volunteers, sponsors, and more! Show us your 4-H spirit on February 19th.
Trailer Bash
Are you in search of a 4-H animal but do not want to travel across the state or pay a ton? Attend the 1st ever Trailer Bash at the Dawes County Fairgrounds on March 27th. At this event at least 30 Hereford pigs, 10 goats, and potentially sheep will be available for silent auction for 4-H members. For more information about this event contact Daryl Scherbarth at 308-360-1881.
4-H Enrollment
Steps to enroll in 4-H:
1. ENROLL on 4honline - ne.4honline.com
- Enrollment will look a little different depending on if you're a new 4-H member or if you're a returning 4-H member. You can find step by step instructions at https://4h.unl.edu/enroll
2. PAY FEES TO EXTENSION OFFICE TO BECOME ACTIVE
- Ages 5-18 as of Jan 1st 2021- $5 (you can pay online with credit card or drop off check or cash at the office)
Hippology Academy
Hippology is designed for youth, adults, leaders, and extension personnel to gain knowledge and practice on horse hippology content. Or, if you’re a horse person and just want to learn more!
Content includes practice tests, slides, and digital stations in six areas in addition to twice weekly lectures. New lessons will be available starting on Monday for each of the 6 weeks. Once available, all content will be accessible 24/7 for the duration of your subscription!
The content will first become live on February 8 and be available for 6 months from that time (August 8) if you are in the Bronze level; and for 9 months from that time (November 8), if you are in the Silver level.
Registration here: https://campus.extension.org/course/search.php?search=hippology
Dog Achievement Program
4-H is excited to present the NEW 4-H Dog Achievement Program for 4-H youth! This program is similar to the Diamond Clover program you all may know about.
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
CASNR scholarship competition opens to current, prospective students
The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has announced its second annual quick-pitch scholarship competition for students who dare to dream big and do the extraordinary to address worldwide issues.
The CASNR Change Maker Quick Pitch Competition asks current and prospective CASNR students to submit a two-minute video explaining an original, innovative way to address global issues such as food security, sustainability and water use. Two current CASNR students and eight incoming freshman and transfer students will be awarded full-tuition scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year based on their submitted videos. Winning students will be matched with a mentor to make their big idea a reality.
Additionally, eight $1,000 CASNR scholarships will be awarded to youth in the sixth through 11th grades.
“We want innovators, change-makers and future leaders to get their start right here in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources,” said CASNR Dean Tiffany Heng-Moss. “This competition will reward our current students who strive to tackle these big issues. At the same time, we hope to attract new students who are in search of a college experience in which they will be encouraged and expected to challenge themselves and change the world in the process.”
In Nebraska, one in four jobs is tied to agriculture and natural resources. Within CASNR, students, faculty and staff are already engaged in important work to provide food, fuel, feed and fiber to a rapidly growing world, while conserving agricultural landscapes and natural resources and maintaining quality of life for farmers and ranchers, said Mike Boehm, vice chancellor and vice president of the university’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
“Our state’s deep roots in agriculture, coupled with Nebraska’s abundant natural resources and our ingenuity and grit, make CASNR the ideal and natural epicenter for nurturing the world’s next generation of change-makers,” Boehm said. “We want to do everything we can to build on CASNR’s culture that allows students to think critically, dream big and accomplish extraordinary things.”
Students who participated in the 2020-21 scholarship competition said it was an opportunity to make an impact on the world, discover and be active in their passions and show others that the possibilities are endless.
Alex Lautenschlager, a freshman fisheries and wildlife major and a recipient of a 2020-21 Change Maker scholarship, focused his project on improving accessibility at public parks.
“The Change Maker Scholarship and the CASNR community has helped me discover my passion by reinforcing what I believe in and helping me find ways to be active in my passions,” he said.
The 2020-21 Change Maker recipients addressed a variety of other topics. Lydia Storm, a freshman from Lawrence, Kansas, focused her project on encouraging girls and young women to get involved in STEM programs. Cole Simmons, a freshman from Kansas City, Missouri, hopes to create an enzyme that cost-efficiently dissolves plastics to reduce landfills. A host of other innovative students have developed ideas that will make change.
Current and prospective students can apply online. Videos should be no more than two minutes long and must focus on one or more of the following issues: feeding the world; water for the future; new energy; climate and the future; biodiversity, sustainability and the environment; health; engaging diverse communities; and developing tomorrow’s leaders.
The application period opened Jan. 18 and will close at noon Feb. 19. Winners will be announced in April, and winning videos will be shared on social media. The winner whose video receives the most likes will also receive a textbook scholarship.
Complete application guidelines and more information can be found online at https://casnr.unl.edu/casnr-change-maker-competition.
Nebraska Extension Sioux County Office
Email: mmracek2@unl.edu
Website: go.unl.edu/siouxcofair
Location: PO Box 277 Harrison, NE 69346
Phone: (308) 668-2428
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLSiouxCounty