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4-H Scholarship Opportunities
--Jan Klein
Please remember that applications for the following scholarship are due January 31, 2007.
Washington State 4-H members who are seniors in high school or are completing their GED are eligible for 15 different scholarships from the Washington State 4-H Program. In order to be eligible to apply for these scholarships you must either be a current or former member of the Washington State 4-H Program and have accumulated at least 2 years of 4-H affiliation. Previous Washington State 4-H scholarship recipients are not eligible to apply.
In conjunction with the WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS), we are excited to offer four $1500.00 scholarships, two for achievement in Leadership and two for achievement in Citizenship/Community Service, toward tuition in a student's freshman year at Washington State University.
Applicants being considered for the Leadership and Citizenship/Community Service Scholarships will first be reviewed for the CAHNRS Dean's Merit Award worth $3000.00. To be eligible for these scholarships both the Washington State University Scholarship Application (online only) and the WSU/CAHNRS 4-H State Scholarship Supplemental Information (send to Britta Nitcy) must be completed. Applications must arrive to WSU by January 31, 2007.
Please note:
- The Washington State University Scholarship Application is ONLINE ONLY
- Applicants must complete a WSU application and receive a student ID PRIOR to applying for the scholarship
A cover letter with scholarship information can be found online at http://4h.wsu.edu/kidstuff/scholar.htm.
Jan Klein 'sweats green' for Washington State 4-H teens
--Pat BoyEs
At the Western Regional Leader's Forum, in Phoenix Arizona, this past week, Jan Klein, 4-H Teen Leadership Coordinator, took Washington State 4-H to the finish line as she ran the PF Chang's Rock and Roll Half Marathon! Starting in below freezing temperatures, she finished the 13.1 mile run in 2 hours and 9 minutes, 100th out of 400 in her age group. This effort was made to raise money for our 4-H teens to attend national opportunities. Washington State 4-H staff, volunteers and youth are encouraged to support this effort by donating a dollar amount to each mile ran. Please bleed a little green by sending your support marked “ 4-H Youth Trip Fund ” to:
Washington State 4-H Foundation
c/o Gayle Ashworth
7612 Pioneer Way E.
Puyallup , WA , 98371-4998
Internet Safety Tips - first in a series
--Joy Faerber
Technology has become such an integral part of all we do in 4-H. It is important to educate our 4-H members, leaders and parents about the dangers of internet predators and other risks associated with being connected to the world wide web.
This is the first in a series of articles that you will find in upcoming Tuesday News' editions highlighting various threats to our personal safety and our computer equipment. I highly recommend that counties include these articles in local news media that reaches 4-H club leaders and parents.
TIP #1 – What is “MySpace”?
MySpace is a very popular social-networking site found at http://www.myspace.com. Teens post their profiles, leave messages for one another, and meet other people through friends or on their own. There are a lot of other sites that teens can “hang out” on, but MySpace is by far the most popular spot to be. MySpace currently has over 100 million profiles, with nearly 230,000 new members signing up daily. Parents may not think of social-networking sites, instant messaging, chat rooms and e-mail as social gathering places, but that is exactly what today's teens are doing.
The problem with networking online is that there are no physical cues to alert a teenage girl that the “boy” who is posting messages on her MySpace profile about a hot new band, is really a 45-year-old pedophile interested in sharing a lot more than his opinion on music.
Parenting in this virtual world requires a willingness to pay attention, ask a lot of questions and set rules, but too often that's not happening. Parents who wouldn't consider allowing their child to go to a party without an adult present let their teens roam through the online world without any supervision whatsoever. Following are steps that parents can follow that will allow their child to safely post a profile on MySpace:
- Ask to see their profile – tomorrow. That gives them time to clean up anything they know is offensive or unsafe. It becomes a way to help educate them on what not to post, instead of putting them on the spot.
- Ask your child to walk you through it. Identifying details that should be removed are last name, identifiable or suggestive screen name, hometown and school name. Look closely at their photos. Can you see the name of their school name on the building in the background? Ideally teens wouldn't post pictures of themselves at all, but photos are a huge part of the appeal of these sites. Instead, make sure your child's photo isn't overly suggestive or sexual and again, look closely at the background. A street sign in the background of your child's photo can give predators a good idea of where you live.
- Take advantage of protection features. On MySpace, setting the page to private will keep strangers from viewing your child's profile. Also, have your teen consider the option to approve all comments before being posted on their profile.
- Read friends' profiles to make sure they're not putting your teen at risk. Your child's friends may post comments that include last names, school names or other identifying information, without even thinking about it.
- Most important is talking with your teen about what they are doing online and helping them develop their own critical thinking.
Clover Corner News: Charlotte 's Web Group Ticket Sales Update
--Pat BoyEs
Group sales for Charlotte 's Web tickets are now being offered for purchases of ten or more tickets. Please note that there will be no processing fee for group tickets, yet Hollywood Movie Money (HMM) will still donate $1 per ticket to your state's 4-H program.
Ticket prices will be the cost of your theater's box office price. However, only child and adult admissions will be available. For orders of more than 250 tickets, there will be a 5% discount off the box office price.
To purchase tickets, call Michael Beaton at 775-833-0303, extension 31, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm PST (12-8pm EST), or email: 4hgroupsales@hollywoodmoviemoney.com.
Tickets can be shipped by USPS for free or by FedEx for $15 (overnight) or $10 (2-day delivery).
The tickets will be valid for any Charlotte 's Web showing at any theater that accepts HMM certificates. IMPORTANT: the group organizer must call the theater ahead of time to arrange for the theater to accommodate your group for the showing you want to attend.
Visit www.4hblogs.org/ccn to view past editions of Clover Corner News, 4-H's national online newsletter.
Programs of Distinction
--Pat BoyEs
National 4-H Headquarters, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, USDA is requesting applications from those individuals interested in peer reviewing Programs of Distinction manuscripts from around the country. Please note that this is a volunteer position, and reviewers donate their time for the review of manuscripts and peer reviewer training (conducted on the web). The Programs of Distinction review team is comprised of 4-H youth development educators and specialists, family and consumer science and human development educators and specialists, and other Extension professionals familiar with the field of youth development.
Benefits to reviewers include:
* An opportunity to help select outstanding Cooperative Extension youth development programs for inclusion in the National 4-H Headquarters' Programs of Distinction database.
* An opportunity to network with other youth development and FCS professionals from around the country.
* A professional development experience to enhance your evaluation and program development skills.
* A valuable addition to your resume, vitae, or promotion and tenure file.
Reviewers should be able to:
* Review and return the manuscripts submitted for Programs of Distinction in a timely manner-within 2 weeks.
* Make recommendations based on how well the submission meets established criteria.
* Provide specific comments that will be returned to the author.
* Serve as a peer reviewer for a minimum of one year (maximum of two years)
* Participate in a 2-hour web-based training
If you have questions about the Programs of Distinction process, please send an email to Suzanne Le Menestrel, National Program Leader for Youth Development Research, slemenestrel@csrees.usda.gov. To download a reviewer application, please visit http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/about/POD_Rev_App_2007.doc.
Please return the completed application as an attachment to an email to POD@csrees.usda.gov, with "POD Reviewer Application" as the subject line. Applications are due by January 16, 2007.
Just a Reminder!
When you have new Extension staff that will be working in some capacity with 4-H, please let Nancy in the State 4-H Office know. They will be added to mailing lists, added to the 4-H Talk list serve, sent a 4-H Welcome Packet, and be assigned a state 4-H staff person as a point of contact, as appropriate. 4-H News is sent via the 4-H Talk list serve each week. Archived copies of previous weeks “Tuesday 4-H News” are available on the 4-H web site: http://4h.wsu.edu/. Please send submissions by Friday of each week to Tiffany Boswell, State 4-H Office, tiffany_boswell@wsu.edu. Detailed event information and registrations forms can be found on the 4-H web site.