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National Diversity Conference, Early Bird Registration due March 16th!
--Mary Katherine Y. Deen
Washington State University Extension cordially invites you to: The Change Agents States National Diversity Conference, Diversity Leadership: Modeling Systemic Change April 25 – 27, 2007 in Seattle, WA. Registration is now OPEN at http://emmps.wsu.edu/NDC/!
Conference Description
The National Diversity Conference is a forum for sharing evidence-based knowledge and successful diversity leadership models. These models impact organizational change in order to meet the challenges of an increasingly diverse global society. The conference is hosted by Washington State University Extension ( http://ext.wsu.edu/). Sponsors include the WSU Office of the Vice President for Equity and Diversity WSU Diversity Office, USDA CSREES USDA-CSREES, and Change Agent States for Diversity and Engagement CASD/E.
This conference is designed for leadership of Land Grant Universities, including administrators, faculty and staff from extension, research, and academic programs. Private and public university partners and professional association representatives are also invited to present and attend.
Objectives
- Showcase diversity leadership research and evidence-based successful practices for addressing program, personnel and workplace environment issues.
- Explore and analyze systemic leadership practices and policies surrounding diversity and their implications for land-grant universities.
- Share leadership models and strategies for effecting systematic organizational change in land-grant institutions/universities and the communities that they serve.
- Present the research findings and implications from the CASD/E project that address the organizational changes needed within the national land-grant institutions to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse society.
4-H Science Camp-in
--Kevin Wright
The 4-H Science Camp-in will be held overnight March 31 – April 1 at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. The deadline for registration is March 18th!
As the sun sets outside, the fun gets started at the Pacific Science Center ! Embark on a journey through hands-on exhibits, warm up in our Tropical Butterfly House and explore the night sky in the Planetarium. This spring, learn all about just how gross critters can be in our workshop, "Animals: From Eating to Excreting." Life is boring without discovery, so come discover Pacific Science Center at night!
At Night…Become a Grossologist in the “Animals: From Eating to Excreting” workshop! Why are some animals so gross? What exactly is the purpose of slime? Is human digestion really so different from that of a cow or an owl? In this hands-on science workshop, experiment with sticky critters, explore fascinating facts about the animal world, and make your own slime to take home! By the time you leave you'll have a whole new view of the animal world – from the inside out!
After the workshop you will have time to explore the hands-on exhibits and tropical butterfly house, see a live science demonstration – combustion and watch a star show in the planetarium. The next morning you'll see a laser show and IMAX film.
For more information about the 4-H Science Camp-in visit the web site at:http://4-h.wsu.edu/conferences/campin/index.htm.
The cost for the camp-in is $40.00 per person (youth or adult). This cost covers workshops, exhibits and meals (T-shirts are extra). Registration must be postmarked by March 18th. Each youth attending must have adult chaperone (1:6 ratio).
Last Chance to Secure Budget Dollars for WA State Horse Park
--James Hutchins
This update brings more good news on the battles for funding for the Washington State Horse Park along with the sobering reality that we could still lose the war between now and the end of March. The Horse Park Authority and Foundation are pleased to report that more than 30 Horse Park supporters met on February 8th with more than 50 Senators and Representatives in Olympia and the discussions went very well. Many of the legislators mentioned the terrific "heartfelt" letters they have received from constituents (including many 4-H members) explaining why the Horse Park is needed, and said they would join Governor Gregoire in supporting initial funding of $3.8 million in this year's capital budget.
Despite steady success in recent months, the Horse Park is a small voice compared to other more high profile initiatives currently seeking state funds, including an array of private sport/entertainment complexes. Key supporters in Olympia are warning that the budget debates are extremely intense and that the Horse Park still can fall victim to negotiations between legislators and to powerful interest groups seeking to confuse agendas, divert attention and draw funding to their own projects.
By the middle of March, budget decisions will be finalized - including the fate of the Horse Park. Our lobbyists and some influential legislators have warned that we must keep sending letters to our elected officials asking them to support the Horse Park during remaining budget deliberations. If we do, the Horse Park is almost sure to receive funding. If we fall silent now, we could lose everything including the donation of the land to the citizens of Washington.
Please do your part in this one last push! Send a brief message to your three elected representatives by March 18th. Tell them you want their support in funding the Horse Park. Find out whom to contact and use the guidelines and sample letters provided at http://www.washingtonstatehorsepark.org/html/letters.html.
March Program Management Meetings
--Kevin Wright
The March Program Management meetings will be held on Tuesday, March 27th in Moses Lake and Wednesday, March 28th in Puyallup. On the Agenda for this meeting are Conflict Management, 4-H License Plate, New Facility Use Agreement, District Teen Rallies, and much, much more! Please register through the professional development web site at: http://4-h.wsu.edu/profdev/.
Pierce County 4-H Annual Fun' Raiser
--Nancy Baskett
Pierce County 4-H is hosting their annual Fun' Raiser April 28th. Activities will include 4-H rabbit and cavy show, 4-H cat show, 4-H and open youth and adult arts and photography shows and 4-H and dog show. Entry forms and more information can be found at the Pierce County web site at: http://www.pierce.wsu.edu/4-h or by calling Nancy Baskett at 253 798-3258.
Save the Date
--Jan Klein
"Fast Track to Your Future"
- 4-H Summer Teen Conference
- June 24-26, 2007
- Washington State University, Pullman
Two Upcoming Opportunities for 4-H Llama Project Groups
--Scott Noga
Come join in the fun at the 2007 Backcountry Llama Association Rendezvous and Drive-in at Emigrant Springs, OR, June 22-24th! Food, prizes, educational seminars, demonstrations, games, poker run, races, cart driving, fiber arts, movies and more! Involve your llamas in discovery and adventure. 50% discount to 4-H members/groups. Don't miss this opportunity! See http://www.rattlesnakeridgeranch.com/events.htm for more information, or call (509) 430-2198.
The Benton-Franklin County Fair in Kennewick, WA, is for the first time offering Open Class obstacle competition for llamas and their handlers on August 23rd. People of all ages and locale can bring their llamas just for the day, compete and have fun working together! A new Llama/Alpaca project book is available for preview at: http://www.rattlesnakeridgeranch.com/documents/llamabook.doc. For more information, call (509) 521-3572.
New Volunteer Training Module 3: Access, Equity and Opportunity
--Jan Hiller
Washington State University 4-H Youth Development is committed to being an inclusive organization that promotes access, equity and opportunity for all in our workforce, program participants, educational partners, and program content. The first step to fulfilling this commitment is to know and understand the federal and state laws that ensure that each young person has a chance to succeed.
You can add to your knowledge and understanding by clicking on the Volunteer Training Modules on the State 4-H Web site and then clicking on Module 3. Some counties picked up a CD with Module 3 on it at the All Extension Conference. Other counties will be receiving one by snail mail. Please encourage 4-H leaders and families to read and understand this important information.
Grant Opportunity
--Janet Edwards
National 4-H Council is offering a limited number of grants to implement the Health Rocks curriculum. It is an excellent program and may fit with your plans to program for healthy lifestyles. We can submit ONE proposal from Washington for a $35,000 grant. Grantees are expected to identify and train youth/adult leadership teams which will implement the curriculum locally, reaching a total of 5,000 youth providing a minimum of ten contact hours each (excluding introduction and celebration). Please review the information below and see the RFP for more details. The proposal is due on April 27. Please send me a note by April 1 if you are interested and I will put together the proposal for our state. Susan Kerr and I have both used the curriculum and can give you more information. The curriculum is also available in Spanish.
Health Rocks! is a prevention and decision-making program that targets youth ages 8-12. Curricula is taught by teen/adult leadership teams that help youth learn key health messages and skills such as critical thinking, how to manage stress, how to handle peer pressure, and how to communicate effectively. Special emphasis is placed on tobacco use prevention. Developing life skills, such as communicating with others, managing change, and dealing with stress, helps youth develop internal strength to resist risky behaviors. The Health Rocks! healthy life curricula series will allow participants to experience activities that help them learn and adopt many important skills.
Since its inception, the Health Rocks! healthy life program has been implemented in partnership with Mississippi State University Extension (MSU), which serves as the virtual training facility - providing training to youth/adult implementation teams, incentive support, personal and web-based technical assistance, and facilitating program evaluation and reporting. To assist state grantees with implementation, each will designate a core leadership team of two youth and two adults to attend a 3-day train-the-trainer conference in early June 2007 provided by MSU. MSU will continue to provide direct program support to State Grantees throughout implementation and reporting. To find out more about Health Rocks! go to http://msucares.com/4h_Youth/health_rocks/.
Project Learning Tree Grant
--Susan Kerr
Project Learning Tree (PLT) is proud to announce it is expanding its GreenWorks! service-learning program. This year, $100,000 will be awarded to schools and youth organizations for environmental neighborhood improvement projects that involve youth with their community.
Since 1993, Project Learning Tree has distributed approximately $375,000 to fund over 700 grant projects in communities across the country. In 2007, PLT is making $100,000 available for "learning-by-doing" environmental projects that:
- partner PLT educators and their students with local businesses or community organizations
- combine academics with community service
- engage elementary through college-age students in active learning about the environment
- provide opportunities for student leadership.
Grants up to $5,000 are available; the first round of proposals are due April 30, 2007. There will be a second funding cycle in the Fall.
For more information, visit http://www.plt.org/cms/pages/31_41_44.html.
March 2007 Mission Of the Month: Seasons and Light
--Pat BoyEs
This month, CYFERnet continues the "It's a Mystery" exploration and looks at light pollution with the "GLOBE at Night" project...
It's a Mystery: The world turns, the sun rises. Different every day, but with a rhythm and based on science that has intrigued humans since the dawn of time. Now through May, we invite you to explore the mysteries of time, light and season. If you haven't done so already, register online for the official Mystery competition, which involves locating 10 global "mystery sites" based on the time the sun rises and sets. Or, try CYFERnet's "Time Enough" activity, a look at the sunrise, sunset and daylight times in your community.
GLOBE at Night: This national science project looks at how the brightness of outdoor lights affects the brightness of the stars. Each March, people across the country stand in their backyards to collect data on the brightness of stars and light pollution. Once the data is combined, we can see differences across the country and from year to year. The 2007 GLOBE at Night project runs March 8-21.
Visit http://www.cyfernet.org/4htech/missions.html for complete details.
2007 NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest
--Pat BoyEs
The NRA is now accepting entries for its 2007 Youth Wildlife Art Contest. The contest, the 20th in the annual series, is open to students in grades 1 through 12 (including home-schooled children). NRA membership is not required. The deadline to enter is October 8, 2007.
Winners in each grade category will receive $500. Second-place finishers will receive $250, and the third-place award will be $100.
Entries may be submitted in one of four categories, based on school grade. Category I includes grades 1 through 3. Category II is for grades 4 through 6. Category III covers grades 7 through 9, and Category IV includes grades 10 through 12. Entries may portray any North American game bird or animal that may be legally hunted or trapped. Endangered species and non-game animals, such as eagles and snakes, are not eligible subjects. Call (703) 267-1531 or email artcontest@nrahq.org if you need to confirm whether a certain animal or bird is eligible.
Contestants are limited to one entry each. Entries may be in a medium of the artist's choice (oil, water color, pastels, pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, etc.). Submissions should be on good quality bond or drawing paper, or illustration board. Preferred sizes for the image are 8-1/2" x 11" or 11" x 14"; matting is optional. Entries need not be framed. Composition must be original. Photographs may be used for reference, but artwork determined to have been traced or copied from an existing photograph or work of art will be disqualified.
Entries must arrive at NRA by October 8, 2007, and must be accompanied by a brief statement signed by the student's parent, guardian, or teacher attesting to the originality of the work and verifying the artist's grade level as of October 8, 2007. In addition, the artist's name, age, home address, phone number, and grade must be printed on the back of the entry or on a note attached to the back of the entry. Entries will be judged on effort, creativity, anatomical accuracy, and composition.
Send entries to: NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030. Entries will be returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. NRA assumes no responsibility for lost or damaged artwork, and reserves all rights to reproduce entries. The immediate families of NRA staff members are not eligible to enter. Questions regarding the contest may be directed to (703) 267-1531 or artcontest@nrahq.org, or visit www.nrahq.org/youth/wildlife.asp.
The contest is supported through a generous gift from Jim Broering, President of AcuSport Corporation, for the creation of the James and Kathleen Broering Endowment.
New Resources from the Finance Project
--Pat BoyEs
The Finance Project recently produced two publications that provide relevant and up-to-date information on federal funding sources and promising strategies to finance mental health supports and services for children and adolescents exposed to traumatic life events.
Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Sources for Child Traumatic Stress and Other Trauma-Focused Initiatives identifies 69 federal sources that can support a variety of supports and services for children exposed to trauma. The guide is designed to provide policy makers and Child Traumatic Stress program developers with critical information about the range of federal funding sources that are currently available and have the potential to support initiatives that develop, implement, and disseminate child trauma interventions. The guide identifies strategies that Child Traumatic Stress initiatives and other trauma-focused initiatives can implement to access a wide array of funding sources.
Thinking Broadly: Financing Strategies for Child Traumatic Stress Initiatives presents a conceptual framework for financing Child Traumatic Stress initiatives' work and a set of approaches that initiative leaders can implement to provide comprehensive and coordinated trauma supports and services. It presents general principles to guide the selection of financing strategies and outlines an array of approaches to finance interventions for traumatized children and adolescents. It also provides considerations to help initiative leaders select financing strategies that closely align with their program goals, available resources, and the political and economic environments in which they work.
Understanding the 4-H Workforce: Staffing, Structures and Salaries
--Pat BoyEs
National 4-H Headquarters' has just released the results of a national survey of the 4-H workforce which provides baseline data about 4-H staffing structures and salary ranges across the United States. State Extension 4-H program leadership--from all 50 states--responded to the survey and results are reported in eight areas--(1) Profile of respondents; (2) Current 4-H staffing structures; (3) Staffing trends and changes since 1990; (4) Academic degree requirements; (5) Compensation levels; (6) Academic and other preparation; (7) Ideal staffing models; and (8) Current and future challenges. This study offers a compelling picture of our current workforce in 4-H and provides some significant recommendations as we build our capacity as a system around the ECOP 4-H Task Force goal of doubling the number of young people in 4-H clubs.
Here are just a few of the highlights: There is broad consensus about the disciplines that provided the best preparation for youth work—education, human development and child development. Academic training of 4-H professionals and compensation for 4-H youth workers is higher compared to their counterparts in youth work elsewhere. While funding for 4-H positions has remained stable, there is also an increase in the utilization of paraprofessionals in program delivery.
The study was authored by Dr. Kirk Astroth, at the 4-H Center for Youth Development, Montana State University. Special thanks are expressed to our partner, National 4-H Council, for funding the 4-H workforce study.
Visit the National 4-H Headquarters web site at: http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/index.htm and scroll down and click on the link “National 4-H News”.
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.