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May Program Management Meeting
--Kevin Wright
The May Program Management meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 29th at WSU Puyallup and Wednesday, May 30th at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake . Both meetings will start at 9am and end by 3pm. Items on the agenda are:
- Conflict Management in 4-H. Presented by Jana Ferris
- Core Competency: Volunteerism
- Marketing 4-H: Making the most out of Pictures and Press Releases. Presented by Betsy Fradd
- Core Competency: Equity, Access and Opportunity
- Tying it all Together: Essential Elements, Life Skills and Mission Mandates. Presented by Pat BoyEs
- Core Competency: Youth Program Development
- County Survey Follow-up from March Meeting. Presented by Kevin Wright
- Core Competency: Organizational Systems
- Program Sharing and Hot Topics. Presented by all.
Be sure to register online by Friday, May 25th at: http://4h.wsu.edu/profdev/descriptions.htm . Please add your Program Sharing information and Hot Topics when you register.
4-H Teen Conference Is Just Around the Corner - June 24-26
--Jan Klein
Here's how you can help …..
- Promote, promote, promote , use the website for updated information about what's happening: http://4h.wsu.edu/conferences/teenconf/index.htm
- Use the flyer , coming to you by mail and electronically available online at http://4-h.wsu.edu/conferences/teenconf/flyer.pdf , to advertise .
- Set a local registration deadline , so your county registrations can be submitted electronically by June 15 for lowest conference fee.
- Watch for the Conference Registration Packet coming your way.
- Recruit chaperones to attend with your county delegates, one adult per 8 youth.
Also, we are trying to put together a professional bus service to pick up youth delegates at various stops, traveling to WSU and 4-H Teen Conference. I do not know the cost yet and there will be a limited number of stops. I need to know as soon as possible if you think teens from your county would utilize this service. If you will respond to me with an approximate number (e.g., 2, 20) and suggest a stop, it will be useful and assist me in planning. Those counties who relay this information to me will get first priority for the bus service. I should have details by May 18 th .
Service Learning Tracks at 4-H Teen Conference
--Jan Klein
Each delegate will have the opportunity at conference to learn about service learning in one of following four areas:
- Leadership
- Healthy Lifestyles
- Natural Resources
- Technology.
Information will be presented to help youth recognize needs in their communities, locate resources and collaborators to address those needs and go home with a plan to implement a service learning project. This may be applicable to a senior project, a 4-H goal or for community service hours. Delegates will select the track when they register. Watch for specific information about each track at the conference website, http://4-h.wsu.edu/conferences/teenconf/index.htm .
Internet Safety - What You Don't Know Will Hurt You
--Linda Criddle (4-H Teen Conference Speaker)
You've probably heard the '10 things' you're supposed to know about Internet safety. This course will take you behind that hype. Understand the landscape of risk; how all types of predators find their victims; how you put yourself, your family and your friends at risk and how most people's information is completely exposed in a 10 minute probe. Learn the basics of online forensics and how to have fun online without falling into predatory traps. This course will cover internet use on computers, phones, game consoles and other internet connected devices as well as all the key online services.
4-H License Plate - Out of the Starting Gate
--Pat BoyEs
The 4-H movement across our state is actively engaged in creating the Washington State 4-H license plate. The first step in that process is the gathering of 3500 registered vehicle owner signatures on a petition to the State Licensing Board in Olympia . The road distance from Pullman to Olympia is 328 miles. That means for each one mile we need 11 signatures to move our license plate closer to Olympia ! Currently our 'signature-mobile' is just past Pomeroy! That's a great start folks, and Pomeroy is a lovely pit-stop, but it's not our finish line.
In late March when the 4-H Foundation waved the starting flag on this road-trip from Pullman to Olympia we hoped to have every county program gather at least 100 signatures---- HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS TO LINCOLN COUNTY WHO IS THE FIRST COUNTY TO ACHIEVE THIS 100 SIGNATURE MILESTONE! That means that Lincoln County is the first county to receive $100 for their 4-H Program from the Washington State 4-H Foundation! You see the benefits of the 4-H License plate project are already racing to Lincoln County ! There are still nine more $100 awards available to counties who collect 100 signatures and the county gathering the most signatures will receive $500. And why is the license plate project so important? Because it is a very practical way for 4-H to fund many of our projects/publications/activities that state and federal funds no longer support. It is just that simple. The conservative budget predictions for the 4-H license plate are that after 4 years of implementation, the plate should be producing over $250,000 for the 4-H program! Folks this is a very worth while effort!
Let's rally to move the signature-mobile out of Pomeroy and all the way to Olympia ! We need to cross the finish line BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1 ! If you need additional signature forms or information please check out our website at: http://4h.wsu.edu/foundation/licenseplate.htm .
Questions can be directed to Tony Dell at (253) 445-4583 or adell@wsu.edu .
Forum Auction
--Kevin Wright
Once again this year the State 4-H Forum will feature both live and silent auctions. The live auction will take place on Saturday evening, October 20 th .
Be sure to fill out the form completely and mail or email it to the Franklin County Extension Office. DO NOT mail the auction item to Franklin County - bring it with you to the Forum. The Auction Form can be found on the State Forum website: http://4h.wsu.edu/conferences/Forum/index.htm .
The auction is a great way to make money for your county 4-H program. The profits from the auction are divided between the 4-H entity that donated it and the State Advisory Board. More details about this division are on the donation form. Be sure to mail in your donation forms by September 30, 2007 , so that your items may be included in the auction catalog.
State Award Nominations
--Kevin Wright
Nominations for Annual 4-H Awards must be postmarked by September 1st . The awards include Friend of Washington, Alumni of the Year, the Volunteer's Staff Award and the Volunteer Excellence Awards. Winners of the Volunteer Excellence Awards (Lifetime Achievement and Less than 10 Years) will be sent on for National Competition.
Nomination forms may be downloaded from the Forum website at: http://4h.wsu.edu/conferences/Forum/awards.htm .
Outstanding County Volunteer Awards
--Kevin Wright
Each county may submit an outstanding volunteer to be honored at this years' Forum. Counties are encouraged to send a poster or display about the volunteer. Please submit the Outstanding County Leader form and electronic picture of the volunteer no later than September 15th . Forms can be found on the 4-H website at: http://4h.wsu.edu/conferences/Forum/awards.htm .
Heather Rider Leadership Award
--Kevin Wright
During the Spring 2006 Washington State 4-H Advisory Board meeting, the Heather Rider Leadership Award was created in honor of Heather Rider, a Cowlitz County 4-H member who was elected to serve as a State Ambassador and to the State 4-H Advisory Board. Heather was an exceptional young woman who touched many lives in her 4-H career, before her life was cut short in the fall of 2005.
The award seeks to recognize a young person that has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and service to others through their 4-H involvement, past and present, at the club, county, regional, state and/or national levels. The nominee is to be 18-21 years of age at the time of nomination and have a genuine passion for 4-H.
JCPenney Afterschool Fund Mini-Grants now Available
--Cecily Morgan
We are pleased to announce the 4-H Afterschool 2007-08 JCPenney Afterschool Fund mini-grants. To view the RFP and download an application visit: www.4HAfterschool.org .
Apply today!
Guides for Measuring Program Quality
--Jan Hiller
Barbara Stone, National Program Leader, Professional Development, CSREES, recently sent a message about these resources. You may find them useful as you assess and improve the quality of your programs. Please share this information with others.
Measuring Program Quality: A Guide to Assessment Tools
Thanks to growing interest in youth program quality, many tools are now available to help organizations and systems assess and improve quality. Given the size and diversity of the sector, it is unrealistic to expect that any one tool or process will fit all programs or circumstances. This new report from the Forum for Youth Investment provides potential users with useful information to guide their decision-making. www.forumfyi.org/Files//Measuring_Youth_Program_Quality.pdf
Building Quality Improvement Systems: Lessons from Three Emerging Efforts in the Youth-Serving Sector
Quality is fast becoming a policy priority in states and localities around the country. As a result, formal and informal networks of youth organizations are seeking and developing strategies to help them assess and improve performance. This new report from the Forum for Youth Investment takes a close look at efforts underway in three networks: Girls Incorporated, Michigan 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and YouthNet of Greater Kansas City. The cases shed light on several important questions, including: What kinds of quality improvement processes are being designed and implemented in the field? What do similarities and differences between various approaches tell us about the design choices that are being made? What might be some consequences of different designs, in terms of both the implementation and results of improvement efforts? This report provides a preliminary framework for planning any kind of program quality improvement work in the youth-serving sector. www.forumfyi.org/Files//Building_Quality_Improvement_Systems.pdf
Youth Initiatives Update from the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth
--Suzanne Le Menestrel, Ph.D., National Program Leader, Youth Development Research
The National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth is a free information service of the HHS/ACF Family and Youth Services Bureau . The Youth Initiatives Update is a monthly compilation of information on new youth-related initiatives and resources selected from the Web sites of more than 100 Federal agencies and national organizations.
urrent Funding Opportunities (Federal and Non-Federal) can be found by visiting http://www.ncfy.com/ . Click on Youth Development, then under News and Funding click on Youth Initiatives Update and finally click March/April 2007. The funding opportunities are arranged in order of application due date.
Searchable Databases of 4-H Studies
--Pat BoyEs
New and improved Searchable Databases of 4-H Studies are now available on the new AGNIC Youth Development Site: http://apps.libraries.psu.edu/agnic/index.cfm .
The current databases contain:
- 1800 graduate studies and papers, dating from 1911 to 2007
- 800 state, national and experiment station studies
- options to add additional studies that are not included!
Created by Jan Scholl, Amy Paster and David Abler, Penn State University (copyright 2007), the databases are searchable and sortable by author, keyword, date and institution. The web site also provides access to historical youth development information. Additional information about the databases or web-site may be directed to: Jan Scholl jscholl@psu.edu .
CECP Request for Peer Reviewers
--Barbara Stone, Ph.D., National Program Leader, Professional Development
The Association for Southern Regional Extension Directors (ASRED) in cooperation with the 1890 Extension Administrators (AEA), support an effort to develop and launch a multi-state curriculum development project for Extension. The initial focus is curriculum for professional development competencies. To better understand CECP go to: http://srpln.msstate.edu/cecp/what/about.htm
As part of this collaborative project, teams of 4-H Extension professionals in the Southern Region have developed modules that are based in the 4-H Profession Research Knowledge and Competencies (4-H PRKC, 2004). When complete, the modules will be made available across the 4-H system. 4-H educators will be able to access on-line educational resources that are readily available, easily sharable, and of high quality, and meet current needs for training.
Please reply or direct your questions to Connie Phelps , Assistant Professor, 4-H Youth Development, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service , cphelps@uaex.edu .
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.