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Columbia River Country Days
--Lore Twiet
The small county of Wahkiakum, situated alongside the Columbia River in coastal southwest Washington, will spotlight homegrown foods, family farms and dinner on Grays River's Covered Bridge, in a county wide celebration on October 3-5, 2008. Sponsor, WSU Wahkiakum County Extension, celebrates the land and its people with “Columbia River Country Days.”
A Slow Moving Parade winding its way through the town of Cathlamet and over the bridge to Puget Island will lead off the celebration on Friday the 3rd. The parade begins at 2:30 p.m. at the Cathlamet marina and is to feature only slow vehicles. A small train with cars filled with children, farm tractors, ancient automobiles, large semis and other slow movers will make their way through the rural byway.
Friday's events include the 3 p.m. opening of the pumpkin patch at Stockhouse's Farm and Two Islands Farm Market on Puget Island. The market features a wide array of farms and their local produce, eggs, meats, and baked goods. Wahkiakum talents regularly show up to perform at the market. A wine and chocolate fete in Cathlamet is planned for late afternoon.
Saturday's main event will be a “Lamp Lit Dinner on the Covered Bridge” hosted by WSU Wahkiakum County Extension. Chef Mark Bernetich, corporate chef at Sysco Corporation, brings his culinary artistry to ensure the early afternoon dinner on the bridge is a unique experience. All proceeds of the dinner will go to Extension so that it can continue its work which began almost a century ago, with the first Extension agent west of the Mississippi, in 1912.
Saturday's events also include Farm Tours of local working farms. Tours begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 1:00 p.m. An old time auction is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the fairgrounds at Skamokawa and a concession stand operated by the Skamokawa Grange will be open. Wine and hors d' orvres in Grays River will precede the bridge dinner and a Grays River Grange dance and pie social will follow afterwards.
Columbia River Country Days celebration will include 4-H recognition awards on October 5th, as part of National 4-H Week. Further information for tickets and scheduling for the Columbia River Country Days celebration may be had by calling 360 849-4000, email questions may go to cakennedy@wsu.edu.
Registration open: “Incorporating Youth-Adult Partnerships within Community Decision-Making” CYFERnet Webinar
--Submitted by Pat BoyEs
Solid evidence is emerging that youth-adult partnerships are beneficial in helping young people develop the skills and competencies needed to serve as leaders within their communities. This has resonated not only within 4-H, but also with a host of other agencies that have implemented strategies to bring youth and adults together to work towards common goals. In order to realize the benefits of initiatives where youth partner with adults, however, organizational support (i.e., administration, state specialists) must be in place to promote partnerships and offer venues where youth are afforded opportunities to serve in governance roles.
This webinar will be on Tuesday, October 14 12:00-1:30 p.m. (Pacific) and highlight the findings from a national evaluation designed to discover ways states are promoting youth-adult partnerships and other levels of citizenship. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the challenges and successes encountered by 4-H youth development programs when launching statewide initiatives that engage youth and adults as partners. The presenters will discuss how they conducted site visits in five states to investigate what strategies are being used to promote youth in governance. Participants of this webinar will become more aware of the barriers that can impede the growth of a partnership, as well as insight into the practices that build the capacity of youth in governance roles.
Register at http://cyfernet.ces.ncsu.edu/mn/training/user.php?r=62.
Presenters:
- Kenneth Jones, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Community & Leadership Development at the University of Kentucky. He is also an extension specialist, supporting county agents in the area of youth development. His research interests include youth-adult relationships within community contexts.
- Shepherd Zeldin, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin. He has conducted numerous studies relating to the influence of youth engagement on adolescent development, adult development and community change.
Agenda
- Introductions
- Overview of the Project
- Focus and Purpose (Justification for Youth-Adult Partnerships)
- Lessons Learned: What States have done to Legitimize Youth-Adult Partnering
- Recommendations for Researchers and Practitioners
- Discussion: Questions and Answers.
If you have any questions about the training event, please contact: Bill Evans, CYFERnet Teen Editor, evans@unr.nevada.edu.
What Does ‘Time' Mean To Children?"
--Submitted by Pat BoyEs
What Does ‘Time' Mean to Children?” is the title of a workshop being presented by Penn State Cooperative Extension. The coordinates for the October 16, 2008, Better Kid Care Satellite Broadcast are:
KU Band
Satellite: Galaxy 11
Transponder: K13
Polarity: H
Frequecy: 11960
Location: 91 W
C-Band
Satellite: Galaxy 28
Transponder: C19
Polarity: V
Frequecy: 4080
Location: 89 W
Test Pattern: 7:00 p.m. ET
Begins: 7:15 p.m. ET
Ends: 9:00 p.m. ET
Technical pre-program questions and reception Problems: 814-865-1036
Please Note: No Question & Answer Portion During The Satellite Broadcast
Content Questions Or Follow-Up Questions After The Broadcast:
- Call the Better Kid Care Telephone Mentoring Help Line at 800-859-8340
- E-mail to Better Kid Care at betterkidcare@psu.edu
- FAX questions to Better Kid Care at 814-865-7893 (will not be answered during the satellite broadcast, so be sure to include information on how to reach the caller)
Coordinates on the web are http://betterkidcare.psu.edu/page02e.html.
View the satellite live on the web at http://betterkidcare.psu.edu/livesat.html.
National 4-H Conference Applications Due
--Jan Klein
National 4-H Conference Applications are due November 1, 2008. Please note changes in the selection criteria and application process, as outlined below.
The National 4-H Conference is a working conference in which youth and adults--at the invitation of the Secretary of Agriculture--assist in the development of recommendations to help guide 4-H Youth Development Programs nationally and in their communities. National 4-H Headquarters, the sponsor, is charged with sharing this information with the Secretary of Agriculture, national Extension Program Leaders, and others who determine 4-H programs. This event brings together youth, volunteer leaders, and state and county Extension staff members from across the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the Canadian Provinces. Capitol Hill Day at the National 4-H Conference is an opportunity for youth delegates to visit their elected representatives in Congress and inform them about the 4-H program in their state.
Washington State 4-H selection criteria include:
- People skills as seen through interview, letters of recommendation, presentation/portfolio
- Articulate and confident communicator
- Ability to describe 4-H programming clearly and articulately
- Ability and willingness to lead
- Ability and willingness to work as part of a team
- A self-starter
- Minimum 20 hours of Community service (hours or project involvement)
- Minimum 2 years 4-H involvement
- 10th grade or above
- Minimum 2 years in club/council leadership roles
- Attended a minimum of one district AND one state event prior to National Event
For National 4-H Conference we also require:
- Knowledge of Washington State programs and organizational structure as well as the relationship between 4-H and the federal government
- Attendance at Washington State Know Your Government Conference for at least one year with an understanding of basic civics
- Minimum two (2) years in a leadership project
- Sponsorship by a county or state 4-H leadership board or council. If selected to attend National 4-H Conference, you will have a commitment to this sponsoring board/council to bring back the information and training you have received and utilize it within the context of that board's service. Specific guidelines will be determined jointly between you and the board prior to attendance at the 4-H Conference. (This is a new requirement)
Interested youth will find additional information and application at http://4h.wsu.edu/members/delegate-criteria.pdf. For more information and/or questions contact Jan Klein at jlklein@wsu.edu.
National Extension Conference on Volunteerism
--Submitted by Pat BoyEs
The National Extension Conference on Volunteerism will be held April 27-30, 2009 at General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton, Kentucky. Proposals for workshops, research reports, and poster presentations are now being accepted! Please visit http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/4h/necv/.
Deadline for proposals is October 17, 2009! Proposals are encouraged from all Extension program areas and we would ask that you share broadly in your state to ensure that we have the highest quality proposals to consider from a broad range of discipline areas!
Specific questions about the 2009 National Extension Conference on Volunteerism may be directed to Sheri Seibold at sseibold@illinois.edu or Sue Pleskac at sue.pleskac@ces.uwex.edu.
Follow Up to Equine Care Issue
--Submitted by Pat BoyEs
Earlier this month, I expressed concern about the increasing number of abandoned and/or starving horses. Lore Twiet, of Wahkiakum County, forwarded two thought provoking articles from the Washington Horse Magazine which I thought had worth for your review and for sharing with your equine 4-H volunteers.
Pew Internet Releases Teens, Video Games and Civics
--Submitted by Pat BoyEs
The first national survey of its kind finds that virtually all American teens play computer, console, or cell phone games and that the gaming experience is rich and varied, with a significant amount of social interaction and potential for civic engagement. The survey was conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, an initiative of the Pew Research Center and was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The primary findings in the survey of 1,102 youth ages 12-17 include:
Game playing is universal, with almost all teens playing games and at least half playing games on a given day.
- 97% of American teens ages 12-17 play some kind of video game.
- 99% of boys say they are gamers and 94% of girls report that they play games.
Game playing experiences are diverse, with the most popular games falling into the racing, puzzle, sports, action and adventure categories.
- A typical teen plays at least five different categories of games and 40% of them play eight or more different game types.
- While some teens play violent video games, those who play violent games generally also play non-violent games.
Game playing is social, with most teens playing games with others at least some of the time.
- 76% of gaming teens play games with others at least some of the time.
- 82% play games alone at least occasionally, though 71% of this group also plays games with others.
- 65% of gaming teens play with others in the same room.
For the full report please visit http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/263/report_display.asp.
About the Pew Internet Project
The Project is an initiative of the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. Pew Internet explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. The Project is nonpartisan and takes no position on policy issues. Support for the project is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The Project's Website is http://www.pewinternet.org.
About the MacArthur Foundation
The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society. MacArthur's $50 million digital media and learning initiative seeks to help determine how digital media are changing how young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. More information is available at www.macfound.org or www.digitallearning.macfound.org.
About Civic Engagement Research Group
CERG is a research organization based at Mills College in Oakland, California that conducts quantitative and qualitative research focused on youth civic engagement. The group looks at the impact of school based civic learning opportunities and digital media participation on young people's civic capacities, commitments, and activities. The goal is to develop an evidence base regarding effective civic education practices and policies. The research group's website is http://www.civicsurvey.org.
Kristine Fairbanks: 4-H Leader killed in line of duty
--Submitted by Pat BoyEs
We had a 4-H leader in Clallam County, WA - KRISTINE FAIRBANKS - killed on September 20, while on duty as a U.S. Forest Service officer. Pam Roberts has put many press references into a single post on 4-H Network News to help everyone easily access the information and distribute the parts that fit your circumstances. You can access the post and photos at http://4-hnews.blogspot.com/2008/09/kristine-fairbanks-uw-forest-service.html.
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.