News from University of Missouri Extension 4-H Youth Development

4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning citizenship, leadership and life skills.

January 2015

Are you interested in becoming a future leader in agriculture and your community? The Missouri Agribusiness Academy is for you!

MAbA is a youth leadership program designed for high school sophomores to explore career opportunities in agribusiness, government and production agriculture. Links to the applications are below.

Agriculture has a tremendous impact on our nation’s economy, and Missouri is at the heart of this industry. It is important that young people carry on the tradition and heritage of those who have made this state the agricultural leader it is today.

The Academy will help provide you with a foundation in agricultural leadership and prepare you to meet the challenges and reap the rewards of the world’s greatest industry.

In 2015, thirty students will be selected to participate in MAbA through a competitive written application and oral interview process. Academy members will tour agribusinesses and meet agricultural leaders in the St. Louis area June 1-5, 2015. Applications are due by Feb. 1, 2015.

Applications are available at: http://agriculture.mo.gov/connect/youth/agribusacademy.php

Volunteers are the backbone of the Missouri 4-H program, and their service is recognized by the Missouri 4-H Foundation with several state awards. The Frank Graham Leadership Award includes a quality educational experience, as well as public recognition for a job not only well done, but also extremely appreciated.

Annually, each county may honor one or two outstanding 4-H volunteers. Counties with 100 or more volunteers may select two outstanding 4-H volunteers each year. This will be based on the application form. Each county may determine how the volunteer is selected.

County winners are honored at the Volunteer Recognition Banquet, held annually at the end of March in Columbia. The Missouri 4-H Foundation will send invitations to award recipients, who will receive a certificate and Frank Graham Leadership pin.

Deadline: • Applications due to the Missouri 4-H Foundation Office by February 1.

For more information about the Frank Graham Leader Award, please contact Becky Simpson at (660) 663-3232 or Bart Skroh at (660) 425-6434 or Janet Sager at (660) 726-5610.

Volunteer Award Nominations Due Feb. 1

Would you be excited to have an opportunity to visit with our United States legislators and offer recommendations for the 4-H Youth Development Program? Are you interested in policy development? Are you a visionary? Do you have lots of great ideas for the future of 4-H? Would you like to have the opportunity to participate in

the National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C. in April, 2016, as a Missouri delegate?

If you are 14-18 years old, can enthusiastically answer yes to the above questions, please consider applying for this select 4-H opportunity following instructions and application at: http://4h.missouri.edu/events/nationalconference/

Applications with your video presentation will be due in your county office no later than January 23, 2015. The top three Northwest Regional candidates will be selected and forwarded for state judging. The 2016 Missouri National 4-H Conference delegation will be selected in late spring.

equal opportunity/ADA institution

Editor: Becky Simpson, 4-H Youth Specialist MU Extension-Daviess County 102 Main, Suite 1 Gallatin, MO 64640 660-663-3232 simpsonre@missouri.edu

News from University of Missouri Extension 4-H Youth Development

Through Clover Kids clubs, children learn how to get along, share and work in groups, explore their interests and build self-confidence. Each Clover Kids Corner provides an activity, information or other materials that Clover Kids leaders can use in planning and implementing experiences that introduce 5- to 7-year-olds to the 4-H concept of learning by doing.

Poppin’ with Popcorn

How Popcorn Pops:

Introduction: The Indians say that a little demon lived inside each kernel. The demons were peaceful, but when someone would heat up his house, he would get mad. So, mad that he exploded. Students can make up other stories about why popcorn pops. Tell the group that actually, water is inside each kernel of popcorn and that when you heat up the kernel, the water makes the popcorn pop. To illustrate this, boil water and let them see the bubbles.

What you will need:

Water Heat source Pot or Pan (Clear is best) Popcorn

Popcorn Comparison:

What you need:

Oil Popcorn Popcorn Popper Air Popper Scale Measuring cups and spoons

What you do:

Measure the popcorn and oil before you put them into the popcorn popper. Then, weigh the popcorn before it is put into the popper and then weigh it again after is has popped. Which weighs more the pre-popped or the popped popcorn? Why do you think that is? Next measure and weigh the same amount of popcorn and cook it in an air popper. (Either make it weigh the same as the oil and popcorn put together or help the group take that into consideration when making comparisons.) Is there a difference between the oil cooked popcorn and air cooked popcorn? Why is that? Is there a difference in popcorn size?

Parachute Popcorn

What you need:

Parachute or blanket Beanie Toys or soft balls

What you do: Start with everybody holding the chute stretched out. Throw as many soft-balls as you can find on to the chute. Then see how quickly you can bounce them off with out letting go of the chute. Alternatively you can have half of the children trying to bounce the balls off and half trying to keep them on. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/page/iowa-4-h-clover-kids

Mark your calendars!!!

Camp Crowder 2015

June 1-4 & 8-11

Applications will be in the February newsletter.

Camp Counselor applications will be out soon!!! (Your current 4-H age must be at least 14 as of January 1, 2015)

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MOVE ACROSS MISSOURI

Alison Copeland

4-H Move Across Missouri

(MOVE) promotes physical activity by encouraging youth and families to engage in physical activities they enjoy such as walking, biking, running, swimming, dance, taekwondo, gardening and more.

Youth and their families can log the number of minutes they accumulate throughout the year on a paper logging system available at 4h.missouri.edu/programs/move/ . Awards will be available again in 2015.

For more information about healthy lifestyles and staying active, check-out these web sites:

http://www.healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/health-conditions-and-diseases/diabetes/get-active#the-basics_1

https://www.presidentschallenge.org/celebrate/active-lifestyle.shtml

The Youth Civic Leaders Summit is a statewide energizer for all 4-H members and teens ages 14-18 and adult leaders who are involved in service and want to have a positive impact on their communities!

Who attends the Summit are teams of youth/adults representing a local club, council, afterschool program, leadership project, county, or organization. Any group that seeks to build youth/adult partnerships, strengthen teamwork, and plan for local community civic engagement will benefit from YCLS 2015!

The Summit offers young people and adults opportunities to showcase youth voice and engagement in local communities, learn new skills, make new friends, and have fun with peers from around Missouri and even other states! Weekend highlights include youth and adult speakers and presenters, a Team Talent (T2) showcase, out-door challenge course and recreation, open-space group planning and sharing, and mini-grant awards for implementing team projects.

Join a community of youth and adults who are uniquely prepared and stepping up to the leadership challenges of a new era, and Bring the World Home in 2015!

Conference contact Steve Henness

Phone: 573-884-6618 E-mail: hennesss@missouri.edu

2015 4-H Registration Reminders:

All families must register on line at:https://www.4honline.com/

If you register after January 1, 2015 the cost increases to $20/member.

March 11-12, 2015 For more information: 816-270-2141

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Project leaders: How do I teach? The 4-H slogan “learning by doing” is a great foundation for your project meetings. The greatest degree of learning occurs in the actual experience. The closer to real life a learning activity or experience is the more effective it will be.

Activities that involve members in listening, seeing and doing will help keep 4-H’ers interested and enthused about learning. When possible, use hands-on experiences, simulations, games, demonstrations or models. Skill-a-thons and judging classes are also valuable hands-on teaching techniques. Examples of skill-a-thons are available on the project page of the MU Extension 4-H Web site, 4h.missouri.edu. Remember to use a variety of teaching methods to engage young people with different learning styles and try to avoid telling or asking members to read or listen in lecture style format as primary teaching models.

Ultimately, teaching skills and connecting with youth can happen in many ways, shapes, and forms. Be creative and have fun. The time you spend with the members in your project is helping them develop many skills that will help them in the future!

Still not sure what to do???? You can contact your local extension office for project materials and assistance in how you should “teach” the youth in your project group. Daviess-660-663-3232, Gentry-660-726-5610, and Harrison County-660-425-6434.

Project Leader 101: Teen Conference Ages 11-13 · March 28-29, 2015 Columbia, Missouri

Join the Team at the State 4-H Teen Conference! (March 28-29, 2015)

This March, grab your glove and take the field for the 2015 State 4-H Teen Conference! Your State 4-H Council teens are in the home stretch of making this another fun and exciting event for 11-13 yr. olds. This is the first big trip away from home for many Teen Conference delegates, and it’s a good choice. You’ll learn how to be a better leader and get a heads-up on all the exciting things waiting for you as a 4-H teenager! Teen Conference is safe and fun, and the hotel is amazing…so are the 300 new friends you’ll make. The game starts just after noon on Saturday, March 28 and the ninth inning ends at 11 a.m. on the 29th when the delegates parents pick you up. You can register for Teen Conference at http://mo.4honline.com and information will be available at http://4h.missouri.edu/go/events/teenconf/.

Location: Columbia’s Holiday Inn Executive Center

Cost: $159/person for youth (sharing bed) and chaperones (who do not share a bed)

$209/person for youth not sharing bed. Deadline: County MU Extension Office must approve Teen Conference registrations no later than Monday, February 2, 2015.

A letter to parents can be found at: http://4h.missouri.edu/go/events/teenconf/

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Help Us Build the National 4-H History Map

Bob McNary

Your contribution is needed today to help us build the National 4-H Map. Give us your county’s notable historical tidbits, photos, factoids and features. It is preferred that there be a tie to 4-H.

Please scan the QR code attached to the input form or visit the website http://goo.gl/vGF9nt to input your county’s information. Any questions contact Bob McNary at mcnaryrl@missouri.edu

Looking for 100 Ideas to End Childhood Hunger

Steve Henness

Did you know that 1 in 5 children in America are at risk of hunger? This is a problem that can be solved, and your ideas are an important part of the solution! If you have an idea for how you can help end childhood hunger in your community, apply for a Sodexo Foundation Youth Grant by January 15 to help bring your idea to life during Global Youth Service Day.

100 young leaders will be awarded $400 grants to create sustainable projects to end childhood hunger. Apply by January 15 at http://www.ysa.org/sodexoyouth.

YSA and Sodexo Foundation are looking for 100 of the best ideas from young people about how they can help end childhood hunger in their communities. $400 grants are available for youth leaders ages 5-25 across the U.S. to turn their ideas into action and make an impact on the issue of childhood hunger during Global Youth Service Day - April 17-19, 2015 - and beyond. Learn more at www.YSA.org/sodexoyouth

4-H Farm Safety and Health Video Contest- Everybody is a Winner!

Steve Henness

The Central State Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH) is hosting a 4H Farm Safety and Health Video Contest. This contest presents an opportunity for 4-H students to:

learn about agricultural safety and health issues,

create an educational video that will provide outreach and become an enduring educational resource to their community,

receive personal protective equipment and educational materials and win prize money for their 4H Club.

To see past winning videos from 2013 and 2014 click here.

It is an easy task. Have your 4H Club:

Create a 60 second video on Safe Livestock Handling Practices (cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hogs, chickens……)

Send in the video file by Friday January 16, 2015 (See attached file for additional contest rules.)

After the videos are posted online the students can invite their friends, family and community to view their video. The 3 videos with the most views by April 17, 2015 will receive cash prizes. All participating students receive a bag full of personal protective equipment.

Please email Ellen ellen.duysen@unmc.edu or call (402-552-3394) with questions.

We look forward to receiving the next batch of creative, fun,

National Science Opportunity for 6th – 8th Grade Youth Shannon White

The Christopher Columbus Awards is a national, community-based science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program for middle school youth. The program challenges the youth to work in teams of three to four, with an adult coach, to identify a problem in their community and apply the scientific method to create an innovative solution to that problem. Eight finalist teams and their coaches will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Walt Disney World to attend the program's National Championship Week and compete for cash prizes as well as development grants of $200 to

further refine their ideas. Two gold medal-winning teams will receive $2,000 per team member as well as a medal for each team member. Visit the program website for complete competition information, youth and coach guides, details on past award-winning projects, timelines and entry materials. Link to more information: http://www.christophercolumbusawards.com/

This opportunity is open to after-school and community based organizations. The website offers a suggested timeline and the deadline for the youth project submission is by February 2, 2015.

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Daviess County

102 North Main, Suite 1

Gallatin, Missouri 64640

Clover Connection: Daviess, Gentry & Harrison Counties