| Volume XXVI Edition II | February 2009 |
Engaging Families in Our Work with Their Children
I had the opportunity this week to sit in on a seminar that was presented by a researcher from the Harvard Family Research Project. The title of the session was “Engaging Families in Youth Development” and there were some excellent points that I feel we could all benefit from as we’re in a mode to enroll new 4-H members (whose families are a part of the process). We do a tremendous job of recruiting young people to our program and enrolling them for a first year as 3rd graders and then tend to experience a drop-off with the 4th grade re-enrollment. It was in this context that I began to think about how important it is for parents/guardians to be engaged in the 4-H experience …. which results in a positive experience for the entire family!
Following are some of the pointers that I feel we should be mindful of … and even discuss with our volunteers and support staff (who are many times the first point of contact for a new family).
- Communicate and build trusting relationships with families;
- Develop family-focused staff/volunteers;
- Make family engagement a key component of program quality;
- Provide information about the types of programs available;
- Help families match youth needs with programs/activities;
- Answer families’ questions about programs and participation;
- Suggest tips and tools for families to help youth make good choices
As I look at the pointers on this list, they all seem to make perfect sense to me and you may notice that most of them revolve around communication. How well are you communicating with the families in your county’s 4-H Program? We all have a variety of communication tools at hand. Families who have no prior history with our program likely need more information (and a better explanation of events, activities, requirements, etc) than do families who have prior involvement. This is where regular newsletters and 4-H Handbooks can help. We can’t expect people to pull information out of thin air…….I hope I’ve provided some food for thought.
Tufts Study of Positive Youth Development
We are moving into a second year of surveying students as we partner with Tufts University on the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Laura Bossaer (graduate student in YDAE) will be conducting Adobe Connect Sessions on February 10th and 17th for both those counties that participated last year as well as anyone who is interested in participating for the first time. Laura’s email with details for these sessions was sent on February 5th.
- Renée McKee, State 4-H Program Leader
ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
2009 Central District Judges and Leaders Clinic
Central District 4-H Youth Educators are hosting the 34th Annual Judges and Leaders Clinic on March 14, 2009. This is a wonderful opportunity for potential judges (for 4-H and Open Class) to gain “judging knowledge,” join a “judges list,” and for 4-H leaders to “add variety of ideas for club meetings” to their current programs and activities. The clinic will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2009, from 8:30 am – 3:15 pm at the Lebanon Middle School. Participants will have the opportunity to select four topics from a variety of session options, which have been designed for 4-H leaders and / or judges.
NEW in 2009
The all day package, which includes breakfast snack, lunch, and a conference packet, costs $18.00. The registration deadline is February 27, 2009 to the Purdue Extension – Carroll County Office. For more information contact Joanne Lytton at 765-564-3169 or visit: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/Carroll
- Joanne Lytton, Carroll County Extension Youth Educator
The Indiana 4-H Foundation
The Indiana 4-H Foundation Annual Meeting will be held Friday, March 20, 2009 at 10:30 am at the Hamilton County Extension Office Building (2003 Pleasant Street Noblesville, IN). A light lunch and the Foundation board meeting will follow the annual meeting.
Annie Watts Cloncs and Ed Nagle will be recognized as retiring board members of the Indiana 4-H Foundation Board. Annie is the immediate past president of the Foundation, editor of the Foundation cookbook, and all around active 4-H Foundation volunteer. Annie will be missed, but will remain an active supporter of the Foundation and Indiana 4-H. Ed Nagle worked on the marketing committee to help us reach out to counties and is an active 4-H supporter in his home county, as well as the father of 4-H Youth Educator, Jeff Nagle. Ed’s contributions to the board will be missed, but we know Ed will also remain an active supporter of 4-H. Thank you Annie and Ed!
Three long-time 4-H advocates have been nominated for election to the board at the annual meeting. Dean Devoe of Goshen was a 10-year 4-H member in Wells County and married a 10-year 4-H member from White County. He works as Energy Specialist for North Central Co-op. Lynn Moore, originally from Delaware County, currently works in Indianapolis for the Indiana Statewide Association of RECs. Lynn has served on the National 4-H Engineering and Electric Boards. Jane Maxwell has lived in Valparaiso for 50 years, but was a 4-H member in LaPorte County. Jane is past president of the Porter County 4-H Council, where she served for 23 years. She is also the parent of three 10-year 4-H members and the grandparent of two, with two more grandchildren currently enrolled and two waiting to get old enough to join.
Bob Grimm, Indiana 4-H Foundation Vice-President, will present the 2009 strategic plan of the Foundation Board at the annual meeting. Anne Painter, CPA, will present her annual audit review. Additionally, we look forward to hearing about an exciting 4-H program from Purdue Extension.
Please RSVP to ned3nola@gte.net by March 15 if you plan to attend. Thanks for your support of the Indiana 4-H Foundation in 2008 and in the future!
- Nola Gentry, President
Operation: Military Kids
Indiana OMK Web Site – http://www.four.h.purdue.edu/omk
The purpose of this Web site is to provide information about OMK programs, resources, and a calendar of upcoming events. We thought it might be helpful to highlight the following opportunities, but encourage you to go to the Web site for more detailed information.
Upcoming Events
OMK Programs
Resources
- Judy Hauser and Steve McKinley
4-H Shooting Sports Education
Workshop News
- Natalie Carroll
Indiana State Poultry Association Blood Testing Schools
The annual Indiana State Poultry Association Blood Testing Schools will be held on the following dates:
Thursday, April 2 at Purdue SIPAC, Dubois, IN from 4:00-7:30 pm
Saturday, April 25 at Purdue Smith Hall, Room 108 from 8:30 am-Noon
Download registration form here.
Good news for blood testers who have already attended one of the blood testing schools! The Indiana State Poultry Association has developed an on-line course which can serve as a re-certification instead of attending one of the schools.
Download re-certification information here.
- Indiana State Poultry Association
Environmental Education Week, April 12-18, 2009
Website: www.eeweek.org/
Earth Day: Tuesday, April 22, 2009
Websites: http://www.earthday.gov/ and ww2.earthday.net/
Citizenship Washington Focus
The Citizenship Washington Focus dates are July 4-11. Only one week is being offered. Please note that the cost of the trip is $1200.00 and the due date is April 1. Reservations are on a first come, first pay basis. A reservation fee of $500.00 is due at time of reservation with the name of the 4-H’er. Those who wish to make a reservation without a 4-H’er in agreement to attend will need to make a $700.00 deposit. When I make my final count with the National 4-H Center and dinner theatre arrangements, I don’t have many days to make changes without additional charges for each change made. Please start early on recruiting delegates. The CWF promo brochure and CWF registration may be downloaded from www.four-h.purdue.edu under “Forms” and type in “citizenship”.
- Carl A. Broady
2009 State Public Speaking
The theme will be “4-H Offers Me Opportunities to Experience Independence…” It is broad in nature and 4-H members should be able to focus on skills and growth that are important to themselves or what 4-H has done to prepare them for life.
- Carl A. Broady
4-H Science Workshops
Science Workshops are scheduled for June 10-12, 2009 and delegates will be housed at Earhart Residence Hall (air conditioned). Reservations are due May 15, using the “Science Workshop Conference Registration Form 2009.” It has been posted to the 4-H website and may be downloaded from any of the Science Workshop registration form buttons, or printing an invoice from ED after you link the 4-H Member to the appropriate workshop. The form is the same for all workshops and is an Excel form to be typed into and it will tally up your total payment which is due to Purdue by May 15. All workshops cost $160 and include housing, four meals (two dinners, two breakfasts), and workshop educational materials.
The 4-H Science Workshop Educators Handbook and Science Workshop Recruitment Brochure has also been posted to the 4-H website under workshops.
- Carl A. Broady
4-H Youth Leadership Conferences
Thank you for your assistance with promoting 4-H Youth Leadership Conferences to your 4-H members! If you are interested in someone speaking to your group about these and other leadership opportunities, please let me know.
As a reminder, here are the pertinent details about three of these opportunities:
A 2009 Trips and Conferences Brochure and PowerPoint presentation are posted on the State 4-H Web site for your use: https://www.four-h.purdue.edu/ind_4h/scholarships.cfm
- Steve McKinley
4-H Band and 4-H Chorus
Band and Chorus recruitment flyers and applications have been posted on the 4-H website. Applications for these two workshops continue to be hard copy for each director determines acceptance and placement within the groups. Band cost will be $150 for the 3-days and Chorus will $235 for the 5-days.
- Carl A. Broady
4-H Youth Round-Up
4-H Youth Round-Up dates are June 22-24 and participants will be housed in Shreve Residence Hall (air conditioned). The cost for 4-H Round-Up will $160 for the 3-day event and includes four meals. The 4-H Youth Round-Up Registration Form is an Excel form and can be downloaded from the 4-H website. Please type your information into the form and send the form along with payment to Purdue Conferences. Participants attending will be enter through ED and sent electronically.
The schedule will be much the same as 2008 and Barrett Keene from Ithaca, New York will be our keynote speaker and workshop presenter. A Round-Up flyer to help promote this great event for young people is available to download here. You may download it from the 4-H website also.
- Carl A. Broady
State Fair 4-H Exhibit Entry and Release, Non-walking Exhibits
Download a list of all State Fair 4-H animal and non-animal exhibit entry deadlines and check-ins here.
State Fair 4-H/FFA Handbook/Premium list is posted to the State Fair website: www.in.gov/statefair/fair/handbook
- Carl A. Broady
VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT
“VolunteerIN, 4-H Toolkit for Success” Training Series
The “VolunteerIN, 4-H Toolkit for Success” IP Video program will be held on Tuesday, March 10th, from 7:30-9 p.m. ET (6:30-8 p.m. CT) – our apologies for the need to cancel the Jan 29th program due to the poor weather conditions. The 2009 program includes portions of the following lessons: Time Management, Skills to Live on Your Own, Independence through Technology, Engaging Older Members, and Fundraising for 4-H Clubs and Programs.To enroll your IP unit for this program, visit: http://1144sms/ipevents/ and look for program #1479. Be certain that you enroll your site prior to the deadline of Thursday, March 5!
If the bridge becomes full (36 sites), then you have the option of viewing a live video of the event at: mms://video.dis.purdue.edu/agcomm. You will be able to view the video through Windows Media Player. The Web site will be active 10 minutes before the program begins. The live stream will allow you to view and hear the program through your computer connected to the Internet and projected onto a screen with an LCD projector. You would be able to interact with the program via e-mail to ipevents@purdue.edu.
Each Extension Educator with 4-H Youth responsibilities should have received a VolunteerIN CD in mid-January. This CD contains files for 7 complete lessons for each of the “Independence” lessons available in 2009. A taped streaming video of the program will be posted on the State 4-H Web site following its completion.
Check with your area’s 4-H Volunteer Development Committee member for more information.
- Steve McKinley and Kathleen Koch
4-H Volunteer Vision
Download The February “4-H Volunteer Vision” for your use with volunteers.
- Steve McKinley
Tenured Volunteer Recognition
Each year we recognize those volunteers who have completed at least 20 years of service in the 4-H program (and each subsequent five-year anniversary…25, 30, 35, etc.). The 2009 recognition program will be held during 4-H Day at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday, August 15th.
Again this year you will be able to submit your tenured volunteer names via ED by clicking on the Volunteer Tenure box. Please complete this registration by March 1st whether or not you have volunteers to be recognized.
Please double-check the spelling accuracy of your volunteers’ names so that we can recognize them correctly! The URL is https://www.four-h.purdue.edu/ed/leader_tenure.doc
Please note that if you have volunteers who will be recognized for 50 or more years of service, we need a brief description of the work they have done to include in the program at the State Fair. Thank you!
- Steve McKinley
4-H Volunteer Certificates
As a reminder, 4-H Volunteer Certificates are posted on the State 4-H Web site. These certificates are protected, but allow you to type a date and your volunteers’ names onto the certificates, print them out, and distribute according to your county’s procedures.
The State 4-H Office does not provide printed copies of these certificates.
To find the certificates, go to the State 4-H Web site: http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/. Login as an Extension Educator, then conduct a Download Search for: Volunteer, in the Award category. This search will produce a two-page list of 13 files that may be downloaded. These include recognition certificates for volunteers from 5-50 years (in five-year increments) in addition to certificates for Club Leader, Volunteer, and Volunteer Coordinator.
- Steve McKinley