Michigan 4-H Today

November 2011 

Impact

4-H  Opens Doors to Life's Opportunities

Jalen Bell, a member and leader in Calhoun County 4-H for more than 10 years, was recently named director of the Michigan State University (MSU) Gospel Choir. Currently in his sophomore year at MSU studying for the Bachelor of Arts degree in advertising, Bell also serves as a resident assistant and has been a College of Agriculture student publicist.

Bell first became involved with the 4-H program while participating in a special-interest, short-term, afterschool program called Wild Over Work (WOW). Shortly after that experience, he became a 4-H member of the 4-H High Achievers Club and the 4-H Creative and Expressive Arts (CEA) program (a summer youth-development program that concentrates on helping young artists excel on stage and in life by providing them with a learning experience focusing on arts, mentoring, leadership and employment). Over the years, he:

• Has helped design and implement the Calhoun County 4-H CEA program and served as an effective mentor and instructor for 5 consecutive summers
• Was a 3-year teen health educator for the MSU Jump Into Foods and Fitness (JIFF) program.
• Led presentations for a workshop and a Calhoun County Foundation Alliances program
• Was involved in an array of community-service projects
• Performed at 4-H Exploration Days at the Wharton Center with other 4-H CEA mentors and instructors
• Instructed at a 4-H Exploration Days session

For many years, Bell has been a steadfast advocate for the 4-H program and he credits the Calhoun County 4-H CEA program with bringing his singing and acting skills to the next level. skills. Speaking about the program in an August 2011 article in the Battle Creek Enquirer, he said: "This is where my heart is, giving back to the kids and the community" and "kids have a lot of talent to show, but they need somebody to mentor them." He also finds the program important because it allows him to develop his teaching skills, while helping keep young people out of trouble.

On October 8, the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) bestowed the William B. Stapp Award on Brandon Schroeder (pictured right teaching at Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp), Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) District Sea Grant educator. The MAEOE awards this prestigious honor (named for an internationally renowned environmental educator) annually to 1 individual who has made outstanding contributions to environmental education in Michigan, exemplifies the best in the field of environmental education, demonstrates a lifetime of devoted service and has spent at least 10 years working in Michigan.

Before beginning his career with MSUE, Schroeder was a long-time Sanilac County 4-H member (and leader). During his years in 4-H, he received multiple awards including 10 county project medals, the highest county recognition possible, the Key Club Award, and an MSU 4-H Scholarship. In his teen years, he served as a volunteer leader. His career interest was initially sparked by an Exploration Days session and grew with his involvement on a state programming committee and with participation in 4-H Capitol Experience. He credits 4-H for helping him develop important life skills such as leadership, time management, recordkeeping and public speaking. His 4-H involvement also inspired him to be involved and "give back" to his community, and mentor youth as others did for him.

4-H Groups Improve  Their Community and Our State

1 Day, 2 Clubs, 27 Volunteers, 88 Trees

Read this story on the 4-H Web site. It involves the impact that 2 Montcalm County 4-H groups have already had and will continue to have far into the future.

2011 4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resources (GLNR) Campers Make Important Discovery  

Here's another story about the impact the 2011 GLNR participants made, when they discovered a federally and state-threatened plant.  

The Huge Impact a Community Partner Can Make

Zingerman's and Zingerman's Roadhouse are tremendous supporters of the Washtenaw County 4-H program. Chef Alex Young of Zingerman's Roadhouse, who has children in 4-H, constantly offers ways Zingerman's and Zingerman's Roadhouse can provide exposure to - and raise funds for - the 4-H program. For example:

• For the past 2 years, Zingerman's has invited 4-H to participate in their Bacon Street Fair where Zingerman's provides many different types of bacon to sample and all kinds of food items made from bacon. They invite 4-H members to bring pigs. This provides an opportunity for the public to understand where bacon comes from. This event has morphed into a 4-H fundraiser with a donation bucket at each of the sampling tables where passers-by can contribute to the 4-H program. This year, alone, the 4-H program raised more than $900!
• Additionally, for the past 2 years, Zingerman's Roadhouse has hosted a BBQ at the 4-H Youth Show. Last year, Zingerman's Roadhouse provided the food at their cost, so 4-H profited more through ticket sales. This year, they donated all of the food preparation for the BBQ, allowing the county 4-H program to keep 100 percent of the ticket sales.
• Zingerman's Roadhouse is a huge supporter of the annual 4-H livestock auction. This year, they purchased 26 animals from 16 youth. In fact, they spent more than any buyer at this year's auction.   
• Most recently, Zingerman's Roadhouse added "4-H meat" to its menu. When meat purchased at the 4-H Youth Show is served, there is a note on the menu (see image above) with a 4-H clover and the name of the member who raised the meat. 

4-H Highlights - Past, Present and Future

Congratulations!

The following individuals and group, with connections to Michigan 4-H, were honored at the 2011 Fall Extension Conference.

Shari Dann - MSU Extension Specialists Award

Dann, an associate professor and 4-H specialist in the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies, has served as director and evaluator for the 4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp.

Michigan Horse Council - MSU Extension Key Partner Award

The Council is a long-time supporter of the Michigan 4-H Horse and Pony Project (including the State 4-H Horse Show and the State 4-H Horse Jamboree).

Dee Miller - Michigan Distinguished Service Award and NAE4-HA Distinguished Service Award

Miller, whose Extension career has spanned 18 years, is the Antrim County 4-H educator and currently serves as a supervisor and coach within the Children and Youth Institute.

Les Thomas - Meritorious Service Award

For 10 years, Thomas was the Alcona County 4-H program coordinator. With Michigan Extension's reorganization, this past summer, he began providing leadership for the Iosco County 4-H program, as well.

Karen Waite - I Team Award (recipient with Christine Skelly for My Horse University) and CoP Award (recipient with Judy Marteniuk and Christine Skelly for the MSU Extension Campus Equine Team)

About 40 fourth-grade students had the chance to act and think as scientists. Sponsored by the Bay County 4-H program, 2 classes from Washington Elementary School in Bay City turned a schoolroom into a science lab and conducted Wired for Wind, the 4-H 2011 National Science Experiment. Combining science, math, engineering and technology, the students learned about wind power by engineering a plan to construct their own windmill, assembling it, testing their design then making adjustments based on their evaluation. The National Science Experiment project supports Science Blast part of MSU Extension's I Know MI Numbers initiative to increase science literacy among school-aged youth. Read all about it here.

Are You - or Do You Know - a Teen Interested in Community Change?

If so, you will want to check out the 4-H Teen Leadership & Community Change Conference. It's coming to Kettunen Center on January 21 to 22, 2012. This conference brings teens, ages 14 (by January 1, 2012) and up, from across the state to learn youth-leadership and community-change skills. After the opening activity, there are many small group sessions. A dance and karaoke, night sledding and great food are also highlights of the conference. The $58 cost - for 4-H youth and volunteers - covers 4 meals, 1 overnight and all resource fees. Registration is due by January 6, 2012. For more information or a 1-page flyer with a full listing of session titles, click the link above. The conference announcement with session descriptions will be available by mid-November on the Michigan 4-H web site.

Down the Road a Ways 

Mark your calendars! The 43rd 4-H Exploration Days will be held June 20 to 22, 2012. (It's always the Wednesday through Friday after Father's Day.) The theme will be "Join the Revolution of Responsibility." The registration fee will be determined soon. Rest assured it will continue to be a great bargain for a 3-day, 2-night MSU precollege program chock full of experiential learning and personal-growth opportunities!

Session planning has begun and all session offerings will be finalized in December. If you have a new session or instructor to suggest, contact Judy Ratkos by email or phone (517-432-7613) and she will route the name to the session contact person for that content area.

Participants will stay on the MSU campus in Akers, Holmes and either Hubbard or McDonel Hall.

The opening evening entertainment will be supplied by Judson Laipply, creator and performer of The Evolution of Dance and an award-winning speaker and inspirational comedian! You must be registered to attend Exploration Days to go to his show at the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts. Plan now to attend!

Upcoming Events  

Ongoing

October 1, 2011-May 31, 2012

Michigan 4-H Soybean Essay Contest 

Statewide

November

November 18-20

4-H Rabbit and Cavy Teen and Volunteer Leader Workshop  

Kettunen Center, Tustin 

November 25-29

National 4-H Congress

Atlanta, GA 

December

December 2-4

4-H Adult Horse Volunteer Leader Conference 

Kettunen Center, Tustin 

December 10

4-H Bi State Poultry Clinic 

Anthony Hall, MSU, East Lansing

January

Kettunen Center, Tustin  

Help Wanted 

Nominate a Michigan 4-H Alumnus for the 2012 Class of the 4-H Emerald Clover Society

The Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society  honors former Michigan 4-H members whose professional leadership and community service reflect the ultimate outcome of 4-H membership -extraordinary use of an individual's head, heart, hands and health to make communities, the country and the world better places in which to live. This recognition is provided by Michigan 4-H Youth Development with support from the Michigan 4-H Foundation.

Nominees must be living and have been Michigan 4-H youth members for 3 or more years. Selection is based on evidence of professional and business achievement, leadership in community service and philanthropy, contributions to - or impact on - American society, and significant leadership and achievement as a 4-H member.

Honorees receive a recognition award, an exclusive Emerald Clover Society membership pin and individual biographical recognition on the society's web site. Their names are also engraved on the 4-H Emerald Clover Society wall at Kettunen Center.

Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society members are inducted every 2years. The inaugural class of 62 members was inducted in 2002 in honor of the national 4-H centennial. Subsequent classes were inducted in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 for a total of 127 members to date.

Nominations for the 4-H Emerald Clover Society class of 2012 are due January 31, 2012.

More Michigan 4-H News 

September 22 - Upper Michigans Source.com featured this article about a 1-day tour of 14 environmental, natural resources, agricultural, and industrial sites coordinated, in part, by Delta County 4-H for fifth graders from 8 schools and home schools.

September 28 - Read this article in mlive.com about the Muskegon County 4-H fair queen who is on a mission to help build concrete or asphalt pathways at the fairgrounds so they are more accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.   

Resources  

Important New Resource About Proposed Changes to Federal Child Labor Laws

Michigan State University Extension Public Policy Specialist, Claire Layman, developed a fact sheet,

The fact sheet:

• Clarifies to whom the proposed rules would apply
• Defines "young hired farm workers"
• Explains the most significant proposed changes that:
• Broadly prohibit young hired farm workers under the age of 16 from operating or tending any power-driven equipment
• Prohibit young hired farm workers from working on a farm with specific animals and in specific circumstances described in the fact sheet
• Prohibit young hired farm workers from using electronic communication devices while operating - or assisting to operate - power-driven equipment.

Submission Guidelines

This is a newsletter for and about Michigan 4-H Youth Development. It is a means by which we can communicate with one another and promote our great program impacts, showcase resources, spotlight staff, volunteers, members, alumni and curriculum. Therefore, we want articles that are not only pertinent to Michigan 4-H, but which have the most complete information possible and that will capture the reader's interest.

To that end, we are asking you to submit articles that are concise and contain answers to the questions who, what, where, when, how and why. We will be happy to include Internet links that will take the reader to the pertinent information. Therefore, please make sure links are live and take the reader right to the spot with the information not to a general Web page where the reader will have to hunt to find the information. To help highlight articles, we would like to include pictures. So, send us a few pictures with your article. Be sure they are the highest-possible resolution and do not embed them in the text.  

Ideas for article content might include those that feature:

1.       Programs (One that is upcoming or has been successfully completed)

2.       Grants (Possibilities, already funded and running or successfully completed)

3.       Scholarships (Possibilities or winner announcements)

4.       Resources (New or updated curricula)

5.       Honor, Awards

So we can meet publishing deadlines, please email your articles in Word or WordPerfect (no PDFs) to Priscilla Martin by the 15th of each month.

Note: To print a copy of this newsletter complete with formatting, prior to printing from Internet Explorer, go to:

1.       Tools

2.       Select Internet Options

3.       Press Advanced

4.       Scroll down to Printing and check "Print background colors and images"

Contact Information  

Michigan 4-H Today is a monthly newsletter for all those interested in 4-H Youth Development programs including its members, parents, volunteers, staff, alumni and retirees. It is published by the Michigan State University Extension 4-H Youth Development office and it is distributed online.

Please contact Michigan 4-H Today:

Priscilla Martin, Editor

160 Agriculture Hall

East Lansing, MI 48824-1039

Phone: 517-432-7635

Email: pjmartin@msu.edu

Fax: 517-353-4846

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. The name "4-H" and the emblem consisting of a four-leaf clover with stem and the "H" on each leaflet are protected under Title 18 U.S.C. 707.