September 2026

Hello Waukesha County 4-H Families,

Welcome to the start of the new 4-H year! We are so excited to kick off another year of learning, leadership and community building. We are always excited to see our clubs and members back together again.

We would like to send a special welcome to our new 4-H members and families. We are happy that you will be joining us and the nation’s largest youth serving organization this year. We will continue to provide monthly newsletters with important countywide opportunities, club highlights, upcoming events, and important information you don’t want to miss. Share information from the newsletter at your club and project meetings, and invite others to join us.

4-H is open to all youth and adults who are interested in helping youth develop leadership and personal skills that can last a lifetime. In 4-H there is a place for everyone to belong and excel. As you continue to explore the opportunities in Waukesha County 4-H, we encourage you to ask questions and explore all the opportunities for youth, volunteers and families.

Looking back at clubs and project success over the last few years, we are constantly reminded of how great our 4-H family is. Thank you to our returning youth, volunteers, and dedicated families for making the program what it is in Waukesha County. Your heart and hands are truly what makes Waukesha County
4-H special.

To our youth, we challenge you step out of your comfort zone this year. Try a new project, activity and make this year about exploring your sparks. The possibilities are endless. Make sure to get enrolled and enjoy the experience. Let’s make this 4-H year the best one yet! Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or suggestions.

Open the PDF version of the newsletter by clicking below.

Thank you to those who have completed your enrollment for the 2026-2027 year by enrolling in 4-H Online and submitting your enrollment dues!

If you have not yet re-enrolled for the upcoming 4-H year, please do so as soon as possible! Returning members must be enrolled by November 1st. After this date, enrollment dues will increase by $5.

If you have enrolled in 4-H Online but not yet submitted your membership dues, please complete this second step. Both enrollment steps must be complete to become an “approved” 4-H member.

We always need new volunteers to help our projects and youth thrive. Consider enrolling as a 4-H Volunteer to help support, co-teach, or lead 4-H activities or projects this year. There are 3 steps to becoming a volunteer:

Visit the Volunteers section of our website for more information, and download the Waukesha County 4-H Volunteer Enrollment Instructions for further details.

The Waukesha County 4-H Leaders’ Association is now accepting nominations for its 2027 Board of Directors. Board members serve a 1-year term starting on January 1st. To nominate yourself or someone else for the Board, submit the Board Nomination Form by October 30th. 

Board Member Requirements:

Calling all Waukesha County 4-H Leaders & Volunteers! All Committee, Project, Club, and Countywide volunteers are invited to join us on Monday, October 19th from 6-8 p.m. to connect, share, and plan for the new 4-H year. The meeting will take place at the Waukesha County Health & Human Services Building (514 Riverview Ave., Waukesha - Enter at the main HHS doors.) Dinner & beverages will be provided, so an RSVP is required by October 12th.

At 4-H, we work hard to maximize our resources so that all families can participate and our program quality remains high. The additional support that we receive from families and community organizations who contribute helps us achieve these goals. Please join us in saying THANK YOU to those families who have generously contributed so far this year, including the Ebben Family, the Meier Family, and several families who donated anonymously.

Share news from your Club or Project! Let us know about an upcoming event, highlight a project or activity, or show off your use of the Essential Elements of Positive Youth Development: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. Submit your article using the Newsletter Submission form and email any photos to Erin by the 3rd Wednesday of each month for publication in that month’s newsletter.

by Becca, Club Reporter

Center Oak 4-H off kicked off the new year with electing our 2026-27 officers. We held elections during our annual club potluck and installed our officers at our September club meeting. We have already had a busy month hosting a lemonade stand fundraiser at the Stone Bank car show, walking in the Harvest fest parade, and planning a kids tent for the Kuhtz's 100 year celebration. We are looking forward to the fun and busy year ahead.

Support the 4-Leaf 4-H Club by eating at Culver’s on Sunset Drive in Waukesha on Tuesday, October 13th from 5-8 p.m. A portion of the meals purchased during that time will be donated to 4-Leaf to support their projects and activities in 2026-2027.

The first Quilting Project meeting will take place on October 3rd from 1-3pm at the Pewaukee Public Library. All Waukesha County 4-H youth aged 9+ can participate in this countywide project. Youth should have parent support and guidance at every meeting/session, and should bring their own quilting supplies, including scissors, material, and sewing machines. Waukesha County 4-H does have some material available thanks to donations made by residents of Three Pillars Senior Living Communities.

Upcoming meetings include:

If you are interested in participating in the Quilting Project, contact Carrie for more information.

by Megan,
Horse Project Leader

Waukesha 4-H Horse project members represented our County well at the three state level shows this year. Kendall showed her horse Davie at the state hunter/ dressage show in June. They placed reserve champion in both of their dressage tests. Gwendolyn showed her horse Annie at the state Gymkhana show. They placed top 10 in poles, barrels, flag, and LT Special. Both Kendall and Gwen showed at the state Expo show, and both placed Top 10 in all their classes. Kendall did English showmanship, English pleasure, English equation, and in-hand trail. Gwen did in hand trail and ridden trail. Congrats to our riders!!

Meet the 4-H Staff

Do you know who to contact when you have a question for the 4-H staff? For those families who are new to 4-H, or who simply haven’t had the opportunity to get to know the 4-H staff yet, let us introduce you to our team!

James Boling is our Senior 4-H/Positive Youth Development Educator, Sara Wells-Tomjanovich is our Associate 4-H Educator, and Erin Russell is the Executive Assistant for Extension Waukesha County and our 4-H administrative support staff. You can always find the contact information for the 4-H staff on the last page of this newsletter or at the bottom of the 4-H website. Please feel free to contact us at any time. We enjoy speaking with our members and are here to support you and your family!

James

Sara

Erin

Love Bug Challenge!

Love Bugs are friendly stuffed animal bugs created by 4-H youth, families, and friends. They are donated to police and fire departments, who can give them to children during emergencies. This year, we are having a competition between the Waukesha County 4-H Clubs to see who can complete and turn in the most Love Bug forms by December 31st. The winning Club will receive a pizza and ice cream party. View the Love Bug Challenge flyer for more information. If you have finished Love Bugs, please turn them in to your Club Leaders or to the 4-H office! 

Member Evaluation Interviews October 10th

The Member Evaluation is the application process for awards and scholarships for 4-H trips, and it includes the ME application form and an in-person interview. This year’s ME Interviews will be held on October 10th at the Pewaukee Public Library. All youth who submitted an ME form should have received an email from the Awards Committee to schedule their interview time. If you did not receive an email, please contact Terri.

Save the Dates for Fall 2026 Project Nights

4-H Project Nights are designed to provide opportunities for 4-H youth to explore their "sparks" (interests). During Project Nights, several sessions with a variety of topics happen concurrently during two sessions, and youth choose where to participate. Previous Project Nights have included: ceramics, jewelry, photography, puppet making, pinewood derby, leathermaking, electricity, food & nutrition, model rocketry, STEAM, woodworking, quilting, and more! Project Nights are usually held from 5:30–7:15 p.m. at the Waukesha County Expo Center, and they are open to all approved members. Sign-up is required and will open closer to the event dates. Check our Upcoming Countywide Events page for more information as it becomes available. Save the Date for these upcoming Project Nights:

If you are an adult volunteer interested in helping at Project Nights or leading a specific hands-on activity at a Project Night, please contact Sara for more information or to get scheduled at one of our upcoming Project Nights.

Jr. Project Leaders Needed for “How to Get Started in an Animal Project” Project Night

The November 18th Project Night will be dedicated to helping youth learn how they can get started in a 4-H animal project. It will be hosted by Jr. Project Leaders from some of our Clubs who would like to take on an additional leadership role with their animal project. If you are a youth who would like to participate as a Jr. Project Leader, please contact Sara by October 5th to coordinate and attend a planning meeting. 

2027 Camp Counselor Applications Due October 5

Any interested 4-H youth in grades 8-13 may apply to be camp counselors for our 2027 Camp year. The Camp Planning Committee will be scheduling interviews to fill a limited number of open Counselor positions. More information will be coming October to provide applicants with camp dates as well as required training and meeting dates, but this application should be completed by any interested youth to be considered. You must be an approved 4-H member (fully enrolled with paid dues) to apply. Apply here: Camp Counselor Application. Applications close October 5th, with interviews taking place from 10/6-10/18 via Zoom.

4-H Teen Council

Waukesha County 4-H Teens, we are looking for YOU to join the Teen Council! Teen Council is a time for inclusion and friendship as well as teaching opportunities for the youth in your local clubs. September 27th is the first meeting of the 2026-27 4-H year. We will be meeting in the Community Room at Waukesha State Bank (downtown location, 151 E Saint Paul Ave., Waukesha) from 4-5:30 p.m. and discussing goals for this year as well as enjoying snacks. Teen Council will meet on the 4th Sunday of each month, and is open to all 4-H teens whore are entering 8th grade and 13 years old. If you have questions, contact Amy Richardson at teencouncilwaukeshacounty@gmail.com.

Youth Leadership Group

The Waukesha County 4-H Youth Leadership Group is seeking youth leaders to Create, Promote, & Lead. The Youth Leadership Group is made up of youth across the county from all 4-H Clubs and helps develop and lead a wide variety of countywide 4-H events, including the popular annual Chopped Cooking Event. There are no age restrictions to become a part of the Youth Leadership Group—just a desire to grow your leadership skills.

Fill out the YLG Interest Form to express your interest in the Youth Leadership Group and to sign up to receive communications. For further information about YLG, view the flyer below or contact Sara.

National 4-H Week is an annual celebration held during the first full week of October to celebrate the impact of 4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization. View the flyers below to see how we will be celebrating 4-H Week in Waukesha County. Join us in some 4-H fun, and consider sharing the experiences you have in 4-H with someone else, such as a family member, friend, neighbor, school class, or teacher.

Daily Celebration Activities & Contests

All contest entries due by October 12. Enter contests at https://forms.gle/PVBv2BHcNpk7u5eB7.

4-H Week Fall Fun Nights 

2026-2027 Wisconsin 4-H Experiences & Opportunities

There are many ways to get involved in 4-H—through your Club, through countywide Projects and activities, and through opportunities available to 4-H members on a state and national level. Throughout the year, we will highlight state and national opportunities available to you in this newsletter, but you can also find information about Wisconsin 4-H programs by:

If you have questions about any of the state or national experiences and are unsure who to contact, contact the Waukesha County 4-H office and we would be glad to help.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the 2026 Waukesha County 4-H Open House! There were 22 different groups for attendees to explore, including many of our 4-H Clubs and Project groups, as well as several of our community partners. It was a great opportunity for new families to explore all that 4-H has to offer!

Extension Waukesha County is committed to supporting quality educational experiences for our youth as well as supporting our volunteers and families. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or if you need any assistance.

James Boling

4-H Program Educator

james.boling@wisc.edu

Sara Wells-Tomjanovich

Associate 4-H Educator

stomjanovich@wisc.edu

Erin Russell

4-H Program Support

erussell@waukeshacounty.gov

An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.