Dear 4-H Families - 

Happy Crazy Snow week!  I hope 4-H members had a great opportunity to enjoy the snow.  For all of the people that work in transportation, thanks for your service and stay safe.

As we enter the next week of what appears to be some bitter cold, I would like to remind you of some upcoming opportunities:

·       The Communication Festival will be January 29.  With all of the staff turnover in the office, we will be using a google form for registration.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.  Please see the Google and festival guidelines links below.

·       Family Learning Day on Feb 24 registration is also open.  Please use the google registration for that as well.

·       Dodge County offers a number of scholarships for 4-H high school seniors and beyond.  I am still updating a few of them with the committees.  Most of the major scholarships will be posted on the website next week.

·       Camp counselor and adult staff applications are open as well.  Please complete them ASAP to be considered for one of those opportunities.

For your information, the UW Extension educators will be off on Monday for Martin Luther King Day.  However, the Dodge County administration offices are open.

Have a great week,

Marie Witzel

4-H/Youth Development Educator

marie.witzel@wisc.edu

920-386-3790

If clubs or groups have items to share, send them by noon on Thursday to be included in that week’s issue.  Anything received after 12 p.m. Thursday will be considered for the following week. The articles should be sent to Marie at marie.witzel@wisc.edu. You can also contact the office with any questions. Thanks!

We will be having a required safety/informational session on January 16th at 6pm for Archery at the Horicon Marsh Archers Club, N7420 Co Rd V, Horicon WI 53032.

You MUST be enrolled in the Archery Project to attend this meeting.

It is required that the participants go through safety rules and turn in a waiver form BEFORE they are allowed on the range to shoot. We also ask for a $15 project fee per participant to help with equipment upkeep and facilities. Please do your best to attend this first night and get the waivers turned in so that we can get right into shooting the following week!

Please contact Eva or Jessie at Jeeklynch@gmail.com to get a copy of the waiver or with any questions.

The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation will award more than $20,000 in scholarships to outstanding Wisconsin 4-H members and alumni pursuing higher education in 2024.  To be considered for financial support, applications must be received by the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation via email by Friday, March 1, 2024, 5:00 pm.

The Dodge/Jefferson Co. Beekeepers Association are pleased to announce the 2024 Youth in Beekeeping Scholarship. It is available for up to 2 youth, from Dodge or Jefferson County, to apply for a complete hive with bees and engage in one full year of beekeeping. Recipients will be selected through an application process. Applicants must be age 12-17 years old and must be currently enrolled in public, private, or homeschool. Other eligibility rules and requirements apply.  For more information visit dodge-jeffersonbeekeepers.com. Application deadline is February 4, 2024.

REGISRATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 22, 2024

 The Wisconsin Pork Association is looking for college students who have a vested
interest in the swine industry and want to expand their knowledge and understanding of it. 

The purpose of this 10-week summer internship program is to provide an opportunity for a young person to serve as the official youth representative of the Wisconsin Pork Association. The WPA Intern will work in the following areas: Producer Outreach – Wisconsin State Fair - Promotion/Consumer Information – Communication

Applications are due no later than February 1st, 2024.

The Wisconsin Pork Association (WPA) is once again offering Youth Pig Project
scholarships. These scholarships are designed to assist 4-H and FFA members in establishing swine projects that can lead to development of life skills and career opportunities in the Wisconsin pork industry.

4-H and FFA youth are eligible to apply for a $100 scholarship used to offset costs associated with their 2024 pig project. Scholarships will be awarded in three age divisions: Ages 9-12, 13-15, and 16-19 (as of January 1st, 2024).Once selected, youth are also asked to participate in an educational webinar to receive their scholarship funds. 

Completed application forms must be emailed or postmarked no later than February 1st, 2024. 

Mark your calendars:
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery Building, UW Madison Campus

Have you been to your local meat market or grocery store lately and think you could choose the best cut of meat out of the case? Have you ever watched a live animal contest and thought you could choose what animals would provide the best meat products? This is your opportunity to put those skills to work. This contest tests the knowledge of youth in the placement of carcass and retail cut classes, carcass grading, and retail cut identification. Top senior teams earn the opportunity to compete at national competitions. Registration Deadline: January 20, 2024

Compeer Financial Discovery Barnyard is a staple of Ag Village at Wisconsin State Fair. It provides an opportunity for fairgoers to learn about Wisconsin Agriculture, engage in ag-focused learning activities, and visit baby animals. Wisconsin State Fair is seeking dedicated, enthusiastic individuals to help make Discovery Barnyard great!
 
There are two methods of involvement for Compeer Financial Discovery Barnyard this year:

Apply to be a member of the Discovery Barnyard Core 4 Superintendent Team: 

Core 4 Team members must be available to work between the hours of 8:00am – 10:00pm, July 30 – August 12. Due to the demands of this role, Core 4 team members are not able to show in any open or junior shows.

Apply to be a Volunteer Group of the Day: 

Gather your group (FFA chapter/alumni group, 4-H club, or community club) and join us as a Volunteer Group of the Day. Each group is responsible for hosting the educational stations and welcoming fairgoers to Discovery Barnyard over the course of one (1) complete day during Wisconsin State Fair.

Applications are NOW OPEN until January 16th, 2024.

Plan a "4-H Benefit Night" for your club. Contact local restaurants to learn more details.

If you are 18 years or older and interested in becoming a 4-H volunteer, we can help! We will provide new volunteers with (VIP) Volunteers in Preparation Training about how to work effectively with youth and what resources are available to volunteers. We will also ask you to participate in a Mandated Reporter Training to learn more about how to protect youth from child abuse and neglect. Finally, to ensure the safety of all youth and volunteers, a Volunteer Behavior Expectations Agreement and background check are required. Answers to questions about reporting and training are available on our FAQ page.

JANUARY

16 - 4-H Leaders Executive Board - 7:00 pm

29 - Communication Festival - 6:30 pm

FEBRUARY

20 - 4-H Leaders Association - 7:00pm

24 - Family Learning Day

4-H Learning Resources from Positive Youth Development Media Collections

Visit the Wisconsin 4-H Website

WI 4-H Policy Updates

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.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension
Dodge County 4-H
Extension Dodge County  127 E. Oak Street  Juneau, WI 53039-1329
tel: 920.386.3790    fax: 920.386.3928