Dear 4-H Families,

I was recently on a Positive Youth Development Institute meeting and our director reminded us about our foundations with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). I wanted to share them with you.

Positive Youth Development

Positive youth development expertise and resources are available in research and evaluation, professional development, and learning and engagement. Positive youth development tools are available for various subject matter, audiences (youth, adult, vulnerable populations – rural, at-risk, military, etc.) and all delivery methods (school-based, afterschool, clubs, camps, etc.).

4-H as the Program Model for Positive Youth Development

The 4-H Youth Development Program is the youth outreach program from the land-grant institutions’ cooperative extension services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 4-H serves as a model program for the practice of positive youth development by creating positive learning experiences; positive relationships for and between youth and adults; positive, safe environments; and opportunities for positive risk taking.

The Division of Youth and 4-H

The Division of Youth and 4-H is housed in the Institute of Youth, Family, and Community at NIFA. Additional support is provided to 4-H by National 4-H Council (a private, non-profit organization) and conducted through the land-grant university extension 4-H offices.

The Division of Youth and 4-H strengthens and promotes healthy youth development by providing the tools young people need to act as responsible citizens and agents of community change. By understanding the complex experiences that youth face and by promoting high quality youth leadership development, 4-H helps youth meet the challenges of adolescence and transition to adulthood. Through youth-adult partnerships, the 4-H program connects youth and adults to their communities, preparing them for work and life. The 4-H program is designed to engage youth and adults in intentional, experiential, and inquiry-based learning while providing emerging research to highlight positive youth development. To achieve this, the Division of Youth and 4-H focuses on three key issues:

This will help all of us to be on the same framework of programming within Positive Youth Development. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Have a great week,

Marie

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.

If you have Secretary's Minutes to share, please send them to the 4-H / Youth Program Assistant, Terra at: treider@wisc.edu by noon on Wednesday to be included in that week's issue. You can also contact the office with any questions. Thanks!

On January 4th, Kaylee Jahnke received the 2024 Wisconsin State 4-H Horse Reserve Champion Senior All-Around award.  She did well showing her horse and in the educational events to win this state honor.  Way to represent the Dodge County 4-H program Kaylee! 

Attention youth who are enrolled or planning to enroll in an undergraduate college, university, or technical school for the 2025-2026 school year and working toward a degree: Now is a good time to start working on your scholarship applications for higher education!

Dodge County 4-H has multiple scholarships that you are encouraged to check out.  They include:

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 2025. Applications must be submitted via mail (not email) this year and postmarked by March 1st.

The Dodge/Jefferson Co. Beekeepers Association are pleased to announce the 2025 Youth in Beekeeping Scholarship as a part of the club’s promotion and educational initiatives for youth interested in beekeeping.

A scholarship 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, call Ralph Wandersee at 920-285-8608 or visit dodge-jeffersonbeekeepers.com to download an application. Application deadline is January 31, 2025.

BQA does more than help beef producers capture more value from their cattle: BQA provides a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in the beef industry. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they ensure the cattle they sell are the best they can be. Consumer research, conducted by the Beef Checkoff, shows that learning about BQA made consumers more confident in beef safety and animal welfare and improved positive consumer perceptions of how cattle are raised for food. There is a training scheduled in Lomira for January 16, 2025. Check out the link below.

Cow Crossroads
The Wisconsin Junior Holstein Association is offering Cow Crossroads to older youth, ages 16-21, who want to learn more about different careers and have deep-rooted passion for the dairy industry and agriculture, in general. Dates for this event are Feb. 8-9, 2025. More details will be shared when available. 

General questions? Contact DYAC via e-mail: dodgecountydyac@gmail.com.

 Wisconsin Distance Learning

Are you ready to accept the challenge of creating a low-voltage electronic circuit? We’re going to use conductive tape, a battery, LEDs, and paper to learn about electrical circuits! Get ready to learn and have fun through this hands-on introduction to electric circuits. This distance learning program will allow participants, grades 4-9, an opportunity to explore, problem-solve, think critically and be creative. Registration will be open January 2 - 24. All participants will receive program supply kits from their county offices prior to the start of the program. This program will begin on March 1 with guided lessons and tutorials. 

The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation has kicked off a contest that challenges all 4-H members to explore their creativity!

The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Celebrates the Arts Photography Contest is open to any current Wisconsin 4-H member, and the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation is awarding cash prizes. The contest will be held virtually, with photos of all entries submitted electronically. Entries are being accepted now through January 31, 2025.

Join the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for the 11th annual Wisconsin Youth Institute!

The University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences invites you and your students to join the Wisconsin Youth Institute organized by the World Food Prize. The Wisconsin Youth Institute challenges high school students to solve local, national, and global issues of food equity, security, and sustainability.

Students from all around the state will engage with and learn from global and local leaders, participate in hands-on activities, and explore exciting ways to make a difference in Wisconsin — and around the world. To participate, students will write a research paper with the help of a teacher or mentor and present their work during the Wisconsin Youth Institute on May 7, 2025 at UW–Madison. Selected students will have the opportunity to represent Wisconsin at the Global Youth Institute in October 2025.

Registration for the Wisconsin Youth Institute is due online by April 7, 2025 but the time to plan is now! Learn how to participate and get answers to all your questions during a virtual information session.  The next ones available are:

If anyone is interested in being a presenter, please email treider@wisc.edu or click the button:

The Zoom starts at 6:30 pm.  Youth should preregister at: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/ftKiuoQaSZ6eFYNzPcAoTg

As we settle into the rhythms of winter it is a perfect time to think about art and our next major 4-H State Arts activity, Art Beat! Actually, when isn’t a good time to think about art? Art Beat is for any 4-H member in grades 3-5 and will be held at Upham woods March 15-16. You can register through 4-H online. Applications will be open January 20-February 17 or until the camp fills.

Questions?  Please contact Eva 920-988-6113 or Jessie 920-988-0741

JANUARY

11 - A Winter Day in the Woods with Columbia County 4-H, 9 AM

21 - 4-H Leaders Executive Board Meeting, 7 PM

FEBRUARY

15 - Family Learning Day, Horicon High School

17 - Preparing Your Scholarship Applications Zoom Meeting, 6:30 PM

18 - 4-H Leaders Association Meeting, 7 PM

PYD Media Collection Project Resources Follow the link to learn more about the collection and request materials.

4-H Volunteer Trainings Follow the link to learn more and complete your required trainings.

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