April 24, 2024

Happy April!

For National Volunteer Appreciation Week we would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to our Waukesha County 4-H Volunteers for supporting the Waukesha County 4-H program and our youth. We hope you know how much we appreciate you!

The monthly newsletter will be sent out on the last Wednesday of each month. Our next newsletter will be sent on May 29, 2024.

James, Nicole, and McKenzie

Club and project leaders: please regularly update the program calendar above with your events for family information.

Please check your status in 4-H Online to verify if your enrollment has been approved.

If you have not paid your county enrollment fee go to our website using the link below. Scroll down to Step Three: Pay the County Enrollment Fee. Select from the 4-H Family Enrollment Fees options based on the number of youths enrolling in 4-H for the 2023-2024 year.

If paying by check, please make checks payable to: Extension Waukesha County and mail to 515 West Moreland Blvd AC-G22, Waukesha WI 53188. 

Volunteers, please check your volunteer status in 4-H Online to verify if your volunteer trainings are complete. Until you have completed the steps, you are not considered an approved 4-H volunteer. 

If you have any questions or need any assistance regarding enrollment please contact McKenzie Knudson at mknudson@waukeshacounty.gov.

The 2024 4-H Summer Camp registration filled up in record time and is sure to be “jam packed” with fun!
Parents of camp participants, please be on the lookout for information pertaining to how to prepare your youth for camp, packing list, and an invite to the mandatory parent zoom meeting taking place on June 6th.

If you have any questions contact James at james.boling@wisc.edu.

Kits for the distance learning project “Fun With Cake Decorating” have arrived at the Waukesha County Extension 4-H office! If you signed up to participate in this project, please check for an email from Nicole Loeffler at nicole.loeffler@wisc.
edu regarding the pickup of your kit. If you have questions regarding the project, please check out the Wisconsin Distance Learning – Wisconsin 4-H to see if you can find the answer. If you still have questions, feel free to contact Barron County 4-H Educator Sara Waldron at sara.waldron@wisc.edu or 715-788-6219. 

The upcoming Arts and Sparks welding experience is just around the corner, happening on Saturday, May 4th. 

As a reminder for registered participants, the workshop is 3 hours long and will be taking place from 8:00 AM-11:00PM at Arrowhead High School North Campus, 800 North Ave, Room N148, Waukesha WI 53188.

For more information contact Tonia at tjsfroling@gmail.com or James at james.boling@wisc.edu. 

Sign up today for the next Extension Waukesha County 4-H Project Night happening on May 15th, at the Waukesha County Expo Center.  All youth are welcome to attend for a night of fun.

There are two session's the first is 5:30 P.M. – 6:15 P.M. the second is 6:30 P.M. – 7:15 P.M. Sign up for one activity for each session below.

Sessions:

Be on the lookout for more details to come about future workshops. Future workshop topics will include: Science and Nature, Photography, and Jewelry. We hope to see you on May 15th. 

Each year Waukesha County 4-H hosts a section of the Waukesha County fair called “Kids Zone”. The goal of Kids Zone is to allow youth and families opportunities to participate in educational and hands-on experiences while also allowing them to connect with and learn about 4-H and other community organizations. More than 1,000 youth annually stop into the Kids Zone and interact with local 4-H clubs and community partners. 

This year's county fair will run from Wednesday, July 17th to Sunday, July 21st, with Kids Zone taking place 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM everyday the fair is open!  We are in search of clubs who are interested in hosting a table and leading a hands-on, educational activity for youth to stop in and explore as they pass through. Previous activities led by clubs include quick STEAM challenges, arts and crafts projects, and community service projects.

Tables and chairs will be provided for up to three members of the club who will be implementing the activities. Time slots will be 2-4 hours long. If this is something that sounds of interest to your club, please connect with your club leaders, who will then contact Nicole Loeffler at nicole.loeffler@wisc.edu. 

There is only one practice left for archery this year on Friday, April 26 from 4:30 PM to 5:45 PM. The cost to shoot is $4.00 and rentals are $6.00. NOTE: If you rent equipment, due to Buck Rub’s policy you will ONLY receive “blunt tipped” arrows. In this case, you need to bring your own arrows, or Flash will have some arrows to borrow for use.

If any youth are interested in doing archery for the Fair, see the important Fair Entry information below! Information is found under Department 216, Junior Natural Sciences

Youth can use an official signed score sheet from any 4-H practice as an entry at the Waukesha County Fair. Flash will need to know by email NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, APRIL 23rd, so he can have the paperwork available. He will then send an email confirming the date and shoot. The more advance notice, the better. Youth will not be able to obtain a score sheet without this advance notice.

For questions or Fair shoot requests, please e-mail Flash Gordon at flash rescue31@hotmail.com.

The Shotgun/trapshooting project is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 7th and run EVERY  TUESDAY through July 9th, at the Waukesha Gun Club, N22W23170 Watertown Road, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Cost is $8.00 per round of 25 shots, i.e., 1 round $8, 2 rounds $16, etc. As of now we are scheduled to be down somewhere between trap #1 to trap #4 (far right side), but COULD CHANGE each night.

You MUST supply your own shotgun, eye and ear protection and ammunition. Shotgun shells may be purchased each night at the clubhouse (BEFORE YOU SHOOT), but ONLY the amount you will be shooting that night. Flash will have a LIMITED supply of shotgun shells available for 20 and 12 gauge.

You must be at least 12 years old, registered in the project and approved, to participate in the shotgun project. These are both national and state 4-h guidelines.

For questions or more information, e-mail Flash Gordon at flash_rescue31@hotmail.com.  

April project night was a blast! Thank you to everyone who was able to attend, volunteer, and participate!

Youth explored their sparks by participating in several hands-on educational workshops. Workshops included Jewelry Making, Color Science, Entomology, and Public Speaking. Project Nights are a great way for 4-H youth and families to connect, while also offering opportunities to explore potential project interest.

Are you interested in leading a workshop for future project nights? We’d love to have you as a facilitator! For more in information please contact James Boling at james.boling@wisc.edu or Nicole Loeffler at nicole.loeffler@wisc.edu.

The Waukesha County 4-H Performing Arts day took place on Saturday, April 13th at Hawthorne Middle School. Thank you to all youth, families, and volunteers that participated and made it a huge success! Youth performances were ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR! 

The talent, courage, and dedication shined through each and every performance! Youth performances included instruments, singing, project demos, magic, public speaking and more.

If you missed it, don't fret! Youth were also informed of the opportunity to present their talents on the Youth In Action Stage at this year's county fair! The Youth In Action Stage is a way for participants to showcase their talents to the public.

The fair will take place Wednesday, July 17th to Sunday, July 21st.

For more information regarding this year's fair and the Youth in Action Stage and how you can enter your youth’s projects, please follow the link below or contact Chrissy Gluege at chrissy@waukeshacountyfair.com or 262-544-592.

Clever Clovers hosted their annual careers activity where guest speakers talked about their careers as a Photographer, Army Civil Affairs Specialist, Professional Fisherman and Machinist/Programmer. Great youth leadership and parent involvement. Keep up the good work, Clever Clovers.

Project Night at the Expo - May 15 - There are two session's the first is 5:30 P.M. – 6:15 P.M. the second is 6:30 P.M. – 7:15 P.M. at the Waukesha County Expo Center.

Fair Entry Registration - March 15 - June 15 - 90 full Days to enter and no late entries accepted.

4-H Camp - June 17-20 - Camp will be at Camp Whitcomb/Mason in Hartland, Wisconsin. The theme this year is "Tropical Adventure." Registration has reached capacity. 

Waukesha County Fair - July 17-21- Oldest County Fair in Wisconsin | Waukesha County Fair

Summer Academy is the Positive Youth Development Institute’s signature career, leadership, & college readiness conference hosted at UW-Madison. Summer Academy offers an immersive college experience for youth in 8-11 grade; participants will experience life in a residence hall, explore campus, and enjoy the unique elements of higher education.

This year’s theme is Charge your Sparks; Summer Academy is committed to helping youth discover their passions by providing the inspiration and charge to keep their battery full! Participants will take a deep dive into a college and/or career focus of their choice through tracks offered by both UW-Madison and Madison College, and will have many opportunities to network with faculty, students, recent graduates, and peers from across the state.

A sampling of this year’s SPARK tracks include:

Find a comprehensive list of track options and descriptions HERE. Participants will have the opportunity to paddle on Lake Mendota, hike urban trails around Madison, and visit a historic downtown theater to watch our beloved Wisconsin 4-H Drama Company perform. We are excited and proud to welcome Wisconsin 4-H Leadership Council youth leaders as facilitators and hosts of our event.
The registration fee covers all lodging, meals, track participation, and in-town travel during the event. Statewide bussing to and from the event will be offered for an additional fee. We can’t wait to see you in Madison!

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

Nicole Loeffler

Associate 4-H Educator

nicole.loeffler@wisc.edu

McKenzie Knudson

4-H Administrative Support

mknudson@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.