October 7, 2026

Marie's Message

Beyond Ready

120 YEARS AGO, WE WERE READY.

Ready to get our hands dirty, Ready to learn by doing,
Ready to push the power of youth forward.
And as our inspiration grew, so did we.
When we expanded into every corner of the nation,
We were ready.

Ready to ask questions about the world, To show up for our community,
To become the leaders we were always meant to be.
And when we evolved into the unstoppable force we are today,
We were ready.
Ready to open our arms to every opportunity, Every path,
And every child–
Generation after generation.

Millions of us have been inspired by 4-H, But we’re far from finished.
It’s time to inspire millions more.
We were ready then. We’re beyond ready now.

After all, it’s always been in our DNA. Beyond ready for school.
Beyond ready for work.
Beyond ready for life—
And everything that comes with it.
Building a ready generation in a world of change.

The fact is young people need us now. Today’s youth are the largest generation at risk, lacking foundational life skills and key abilities for the workplace.

We need to prepare young people with the skills to be ready for work and life—to be Beyond Ready. 4-H’s programming and Beyond Ready initiative teaches youth skills the classroom doesn’t always guarantee—resilience, adaptability and lifelong personal growth.

The only organization with a scientifically proven approach to preparing youth, 4-H’s collaborative network delivers best-in-class impact. The Beyond Ready initiative will extend this impact from 6M youth reached annually to 10M by 2030.

Marie Witzel
Positive Youth Development Educator
marie.witzel@wisc.edu
920-386-3790

Thanks to National 4-H

If clubs or groups have items to share, send them by noon on Monday to be included in that week’s issue. Anything received after 12 p.m. Monday will be considered for the following week. 

Please send any 4-H or youth development related emails to marie.witzel@wisc.edu

Hats Off! A special thank you to our dedicated volunteer trainers who shared their time and expertise during 4-H Leadership Launch Officer Training section: Teresa and Lucy Stowell (President/Vice President), Amy Voigt (Secretary), Karen Weihert and Josh Roberts (Treasurer), and Brenda Conley (Reporter/Historian/Social Media and Other Officers). Their leadership helped prepare youth officers with the skills and confidence needed to be successful leaders in their 4-H clubs this year.

Hyland Prairie (Ella Fenske) - The meeting included member and leader updates, discussion of Dodge County Fair experiences, reminders about record books, interviews, officer training, and upcoming 4-H opportunities. Members also reviewed proposed constitutional changes, discussed future club activities and achievement night plans, and announced that enrollment is open for the new 4-H year.

Need help? Reach out to schedule an appointment, and we can assist you with completing your online enrollment and training at the Extension Office.

Reminder: After submitting your volunteer enrollment, please watch for your HireRight background check and/or complete the required 4-H Online volunteer training. These steps must be completed before your enrollment can be approved. For the training, be sure to scroll to the very bottom of the final screen so the course is marked as complete.

Enrollment needs to be completed by November 1st, 2026.

Reminder for 3rd Grade Members:
In Dodge County 4-H, 3rd grade members must enroll in the Exploring project and may add one additional project of their choice. If they choose Beef as their additional project, they are only eligible to exhibit in the Beef Feeder Class at the Dodge County Junior Fair. It looks like they will need to add the Exploring project and decide which one additional project they would like to complete this year.

Reminder for Adult Volunteers:
All adult volunteers must complete the required volunteer training and background check process before they can be approved and participate as a 4-H volunteer. If you have not yet completed these requirements, please do so as soon as possible to avoid delays in your volunteer approval.

Enrollment needs to be completed by November 1st, 2026

Registration is limited to 30 youth participants. An adult must accompany youth. Adults do not need to register.

Registration deadline: October 16th or when the event is filled to capacity, whatever happens first. October 21st is the last day to withdraw from this event. Any registration withdrawal after this date will be responsible for payment regardless of attendance.

Registration is through 4-H Online.

Registration is open September 29 - October 28, 2026 (or until all spaces are full, whatever comes sooner). No late registration or onsite registrations will be offered.

Looking to connect with 4-H members from across Wisconsin while growing your skills and exploring your interests? Consider applying for a Wisconsin 4-H Ambassador Team! Opportunities are available in Leadership, Agriculture, Arts, and the new Outdoor Ambassadors program. Youth in grades 9-12 can develop leadership skills, make new friends, represent Wisconsin 4-H at statewide events, and help shape future programming. Applications open October 1 in 4-H Online and close November 15, 2026. Visit the Wisconsin 4-H website for more information about each ambassador team and application details.

The 2027 National Poster Contest Theme "From Source to Sea. Every Drop Has A Journey" (this title must be included on each poster)

The Dodge County Land and Water Conservation Dept. will be participating in the 2027 NACD poster contest. The poster contest is open to public, private and home-school students’ kindergarten through 12th grade.

Divisions: Grades K-1, Grades 2-3, Grades 4-6, Grades 7-9, Grades 10-12
Poster Size: 11"x17" (preferred size) 12"x18" or 14"x22" accepted

Posters are evaluated on the following criteria:

Conservation message
Visual effectiveness
Originality
Universal appeal

Poster Contest Date: January 13, 2027
Posters Due: January 6, 2027

If you haven't, already, please use this link to sign up if you're interested in participating: https://shorturl.at/Jqzn4

Dodge County competes at two contests: the Wisconsin Junior Holstein Convention (Jan. 2-4, 2026), and the Wisconsin 4-H contest in February.

Dairy-activity form

The 2026-2027 Dodge County Dairy-Activity Card is currently in review, but participation in the Cream of the Crop Dairy Challenge in September, competing in various World Dairy Expo contests, and attending World Dairy Expo this week all qualify for points on next year's card. Signatures are easy to get later on after the contests, but if you're just attending, take a picture in front of something iconic to prove you were there. Most importantly: Have fun!

Brock Irwin coaches the senior team(s), and Jenny Spoke and Carrie Feucht will be coaching the junior and rookie teams.

Practice is held on Sundays at the Watertown library from 1-3 p.m. Practicing on your own during the week with school homework is encouraged, as well. Practice dates:

Next DYAC meeting

Date: Nov. 18, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Location: Dodge County Administration Building

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

OCTOBER

4 - 10 National 4-H Week

 17 - Drone Demo Day

20 - Leader's Executive Board Meeting

21 - Project Learning Lab: Animal

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

4HOnline  Log in to your account at the Wisconsin 4-H Online Sign in page

Visit the Wisconsin 4-H Website

WI 4-H Policy Updates

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.

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