4-H Friday Newsletter

Friday, March 20, 2026

LEADERS, MEMBERS, and PARENTS can contribute to the articles posted weekly by completing a short form and uploading their article and any photos at go.wisc.edu/2665ok. Articles for the current week must be submitted by 12 pm on Wednesday. We would love to hear from you. Secretary minutes can also be submitted here as well! 

Ledgers 4-H club visited TAPS to learn how to make maple syrup. They learned about the process from start to finish and even got to try some syrup as an ice cream topping. Thank you to the Andrew family for hosting us!

The Dog Project will get the year under way on April 2 at 5:00pm in the Rec Center at the Fond du Lac Fairgrounds. This is a mandatory orientation meeting for ALL NEW members and at least ONE parent. DO NOT bring your dogs! Please read the Project Rules before you come to the meeting. Bring your questions!

Classes are weekly on Thursdays at 5:00pm:

The 4-H Dog Bowl encourages youth to develop a more complete knowledge of dogs. This contest provides an educational program for all dog project members, including those who may not own a dog, and provides a way to develop self-confidence, study skills, teamwork, inhibition, and alertness.

Location: UW-Green Bay STEM Innovation Building, 2019 Technology Way, Green Bay, WI 54311  

Team Registration Fee: $15.00 entry fee per team

Registration Deadline:  March 30th, in 4-H online

There will be a State Fair Organizational meeting for youth ages 12+ on March 30th at 6:30pm. We will go over the requirements and deadlines for showing dairy at Wisconsin State Fair.  Questions please contact Sarah Loehr, 608-792-7013.

This state photo contest is open to youth 4-H members and will allow them to enter photos in a variety of categories and have their photos judged by a group of skilled photographers. Each entry will cost the member $3.00 to help cover the cost of printing, mounting, and displaying of the winning photos. Register through 4-H Online.

The Wildlife Club is off to an exciting start, kicking off the year with two hands‑on, adventure‑filled meetings that brought nature a little closer to home.

At our first gathering, youth explored Snapshot WI, a statewide citizen‑science program that uses trail cameras to monitor wildlife. Our club is now hosting its very own trail camera on campus, and members had a blast reviewing real photos of local animals. They learned about movement patterns, identified species, and interpreted wildlife behavior. Each participant even took home a bit of “homework”—creating a wildlife‑themed poster of their choice, which also doubled as a completed future fair exhibit.

The second meeting took us deeper into the world of animal tracking. Youth examined a variety of track replicas, learned how trackers read clues in nature, and discussed why tracking is important for conservation. The highlight was creating their own cast of an animal track to take home. Guess what animal tracks are featured in the pictures above and email your answers to Tracy. Winners will receive a prize! We wrapped up by sharing the posters created after the first meeting—an impressive showcase of creativity and curiosity.

And we’re just getting started. Our next meeting is on March 31, where we’ll dive into the world of Fish Hotels and try our hand at Pop Can Casting. It’s shaping up to be another fun and educational session.

We can’t wait to see you there and continue exploring the wild side together! There is still time to sign up if you are interested. Please contact the office at 920-906-4623 to sign up.

Do you love getting your hands in the soil, exploring how plants grow, or discovering new ways to garden? The Junior Master Gardener 4‑H Club is just getting started, and it’s the perfect place for curious, hands‑on learners.

Our next meeting on April 2nd will dive into the world of hydroponics, including planting in our very own farmstand. It’s a great chance to learn, experiment, and grow—literally.

From seed‑starting to science experiments, every meeting offers something new. Come dig in, make friends, and watch your skills bloom with us!

If interested, please reach out to Tracy at tracy.keifenheim@wisc.edu

Do you enjoy helping youth learn new skills or connecting people with great resources? The Project Workshop Committee is looking for 2–3 volunteers to help plan a few hands-on project workshops each year.

The top project areas in Fond du Lac County include Art, Swine, Photography, Dairy, Beef, LEGO, Foods & Nutrition, Woodworking, Poultry, and Drawing and Painting. Shooting Sports, Sewing, and Crops could use additional support in the top 20 projects.

Meetings are flexible and held only a few times annually—this is a fun, low‑commitment way to support 4‑H projects and make a big impact! If interested, please reach out to Tracy.

What’s YOUR Spark? Everybody has a skill, talent, interest, or special quality that lights them up — we call these SPARKS! They bring joy, purpose, and direction, and this LEGO challenge is all about celebrating what makes you uniquely you.

Youth AND adults are invited to design and build a LEGO creation that represents one of your personal sparks. Let your imagination lead the way!

Each entry may include up to three photos from different angles. Enter by April 1st as an individual or team — everyone is welcome!

Save the Date: Join us for a fun Viewing Party on April 12 to celebrate all the amazing builds!

Let’s see what inspires YOU. Show us your creativity, passion, and of course… your SPARK!

Submitted by: Leah M.

Winter leadership camp was held February 27-March 1 (after being rescheduled due to cold weather in January) at Spencer Lake in Waupaca. Isabella L., Alexia H., Bryce H., and Leah M. were the four attendees from Fond du Lac County. They are all members of the Busy Bees 4-H club. There were over 40 4-H members in attendance from nine different counties.

We participated in get-to-know-me activities, leadership sessions, sessions to explore projects of our interests, and free time to play games and meet new friends. 

One of the get to know me games was like speed friending, you were in two lines across from each other and had a certain amount of time to introduce yourself and answer a fun question.

My favorite leadership activity was when we had to go around and get 30 high fives from 30 different people in 30 seconds, the first round, you were not able to talk and it was quite difficult. In the second round, we were allowed 30 seconds to talk to make up a plan to get everyone to the goal. In the final round, we were fully allowed to talk throughout. From the first round to the final round, you could see how many more people reached the goal; it was an excellent way to show how important communication is on a team.

In our free time, we were allowed to go to a game room, and Isabella and I found out how bad I was at 8-ball pool.

There were four sessions to choose from when registering. I chose teen cuisine, sewing, and finance. The sewing session was my favorite.

Show your 4‑H pride and support a great cause! Proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the Wisconsin Association of Extension 4‑H Youth Development Professionals (WAE4‑HYDP).

🛍️ Store open now through April 15
👕 Youth & adult sizes available
📦 Ship to your home or save on shipping by selecting county Extension office pickup (available at the end of May)

Support 4‑H and look great doing it!

The deadline for adding or dropping projects is approaching! Contact the office at 920-906-4623 or sarah.stevenson@wisc.edu by Friday, April 3rd if you need to made changes. If you need to check which projects your child is signed up for, you can view instructions on How to View Projects in 4-H Online here

Clover Connect: Making 4-H Meetings Fun - March 22 at 7pm or March 23 at 12 pm - https://4h.extension.wisc.edu/clover-connect-idea-sharing-zooms

Teen Leaders Association (TLA) - March 23, 6:45pm at Rolling Meadows Meeting Room

LEGO Club - March 24, 6:30pm at the Fond du Lac County Campus - LEGO Build Challenge: Buildings

Dairy Project State Fair Organizational Meeting - March 30, 6:30pm at the Fond du Lac County Campus 

Wildlife Club - March 31, 6:00pm at the Fond du Lac County Campus

Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club - April 2, 16 & 30, 4-5:30pm at the Fond du Lac County Campus 

Dog Project Orientation - April 2, 5:00pm at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds Rec Center - Do not bring dogs to this meeting

Deadline to Add/Drop Projects - April 3, email sarah.stevenson@wisc.edu

Market Livestock YQCA - April 4, 9:00am at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds - Register by March 28

Dog Project Classes - April 9, 16, 23 & 30, 5:00pm at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds Rec Center

Wildlife Club - April 14, 6:00pm at the Fond du Lac County Campus

Teen Leaders Association (TLA) - April 27, 6:45pm at Rolling Meadows Meeting Room

LEGO Club - April 28, 6:30pm at the Fond du Lac County Campus

Adult Leaders Association Meeting - April 30, 6:30pm at the Fond du Lac County Campus

  Tracy Keifenheim

4-H Program Educator

tracy.keifenheim@wisc.edu

Sarah Stevenson

4-H Program Assistant

sarah.stevenson@wisc.edu

 Misty Jimenez

4-H Associate Educator

misty.jimenez@wisc.edu

UW Extension Fond du Lac County
160 South Macy St, 2nd floor
Fond du Lac, WI 54935
(920) 906-4623

http://fonddulac.extension.wisc.edu/4h/

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