4-H Friday Newsletter

Friday, March 27, 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! 

4-H Youth Leader Austyn is hosting a hands-on Acrylic Painting & Drawing Workshop, and your young artist is invited to jump in and create their very own masterpiece! Youth will be guided step-by-step through an acrylic painting project — but with plenty of room to make it their own. We’ll help them bring their unique vision to life. All materials are provided, and parents are encouraged to attend.

Limited to 10 youth per session. Cost is $5 per youth with a max of $15 per family. Payment is due to the Extension office by April 21. Make checks payable to: Fond du Lac County 4-H.

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.

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.

The Wisconsin DATCP has issued a temporary order suspending all poultry shows, exhibitions, swap meets, and movement of poultry to other events in 20 southern Wisconsin counties due to ongoing detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) through May 10, 2026. Continue to use good biosecurity measures when working with poultry. Full Press Release

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!

Join us at the UW-Madison Campus for an exciting, hands-on experience at Summer Academy. This Positive Youth Development program helps youth in grades 8-11 explore career and hobby pathways in various fields like agriculture, STEM, leadership, arts, and more. You’ll also have the chance to build friendships and networks with people from across Wisconsin.

Dates: June 14-18, 2026
Location: UW-Madison Campus
Registration Fee: $150 (Covers lodging, meals, transportation, activities, and more)

4‑H thrives because of dedicated volunteers who give their time, skills, and passion to our youth. This year, help us celebrate these incredible individuals by recognizing a volunteer who has made a difference in your club or community.

💚 Share your appreciation in any of these ways:

📸 Submit a 4‑H related photo of the volunteer in action

💬 Share a short quote of thanks

🎥 Record a brief video including: “Thank you, [volunteer name]”, Your 4‑H club name, Why you appreciate this volunteer and how they’ve supported you or your club

Submit by April 10 to be featured during National Volunteer Week (April 19–25, 2026). Submissions after April 10 will still be used to celebrate volunteers throughout the year!

Let’s come together to honor the people who make 4‑H shine. Your gratitude makes a difference.

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

Project vs. Exhibit - Many people in 4-H tend to use the words Project and Exhibit interchangeably. However, they are two VERY different things.

A 4-H project is an area that you want to learn more about during the year. The project is where learning-by-doing takes place. Within the project, you will find things to learn, to do, to make, and to explore.

An exhibit is an item that you have made during your 4-H project learning that you take to the county fair. You will receive feedback from a judge on your exhibit. Members are encouraged but not required to enter an exhibit at the fair.

The Fond du Lac County website contains helpful links and resources for 4-H Projects. Select the category below to see all projects that fall under that category:

The 4-H Raffle Committee is looking for help with securing donations for the annual raffle. It would be very much appreciated if each club could please acquire at least one raffle prize. Please get raffle prize information to Judy Bertram by April 5; you can reach her at mandjbertram@gmail.com or by phone 920-922-9379. Most of our prizes are mailed out to the winners, so certificates/gift cards work out the best. The raffle tickets will be distributed to clubs at the April 30th Adult Leaders Meeting. The raffle drawing will take place at the Adult Leaders Meeting in August. This is a primary source of money to build programs for our 4-H youth. Raffle tickets will be sold for $5 a ticket.

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

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

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

Summer Day Camp Registration Opens - April 15

National Volunteer Week - April 19-25

Acrylic Painting Art Workshop - April 25, 3-4 pm (grades K5-5) and 4-5pm (grades 6-13) at the Fond du Lac County Campus - Register through 4H Online by April 15

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 - LEGO Build Challenge: Mystical/Dragons

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.