Dear 4-H Families,

Happy New Year! As we stand at the precipice of a new year, let's:

Celebrate the victories: Acknowledge the progress we've made, big or small. Remember the moments of joy and shared success. Let these be the embers that warm us on the journey ahead.

Learn from the challenges: Embrace the lessons learned from setbacks. Use them to build resilience, refine your goals, and emerge stronger than before.

Dream with audacity: Dare to imagine a brighter future and work together to make it a reality. Let your hopes be the guiding stars that illuminate our path forward.

As we begin 2024, many people set new Goals.  Wisconsin 4-H asked clubs to sent SMART Goals last fall.  They are

Specific - Clearly defined

Measurable - Able to be measured

Achievable - Attainable

Realistic - A practical idea of what can be achieved

Time bound - Set a specific date to accomplish

I would encourage you as members and volunteers to also set some goals for your Dodge County 4-H year.  Maybe your goal is project driven.  Maybe it is more personal. 

I was excited last night to see some of our older youth as they came for interviews.  It was great to see their leadership and creativity.  Is there a way that we could be encouraging their leadership in clubs and county programs to further develop their leadership expertise?  I hope to talk about that more in the future

Have a great week,

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. You can also contact the office with any questions. Thanks!

We will be having a required safety/informational session on January 16th at 6pm for Archery at the Horicon Marsh Archers Club, N7420 Co Rd V, Horicon WI 53032.

You MUST be enrolled in the Archery Project to attend this meeting.

It is required that the participants go through safety rules and turn in a waiver form BEFORE they are allowed on the range to shoot. We also ask for a $15 project fee per participant to help with equipment upkeep and facilities. Please do your best to attend this first night and get the waivers turned in so that we can get right into shooting the following week!

Please contact Eva or Jessie at Jeeklynch@gmail.com to get a copy of the waiver or with any questions.

Hyland Prairie (Harper Zillmer) Members handed out candy, walked in the parade with goats or rode on the float for the Beaver Dam Christmas Parade. Members also practiced questions for the Dairy Bowl.

Juneau Victorians Our club brought our December donations to New Beginnings Homeless Shelter in Beaver Dam. We gave a $364 check to Shelter from the 2023 Dodge County Fair Recycling project from aluminum can collected (over 700 pounds). We also donated 4 No Sew Blankets made at our October-December club meetings.

Pictured below: Letty Castillo, County Coordinator; Fair Recycling Team: Rose Lake, Recycling Coordinator; with Bella Rogers and Carmen Lake. 

Hyland Prairie (Isabella Radichel) Our club entered a float in this year's Beaver Dam Christmas Parade. While we didn't place for any awards, we had fun decorating it, walking, and handing out candy. The theme was "Home for the Holidays!"

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 2024.  To be considered for financial support, applications must be received by the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation via email by Friday, March 1, 2024, 5:00 pm.

 The Wisconsin Pork Association is looking for college students who have a vested
interest in the swine industry and want to expand their knowledge and understanding of it. We encourage students to visit our site to learn more. 

The purpose of this 10-week summer internship program is to provide an opportunity for a young person to serve as the official youth representative of the Wisconsin Pork Association. The program will be administered by the WPA Youth Committee under the supervision of the WPA Executive Vice President and Program Director. The WPA Intern will work in the following areas: Producer Outreach – Wisconsin State Fair - Promotion/Consumer Information – Communication

Applications are due no later than February 1st, 2024.

The Wisconsin Pork Association (WPA) is once again offering Youth Pig Project
scholarships. These scholarships are designed to assist 4-H and FFA members in establishing swine projects that can lead to development of life skills and career opportunities in the Wisconsin pork industry.

4-H and FFA youth are eligible to apply for a $100 scholarship used to offset costs associated with their 2024 pig project. Scholarships will be awarded in three age divisions: Ages 9-12, 13-15, and 16-19 (as of January 1st, 2024). Through support from swine breeders and allied industry members around the state, the goal is to raise enough funds to support a minimum of 50 youth scholarships. Once selected, youth are also asked to participate in an educational webinar to receive their scholarship funds. 

Completed application forms must be emailed or postmarked no later than February 1st, 2024. 

Have you been to your local meat market or grocery store lately and think you could choose the best cut of meat out of the case? Have you ever watched a live animal contest and thought you could choose what animals would provide the best meat products? This is your opportunity to put those skills to work. This contest tests the knowledge of youth in the placement of carcass and retail cut classes, carcass grading, and retail cut identification. Top senior teams earn the opportunity to compete at national competitions. Registration Deadline: January 20, 2024

Mark your calendars:
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery Building, UW Madison Campus

Applications are NOW OPEN until January 16th, 2024.

When you apply to either of these state teams, you will be on a team with other youth from around the state of Wisconsin who share the same passion, and enjoy being creative! Whether that be by creating art or being involved in putting on drama shows, you can do it with Wisconsin 4-H!

Plan a "4-H Benefit Night" for your club. Contact local restaurants to learn more details.

The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation provides support for arts and communications programs that encourage youth to develop strong leadership, creative, and communication skills. Each year the Foundation highlights 4-H artists through the Celebrate the Arts art contest.

This year’s contest runs from November 1, 2023, through January 15, 2024

Click the link to be directed to the contest submission form. Please read the complete 2023 Art Event Contest Information before entering your work. 

If you are 18 years or older and interested in becoming a 4-H volunteer, we can help. We will provide new volunteers with (VIP) Volunteers in Preparation Training about how to work effectively with youth and what resources are available to volunteers. We will also ask you to participate in a Mandated Reporter Training to learn more about how to protect youth from child abuse and neglect. Finally, to ensure the safety of all youth and volunteers, a Volunteer Behavior Expectations Agreement and background check are required. Answers to questions about reporting and training are available on our FAQ page.

JANUARY

16 - 4-H Leaders Executive Board - 7:00 pm

22 - Rabbit Project Meeting - 7:00pm

29 - Communication Festival - 6:30 pm

FEBRUARY

20 - 4-H Leaders Association - 7:00pm

22 - Horse Project Meeting - 6:00pm

24 - Family Learning Day

4-H Learning Resources from Positive Youth Development Media Collections

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