Dear 4-H Families:

I understand that some of you have been in the Dodge County 4-H program for many years and others are very new. With that in mind, Extension has gone through many changes over the past few years. One area that has not really changed is our focus on education. I wanted to share some information with you regarding the roles of the 4-H Program Educator. The Positive Youth Development institute has identified the following as roles:

Educational Administrator and Chartering Authority
All county-based 4-H programs are required to have a 4-H Program Educator who is an employee of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension. The Educator is both authorized and responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the local, county-based 4-H program, ensuring compliance with all relevant policies, procedures, and laws. In addition, the Educator plays a crucial role in guiding the direction of the program, ensuring it meets the needs of the local community while adhering to the larger mission of 4-H.

Volunteer Manager
The 4-H Program Educator is tasked with managing and supporting 4-H volunteers. This involves making sure their activities are in line with established policies, procedures, and expectations, while offering the necessary guidance, training, and mentorship to enhance their effectiveness. By fostering a strong volunteer base, the Educator helps create a positive, sustainable learning environment for youth.

Educator and Positive Youth Development Advocate
The 4-H Program Educator is responsible for delivering research-based educational programs aimed at promoting positive youth development within local communities. This includes offering direct programming for youth, supporting coalitions and partnerships, and collaborating with community organizations, schools, and other stakeholders to enhance the 4-H program’s impact and broaden its reach. Through these efforts, the Educator ensures that 4-H thrives and continues to positively influence the lives of young people in the community.

Have a great week,
Marie

Marie Witzel
4-H /Youth Program 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.

If you have Secretary's Minutes to share, please send them to the 4-H / Youth Program Assistant, Terra at: treider@wisc.edu by noon on Wednesday to be included in that week's issue. You can also contact the office with any questions. Thanks!

Reporter Updates

Richwood Rangers (Kayla Whitaker) - February 9th, 2025 the Richwood Rangers 4H Club in Watertown went to Beaver Dam ice rink to have some fun skating around. Many of the club members, parents, and friends got out on the ice to have a blast. This provided a good bonding experience for the whole club and many people got to know each other better. It was also a very good activity for everyone to get prepared to sit on their couch the rest of the night to watch the very intense and long awaited Superbowl!

Juneau Victorians (Chelsy Herring) - The Juneau Victorian's spent time last week considering the needs of the residents at Clearview Health Campus. Members were asked to participate in gathering supplies for care packages with goodies such as fuzzy socks, lotions, lip balm, coloring books, notebooks, pens and colored pencils, stress balls, and gloves. Most importantly the members thoughtfully colored and wrote encouraging messages to the residents on bags for the supplies to be delivered in.

Lomira Clover Leaves (Harper Slechta) - The Lomira Clover Leaves Club met at the Knowles Fire Station for their monthly meeting. The firefighters demonstrated how to properly use a fire extinguisher and members got to try using one.

Dairy at Family Learning Day

Family Learning Day on March 29, 2025, has a number of opportunities for signatures on your dairy-activity card. See that section in this newsletter for details. Here's a quick list.

-Cheese making
-Do you want to be a farmer some day?
-World of Wisconsin cheese
-YQCA training

Juniors in open-dairy show
Junior dairy exhibitors at the Dodge County Fair will now be allowed to enter heifers shown in the Thursday junior show into the open show on Friday, as well. This is only for the dairy-heifer show. You will have to do official entries for both shows. This is just to give you a head's up; stay tuned for more details.

Exhibitor meeting
The pre-fair mandatory dairy-exhibitor meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 21, 2025, at 7 p.m. This also counts for a point on your dairy-activity card. Mark your calendars.

Dairy judging
We're excited to start gearing up for the 2025 dairy-judging season and have some news to share. This skill counts for points on your dairy-activity card.

We would like to thank Kari Behling for her dedication in coaching during the previous few years. This year, we have a new coaching team: Brock Irwin, Scott Stanford, and Matthew Gunst! With this expanded team, the goal is to make practices more efficient and personalized, with one-on-one coaching time.

To move forward, your input is needed. If you're interested in dairy judging, this year, please fill out this form by end of day Friday, March 7, 2025, to share your preferences and help us shape the season schedule: https://forms.gle/q6mvYouqrUBhCLvt5. We will use the information from this form to determine the best day of the week for practice, the date of our first practice, and to gauge interest in participation.

Our first practice of the year will be held at the Watertown Library, 100 S. Water St., Watertown. This will be a classroom-based session where we'll cover the fundamentals before heading to the barn the following week. We will review cow parts, judging basics, juniors understanding TAQ questions, and seniors diving deep into reasons format and terminology. Date and time will be announced following survey results. We're looking forward to a fantastic 2025 season!

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

Questions? Text Ryan Altreuter 262-443-9797

Please have the Educational Verification Form printed before the session begins.  You can write down thoughts throughout the session. Complete the form and turn it into your county fair and/or livestock committee to verify your participation.  These activities can serve as “county educational credits/points.”

 Wisconsin Distance Learning

Is your club looking for a fun night out in Madison?  There are opportunities with the Madison Mallards and Night Mares Softball teams. The group outings offer thrilling baseball/softball action, team building, and plenty of fun. With the Night Mares joining the Mallards, there are even more unique options.  Check out the schedule and reach out to Jaden if your group is interested.

Jaden Johnson, Group Account and Events Manager

jaden@mallardsbaseball.com | 608-246-4277

Questions?  Please contact Eva 920-988-6113 or Jessie 920-988-0741

MARCH

18 - 4-H Leaders Executive Board Meeting

29 - Family Learning Day

31 - Speaking and Demonstration Contest, 6:30 PM

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

4-H Volunteer Trainings Follow the link to learn more and complete your required trainings.

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

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