Explorer 4-H Club Recognized as Club of the Month
This month we would like to congratulate Explorer 4-H Club for being awarded the Nebraska 4-H Club of the Month for February 2019. This club from Omaha, NE, in Douglas/Sarpy County, has truly made a difference in its community. The club is dedicated to building strong citizenship and teamwork through various activities.
Using the Pennsylvania Plant 4-H Curriculum, the Explorer 4-H Club built raised beds to use the 130-day Nebraska growing season to work on food crops for county and state fairs. The students are going to do the 2019 Special Garden Project Carmine Splendor Okra as one of the food crops.
So many 4-H and scout adventures work on plants, but in an urban area, there is a difficult problem of space to plant. Our project is open to any 4-Her or person in a scouting adventure so they have a place to grow their plant for their awards with the bonus of any food crop have a place to go with the Stephen Center. By doing this, the 4-Hers or scouts have a service project helping to feed members in the community with the fruits of their labors. The project has a group of 70 made up of youth from Explorers 4-H, Aquatic Society of Omaha INC, and various scouting students across Sarpy and Douglas County. With Aquatic Society of Omaha INC, their work is shared across twelve states with North Central Regional Aquaculture Center electronic drop box on NCRAC-YEA website. Also with Aquatic Society of Omaha INC, the project becomes 18-02-4P Applying 4-H and scout knowledge for the community to be published with Nebraska Academy of Science and Nebraska Environmental Trust. With friends of 4-H, the Stephen Center Project for their use to assist 4-H students across the state. Any volunteering or donating at the Stephen Center will be shown on their social media sites.
Explorers 4-H is a student-led organization with six student officers. This empowers youth to be more active in learning and civic activity since they are in charge of development.
The Nebraska 4-H Foundation provides the 4-H Club of the Month program to all Nebraska 4-H clubs throughout the state. Clubs can nominate themselves by telling why their club should be chosen as Club of the Month. A different club will be chosen each month and will be awarded a certificate and $50 cash card. For more information, visit the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website or email ne4hclubofthemonth@gmail.com.
Nebraska 4-H Month
Each year during the month of February we celebrate Nebraska 4-H Month. This year, we'll celebrate another very special event in February. The University of Nebraska was chartered on February 15, 1896. In 2019, we mark a 150-year legacy of improving the quality of life for Nebraska and beyond.
This month, we ask 4-H members, families, and volunteers across the state to celebrate Nebraska 4-H Month by taking part in the Nebraska 150 Celebrations! Take Flat Herbie on a tour of your community, join a local Charter Day celebration on February 15th, bake some N150 cookies, or get a head start on an N150 Stepping Stone exhibit for county fair!
Nebraska 4-H Celebrates N|150
The University of Nebraska was chartered on February 15, 1869 and charged with its land-grant mission of public education and service to Nebraska. In 2019, we mark a 150-year legacy of improving the quality of life for Nebraska and beyond. Please join us in celebrating the historic past of your University and helping us chart a bold new future. Nebraska 4-H is perfectly positioned to take this celebration statewide. The celebration will include Charter Day, Glow Big Red, Flat Herbie, N|150 Stepping Stone Showcase, Photography Unit 3 Class, and more!
2018 Impact Report
In Nebraska, 4-H reaches 1 in 3 age-eligible youth and families in all 93 counties with the support of over 12,000 volunteers. These youth, ages 5-18, participate in 4-H through a variety of delivery modes, including clubs, camps, afterschool, school enrichment, and special interest programs.
As positive youth development professionals, we strive to prepare youth for their successful futures through career development and healthy living. We engaged them in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and agricultural literacy efforts that will enable them to lead these industries in the future. And, we empower their unique leadership skills and entrepreneurial spirits to ensure they make a lasting and positive contribution to their communities.
Data included in the 2018 impact report represents youth responses from across the state following their engagement in one or more 4-H program experiences.
2019 Special Gardening Project
The Special Gardening Project is an opportunity for 4-H members to grow unusual and fun projects in their gardens. Each year, a new plant is selected as the focus for all members enrolled in the project. Youth receive seeds which they plant and cultivate using project resources provided throughout the experience. Youth then have the opportunity to exhibit cut flowers or harvested vegetables or present their experience through a poster or report. The project is designed to challenge youth interested in horticulture by introducing them to new and unique growing experiences and foster real-world problem-solving skills through a guided horticultural experience.
This year the Special Gardening Project is focused on the unique Carmine Splendor Okra. Carmine Splendor Okra is as unique as it is tasty. This plant is high yielding and produces uniform, red pods. The stout 5-pointed pods are deep red when small and at the best eating quality. The tropical-looking, pinkish flowers are also edible and have a sweet, mild flavor. The mature seed pods also give a fun twist for winter interest in a container.
To participate in this year's Special Gardening Project, youth must enroll in the project through 4-H Online and contact their local Extension office to order seeds prior to February 1. There is a small enrollment fee of $0.50 for this project which covers the cost of seeds.
Pick Your Project
The Pick Your Project is an online database and selection guide for finding 4-H projects and their resources. Users can search for projects by keywords or browse by curriculum area, knowledge level, and geographic level.
Looking for a printable list of Nebraska 4-H projects? Download the 2019 Nebraska 4-H Project Listing.
2019 Enrollment Now Open!
Enrollment is now open for the 2019 program year! Enrollment is not required for many 4-H programs and events. However, club and independent members are required to officially enroll through 4-H Online each year to maintain membership. By enrolling, youth have the opportunity to participate in county fairs, the Nebraska State Fair, and additional statewide events and events. Club and project leaders must also enroll through 4-H Online each year. There is no state-level fee for officially enrolling. However, some counties or clubs may implement their own annual fees. Additionally, each county implements their own enrollment deadlines. Please contact your local 4-H office for more information.
Enrollment instructions are available for new club members, returning club members, new club leaders, and returning club leaders.
Club of the Month - September
This month we would like to congratulate the I-80 Livestock 4-H Club for being awarded the Nebraska 4-H Club of the Month for September 2018. This club from Aurora, Nebraska, in Hamilton County, has truly made a difference in its community. The club is dedicated to building strong citizenship and teamwork through various activities.
This club formed several years ago when independent 4-H’ers were looking for a club experience. Over the last three years, this club has grown from three families to six! All summer the seven-member club competed in competitions, attended training sessions on fitting and fed and maintained their cattle.
The group started with just 4-H bucket calves and has since grown the herd to around 40. The club has members that have attained their AI certification, completed over 400 hours of community service work and have learned how to decide what genetics they want in their herd.
Two of the club members are junior leaders and two are shooting sports ambassadors for the state of Nebraska. Four of the six are also FFA members. Three of the members have shown at the state fair for the last 4 years! They do all this while maintaining stellar GPA’s in school.
The club leader began with two bucket calves and two members. He has loaned his bucket calves to other Clover Kids to show, helped haul other people’s cattle, and never says “no” when needed to lend a helping hand. He is the leader of the junior leaders, he attends PASE Life Challenge, works with FFA as a judge for districts and just finished up his third year as a member of 4-H Council.
Everyone in this club works hard at school and at home, helps with community events and promotes 4-H and leadership.
The Nebraska 4-H Foundation provides the 4-H Club of the Month program to all Nebraska 4-H clubs throughout the state. Clubs can nominate themselves by telling why their club should be chosen as Club of the Month. A different club will be chosen each month and will be awarded a certificate and $50 cash card. For more information visit the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website or email ne4hclubofthemonth@gmail.com.
Club of the Month - August
This month we would like to congratulate the Eager Achievers 4-H Club for being awarded the Nebraska 4-H Club of the Month for August 2018. This club from Hampton, Nebraska, in Hamilton County, has truly made a difference in its community. The club is dedicated to building strong citizenship and teamwork through various activities.
The Eager Achievers complete one major community service activity each year, along with several smaller projects. This year the club’s major project was making 40 first aid kits and delivering them to the local backpack program. The club realized that if families have trouble providing food for their families on the weekends, they probably have trouble providing band-aids and other emergency medical supplies. Along with providing the kits, the 4-H members participated in a first aid workshop led by a 4-H dad who is an EMT. Some members also became CPR certified that day. The backpack program was very appreciative of this donation.
The club’s smaller service activities have included making centerpieces for a local nursing home, making Christmas tree ornaments for the Plainsman Museum Christmas festivities, having a bake sale with a total of $303.25 being sent to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, making Valentines for Vets, making and donating a basket for the silent auction at the Plainsman museum annual fundraiser, collecting items for the local Adopt A Pet organization, helping at the Can-Care-A-Van by collecting food, sorting and storing the donations, selling concessions once a month at the local volunteer-run movie theater, and the usual county fair clean-up and working at the 4-H food stand at the fair. Each member volunteers to be the chairman or co-chairman of one the community service activities.
The Nebraska 4-H Foundation provides the 4-H Club of the Month program to all Nebraska 4-H clubs throughout the state. Clubs can nominate themselves by telling why their club should be chosen as Club of the Month. A different club will be chosen each month and will be awarded a certificate and $50 cash card. For more information visit the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website or e-mail ne4hclubofthemonth@gmail.com.
Club of the Month - July
This month we would like to congratulate the Driftwood Feeders 4-H Club for being awarded the Nebraska 4-H Club of the Month for July 2018. This club from McCook, Nebraska, in Red Willow county, has truly made a difference in its community. The club is dedicated to building strong citizenship and teamwork through various activities.
The Driftwood Feeders 4-H Club members recently got busy with the paint brushes at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. When the fair board was asked if they had a community service project for a 4-H’er, they replied that the 19 letter boards for the grandstand needed to be replaced. The fair board provided the materials and the 4-H members got busy painting. Because the boards were new, it involved priming both sides of the board before the letters could be painted on. The 4-H'ers can be proud at fair time that their efforts contributed to sprucing up the grandstand.
The Club also hosted the Dog Days in McCook show in June to provide the dog project members–ranging from Imperial to Kearney to Hastings–a chance to practice their show ring skills in a show format prior to the county and state fair shows. The money raised from the show will be used to purchase the agility equipment needed by the members. The club also provides agility equipment to the Nebraska State Fair 4-H dog show.
Members plan on recording public service announcements at both local radio stations. These announcements will be used to promote the various 4-H shows, contests, and activities before and during the county fair.
The Nebraska 4-H Foundation provides the 4-H Club of the Month program to all Nebraska 4-H clubs throughout the state. Clubs can nominate themselves by telling why their club should be chosen as Club of the Month. A different club will be chosen each month and will be awarded a certificate and $50 cash card. For more information visit the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website or e-mail ne4hclubofthemonth@gmail.com.