Nebraska 4-H News

The Nebraska State Fair Board announced that the 2020 Nebraska State Fair will be a celebration of 4-H and FFA youth! While the State Fair will look different than it has in the past, we are excited to see the support for young people and to showcase the projects they've been working on throughout the year. 

Some key highlights and updates for 4-H Exhibitors:

• The 4-H contests and 4-H livestock shows will all be held on the first weekend (August 29-30). 
• 4-H static exhibits will not be re-judged at State Fair. Static exhibits will receive special recognition, and best of show awards will be selected. Static exhibits will remain on display throughout the fair.
• The Youth Dairy Show and Dairy Judging Contest will be held on the second weekend (specific dates TBD).
• The FFA livestock shows will be on the second weekend (September 5-6).
• By having the shows on separate weekends, there will be more space in the barns; hence, 4-H livestock entry limits will remain the same.

Please stay tuned to 4h.unl.edu/state-fair for more updates as details are finalized.

We've made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 face-to-face summer camp sessions, but that doesn't mean all 4-H Camps are canceled! Nebraska 4-H Camps are offering a variety of fun hands-on learning opportunities that youth can participate in from home. And, when we say "hands-on," we mean it! Our 4-H camp opportunities are designed for active learning by doing. 

Choose from a variety of exciting, live, online programs that you can participate in from home! Participants will meet and interact with other youth who have similar interests, and learn from Nebraska 4-H Camp professionals, University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty, and industry professionals. We have a variety of special topic sessions available throughout June. Register now before sessions fill up!

Dear Friends of 4-H Camp,

We are announcing the cancellation of our summer 2020 programming. This decision was not taken lightly, and we tried every possible scenario to continue our programs this summer. After receiving guidance from a variety of sources, the decision ultimately came down to this question – can we carry out our mission, and can we keep our campers safe? The answer is we don’t know and that’s not good enough for us. We are committed to doing our part to stop the spread of COVID-19 and being a part of the solution.

The summer of 2020 had much promise and excitement around it. Our registration was on track to be the largest camps we have held in the recent past and the program we have developed was spectacular. This is a huge testament to the trust that you have placed on the Nebraska 4-H Camping Program. For this, we say “Thank You”. Thank you for putting your trust in us as we work every day “To Make the Best Better” in all that we do at 4-H Camp. We look forward to the day when we can be together again enjoying uncontrollable laughing and silliness, learning new skills at one of your activity times, creating spaces to build new friendships and connecting with one another, and crying at the closing campfire after reflecting on our awesome week together at camp!

As we reflect and move forward, we are filled with hope for the opportunities to continue our mission and connect with you this summer. We will be providing NEW Virtual 4-H Camp experiences during June and July! Check out our self-guided experiences through our 4-H Camp in a Box and a week of real-time virtual summer camp June 1-5! Registration will open soon for numerous real-time, week-long, special interest virtual camps that you can join from anywhere! More information about these experiences will be made available at http://4h.unl.edu/camp.

Information about several other FREE, real-time educational experiences, as well as many self-paced opportunities, can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/virtual-home-learning. Nebraska 4-H looks forward to learning with you this summer in new ways – right from your home!

As you can imagine, this decision has also had a great financial impact on our program. Much of our operating revenues come from the summer camp experience. In these unprecedented times, if you are able, please consider a tax-deductible gift to support the Nebraska 4-H Camps mission. Give securely on the Nebraska 4-H Foundation Website or mail to NE 4-H Foundation PO Box 4500, Lincoln, NE 68504.

Thank you again for your trust and support of the Nebraska 4-H Camps! We hope to see you soon at one of our 2020 virtual experiences and can’t wait till the day we can be together at camp again!

Join Nebraska 4-H each Tuesday at 11:00 AM CT/10:00 AM MT as we go on-site to learn more about science, agriculture, technology, and more! Virtual Field Trips offer facility tours, educational experiences, and additional resources for teachers. Virtual Field Trips are perfect for youth in 9th-12th grades. Each session will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing. Youth do not need to be 4-H members to participate.

Looking for learning opportunities you can do from home? We've got you covered! Nebraska 4-H is now offering a variety of virtual learning experiences, such as Living Room Learning and Boredom Buster Challenges. We've also collected some of our favorite activity guides that are perfect for hands-on learning at home. Check out our virtual and at-home educational resources for more information and access to all of our statewide virtual opportunities.