National 4-H Council

In April, 4‑H’ers across the nation will participate as True Leaders in Service in multiple community service projects, culminating in a National 4‑H Day of Service on Saturday, April 28, 2018. The 4-H True Leaders in Service Toolkit and Event Registration are now live on 4-H.org. Go to https://4-h.org/get-involved/true-leaders-in-service to plan your event.

Once again this year, National 4-H Council is launching the Raise Your Hand promotion – a nationwide call to action for alumni and friends to “Raise Your Hand” to empower our nation’s youth with the skills to lead for a lifetime. Between April 1 – May 15, the three states across the nation with the most hands raised will win $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000. State 4-H programs will also receive the contact information of those who vote for our state so that they can be further engaged as friends of 4-H locally. 

The goals of the Raise your Hand campaign are to: 1) grow our community of 4-H alumni in friends in three, easy steps, 2) engage 4-H alumni and friends to spread the word and help us grow even more #TrueLeaders through 4-H, and 3) raise awareness of the life-changing impact of Extension’s 4-H youth development program.

To grow our community of Nebraska 4-H alumni in friends, encourage them to:

1)      Raise Your Hand. Between April 1 – May 15, go to 4-h.org/RaiseYourHand to support youth in your community by completing the form to vote for Nebraska.

2)      Compete For Nebraska. Raising your hand is a vote towards a $20,000, $10,000, or $5,000 award for the three states with the most alumni hands raised.

3)      Pay It Forward. Tweet, post, and share your support using the hashtag #4HGrown and ask your network to support and share. 4-h.org/RaiseYourHand. 

Please note: Those who raised their hands last year may complete the form again this year. Hands raised before April 1 will not be counted.

A special Nebraska Raise Your Hand promotional toolkit that contains numerous print flyers, email headers, and social media graphics – both in English and Spanish – as well as a field event and one page flyer with sample email messaging, can be found at https://go.unl.edu/2018RYH.

As you prepare emails to your 4-H youth and families within the next week, please share the following article. Thanks for supporting our state during this promotion! 

Newsletter Article
Raise Your Hand Between April 1 – May 15 to Help Nebraska 4-H Win $20,000!

4-H gives youth the opportunity to learn by doing, grow from failure, and develop the skills they need to handle what life throws their way. We are asking you – friends and alumni of Nebraska 4-H -- to Raise Your Hand to support 4-H’ers in Nebraska.

Each hand raised is a vote towards a $20,000, $10,000 or $5,000 award for the three states with the most hands raised. Help bring the high-quality 4-H experience to even more youth right here in Nebraska.  

Raise your hand to support youth in your community.

Raising your hand is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Raise Your Hand: Go to 4-H.org/RaiseYourHand to vote for Nebraska.
2. Compete for Your State: Raising your hand is a vote towards a $20,000, $10,000 or $5,000 award for the states with the most hands raised.
3. Pay It Forward: Tweet, post and share your #4HGrown support and ask your network to raise their hands at 4-H.org/RaiseYourHand.

Thank you for your support and don't forget to Raise Your Hand by May 15!

In April, 4-H'ers across the nation will participate as True Leaders in Service in multiple community service projects, culminating in a National 4-H Day of Service on Saturday, April 28, 2018. How will your youth become True Leaders in Service? Sign up at https://4-h.org/get-involved/true-leaders-in-service.

Nebraska 4-H and JOANN Fabrics stores want to see more Nebraska kids learning by doing, creating and making.  Thousands of local 4-H members, staff, volunteers and supporters will join with JOANN customers to ensure more kids get that chance through a new Paper Clover campaign to bring hands-on 4-H programs to Nebraska.

The JOANN Fabrics Paper Clover campaign kicked off in 865 JOANN Fabrics stores nationwide in February and will extend through March 31, 2018. Supporters will have a chance to show their support by purchasing $1 and $4 Paper Clovers to equip local Clubs with resources to reach more kids in need. With the $4 Paper Clover, customers will also receive a coupon for $4 off their next purchase.

Much like the funds previously raised through the National 4-H Council Tractor Supply promotion, funds raised from the JOANN Fabrics stores Paper Clover campaign in our state will be given back to the Nebraska 4-H Foundation. The funds given to the Nebraska 4-H Foundation will be used for scholarships to support 4-H youth from all areas of the state who will be attending camp or other leadership activities.

A promotional toolkit is available at the National 4-H Marketing Online Resource Center at https://4-h.org/professionals/marketing-resources/4-h-and-joann-toolkit. Learn more about 4‑H’s partnership with JOANN Fabrics stores at https://4-h.org/get-involved/partners/joann-fabric-craft-stores/#!partnership.

Questions? Contact Sara Werner at 402-472-9019 or at swerner@unl.edu.

The 2018 Winter Olympics are kicking off in just a few weeks on February 9, and over 100 elite US athletes will be competing in South Korea. Given their passion, leadership and success, we would not be surprised if many of these talented young people are 4-H alumni! We’re actively working to identify these alumni and tell their 4-H stories as Olympics media coverage gets underway. We’d like to enlist your help in finding out which 2018 Winter Olympic athletes might be 4-H alumni!

Please contact Tracy Pracheil at 402-472-9016 or at tpracheil2@unl.edu if you have any thoughts or questions. With your help, we hope to uncover some incredible new alumni to engage with and share our 4-H message across national as well as global audiences!

Current & lifetime 4‑H members, parents of members, volunteers and 4‑H staff can save 15% off total in-store and online purchases at JOANN Fabrics every day with 4‑H Rewards. JOANN will give a minimum of 2.5% of every eligible transaction to 4‑H. Visit http://www.joann.com/4-h/ to get started.

You could win a trip for three (3) to the National Youth Summit on Agri-Science, in Washington, D.C., January 12 -15, 2018.

Submit a photo at https://4hsciencematters.org showing how life science is behind the food you eat, benefits your health or helps your animals, and write a caption telling us why science matters to you!

Hurry! You only have until 11:59PM ET on November 26, 2017, to submit your photo.

The 4-H Youth in Action Awards Program is a premier opportunity for your students to share their stories of how 4-H has changed their lives and how they have, in turn, impacted others.

Through this program, four confident leaders will each receive:

• A $5,000 scholarship for higher education
• An all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., for National 4-H Council’s Legacy Awards on March 20, 2018
• Networking experiences with 4-H celebrity alumni and other influencers 
  Recognition as the official 4-H youth spokesperson for the pillar area
• A customized promotional video showcasing your 4-H impact story
• An official reference letter from National 4-H Council President & CEO

All applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM ET on Monday, October 23, 2017. For qualifications, application rules, and information on past honorees, please visit the 4-H Youth in Action Awards website.

Two times a year, National 4-H Council partners with the nation's leading rural lifestyle retailer, Tractor Supply Company (TSC), to host a national Paper Clover Promotion! 

The Paper Clover Promotion is a consumer-driven fundraising promotion where customers at your local Tractor Supply can support 4-H by purchasing a paper clover for $1 at the checkout. The Fall Paper Clover Promotion will be held from Wednesday, October 4, through Sunday, October 15, 2017. 4-H Clubs are encouraged to participate in store during the event to help increase fundraising dollars and be entered into the Paper Clover Participation Sweepstakes.

During the semi-annual event, we invite friends and family to support 4-H by donating $1 at checkout in stores to contribute to scholarships that send kids in your state to 4-H camp and other leadership experiences.

This fall, 90% of the funds raised in our state will be given back to the Nebraska 4-H Foundation. The funds given to the Nebraska 4-H Foundation will be used for scholarships to support 4-H youth from all areas of the state who will be attending camp or other leadership activities. During the spring Paper Clover promotion, Nebraska raised $3,272 for 4-H camp and leadership experiences.

A promotional toolkit will soon be available at the National 4-H Marketing Online Resource Center at http://4-h.org/professionals/marketing-resources/paper-clover-toolkit. Learn more about 4‑H’s partnership with Tractor Supply, including how to win incentives and year-round fundraising opportunities, at www.tractorsupply.com/4-h.

A diverse environment requires a knowledgeable, respectful, and inclusive community. I am excited to announce that the 2017 E-Academy professional development series will focus on engaging our diverse youth. “The Role of Diversity and Inclusion in Positive Youth Development” will be a 10 session online professional development series taking place from October 2 – October 23, 2017.

This e-academy is free and requires pre-registration. To register click here: 2017 E-academy Registration.  

Please promote this opportunity to all of the target audiences listed below.

Purpose

This e-academy will be an in-depth, targeted online professional development series designed for 4-H and other youth development professionals. The focus will be on promoting diversity and inclusion throughout 4-H’s programs and increasing the awareness of social issues that affect youth development.

Outcomes

1. Participants will understand how culture, diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality play a role in youth development.
2. Participants will understand how race relations and social justice affect youth.
3. Participants will be introduced to methods on how to make 4-H programs inclusive to all minorities.

Target Audience

• Field level 4-H youth development professionals
• State level 4-H youth development professionals
• Youth development professionals from partner organizations

Format

• 10 one hour live interactive webinar style presentations spread over several weeks

 The following topics focused upon the role of diversity and inclusion in positive youth development include: Keynote, Social Justice and Activism, LGBT, Disabled Youth, Race Relations, Latino Youth, Tribal Youth, Homeless Youth, Civility and Civil Discourse, and Intersectionality and Inclusion.