4-H NEWS

New Hampshire 4-H participants Maria Bauer, Irving Gadoury, Jessica Gealy, Marcus Michaud, Angela Pellegrino, Savanna Phelps, Janice Pickering and Jenn Shafer; New Hampshire 4-H Leader Wendy Brock; Nancy Evans, New Hamsphire Extension Program Associate, 4-H Youth Development; and their partners in afterschool programming in New Hampshire, Cynthia Billings and Terri Warren, Plus Time, New Hampshire; and Terri Towle, Danbury Community Center join Gary Davis, Wynn Watkins and Ed Solczak of the JCPenney Afterschool Fund; Don Floyd of National 4-H Council; Nancy Valentine of National 4-H Headquarters, CSREES, USDA; and Pam Stevens of Time Warner at the Breakfast of Champions that kicked off the Afterschool Alliance's Afterschool for All Challenge in Washington, DC, Thursday.

1-New Survey: Demand for Afterschool Overwhelming Supply

The nation?s supply of afterschool programs is inadequate to meet the needs of millions of America?s working parents and their children, according to the most in-depth study ever to explore how America?s children spend their afternoons.

The new survey found that 14.3 million kindergarten through 12th graders take care of themselves after the school day ends, including almost 4 million middle school students in grades 6-8.

The study, America After 3 PM: A Household Survey on Afterschool in America, was released Wednesday in Washington, DC, by the Afterschool Alliance, with support from the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. 4-H Afterschool hailed the study as significant research that underscores the crucial need for more afterschool programs to serve our children and families. 4-H Afterschool and the Afterschool Alliance both partner with the JCPenney Afterschool Fund to support and grow afterschool programs in the United States.

The study was released on the eve of the Afterschool Alliance?s annual ?Afterschool for All Challenge,? which brought nearly 400 educators, parents, students and others to D.C. Thursday to talk to congressional leaders about the benefits of afterschool programs. The "Afterschool for all Challenge" kicked off with a Breakfast of Champions.

America After 3 PM found enormous unmet demand for afterschool programs. The parents of 15.3 million children not in afterschool programs say their children would participate in an afterschool program if one were available. Need is especially high for middle school children. Just 6 percent of middle schoolers are in afterschool programs, and 34 percent ? nearly 4 million sixth through eighth graders?are unsupervised in the afternoons.

"While we've known for some time that the demand for afterschool far exceeds supply, this new data shows that the parents of more than 15 million kids say that their children would participate in an afterschool program if one were available in the community. This is the best evidence yet that we need more afterschool programs," said Gary L. Davis, Chairman of the JCPenney Afterschool Fund.

In response, 4-H Afterschool joined with the Afterschool Alliance in announcing ?Afterschool for All: Project 2010,? a new united national voice in support of afterschool programs. Supported in part by the Open Society Institute, this unprecedented new initiative already has brought together almost 250 powerful groups and national leaders representing more than 20 million Americans who believe that all children and youth should have access to high-quality, safe and enriching afterschool programs by the year 2010.

Partners of Project 2010 include educators, youth, youth advocates, policy makers, faith-based leaders, parents, business leaders, law enforcement and judicial experts, and others. More information is available on the project?s web site, www.afterschool2010.org

America After 3 PM, is based on 250,000 screening interviews conducted from July to October of 2003 to determine overall participation in afterschool programs, and on more than 1,800 follow-up questionnaires completed by parents of afterschool participants and more than 16,000 parents of non-participants. More information on America After 3 PM is available at www.afterschoolalliance.org.

4-H Afterschool improves the quality and availability of after-school programs around the nation so children have safe places to have fun while they learn by doing after the school day ends. Visit www.4hafterschool.org for more information.

Citizenship Washington Focus program assistants are Breann Chase, Rachel Cook, Christina Habjan, Ashley Meyer, Kayla Overton, Rebekah Pahr, Holly Steiner, Jason Stell and Chance Ujazdowski.

2-CWF Program Assistants Ready to Enrich Lives of Young People

How does 4-H enrich the lives of young people in just six days every summer?

Through Citizenship Washington Focus - CWF for short a 4-H leadership program for high school-aged youth held at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center. The next series of seven one-week programs, which draws delegations of 14-19 year-olds from across the nation, begins June 6, 2004. CWF program assistants arrived on the campus of the National 4-H Youth Conference Center this week to begin intense training for the program.

This year's CWF program assistants range in age from 18-22. They are Breann Chase, West Point, IN; Rachel Cook, Klamath Falls, OR; Christina Habjan, Nevada, MO; Ashley Meyer, Strykersville, NY; Kayla Overton, Durant, IA; Rebekah Pahr, Cottage Grove, MN; Holly Steiner, New Providence, IA; Jason Stell, Shreveport, LA; and Chance Ujazdowski, Winneconne, WI.

CWF provides teens with a variety of activities that broaden their appreciation and respect for themselves and others in their world. They attend workshops, field trips and social events and work on committees, giving them hands-on opportunities to learn and grow by practicing skills that will make them even better citizens and more successful individuals.

The delegations are led by college-aged program assistants who live on National 4-H Youth Conference Center campus for the summer. The CWF program assistants coordinate the groups during their time in Washington, DC, giving tours, facilitating educational opportunities, and helping youth participants have a positive experience during their stay.

Many of this year's program assistants have been involved as members of the delegations in past years. I had a great experience at CWF last year as a delegate, so I applied to be a program assistant. I think CWF is a great program that can teach high school kids a lot about youth in governance, said Chase.

CWF Program assistants become licensed tour guides during their first week on the job. They develop and enhance their skills in a professional atmosphere during the 50-60 hour work weeks they keep throughout the summer. I'm looking forward to knowing this city like the back of my hand by the end of the summer! said Steiner.

Visit http://www.4hcwf.org for more information about the Citizenship Washington Focus program at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center and how you can be part of it as a participant or a program assistant.

Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with North Carolina 4-Hers. The red wagons symbolize the organization he founded, America's Promise.

3-Secretary of State Powell Inspires Youth at NC Visit

Winston-Salem, NC--Secretary of State Colin Powell inspired 32 Forsyth County, NC, 4-H youth and Boys and Girls Club members Monday when he stopped by to visit on his way to a commencement speech at Wake Forest University.

Powell, who met the young people at the Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem after returning from a trip to the Middle East, talked with the youth about the importance of hard work and perseverance. The 4-Hers shared with Powell how they've benefited from participating in the 4-H Challenge Camp, a weekly summer camp for academic high-achievers from low-income households at the Sertoma 4-H Educational Center near Hanging Rock State Park in Stokes County.

Powell told the kids that he worked on homework during the flight home from Jordan, and he explained that hard work lasts long after school is over. I hate to tell you this, but you'll have homework after you get through with school. You do what you have to do to get the job done because nobody wants to hear excuses, Powell said.

Powell also emphasized the importance of service in our communities. We need each and every one of you to serve one another, whether it's in your community, in public service or in the Peace Corps, Powell said.

The youth learned valuable lessons from their visit with the Secretary of State. It goes to show that hard work is something that you've got to be willing to do your whole life, said 4-Her Devonte Davis.

They will carry what they learned from their talk with Powell back to the Challenge Camp and to their schools. I don't necessarily like a lot of homework, but I know that it takes hard work to get to where you want to be. Secretary Powell is living proof of a message I've taken to heart, said 4-Her Tanisha Moore.

Visit http://www.campsertoma.org/ for more information about the Challenge Camp.

Russ Weathers, center, is recipient of the 2004 Nelson Trickey Bridge Builder Award. With Weathers are Nelson Trickey, left, the award's namesake, and Bill Couch, right, chairman of the Missouri 4-H Foundation.

4-Former 4-H Executive and AFA CEO Recognized as Bridge Builder
Columbia, MORuss Weathers, chief executive officer of Agriculture Future of America, is the recipient of the Missouri 4-H Foundation's 2004 Nelson Trickey 4-H Bridge Builder Award.

Weathers received the award on Thursday as part of the University of Missouri Cooperative Extension Annual Conference.

Throughout his career, Weathers has worked to build organizations for young people where they can learn and practice life skills. He has been an integral part in creating the bridges for young people to cross as they developed their leadership potential and has continued to be a partner and a support system as they moved into adulthood.

Weathers worked for many years with Farmland Industries where he coordinated the Youth Leadership Conference held each summer in Liberty, MO. He later moved to National 4-H Council where he served in several roles, including Vice President of Education Services.

Weathers left 4-H in the late 1980's when he became president and chief executive officer of the Camp Fire Boys and Girls organization. Weathers provided leadership for this youth development organization during a time when it was changing its image from one of a camping organization for girls to an organization that focused on life skill development for girls and boys.

Weathers became CEO of the newly-formed Agriculture Future of America (AFA) organization in 1995. AFA was created to provide opportunities for college age men and women who were pursuing careers in agriculture.

The Nelson Trickey 4-H Bridge Builder Award is named after Nelson Trickey, a retired Missouri youth development specialist and an honorary Missouri 4-H Foundation trustee. The award, which makes reference to the poem The Bridge Builder by Will Allen Dromgoole, recognizes those who commit their lives to building bridges to help young people succeed.

5-Healthy Lifestyles Grants Awarded
National 4-H Council announces the awardees of its 2004 Healthy Lifestyles Program grants, established by Kraft Foods, Inc. in partnership with Cargill, which motivate and educate young people and their families to live healthy lifestyles in an effort to counteract the growing trends of childhood obesity. The total amount given in grants was $150,000, with $75,000 from Kraft Foods, Inc. and $75,000 from Cargill.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 10 percent of preschool children between ages 2 and 5 are overweight. In the United States today there are nearly twice as many overweight children and almost three times as many overweight adolescents as there were in 1980. Obese young people have a 70 percent chance of growing up to be obese adults. Grants were given to organizations fostering community-based, collaborative education and activities for youth ages 5-12 and their families, focusing on nutrition, fitness, and positive lifestyles.

Kraft Foods has long recognized the important role that a balanced diet and plenty of physical activity play in leading a healthy life, said Amina Dickerson, Senior Director, Global Corporate Contributions. We are pleased that Cargill has joined us to partner with 4-H on programs designed to give families tools they can use to lead healthier lives.

Cargill is also pleased to join this partnership with National 4-H Council and Kraft Foods, Inc. Their support and encouragement in the project is evident, as Mark Murphy, manager of Corporate Citizenship for Cargill, expresses. We believe community-based activities like these will go a long way in improving youth nutrition and physical activity.

The following were awarded 2004 Healthy Lifestyles Grants:

University of California Regents, CA
Liberty County 4-H, FL
Pilot 4-H'ers, IA
Anamosa Community School District, IA
Mills County Extension, IA
Bannock County Extension, ID
University of Illinois, IL
Cook County 4-H, IL
Hamilton County 4-H Foundation, IL
Lake City Medical Center Community Outreach Program, MN
Community of Christ Health Ministries Association, MO
Grenada County 4-H, MS
Crete Public Schools, NE
Atlantic County 4-H Program, NJ
PS 145 Sports and Fitness Academy, NY
Ohio State University Extension-Allen County, OH
Washita County 4-H, OK
Delaware County Cooperative Extension, PA
Northampton County Extension Fund, PA
Polk County 4-H, TN
Travis County 4-H & Youth Development, TX
UVI-CES St. Croix Campus, VI
UVM Extension, VT

Haiku is one of the activities in goCyberCamp's Poetry Idea Engine.

6-Time to Rhyme on goCyberCamp!

goCyberCamp, a Web-based 4-H "camp" designed for kids between the ages of 8-12, brings the Poetry Idea Engine to its campgrounds! The Poetry Idea Engine is an interactive activity that sparks kids' imagination to write poetry. Kids can choose to create a haiku, limerick, cinquain, or free verse! Kids learn about the different styles of poetry and the power of words as they experiment with rhyme and meter throughout the activity. When they've completed their creations, kids have the option of sending them to the Camp Director for posting on goCyberCamp!

Along with the Poetry Idea Engine comes a special feature on Haiku in the Woods. Kids can read a new haiku every week!

goCyberCamp offers plenty of other fun things to do year round, like designing your own fish, enjoying a scavenger hunt, building a windmill or learning to predict the weather. Kids can visit the Woods, Meadow, Desert, Lake or Campfire to find these other activities.

goCyberCamp is a "safe zone" for kids online. Youth workers, childcare providers, and teachers can incorporate goCyberCamp into their afterschool or summer programs by accessing the "Caregiver Club" on goCyberCamp. The "Caregiver Club" is where caregivers can enroll kids as "campers" and plan their programs with hands-on activities and resources that support kids' online learning.

goCyberCamp is available to all caregivers and all kids between the ages of 8-12 free of charge. To register your kids as "campers," go to http://www.gocybercamp.org and click REGISTER.

For questions, please email campdir@umn.edu or call 612-625-9771.

7-4-H Youth Development First Online Conference Scheduled

Never attended an online conference before? Don't pass up this chance to get your feet wet!

Be a part of Michigan State University Extension and 4-H Youth Development's very first online conference! This online conference aims to provide access, promote best practices and showcase research and programming when it comes to positive youth development all through technology and the Internet.

Building Community Through Service will feature keynote, session leader and youth panel presentations focusing on youth and adult partnerships, youth leadership and community youth development as they relate to service-learning, civic and political engagement and community-building.

As a participant in this online conference, you'll have opportunities to:

Familiarize yourself with the online conference space through pre-conference time, instructions and guidance.

Become comfortable with interacting online via email, message boarding, and chat rooms.

Engage with keynotes, session leaders and panel presenters through live chats.
Network online with colleagues from across the nation.

Receive quality online resources related to youth and adult partnerships, youth leadership, community youth development, service-learning, civic and political engagement and community building.

Review all archived conference presentations and logged interactions over a post-conference period.

Keep costs low and have the convenience of access from your office or home.
Cost: $75 USD until May 28. $95 USD late registration.

Payment by credit card only. Limited number of partial scholarships available to Michigan 4-H staff, volunteers, partners and affiliates (certain conditions apply).

Register today! Registration, a conference program and more details are now available at http://www.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/commserv/SLConf/

Still Have Questions? Contact Beth Cheng, Conference Coordinator, at 517.432.7641 or chengb@msue.msu.edu, for further details.

8-Animal Assisted Therapy Satellite Broadcast Set

PULLMAN, WA--Washington State University Extension, College of
Veterinary Medicine, and the Department of Human Development will be
presenting at a satellite broadcast addressing the role of animal assisted
activities for children with disabilities and typically developing youth
from 9:30-11 a.m. PDT, June 4, 2004.

The program can be viewed on satellite or it can be viewed via video streaming on the web at http://caheinfo.wsu.edu/video/stream.html
during the programming time or any time into the future.

Dr. Paulie Mills, Associate Professor, Department of Human Development,will introduce us to animal assisted therapy, Dr. Francois Martin will share the experiences and research of People Pets Partnership and PATH, therapeutic horsemanship, at the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the audience will view an all volunteer, 4-H sponsored, therapeutic horsemanship program in Chelan County, Washington.

Kaycee Bennett, Graduate Student, Department of Human Development will report on the results of her behavioral research involving children with autism who participated in a therapeutic horsemanship program.

The program will conclude with a panel educators and researchers that include Paulie Mills, Fransois Martin, Pat BoyEs, State Program Director, 4-H Youth Development, Washington State University Extension, and Dr. Tom Power, Chair of the Department of Human Development, Washington State University, will address current and future implications youth development programming for children with disabilities and typically developing youth, and take you questions via email and on air.

For satellite viewing go to Galaxy 3 - 95w, Channel/Transponder 02 - 3720 vertical, Audio 6.2 and 6.8, test signal is 9-9:30 a.m., program from 9:30-11 a.m. PDT. Contact Jim Shelden at 509.335.9290 for technical assistance.

9-Youth/School Violence Prevention Program Report Now Available

In 2002 National 4-H Council undertook a bold initiative to combat youth/school violence with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services. Partnering with geographically and ethnically diverse communities across the United States, National 4 H Council offered support for the development of youth-led programs focused on the prevention of youth/school violence.

Seven community-based projects developed programs aimed at addressing the precursors of youth/school violence. The program was implemented in Alaska, Iowa, Minnesota (two projects), Missouri, Puerto Rico, and Wisconsin. The projects formed youth/adult partnerships and included strategies addressing the various recommendations from the U.S. Surgeon General's 2001 report on youth violence.

The report includes study findings by site, promising practices, and suggestions for future implementation/program replication. To obtain a free copy of the report, please e-mail Todd Wexler at twexler@fourhcouncil.edu.