4-H News:

Six 4-Hers Featured in Build-A-Bear's 2005 Calendar!

Shannon Mitchell of Ohio 4-H, William Dunckelman of Louisiana 4-H, Rachael Lambin of Nevada 4-H and Erin Rosen-Watson of Massachusetts 4-H have all been named Huggable Heroes by Build-A-Bear Workshop and were featured in the 2005 Build-A-Bear Workshop calendar. The Kids' Kart, Inc. Club from Nevada was also featured as one of the five groups in the calendar. Nominated by family and friends, these 4-Hers show that 4-H has taught them how to take the citizenship, leadership and life skills that they have learned and work to create change in their communities. All four 4-Hers (out of 10 individual youth featured in the calendar) and one club (out of five groups featured in the calendar) have taken what they have learned in their 4-H club projects to the next level.

Erin, 17, has led an effort to provide more than 4,500 care bags full of hygiene products for kids in the Massachusetts foster care system. Named The Essential Care Packet Project, Erin is constantly looking for ways to improve the lives of these children who have many times faced extreme hardships.

At 14, Rachael has already created a program called Kids Helping Kids to help youth with asthma. With her younger brother being an asthmatic, she realized the need for other kids her age to be more aware of it. We'd say she's done a good job - some of her writings have been presented to Congress in support of bill HR-2023.

William has created Project FAME Fine Arts Motivating the Elderly. Only 14 years old, William has already helped with providing $30,000 worth of fine arts donations to nursing homes in ten states. William also has found time to donate more than $26,000 worth of toys, books and clothing to the impoverished in his community.

And if that hasn't already impressed you enough, you haven't met 16-year-old Shannon. In her role as Ohio State 4-H Ambassador, Shannon promotes community service to other 4-H youth. But she makes time to continue serving as vice president on the Youth Advisory Board at her local library. She has worked with the board to purchase 80 books for the library's young adult section.

Members of Kids' Kart, Inc. include Jeff, John-Henry and Rachael Lambin. The club offers hospitalized kids and their families a creative outlet "to express themselves through arts and crafts and fantasy play to help take some of the hurt away."

But that's just the beginning of their stories! Click here to read more about Rachael, John-Henry and Jeff Lambin, Shannon Mitchell, Erin Rosen-Watson or William Dunckelman. Click here to visit the Build-A-Bear site. We will be hearing a lot more from these 4-Hers! Please contact us at clovercornernews@fourhcouncil.edu if you know of more 4-H Huggable Heroes!

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4HUSA.ORG Announces Featured 4-Her and 4-H Club of the Week

The 4HUSA.ORG Web Crew is excited to announce the Featured 4-Her and Featured 4-H Club of the Week promotions.

If you know a 4-Her or a 4-H club who have done extraordinary things that should be featured on the 4HUSA.org website, please e-mail webcrew@4husa.org with the subjects "Featured 4-Her" or "Featured 4-H Club" and tell us about what they have done. If possible, we would also like a picture (preferably of the club or member in action).

Each week, we will tell you about another amazing 4-H youth and 4-H club!

Get the latest 4-H news at www.4husa.org. Updated daily by 4-H youth, all your latest 4-H news is just one click away. Of course you want to get registered on 4HUSA.ORG for all the benefits including your own blog and 4husa.org email alias, photo libraries, message boards and more!


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Upload Photos on 4HUSA.ORG for February Photo Promotion

Attention all 4-Hers! Start uploading your photos on www.4husa.org for a chance to receive a brand new digital camera. More details to come soon!

Enjoy the photo gallery, message boards and more at www.4husa.org today!

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Extreme Makeover: 4-H Edition
By Nicholas Browne, Oxford Tribune

"Clean that wall, rip that carpet out, slap some paint on there," are what the girls of the New London Community 4-H club were asked to do on January 8 in an apartment at Oxford Terraces in New London, Pennsylvania..

The club, led by Kim Tupper, renovated the apartment of Dorothy Jones, a mother of two, for their community service project.

See the rest of the story at 4HUSA.org.

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Young Actors Find Camaraderie in 4-H Group
By Michele Gladden, Asbury Park Press

Thirteen-year-old Ariana Spencer read her lines from the "Bunnies and Bonnets" play by Jan McGowan with a soft, even-toned voice.

"How old do you think this queen is?" asked 4-H counselor Ellen Williams.

Ariana lowered her head and smiled shyly. In an attempt to sound more regal, the Howell, NJ resident then read the lines with a British accent.

Ariana, her brother Aaron, 11, and sister Latasha, 14, are just three of of more than 20 children who take part in the Freehold Township 4-H drama club Backstage to Broadway.

See the rest of the story at 4HUSA.org.

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Resources and Opportunities:

February Is Bake for Family Fun Month

What's better than scrumptious goodies fresh from the oven? The memories that are created when families bake together are among the many rewarding benefits of baking. And, if you are looking for a great way to spend time with your teen, baking may be it. According to a recent survey from a baking class at Olathe North High School, Olathe, KS, 92 percent of the students ranked it as useful to life, something they would recommend to other teens and relevant to them as adults!

Baking doesn't have to be time consuming, said Charlene Patton, Home Baking Association. The association provides an array of baking recipes from easy and time-saving to those that are more traditional. Families may want to begin with mixes with young inexperienced cooks. Then, as skills are developed enjoy the rewards of baking from scratch.

The Home Baking Association has designated February as Bake for Family Fun Month. It is an ideal time for families to explore baking together. Baking is an inexpensive family activity that reinforces skills of reading, math, science as well as learning food preparation techniques.

Additional resource information is available from member companies through the web site.

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General Mills Grants Available

Applications for General Mills Champions grants for projects that promote enhanced nutrition and physical fitness among American youths. The program, a collaboration of the American Dietetic Association Foundation, the General Mills Foundation, and the President's Challenge, will award 50 grants of $10,000 each to encourage improved patterns of eating and physical activity among children and young people ages 2 to 20. Additional information is available on the General Mills Web site, click here.

Who May Apply: Organizations classified as tax-exempt under Sections 501(c)(3) or 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Projects should include at least one behavioral objective related to nutrition and at least one behavioral objective related to physical activity.

Contact: Elizabeth Puga, GMF, P.O. Box 580055, Minneapolis, MN. 55458. Phone: (312) 899-4793, email: epuga@eatright.org.

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