4-H News:

4-H Afterschool Grant Winners Announced

4-H Afterschool is proud to announce the winners of the Teens Teaching Middle School Youth Workforce Preparation Skills 4-H Afterschool Grants funded by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund and NFL Charities.

The 10 states that will receive the grant include California, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

These states were selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive a $30,000 grant to train teens to teach middle school aged youth workforce preparations skills in after-school settings.

The 10 grantees will send teams of two adults and two teens to a conference in Dallas, TX, where they will attend workshops on the curricula, working with teens and middle school aged youth, evaluation and marketing. They also will meet officials from JCPenney Afterschool Fund, NFL Charities, and 4-H Afterschool state and national offices. These 10 teams will return to their states and train other teens as the first step in implementing this program. Each state will reach at least 36 high school students, 720 middle school youth and 180 adult 4-H volunteers by the end of the grant period.
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Say Cheese: 4HUSA.org Photo Promotion Winner

Jon Paul Landon, a member of the Canyon Companions 4-H Club in Puyallup, WA, snapped the winning photo randomly picked in the camera giveaway promotion on 4HUSA.org on May 1, 2005. Thirteen-year-old Jon Paul is a home-schooled student who keeps busy with his 4-H photography and computer projects and helping his sisters with their gardening projects.

Jon Paul started taking photos in November 2004 when his aunt's fiancTe, a professional photographer, got him interested. He joined his 4-H photography club and hasn't put down his camera since. He enjoys the field trips they take to capture photos. So far, the club has visited lakes, schools and even a trail behind a local fish hatchery.

His favorite photos are of flowers and plants. I took Camellia in my garden, Jon Paul said about his winning photo. Jon Paul had been using his mother's digital camera for his photography projects. Jon Paul is thrilled to hear he won the camera, said his mother when she learned her son had been randomly picked to receive the camera.

Congratulations Jon Paul!


Jon Paul Landon poses with his new camera courtesy of 4husa.org.


Jon Paul's photo which was randomly chosen in the 4HUSA.org photo promotion.
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4-H Afterschool Journal Debuts

Check out the first edition of the 4-H Afterschool Journal, the national online newsletter for 4-H Afterschool.
This is the new and exciting way to find out what is going on with 4-H Afterschool today.

The Journal features news, success stories and methods from 4-H Afterschool programs across the country. All ideas are welcome--share them by e-mailing the 4 H Afterschool Journal here.

If you'd like to receive the 4-H Afterschool journal, click here and put "Subscribe" as the subject line.

We look forward to hearing to hearing from you!
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Get on the 2006 Supply Catalog Source Book Mailing List

4-H Supply Service is working hard to produce the 2006 4-H Source Book. To ensure that everyone that needs a Source Book gets one, we are asking for you to now provide the addresses of everyone you would like to be included in our initial mailing this August.

You can have copies of the 2006 4-H Source Book sent directly to households on your mailing list and/or sent in bulk to your offices.

Please visit http://custom.4-hmall.org/catalogue/sourcebook.asp to submit your catalog requests online now or get more information.
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Wonders of Washington Program Assistants: Three Months Time Lasts a Lifetime

Being a program assistant for the National 4-H Youth Conference Center is a one-of-a-kind experience. Just ask Carolyn Lash. Carolyn is finishing her three-month term at the center working for the Wonders of Washington program and has enjoyed every minute of it.

Where else would you live in a house with seven other people, eat the same food every week, spend time sharing the sites of Washington, DC, to middle-school youth and get paid for it? said Carolyn.

Wonders of Washington (WOW) is a program that brings groups of youth from across the country to Washington, DC and the National 4-H Youth Conference Center to visit the nation's capital and learn about government and history. The program is run every year by college-aged program assistants, or PAs, from across the country. This spring's program assistants? Nathaniel "Nate" Allen, 19, Maine, Lacey Teel, 21, Texas, Elizabeth Eccleston, 19, Florida, Rebecca "Becky" Mole, 19, Ohio, Adam Travis, 23, New York, and Carolyn Lash, 23, California came to Washington, DC for this one-of-a-kind experience.
My position as a program assistant has had more moments and memories than I ever thought I would from this job. I interact with different groups of people, get to experience the city life, and have made many new friends. I'm never sick of Washington, DC because when I get off of the Metro and come out on the National Mall it blows me away every time. I just can't get enough! said Becky.

WOW PA duties are numerous, but each PA does them with a smile. Each term starts off with a four-week orientation and training led by the staff assistants (SAs). This year, the SAs were Adam Cassady and Stacy Carrell, both from Indiana. By the end of training, each PA must pass the DC tour guide exam. After they pass which they all did with flying colors! they welcome each school group to the conference center. PAs help the youth participate in educational activities, team-building lessons. They also , navigate a bus full of youth and adults through the city while not missing a historic fact or geographic tidbit of information.

The outgoing PAs agree that being a WOW PA is an opportunity that every student interested in history or working with youth should take. Being a WOW PA has definitely been one of the best experiences of my life, and although I will be sad to go, I feel that the knowledge I have gained working here has helped me to be a better citizen and better prepared for the road ahead, Nate said.

WOW PAs travel to the National 4-H Youth Conference Center for a job, but leave with much more than that. In a few short months, they get experience in citizenship, the professional office environment and public relations, while making many new friends from all over the country and gaining more knowledge about history, government and the city of Washington, DC. They can look back and be proud of the work they did.

This has been a life changing experience for me. You never know who you'll bump into each day or whose life you may touch. It's a very fulfilling job, and I will never forget my experience here, the people I have met, and the youth I worked with, Carolyn said.

If you are interested in the Wonders of Washington program check out www.wow.n4h.org. If you or someone you know wants to apply to be a WOW PA, contact Lita Haarer at 301-961-2898 or lhaarer@fourhcouncil.edu.


From left to right, Stacy Carrell (SA), Nathaniel Allen, Elizabeth Eccleston, Lacey Teel, Carolyn Lash, Adam Travis, Rebecca Mole, Adam Cassady (SA).
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Get Kids Up and Going to goCyberCamp!

May is National Physical Fitness Month! So, have your kids learn fun ways to be fit and strong on goCyberCamp beginning with a game of Tug of War. Tug of War is an interactive activity where kids are challenged to pick a winning team based on mass and strength. It's a fun way to learn about strength...and physics.

You can continue the fun by engaging kids any of these hands-on activities: Choose Stance, Shoe Friction, Ancient Egyptian Tug of War and Tug a Pulley.

Background information on the physics of Tug of War and other ideas on how to incorporate physical fitness into your program are available at the Caregiver Club on goCyberCamp.

Tug of War and accompanying hands-on activities are aligned to National Science Education Standards and National Standards for Physical Education.

You can access these and other themed program ideas as a CAREGIVER on goCyberCamp. Register for a CAREGIVER login and password at www.gocybercamp.org. For more information, please contact Swetal Sindhvad at sindh001@umn.edu or 612-625-9771.

The National Cooperative Extension System and the National 4-H Youth Development Program developed goCyberCamp with a grant funded by AT&T Family Care Development Fund, a joint project of AT&T, the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
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GIS/GPS Leadership Team Applications Available

Application materials for the 2005-06 National 4-H GIS/GPS Leadership Team are now available. States must submit applications by May 20, 2005. The application must be sent from the State 4-H Office under the signature of the state 4-H Program Leader or their designee, and only one application per state should be submitted.

The major fiscal implications are the costs for the team members (or their states) associated with participating in the ESRI Conference. While ESRI waives the sizable registration fee for the 4-H team, team members are responsible for travel to San Diego, lodging and meals. All conference calls will use an 800 call-in number.

To receive an application or for more information contact Trudy Dunham, project director, CYFERnet Technology, at dunha003@umn.edu or 612-624-8181
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4-H Grant Opportunities and Awards:

Grants Blog Coming Soon

Look for a new Grants Blog coming soon from National 4-H Council! Information on current grant opportunities will remain posted there until application deadlines close. More details to come in the next issue of Clover Corner News.
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Call for Proposals: 2005 NRCS Youth Environmental Awards Program

Grant Purpose: To support recognition and replication of innovative conservation and environmental stewardship programs and practices throughout the 4-H system.

Funded provided by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

Three awards of $7,500 each
Application Deadline: August 1, 2005

Through the generous support of the NRCS, National 4-H Council will recognize three on-going (not new) exemplary programs through the NRCS Youth Environmental Awards Program with awards of $7,500 each. One staff member from each program will be sponsored to attend the 2005 National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) Conference in Seattle, WA, October 30-November 3 (nae4ha.wsu.edu). If attending NAE4-HA is absolutely not possible, attending one of the 4-H Regional Volunteer Leader Forums to conduct a program workshop/seminar will be the alternative choice. Recipients will receive the first $5,000 check at NAE4-HA.

The NRCS Youth Environmental Awards encourages outreach and replication during the NAE4-HA conference. Award recipients will manage an exhibit that will display the three Programs materials, and will allow award recipients to discuss their program with interested individuals. Applicants must have conducted the program that they are applying to receive the award for between June 1, 2004-July 1, 2005, and have undergone at least one cycle of outcome measurement (evaluation cycle).

In addition to national recognition and monetary support, award recipients must also conduct two additional workshops to disseminate program information at conferences and/or symposiums - at the state, regional, and/or national level. This enables 4-H's most successful programs to share and promote best practices, furthering their reach. The remaining $2,500 will be distributed when the recipients have successfully conducted the required seminars and workshops, and have turned in their document of best practices of the program and lessons learned in an educational format. The primary requirement of award recipients is to be available and willing to educate others about their successful programs.

Projects will be selected through a competitive process and must: be based on scientific principles; meets the standards established by the Programs of Distinction (Click here for full information); has strong leadership support from paid and volunteer staff; incorporates youth-adult partnerships; provides youth leadership opportunities.

The application form follows the standards outlined by the USDA/CSREES 4-H Programs of Distinction awards. In this initial year, programs do not need to attain the 4-H Programs of Distinction designation before applying for the 2005 Award. However, the three recipients are required to submit the 4 H Programs of Distinction application after being selected.

To be eligible for awards, programs must address one of the following issues: Water Resources, Soil Resources, Atmospheric Resources, Grazing Land and Forestry, or Wildlife Habitat. Programs must demonstrate achievement of short and medium outcomes and impacts which lead to long term outcomes and impacts. They must support the uniqueness of the 4-H system, including a connection with a land-grant university system and a youth/adult partnership in implementing the program. Only programs (cooperative extension service faculty and staff) that are authorized to use the 4-H name and emblem by National 4-H Headquarters, U.S. Department of Agriculture are eligible to apply for this award.

Each project will be evaluated to help cultivate best practices for youth programs in science, engineering, and technology. These best practices and lessons learned will be shared throughout the system in an effort to continue to develop 4-H professionals in environmental education. The awards will ultimately assist in the development of a knowledge base for youth programs in science, engineering, and technology that will serve as a resource for professional development.

All applications must be signed by the State 4-H Program Leader and received at National 4-H Council by 5 p.m. August 1, 2005. To obtain the application and information on the awards program, e-mail Sheila Chaconas, at schaconas@fourhcouncil.edu.
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Call for Proposals: 2005 State Pilot Sites for Organizational Change in Youth in Governance

Grants of $10,000 each (three sites to be awarded)

This grant will fund pilots for three states to assess and address an aspect of organizational change related to youth in governance. Because each state is unique in the way it operates and in its particular strengths and weaknesses related to youth in governance, the intent of this grant is to provide states with as much flexibility as possible, while still meeting the goal of the grant program.

The focus for this grant is on statewide rather than county-level change. The proposals must address some aspect of organizational change, but can be focused in any delivery mode or content area. For example, a state may focus on administrative processes (search committees, budget reviews, civil rights audits, etc.); another may focus on program evaluation and the role of youth; still another may focus on restructuring statewide decision-making bodies. It is up to the state to determine what strategic changes can be made to integrate the principles of youth in governance more fully into the organization.

Application Deadline: June 10, 2005
Website for more information and full application: http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/pGrntYouthInGovernance.aspx

Contact: Karen Blaney at 301-961-2819 or kblaney@fourhcouncil.edu

Funding provided by the Surdna Foundation

Grants are offered only to 4-H/Extension Programs in the United States and its territories. If you are not a part of 4-H, we encourage you to contact your local Cooperative Extension office and become a project collaborator!
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Resources and Opportunities:

NRA Outstanding Achievement Youth Award to Offer $7,500

The National Rifle Association is now accepting applications for its Outstanding Achievement Youth Award, which recognizes NRA Junior Members who take an active part in the shooting sports through individual participation and educational pursuits. This year's first-place national award winner will receive a $3,500 scholarship. Second place will get a $2,500 scholarship, and third-place finisher gets a $1,500 scholarship.

The award is open to all NRA Junior Members (or NRA Regular or Life Members under age 18) who are also current members of an NRA affiliated club or state association. Applicants must have attended and completed one NRA Basic Firearm Training Course, earned at least one rating (pro-marksman, marksman, sharpshooter, expert or distinguished expert) in a shooting discipline through the NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and have submitted a 1,000 word essay on Why I Became Involved in the Shooting Sports.

The application deadline is June 1, 2005. The application and additional criteria can be found online at www.nrahq.org/youth/achievement.asp. If you have any questions, contact the NRA Youth Programs Department at (703) 267-1505 or email at youth_programs@nrahq.org.
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Three Out-of-School Time Publications Available by Harvard Family Research Project

Check out some of the links below for the latest publications for Out-of-School Time.

The spring 2005 issue of the "New Directions for Youth Development" journal focuses on Participation in Youth Programs: Enrollment, Attendance, and Engagement and can be found by clicking here.

The April 2005 issue of "The Prevention Researcher" journal has an article titled "Engaging Adolescents in Out-of-School Time Programs: Learning What Works." You can read the abstract or purchase the article or issue by clicking here.

"Finding the Right Hook: Strategies for Attracting and Sustaining Participation in After-School Programs" is in the May 2005 issue of "The School Administrator" magazine. Click here to read more.
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