4-H News:

4-H Member on Animal Planet Show Tonight

Check out our very own 4-H member Lindsay Smith on Animal Planet tonight! Lindsay, 17, will be among America’s top riders competing for the Maclay National Championship, the biggest junior equestrian competition of the year, during Animal Planet’s new reality show Horse Power.

The show, which features America’s top teenage show jumpers, follows the pressure and sacrifices of the riders' families, the athleticism and bravery of the horses, the dedication and ambition of the coaches, and above all, the emotional bond between horse and rider.

Lindsay hails from Woodbine, Md., where she lives on a farm that has been in her family for five generations. Lindsay jumped on her first pony when she was four years old and has never jumped off.

"My horse L.V. is my pride and joy. I've had him for three years. He is a great athlete. We just mesh so beautifully. I think that's part of the reason I do so well with him -- because we are a great team," says Lindsay.

Although Lindsay is the underdog in the competition, with her determination, L.V. and the encouragement of her two world-class trainers, Kim Williams and Kim Prince, she just might make it.

When she is not in class, riding L.V. or babysitting, Lindsay competes at the national level in 4-H, showing her hogs and heifers with the Howard County 4-H Beef Club. During 2005, Lindsay was one of four members on Maryland’s state livestock judging team where they traveled to Louisville, Ky., for the National 4-H Livestock Competition and came in third.

To learn more about Horse Power, Lindsay, and her horse, L.V., click here.

The show, which premieres tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, will air every Wednesday. Repeats of each episode will air throughout the week. To view the full schedule, click here.

Lindsay Smith, a Maryland 4-H member, will begin competing against other top teenage riders during Animal Planet’s Horse Power.
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National 4-H Photography Contest

National 4-H Council needs winning photos from your state and county fairs (2001 – 2006) to create the 2008 4-H Calendar. Thirteen photographs will be selected. These original photographs will be gallery mounted and framed and a brass plate engraved with the title and photographer's name will be attached. The winning photos will be on display at the National 4-H Conference Center from September 2006 through November 2006 and also posted on our web site www.4-hmall.org.

Click here to download a PDF version of the contest entry form.

The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2006.
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Western 4-H Roundup – Some Serious Competition

So you think the National Western 4-H Roundup is ALL fun and games? Not so, as shown by these collegiate staff volunteers who took their “security staff” assignment very seriously! More than 1200 youth from 30 states gathered January 5-8, 2006, in Denver, Colo. for the 86th annual roundup, which featured individual and team competitions in topics including consumer decision making, family and consumer sciences, livestock and meats, hippology, and the ever-popular Horse Bowl. Participants also got to spend time at the 100th anniversary celebration of the National Western Stock Show, and learn new decision-making and leadership skills at workshops presented by motivational speaker Tommy Nugent. To find out more information visit: www.westernnational4hroundup.org

Collegitate 4-H staff members who attended the National Western 4-H Roundup, Morgan Parker from Kansas State University and Kelsey Roop from Montana State University, pose for a brief photo in between competitions.
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National 4-H Council and MetLife Foundation Award National Grants

CHEVY CHASE, Md.—National 4-H Council and MetLife Foundation have awarded 13 state 4 H Youth Development programs with grants to engage young people in their communities. State 4-H programs receiving the $3,000 award include: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and South Dakota.

“Healthy communities engage the time, talent and best thinking of residents of all ages,” said Sibyl Jacobson, MetLife Foundation President and CEO. “We are delighted to partner with 4-H in creating opportunities for young people in 13 states to play an active role in addressing the needs of their communities and to gain valuable leadership and teamwork skills.”

The programs were invited to apply for MetLife Foundation Youth in Action grants following their successful participation at the October 2005 John Deere Leaders Academy, held at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Forty-five teams of youth and adults traveled from across the country to attend the Academy and develop community action implementation plans. The MetLife Foundation grants will be used to carry out the strategies outlined in the plans.

"MetLife Foundation Youth in Action grants will help our young people become fully engaged participants and leaders," says Dr. Carole MacNeil, national program director for the 4-H Youth in Governance initiative. "These grants will support young people as they step into meaningful decision-making roles and make important contributions to their organizations and communities."

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on the company’s longstanding tradition of community involvement and contributions. The Foundation supports education, health, civic and cultural programs throughout the United States. The Foundation and National 4-H Council have partnered for more than 15 years to provide quality programming for youth. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.metlife.org.
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2006 ESRI GIS Grant Program for 4-H

ESRI announces two grant options for the ESRI GIS Grant Program, designed for 4-H in cooperation with National 4-H Headquarters, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)/U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support its geospatial outreach, education, and community involvement efforts. The goal of this program is to foster and support the integration of geographic information system (GIS) software in 4-H clubs across America.

Grant categories include an introductory grant for 4-H clubs new to GIS and global positioning systems (GPS) and an intermediate grant for those 4-H clubs that received previous ESRI 4-H grants and completed the grant requirements.

Eligible Applicants: Any 4-H community or in-school clubs, 4-H Afterschool programs, 4-H special interest groups, 4-H school enrichment groups, 4-H camps, or similar 4-H units across America that meet regularly and is recognized as an authorized 4-H group within its state’s 4-H program.

Application Period: January 1–March 31, 2006

To learn more about the 2006 4-H Grants, click here:
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Resources and Opportunities:

Nominate Your Huggable Hero

For the third year in a row, Build-A-Bear Workshop is conducting a search for kids who are involved in their communities and helping other people and organizations just like yours.

Huggable Heroes are kids 18 years of age and younger who have been recognized by Build-A-Bear Workshop for their efforts to make the world a little brighter by volunteering and helping others. Build-A-Bear Workshop is again searching for 12 kids to be named the 2006 Huggable Heroes. Each of the 12 Huggable Heroes will receive a $2,500 donation to their cause, a trip to Los Angeles and will be featured in the 2007 Huggable Heroes calendar.

Nominations for the Huggable Heroes program will be accepted through February 14, 2006. Click here to nominate your Huggable Hero today!
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Lewis and Clark Essay Contest

The Lewis and Clark Youth Rendezvous is an event for students who will be high school juniors or seniors during the 2006-2007 school year. It is centered around the 200th anniversary of the Corps of Discovery and the exploration of the west and will take place August 13-18, 2006 in North Dakota.

Ten students from each state and territory will be selected to participate in the Youth Rendezvous based upon a Lewis and Clark essay competition. The event, including transportation, will be free of charge for those students with the winning essays along with two chaperones from each state and territory.

The essay will be evaluated on original thought about the Lewis and Clark expedition. It must be a minimum of 1,000 words, but not more than 1,500 words. Entries will be accepted until midnight February 28, 2006. Click here to learn more.
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Global Kids’ Digital Media Essay Contest

Register now for the Global Kids' Digital Media Initiative's Digital Media Essay Contest, supported by the MacArthur Foundation. The essays, based on personal experiences, will be 2-4 double-spaced typed pages. Youth can write about any aspect of digital media in their lives following standard guidelines. For more information, click here. Applications will be accepted through early March.
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