4-H News:

Support 4-H at the Movies. See Charlotte’s Web!

Have you heard the news yet? For every ticket purchased to see Paramount Pictures and Walden Media's production of Charlotte's Web through www.fourhcouncil.edu, a donation of $1 will be made by Hollywood Movie Money to 4-H to help support your state's 4-H program.

Charlotte’s Web features the 4-H Emblem multiple times, and the themes portrayed speak directly to the great work that 4-H does in developing youth – building friendships, commitment to goals and having fun! It stars Dakota Fanning as Fern, and the voices of Julia Roberts and 4-H alumnus Reba McEntire, as well as many other noteworthy actors.

You can help by spreading the word to your friends and family! Tell everyone you meet to support 4-H by buying their Charlotte’s Web movie tickets at www.fourhcouncil.edu.

Ask them to help you spread the word by:
1. Adding this Web Banner to any Web sites they manage.
2. Sending this e-mail to all their friends.
3. Or visit www.fourhcouncil.edu to get even more promotional materials.

Charlotte’s Web premieres December 15. Ticket sales through www.fourhcouncil.edu begin this coming Friday, December 8 and continue through January 31, 2007.

Please email 4hmarketing@fourhcouncil.edu with any questions you have and the National 4-H Council Marketing & Communications team will help you!
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4-H Club Covers Capitol Christmas Tree Choice

By Kathy Barnard, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State provided a majestic, picture-perfect 45-year-old tree to stand in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., during the holidays. The Capitol Christmas tree will be lighted during ceremonies tonight.

Pamela Roberts, Jefferson County 4-H coordinator, said the Capitol Christmas tree is a perfect symbol of 4-H in addition to what the four H's actually stand for: head, heart, hands and health.

"For the past 100 years, 4-H has been teaching young people about forestry education," she said. "The tree is a symbol of our connection with environmental stewardship."

Gary Chastagner, a scientist at Washington State University's Puyallup Research and Extension Center, played a role in the selection and care of the Capitol Christmas tree.Contacted last spring, Chastagner advised the U.S. Forest Service and the Washington Department of Natural Resources on the post-harvest moisture and needle retention characteristics of the types of trees on the Olympic National Forest. He also provided advice about the tree's care while it was on the road.

WSU Extension's 4-H Network News crew has chronicled the 65.5-foot-tall tree's cross-country journey 4-H Network News, a youth-run multimedia club based at the WSU Extension office in Jefferson County, is video blogging the 2006 Capitol Christmas Tree. The news crew has covered the cutting of the Pacific Sliver Fir in the Olympic National Forest, several dedication ceremonies, an interview with Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire at the state capitol and discussions with key individuals associated with the project. Click here to view the many multimedia reports available.

Plans for the tree extend beyond the Christmas season, as it will be chipped in January and used as mulch in the Capitol Rose Garden in the year ahead.

(This is a condensed version of the complete story which you can find here.)
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Five 4-H Programs Receive Family Strengthening Awards

National 4-H Council, in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has given five exemplary 4-H programs the 4-H Families Count: Family Strengthening Award. The programs were selected by 4-H because they improve outcomes for rural, disadvantaged families by fostering the social network, economic opportunities and support families need to be successful.

The winners of the $15,000 awards include: DARE to Be You Bridges, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Service; Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14, Iowa State University Cooperative Extension Service; Project MAGIC, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Service; On the Move to Better Health, North Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service; and 4-H Mentoring: Youth and Families With Promise, Utah State University Cooperative Extension Service.

The developers of the award-winning programs received $10,000 at a recognition event held October 24, 2006, during the annual National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) Conference in Milwaukee, Wis. They will receive the remaining $5,000 after sharing best practices relating to their programs with others in the Cooperative Extension System or other youth-serving partner agencies.

“4-H connects families to programs and resources to help them grow stronger,” said National 4-H Council President and CEO Donald T. Floyd, Jr. “With the 4-H Families Count: Family Strengthening Awards, 4-H is able to reach rural families that often find themselves isolated from opportunities and support systems to help secure their children’s futures.”

To qualify for the 4-H Families Count: Family Strengthening Awards, each program must be a Program of Distinction—part of a collection of programs that reflect the high quality of 4-H Youth Development programs occurring in communities across the United States, supported by the 4-H system partners and coordinated through National 4-H Headquarters at the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES).

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children in the United States. It was established in 1948 by Jim Casey, one of the founders of UPS, and his siblings, who named the Foundation in honor of their mother. The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human-service reforms and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s children and families. In pursuit of this goal, the Foundation makes grants that help cities, states and communities fashion more innovative, cost-effective responses to those needs.

For more information about the 4-H Families Count: Family Strengthening Awards, contact Gregg Tabachow at gtabachow@fourhcouncil.edu.
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Healthy Lifestyles Collaboration Reaches 12,000 Miss. Youth

4-H Youth in Leflore County, Miss. participate in the Summer Kids Olympics.

A joint effort among Extension staff members, healthcare professionals and other volunteers used five program delivery methods to impact more than 12,000 youth with Healthy Lifestyles education across Miss. using a grant they received from National 4-H Council.

School health fairs, an Obesity Impact Study, Summer Kids Olympics, 300 Oaks Marathon and a Body Walk exhibit educated youth about the importance of appropriate weights for their age, sex and height, and how to maintain them through good nutrition and physical activities.

In a multi-faceted approach, school health fairs were conducted in nine K-12 public schools in LeFlore County focusing on physical, emotional, and mental-health well being and engaging 7,194 participants in hands-on activities promoting healthy lifestyles. An Obesity Impact Study covered a five-month period beginning in April 2006. It involved volving 95 third graders from four schools and reported a .935% decrease in overall body fat between control and target groups.

The Summer Kids Olympics drew 218 participants for a one-day event of physical challenges. 4-H P.R.I.D.E. and Junior Council members handed out health information during the 300 Oaks marathon to 923 runners. The Mississippi Body Walk program was a 40-feet-by-40-feet walk-through exhibit representing the human body parts with facilitators providing healthy lifestyle information and interactive activities to 3571 youth.

The LeFlore County program was originally a collaborative effort between the 4-H Leadership Club and Junior Council, who were involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the program. However as events progressed, other high school youth became involved in the organization of events, teaching workshops and providing feedback about the program. Because of the smooth integration of all the components of the program, a stronger more positive relationship has developed between the Leflore County 4-H Program and the City School District.

The LeFlore County program was supported by a Healthy Lifestyles Grant from National 4-H Council in partnership with Kraft Foods, Inc. The national grant program in total engaged 16,363 youth and 2,039 adults in programs ranging from camps to workshops to nutrition and physical education programs at 14 pilot sites.

Other communities that received the Healthy Lifestyle grant from National 4-H Council include: Butler County, OH; Clarion County, PA; Fairfax County, VA; Fayette County, KY; Harris County, TX; Hawaii County, HI; Houston County, GA; Lawrence County, MO; Leflore County, MS; Rockland County, NY; Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos Counties, NM; Sawyer County, WI; St. Croix, US Virgin Islands; and Travis County, TX.

For more information on National 4-H Council’s Healthy Lifestyles grants, contact Gregg Tabachow at gtabachow@fourhcouncil.edu.

For more information about the LeFlore County program, contact Christina Meriwether at cam@ext.msstate.edu.
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4-H Afterschool Training Grant RFP Announced

4-H and MetLife Foundation have combined efforts to support 4-H Afterschool provider training grants. Extension professionals (1862, 1890, 1994) involved, or who are interested in becoming involved, with 4-H Afterschool programming are invited to apply for a 4-H Afterschool Training Grant.

MetLife Foundation (MLF) and 4-H have partnered for more than 10 years to provide meaningful opportunities for youth across America. Through Youth in Action grants, MLF has invested in the power of youth to create change and contribute to their local communities. In 2007, MetLife Foundation is expanding its support of 4-H by infusing the principles of civic engagement into the after-school setting.

By training after-school providers and creating extraordinary opportunities for young people to engage in their communities, MetLife Foundation and 4-H will collaboratively:
· Improve the quality of after-school programs;
· Infuse civic engagement into after-school programs; and
· Increase the number of youth engaged in high quality after-school programs.

Competitive grants of $10,000 each will be awarded to state 4-H programs. Grantees will be expected to improve the quality of after-school programs in their state by providing a minimum of eight hours of training to at least 500 local after-school providers. In situations where states may not have the capacity to reach at least 500 after-school providers, it is recommended that a multi-state proposal be submitted.

Click here to access the RFP.

If you have questions please contact Ron Drum (rdrum@fourhcouncil.edu or 301-961-2814).
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Nominations Sought for National 4-H Wildlife and Fisheries Volunteer Leader Recognition Award

Now in its 27th year, the National 4-H Wildlife and Fisheries Volunteer Leader Recognition Program, co-sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of the U.S. Department of Interior and National 4-H Headquarters, housed within the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, annually honors and recognizes 4-H volunteer leaders who assist 4-H members in learning about wildlife and fisheries conservation and management.

The recognition award promotes positive youth development through the 4-H Mission Mandates that support the educational foundation of 4-H in science, engineering and technology, healthy living and citizenship. Of the nearly 7 million youth enrolled in 4-H programs, more than 1.1 million are participating in natural resources and environmental education programs.

The outstanding 4-H volunteer leaders selected from the nominations received from the State Land-Grant Universities receive national recognition, including an all-expense-paid trip to attend the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference to be held March 20-24, 2007 in Portland, Ore. The volunteer leaders will be honored during the conference with plaques and awards from both FWS and CSREES, a formal banquet and a reception attended by the nation's natural resources leaders, and recognition from the Boone and Crockett Club, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the National Rifle Association and the Wildlife Management Institute.

The award nomination form must be completed by the volunteer leader and signed off by the appropriate county Extension educator and the state 4-H program leader. A complete nomination packet is comprised of the nomination form, photograph and "The Leader's Story," a biographical sketch (no longer than one-page) outlining why they got involved as a 4-H volunteer and what it means to them. All of these items must be submitted with the nomination. Only one nomination per state or territory is permitted.

Nominations must be received at USDA on or before January 8, 2007. Click here to obtain nominations and forward the complete state-winning nomination packet to: Chuck Graves, national program coordinator, National 4-H Headquarters-USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, MS 2225, Washington D.C. 20250-2225. If you have any questions, please contact Graves at (202) 720-3566 or cgraves@csrees.usda.gov.
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Alabama 4-H Breaks Ground on Sustainable Environmental Education Center

Alabama 4-H Environmental Science Education Center design.

Rainy weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the nearly 200 supporters who came to break ground on the $7 million Alabama 4-H Environmental Science Education Center at the 4-H Center on Lay Lake.

While the event was moved indoors and a ceremonial groundbreaking was held, the crowd celebrated the start of construction on the first sustainable building in the Southeast specifically designed to teach environmental issues.

“Alabama is on its own economically and educationally, and I’m committed to revamping our engineering, math and science centers at our universities, and this new center fits right into that,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, who has helped secure $1 million in funding for the building, “So many young people are going to come to this facility to learn. I believe in 4-H and what it stands for and what you are doing. This is going to be a great facility for Alabama and the Southeast.”

The 17,500-square-foot facility will be the first environmental education building in the Southeast commissioned by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and will be an example of sustainable awareness nationally. To attain gold LEED certification, buildings are required to achieve a total of 39 points — the Alabama 4-H Environmental Science Education Center will qualify for 45 points. The building is expected to open in November 2007.

Andrew Brymer, current president of the Alabama 4-H State Council, congratulated the donors who have supported the construction of the center and said the new center will provide great learning experiences for youth.

“I believe the phrase ‘if you build it, they will come’ applies to the prospect facing future 4-H’ers,” he said. “They will have extraordinary opportunities to learn about the environment in a state-of-the-art building that personifies the methods of education that 4-H’ers know best and kids love best — hands-on learning.”

“We can glimpse into the future to see that 4-H’ers will explore technology, solve problems and make discoveries far beyond the imagination of those who planned this building,” the 17-year-old Jefferson County 4-H’er said.

With this new facility, Alabama 4-H’s Natural Resources and Environmental Education program will be better equipped to teach Alabama youth and educators about protecting and enhancing the environment in a facility unlike anything currently in Alabama.

To read more, click here.

Alabama 4-H’ers join dignitaries, including U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, second from right, for the ceremonial groundbreaking.

To view more photos, click here.
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Second Issue of Journal of Youth Development Now Available

The second issue of the new refereed journal, Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice, is now available on-line on the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents website.

This issue features the following articles:
• Integrating Youth Into Community Development by Rosemary V. Barnett and M. A. Brennan
• Qualitative and Quantitative Assessments of Thriving and Contribution in Early Adolescence: Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development by Amy Eva Alberts, Elise DiDenti Christiansen, Paul Chase, Sophie Naudeau, Erin Phelps, and Richard M. Lerner
• Relationships Matter: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Youth and Adults Working Together as Partners by Kenneth R. Jones
• Supporting Social and Cognitive Growth Among Disadvantaged Middle-Grade Students in TASC After-School Projects by Christina A. Russell and Elizabeth R. Reisner
• Experiential Learning: A Process for Teaching Youth Entrepreneurship by Karen Biers, Christine Jensen, and Ellen Serfustini
• An Introduction to the SMARTRISK Heroes Program: Positive Social Marketing for Adolescent Injury Prevention by Philip R. Groff, Michael Shea, and Robert Conn
• Rethinking Concept Mapping for Youth Participatory Evaluation in the Context of Youth Development Programs by Jennifer Southwick Brown
• Statistical Testing of a Measure of Youth's Perceived Improvement in Life Skills by Lisa A. Guion and Blanca E. Rivera
• Findings from Five Out-of-School Time Focus Groups: Professional Development Preferences, Experiences and Recommendations for Future Planning by Jennifer Buher-Kane, Nancy Peter, Stacy Olitsk, and Susan Kinnevy
• Nebraska 4-H Household Technology and Interest Survey by Bradley S. Barker and Debra K. Meier
• Youth Development and Extension Family and Consumer Sciences by Jan F. Scholl
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CYFERnet December Mission of the Month: Space Party 1-2-3

The NASA shuttle Discovery sets out for the International Space Station this month. As the astronauts take flight, why not make your own star trek? With a “Mission of the Month” Space Party, it’s easy to explore the universe without leaving home. Each party activity teaches youth about the nightly happenings in the winter sky.

• While peering through a telescope in the dead of winter has its place, there’s a simpler (and warmer) way to see the cosmos. Stellarium sets your ground coordinates and presents a photo-realistic sky, complete with constellations, planets and nebulas.
• If you’ve always wanted to go to infinity and beyond, here’s your chance. Celestia lets you experience outer space in 3-D as you travel beyond our solar system, in any direction and at any speed or moment in time.
• Satellites move quickly, but the Heavens-Above Web site can help you locate them. Just enter your ground location and receive orbital data on the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope and many others.

Take a break from the holiday mania and escape to another galaxy with a virtual trip into outer space—no spaceship or tuition fees required. Connect, accept your mission, and lift off today! Visit www.cyfernet.org/4Htech/missions for complete details.
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Resources and Opportunities:

New Research Released on Volunteer Growth in America

The Corporation for National and Community Service has released its latest research report, Volunteer Growth in America: A Review of Trends Since 1974, which finds that volunteering in America is at its highest level in 30 years. Click here to view the report which you can use to support your own media outreach efforts during the giving season.

If you are interested in learning more about this report or the Corporation's “10 by 10” campaign to recruit 10 million new volunteers in America by 2010, please contact David Eisner at DEisner@cns.gov or (202) 606-6737 or Shannon Maynard at smaynard@cns.gov or (202) 606-6713.

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HorseQuest Races Into the Information World

With information ranging from finding the best horse for your child to riding techniques to horse diseases, nutrition, and care, HorseQuest brings the “best of the best” university research-based information on horses to Americans via its most popular information source, the Internet.

HorseQuest is just the beginning for eXtension (pronounced “e-extension”), the exciting new project from the U.S. Land Grant University system designed to bring the vast resources of the nation’s largest non-formal education system, the Cooperative Extension System, to a broader audience via the Internet. Organized around communities of interest, such as horses in this case, subject matter experts in the nation’s Land Grant University system form communities of practice to develop individual components of eXtension. HorseQuest is the first eXtension “community of practice” to come online.

Twenty more communities with topics including financial security, imported fire ants, disaster response, parenting, rural entrepreneurship, horticulture, and wildlife damage management are set to come online in the next few months. All will feature similar attributes of learning modules, news, events, frequently asked questions and “Ask the Expert”.

Extension has nearly 3,000 offices throughout the country offering localized information and resources. To find your local Extension office, go to www.extension.org, log in indicating your state and university affiliation, and choose the “Contact your local Extension office” link.

For questions, contact Terry Meisenbach at terry.meisenbach@eXtension.org.
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Take Survey for Foot-and-Mouth Disease Research Project

The Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance (CADMS) at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is asking for your help to in completing an online survey to gather information from livestock producers (including 4-H). The data will be used to create strategies to deal with the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Click here to access the survey. Forward this request to your 4-H clubs if you think they would be interested in participating.
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Youth Service America’s Youth Venture Now Accepting Applications

The Youth Service America/Youth Venture Program is a unique partnership between Youth Service America and Youth Venture that helps youth engage in community service and develop as young social entrepreneurs.

YSA Youth Venture provides funding and support to young people (ages 12-20) who want to create new, sustainable, civic-minded organizations, clubs or businesses called Ventures.

For an application, applications tools, and more information about the YSA Youth Venture Partnership Program, click here.
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Register Your Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Project

The Corporation for National and Community Service has recently launched My MLK Day. My MLK Day is an online tool for those organizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service projects to register their projects, manager volunteers, and report results. Individuals may search for volunteer opportunities with registered MLK Day Projects. To learn more, click here.
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