Help out at the fair!

Fairboard is asking for help staffing the Information booth in the exhibit hall.

Please contact Lisa Bousquet 402-610-0689 to

claim your spot!

Our website looks a bit different. Across the state Extension offices are updating their websites. Make sure to check out the 4-H page. This should be your go to site for everything you need to work on those amazing projects and to assist you with county fair preparations. The middle portion is newsworthy articles and upcoming events. The gray box on the left will navigate you all the forms, notices and miscellaneous stuff you need. Notice on the right side is a calendar of events, local events for Dakota County as well as some from surrounding counties are posted.

Make sure to check out the Camps, Workshops & Events page, it is regularly updated with clinics, prospect shows and camps from around the state! If you can’t find the information you need please contact Tammy and let her help you find what you’re looking for!

4-H IN FOCUS - DAKOTA COUNTY

April 2017

Special Garden Project

Updated Website

They’re here! The seeds for the special garden project are here. Very soon the Mother Nature will cooperate and we’ll be turning the earth and planting seeds imagining how wonderful all those delicious vegetables will taste, and how beautiful our flowers will be!

Call or email or stop in to reserve you packet of Sunburst Summer Squash seeds for $1.00 a packet.

It’s time to reserve your camping space for the 2017 Dakota~Thurston County Fair. If spaces are full your name will be put on a waiting list. Please contact Sherry Slaughter to make reservations. (402)863-2352

2018 Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) Trip

National Day of Service

2018 Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) Trip registration. If you will be 14 and not older than 18 on or before December 31, 2017, you are eligible to participate in the trip. This trip is a multi-county trip of 4-Hers in the Northeast Extension District. The tentative dates of the trip are Thursday, June 7 through Saturday, June 16, 2018. These are tentative as schedules may change, but based on trips we have taken in the past, we try to book similar dates every three years. Please indicate you are interested in participating in this trip by completing the bottom portion of the Registration/Information Sheet click on (http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/dixon/CWF2018%20Registration%20Form.pdf) for the registration form and returning it to the Nebraska Extension Office in Wayne County on or before June 1, 2017, along with a check for $350 made payable to University of Nebraska - Lincoln. We are estimating the total cost the best we can based on airfare and bus rates. This trip includes stops in many historical places on the East Coast as well as a six night stay at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. 4-Hers learn about our National government during workshops at the National 4-H Center and will visit most of the popular sites in the Washington DC area. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Extension Office in Wayne County.

Page 4

April 2017 will be a month to celebrate community service and service learning throughout 4-H. This month of celebration will culminate with a National 4-H Day of Service on Saturday, April 29, 2017. 4-H National Headquarters, National 4-H Council, and State 4-H partners, through the 4-H Citizenship Leadership team, are preparing this opportunity.

Some highlights will include:

National marketing and communication highlighting 4-H Service Opportunity to plan a 4-H service project around the national theme of “Food Security” Opportunity to identify and plan a 4-H service project around a local need Opportunity to sign up these local projects to be a part of the National 4-H Day of Service Additional support information and opportunity details will be coming in the next few weeks. For now, save the date and encourage creative thinking around this endeavor.

Animals and animal subject matter can contribute to Clover Kids objectives. However, for safety, liability, and competitive reasons often associated with livestock shows, some restrictions are necessary to maintain Clover Kids program objectives.

The Clover Kids program will be developmentally appropriate and involve the following components: ·

Encourage involvement of parent or significant adult

Focus on self-esteem and provide positive feedback

Foster the development of life skills that are essential for the cognitive, social, emotional and physical maturation of youth by providing a unique educational opportunity

Share through cooperative learning

Noncompetitive — emphasizing fun and success of every child

Programs are activity-focused and not project focused

Recognize individuals for participation

Present recognition and incentives without rank or placing

Specific reasons for being cautious with direct large animal involvement are as follows:

Children eight and under often lack the mental and physical skills for controlling and understanding the strength of large animals (Livestock Conservation Institute, 1994).

·Young children may lack the strength, balance, and attention span to adequately manage large animals (American Medical Equestrian Association, 1993).

Because of these reasons, Clover Kids programs involving live animals must adhere to the following:

Exhibition only includes enrolled 4-H Clover kid members, 4-H does not sponsor or support pee-wee events or exhibition. Pee wee referring to non 4-H age youth.

Exhibition includes discussions with youth based on their knowledge of the care and raising of the animal.

Exhibitors show in a non-competitive setting for participation only.

Age, size, and temperament of animal projects must be appropriate for the exhibitor’s age and size.

Horse projects and/or horseless projects are not allowed or an option for Cloverkids. They are not allowed to handle, ride or participate in or at 4-H events.

Calves or other animals weighing more than 350 pounds at time of show are not allowed or appropriate for this age group.

Animals that are appropriate for this age group include bucket calf, sheep, swine, goat, dog, poultry, rabbit, cat, and companion animals.

There will be one adult/teen volunteer present for every Clover Kid member that is handling or exhibiting animals. This applies to all animal projects.

Exhibitors in this age group are not allowed to participate with their animal in a livestock sale or premium auction.

Animal Exhibits for Cloverkids

Page 5 February 2017

The 2017 Tractor Safety Training is scheduled for June 19-20 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. Any youth 14-15 years of age who work on a farm or ranch other than his/her parents’ is required to be certified through a tractor safety course. Extension Educators and field specialists will teach the 2-day course. Cost is $60, which includes materials, lunch both days, and snacks at breaks. Registration is due June 9. For details or to register, contact the Nebraska Extension Office in Dixon County at (402-584-2234).

Tractor Safety Training

Summer Robotics Camps/STEM Daycamp

Students will explore the exciting world of robotics. They will design and program a mini-robot using WeDo kits through hands0onchallenges. Come and join the fun this summer. Space is limited. $15 per participant Students going into 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades May 30th, 31st & June 1st - 10:00 A.M. to Noon - Gardner Public Library

Wakefield June 5th, 6th, & 7th - 10:00 A.M. to Noon - Laurel Community Center, Laurel June 21st, 22nd & 23rd - 10:00 a.m. to Noon—Dixon County extension Office,

Concord July 18th, 19th & 20th - 1:30 to 3:30 P.M.—South /Sioux City High School More camps are being scheduled. Watch for updates. STEM DAYCAMP June 27th - 1:00 to 4:30 P.M. Students going into grades 3rd through 6th -

South Sioux City High School Library - $25 per participant - Solar Cars, Circuits Coding

Page 6 February 2017

STEM Daycamp is

geared to connect

youth to science,

technology,

engineering, and math with hands-on

problem solving

strategies.

Highway 77 Cleanup Hey 4-H’ers!!! consider taking part in cleaning up Hwy 77.

This would make a great community service project for you club. The event is sponsored by Keep Northeast Nebraska beautiful.

April 22nd, 2015

9:30 A.M. - Noon

9:00 A.M. Check-in

Meet at 1165 W 29th Street South Sioux City

for more information contact: Sally: sreinert@evertek.net Dawn: 712-224-8905 Weather Cancelations will be posted at South Sioux City Hall & on Facebook @KeepNortheastNebraskaBeautiful

Between March 1 – June 30, 2017, National 4-H will kick off the “Raise Your Hand” promotion that will focus more upon attracting 4-H alumni back to the program as parents, volunteers, and donors. During this promotion, alumni will be asked to complete the following steps: 1) Raise Your Hand – Complete the form at http://4-h.org/raise-your-hand to show your pride as a 4‑H alum. 2) Compete for your state – Raising your hand is a vote towards a $20,000, $10,000 or $5,000 award for the states with the most alumni hands raised. 3) Pay it Forward – Tweet, post and share your #4HGrown experience or support and tag fellow alumni asking them to raise their hands for their state at http://4‑H.org/RaiseYourHand.

Nebraska 4-H, in partnership with the Nebraska 4-H Foundation, is celebrating the Nebraska Statehood 150 with the 4-H Clover Chase!

Between March 1 - August 15, 2017, Nebraska 4-H will be hosting a photo scavenger hunt for all 4-H members. Using an app, participants will complete challenges and submit photo entries on social media using #NE4HChase. After submitting photos and earning 150 points, participants will be eligible to receive a commemorative water bottle from their local Nebraska Extension Office and will be entered into a drawing to win a drone with video capability. The Nebraska Extension Office with the highest percentage of participation wins a free National Youth Science Day kit!

Complete details about the 4-H Clover Chase can be found at http://4h.unl.edu/clover-chase. Celebrate Nebraska’s Statehood, and Nebraska 4-H, by participating in this fun-filled opportunity with your friends, club, or family!

4-H Clover Chase

Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute 2017

Page 7

Applications Due April 15 NAYI is a five-day conference for high school juniors and seniors to learn about career op-portunities within agriculture. This includes: Engaging speakers

Workshops and panels

Agriculture education

Professional development

Leadership experience

Fun and new friends

Networking with peers and industry leaders All of these experiences come free of charge, thanks to our generous sponsors!

Apply online at www.nda.nebraska.gove/nayi

“Raise Your Hand” Promotion

Photography 101 April 8, 2017 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Dixon County Extension Office Cost: $5 Supplies Needed: Any type of camera Project Focused on Photography Class Description: Come discover the fun with photography. Learn about the equipment, taking sharper images, photo composition, and much more. Maximum: 15 participants Deadline: April 5th Youth Art Day April 22, 2017 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sioux City Art Center Cost: $15 Supplies Needed: None Project Focused on Design Decisions Class Description: Participants will be creating a mixed media art project inspired by artist Grant Wood. Maximum: 20 participants Deadline: April 14th

4-H Saturdays

Regional Interview Contest

Page 8 February 2017

Try something new, learn a new skill have fun with friends at the next 4-H Saturday.

Watch for more activities on :

May 20th June 3rd & 10th June 8th

What is an interview Contest? The Interview Contest is an opportunity for members to practice the real-life skill of applying for a job. The contest involves a set of job descriptions that the members use to prepare for the process of applying and interviewing for a position. To enter the interview Contest the member must:

Pick on of the three job descriptions for a job the member has a potential interest in pursuing

develop a résumé utilizing their real education and experiences that they believe make them a good candidate for the job selected.

Write an accompanying cover letter for their résumé.

Prepare for the interview

Fill out a job application the day of the contest for the chosen position

Participate in an actual interview where they are judge on all of the key elements in the process.

Contest resources: Preparing for the Job Search Guide available on the web at http://www.unl.edu/careers/documents/publications/student_publications/jobsearch.pdf Regional Interview contest will be held May 21 at the Livelong Learning Center, Norfolk, NE. 4-H members age 11 and older are eligible to participate

4-H IN FOCUS - DAKOTA COUNTY

Nebraska Extension - Dakota County 1505 Broadway P.O. Box 129 Dakota City, NE 68731 Phone: (402)987-2140 Fax: (402)987-2160 Email: dakota-county@unl.edu

Extension is a Division of the Ins tute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln coopera ng with the Coun es and the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educa onal programs abide with the nondiscrimina-

on policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United State Department of Agriculture. ©2016

DAKOTA COUNTY OFFICE STAFF Carol Larvick - Extension Educator Angela Abts- Extension Educator Brenda Sale - Extension Associate Felisha Ibarria - Outreach Coordinator Jill Sokness—Latino Outreach Tammy Peterson - Office Manager

We’re on the Web:

extension.unl.edu/statewide/Dakota/

Dakotacounty fourH

@NEdakota4HExt

E

📫 4/1 April Fools Day

📫 4/1 Horse Stampede @UNL

📫 4/3 Dakota County Extension Board

📫 4/8 4-H Saturday Photography 101

📫 4/11 4-H Maker Space—

📫 4/15 Ak-Sar-Ben DNA due

📫 4/15 State 4-H Camp Early Bird registration deadline

📫 4/16 Happy Easter

📫 4/22 Youth Art Day Sioux City Art Center

📫 4/24 The Rockers 4-H club meeting

📫 4/25 Trent D

📫 4/25 Brooklyn G

📫 4/29 Arbor Day

📫 5-1 Add/Drop project deadline

📫 5/2 4-H Maker Space

📫 5/3 Registration Deadline Favorite Foods/Presentation Contest

📫 5/5 Kellen S

📫 5/10 Donovan F

📫 5/11 Favorite Foods/Presentation Contest

📫 5/11 All Horse ID’s Due

📫 5/11 District & State Horse Show entries due

📫 5/11 Regional Speech contest registration deadline

📫 5/14 Happy Mothers day

📫 5/15 Kaia C

📫 5/16 4-H Maker Space

📫 5/22 The Rocker Club meeting

📫 5/24 Payton B.

📫 5/25 Regional Speech Contest—Norfolk

📫 5/25 Grant D

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