Friday Forecast - 9/23/2022

This weekly newsletter will provide you with the most up-to-date information and happenings in the 4-H program.

Kris Vatter stepped into the role of Extension educator, 4-H Youth Development in Dakota County on Monday, Sept. 19. Kris is transitioning to Dakota after nearly three years supporting Carver County's educator role. Kris brings experience and expertise in program growth, event management, volunteer development, and DEI advancement, and she is excited to strengthen Dakota County 4-H offerings.

Meet Kris!

I’m a mom to two teens and two cats and I’ve been working as the Carver County Extension Educator for 4-H since September of 2019. I recently chaperoned the Minnesota Delegation on the 2022 Citizenship Washington Focus trip.

I’ve been a volunteer for Dakota County 4-H for over eight years and was a very involved Wisconsin 4-H'er in my youth. If there was a 4-H thing to do, I was ready to do it!

Prior to becoming an Extension Educator, I worked in Higher Education for 28 years in various Student Life roles like orientation, student government, event planning, and facility management.

My family of two teens, two cats, one guinea pig, and I live in Northfield. I’m excited to join the staff of Dakota County and make great things happen! Connect with me at kvatter@umn.edu.

(That’s me with the hat on, touring with CWF delegates, this summer)

Join us for the 4-H Federation meeting on Monday, Sept. 26 starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Dakota County Extension and Conservation Center in Farmington.

We will do a recap of the 2022 Dakota County Fair. All members 6th grade and up and screened are encouraged to attend. Refreshments will be served!

Animal Science PDC meeting will follow starting at 7:30 p.m.

4-H Online is open for the 2022-23 4-H year! All 4-H members and volunteers must re-enroll each 4-H year. Re-enroll by Oct. 15 to be entered in the drawing for a $75 Target gift card.

When re-enrolling you will:

• Select your 4-H club
• Sign-up for projects; you will only receive email communication for projects you have signed up for so review your project list to be sure you didn't miss a project

Review and update:

• Family's contact and demographic information
• Each family member's health and emergency contact information

Log in to 4-H Online here to complete the re-enrollment process. See the 4-H Online enrollment guide for step-by-step instructions.

If you have questions or would like to opt-out of 4-H, please email frand004@umn.edu

4-H county membership dues of $25/member are paid every year. Dues should be paid before participating in 4-H events including club meeting, workshops, county fair and state event. Family Member Dues Payment Form 2022-2023

Dues payments can be mailed to the Extension Office or placed in the drop box between the front doors of the Extension Office. Scholarships are available to cover dues if needed and can be requested by completing the dues payment form.

The Dakota County 4-H ambassador program is open to youth in grades 6-13, who enjoy volunteering and working with younger members. The ambassador program is a great way to share your leadership skills while helping your community. The 4-H ambassador program allows youth to take part in activities to help them become leaders and good citizens. A 4-H ambassador is a self-motivated, enthusiastic leader who promotes the organization using the skills, knowledge, and leadership abilities acquired in 4-H. They serve to strengthen the 4-H program through public relations and serve as a positive role model for younger members. Some past activities include: participating in community service projects, planning and leading Cloverbud activities, and promoting 4-H at various events throughout Dakota County.

An informational meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 26 from 6 to 6:30 p.m. at the Dakota County Extension and Conservation Center in Farmington. To RSVP for the meeting, sign-up here. Any questions, contact Rachel at reza0027@umn.edu.

Registration for 4-H workshops and events will take place in 4-H Online. The 4-H Online event registration guide has step-by-step instructions to walk you through how to register. To register for an event in 4-H Online, the participant must be an active member in 4-H Online. If you are new to 4-H, please select the “Virtual 4-H” or “In Person Camp/Event” club for your county. In the projects field, choose the project your primary focus is on and any other project areas you have an interest in. Please contact Cherie if you have questions.

Sign up to join the fun on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Dakota County Extension and Conservation Center in Farmington for this in-person, fun fall-themed workshop. Depending on weather, participants will be outside for a portion of the workshop. Other activities include fall-themed crafts and hands-on fun.

Cloverbud workshops are fun-filled events led by the Dakota County 4-H Ambassador team. Workshops feature age-appropriate programs focusing on fun, safe, non-competitive activities meant to engage youth and create new friendships. The University of Minnesota Extension 4-H Cloverbud Program is designed specifically for youth in grades Kindergarten through second grade (K-2). Participants must be enrolled in Kindergarten and at least 5 years of age as of Sept. 1 of the current year to enroll as a Cloverbud. Dakota County 4-H Cloverbud members are welcome to bring non-4-H friends (grade K-2) to workshops too!

Participants register for the cloverbud workshop in 4-HOnline. The 4-H Online event registration guide will walk you through how to register. Contact Cherie if you have questions. If you are new to 4-H, please select the “Virtual 4-H” or “In Person Camp/Event” club for your county. In the projects field, choose the project your primary focus is on and any other project areas you have an interest in.

The workshops are FREE but registration is required one week before the workshop to ensure enough supplies are on-hand for participants and to allow ambassadors and staff time to order and prepare materials.

Additional Cloverbud workshop: Nov. 5, Dec. 3, Jan. 28, Feb. 11, March 4, April 22, May 20

*Please note: dates, times and locations are subject to change.

The Dakota County 4-H Sprouts program is back for the 2022-23 year. This free in-person workshop will be held Saturday, Oct. 15 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Dakota County Extension and Conservation Center in Farmington. The workshop will be fall-themed and depending on weather, participants will be outside for a portion of the workshop. Other activities include making a fall-themed project and meeting new friends.

Workshops and activities are geared toward 4-H youth currently in grades 3-5. Sprouts is a group designed as a continuation of the cloverbud program. New and returning members are welcome to join in on the fun! At the Sprouts workshops, youth will meet new friends, participate in activities, and create exciting projects!

Participants will register for the Sprouts workshops in 4-H Online. Registration due Friday, Oct. 7. The 4-H Online event registration guide will walk you through how to register. Contact Cherie if you have questions. If you are new to 4-H, please select the “Virtual 4-H” or “In Person Camp/Event” club for your county. In the projects field, choose the project your primary focus is on and any other project areas you have an interest in.

The workshops are FREE but registration is required one week before the workshop to ensure enough supplies are on-hand for participants and to allow ambassadors and staff time to order and prepare materials.

Contact Rachel at reza0027@umn.edu if you have questions about the workshop.

Additional Sprouts workshops: Nov. 5, Dec. 3, Jan. 28, Feb. 11, March 4, April 22, May 20

The 2022 - 2023 Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador team is kicking off a year-long focus on learning and taking action to improve the environment and we hope you can help us spread the word to make a collective impact through Minnesota 4-H - #GoGreenWithMN4H.

The state ambies have created ten monthly challenges for individual youth and/or youth groups to complete and will have social media features supporting each effort.

Additionally, we hope to encourage youth to identify environment-related action opportunities in their local communities where they can also make a positive impact.

Here are some of the upcoming challenges, and some additional resources:

• September: Clean up a park.
• October: Build bat houses.
• November: Collect and compost pumpkins and gourds.
• Plan it out packet - A resource for individuals or groups to plan out a service project in their local community.
• Service reporting form - To capture the collective impact of Minnesota 4-Hers, we need to collect the data! Encourage your members to submit their projects, regardless of whether or not they are environmentally focused!

Thanks to a gift from Compeer Financial, Minnesota 4-H once again has dollars available to support 4-H clubs and county/tribal 4-H programs that want to partner with a local food shelf or nutrition organization to organize a healthy food or essential supply drive in their community. Learn more. Projects need to be completed by March 31, 2023.

Apply online to receive financial support to launch a service project. Application deadline: Oct 31.

Do you have a special interest or skill to share? Have an idea for a workshop or a connection for a workshop that you feel the 4-H’ers would enjoy? Let us know!!! 4-H staff are looking for volunteers to help lead new workshops this upcoming 4-H year. If you are interested in leading a workshop or have a suggestion for a great new idea please contact Abby.

Some specific classes looking for instructors include;

• Cake decorating
• Canning/food preservation
• Fishing Sports- fishing lure making
• Graphic Design
• Cultural Cooking
• Shop/ Wood Science
• Photography
• Drama/ Theatre/ Performing Arts
• Career Exploration
• Arts
• Demonstrations
• Opportunities are endless, we would love to hear your ideas!!!

Want to learn more about how to support your LGBTQ+ friends and family? Let’s Talk about Gender Identity is a five-session series designed to provide a safe place for youth to have important conversations about gender identity and learn to be better allies. Youth will be able to connect, share, and hear from 4-H Alumni in a safe and supportive environment facilitated by their peers online during October. For more information go to: https://z.umn.edu/LTAGI

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States from September 15 through October 15 each year. This is a great opportunity to learn about the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic Americans.

Why does the celebration start on the 15th of September?

Most of the cultural celebrations on our calendar begin on the first day of a month and run to the end of that month. But Hispanic Heritage Month always starts on September 15. And that’s because that particular date has great historical significance.

There are five Latin American countries that gained their independence on that day:

Costa Rica

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

Nicaragua

In addition, Mexico celebrates their independence on September 16. And Chile’s Independence Day is September 18. Later, Belize was added to the list when it declared independence from Great Britain on September 21, 1981.

- Barbara Van Deinse, Youth Intervention Programs Association (YIPA), a non-profit association of youth-serving organizations.

4-H Cloverbud and Sprouts workshop are from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Dakota County Extension and Conservation Center in Farmington on the following dates:

• Oct. 15 - registration deadline Oct. 7

• Nov. 5 - registration deadline Oct. 28

• Dec. 3 - registration deadline Nov. 25

• Jan. 28 - registration deadline Jan. 20

• Feb. 11 - registration deadline Feb. 3

• March 4 - registration deadline Feb. 24

• April 22 - registration deadline April 14

• May 20 - registration deadline May 12

Please note: dates, times and locations are subject to change.

Registration is required one week before the workshop to ensure enough supplies are on-hand for participants and to allow ambassadors and staff time to order and prepare materials.

This year's training will focus on learning as adventure and how volunteers can create a place for youth to grow their learning comfort zones. Current and prospective Minnesota 4-H volunteers and youth leaders are invited to join us for an evening of youth development education. Attend one of two Zoom trainings: Oct. 25, 7-8:15 p.m. or Oct. 27, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Facilitators will share practical activities and tools to support young people in managing stress, stepping into new experiences with courage, and taking ownership of their learning. Registration is required. Learn more and register.

Resources for club leaders and volunteers leading a 4-H club have been reorganized. Explore these categories: Beginning the 4-H year, leading a 4-H club meeting (organized around a sample agenda), managing 4-H club operations, and ways to support club members. Suggest improvements to the site by using the gray “feedback” button on the right side of the screen.

Explore the new site.

Volunteer & Club Leader Helpful Resources

Apply to be a 4-H screened volunteer

• Abby Wagner: torg0016@umn.edu, 651-480-7752

• Kris Vatter: kvatter@umn.edu; 651-480-7758
  

• Rachel Rezac: reza0027@umn.edu, 651-480-7754

• Kirsten Pederson: kapeders@umn.edu, 651-480-7722

• Cherie Frandrup: frand004@umn.edu, 651-480-7702
  

Website: https://extension.umn.edu/local/dakota
Location: 4100 220th Street West, Suite 101, Farmington, MN, USA
Phone: 651-480-7700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dakota.county4h