Anne Arundel County 4-H Happenings

March: Four Hs and Thriving Youth

In January, we looked at 'Hands for service' and developing youth spark. February, we discussed 'Heart for loyalty' by expressing empathy, compassion and developing positive/ trusting relationships. Now on to Health: “I pledge my health to better living” means understanding one’s own needs and working on positive social, emotional, and intellectual well-being. While participating in 4-H programs, youth experiences help them learn to manage feelings, make healthy lifestyle choices, take on self-responsibility and build self-esteem in a safe environment. This is possible in part due to the expectation that 4-H programs provide an environment in which youth feel a sense of belonging.

Belonging is the connectedness young people feel to a group*. All youth want to feel included in a meaningful way. This document is an overview of general characteristics of development at various developmental stages. It also includes ideas on how to meet the needs of the age group.

Ways to enhance a sense of belonging and increase positive healthy lifestyles:

• allow time to share family, cultural traditions, foods, and music
• share strategies (adults - youth; youth - youth) to use when one feels frustrated or uncomfortable
• incorporate time to reflect on what was learned as well as any struggles to demonstrate that everyone has set backs
• create a shared set of expectations
• include ice breakers and team building activities that provide a variety of topics and methods of engaging

Check out what was shared from our amazing clubs in last month's 'Heart for Loyalty' and developing positive relationships in the ICYMI section below.

Regards,

Gretchen

P.S. Our monthly newsletter and AAC 4-H calendar are on the Main Page of our UME - AAC 4-H webpage. Our website should be your 'go to' for most up-to-date information. you can also follow us on Facebook at 'Anne Arundel County 4-H' (link at bottom of this newsletter).

All 4-H Member, Clover, and UME Volunteer re- enrollments should be completed.

If you are an adult UME Volunteer and are not completely approved, you may not work with youth. In your online profile you should see:

"Volunteer - Approved

Volunteering for 2022-2023 program year

Screening Approved

Trainings Complete"

Record Book Grading

Many of the record books are now being judged, however we are still in need or 1-2 more 'graders'. Please contact Gretchen at gsumbrum@umd.edu if you are interested in helping. We hope to have them completed by the End of March for Leaders to pick-up at our office.

One does NOT need to be UME Volunteer to review.

AAC Public Speaking Workshop will be held on March 10, 2022, at the UME-AAC Office from 6:30 - 8:00pm. Our AAC Public Speaking Contest is coming up soon. 4-H Youth will discuss the contest - rules, scoring and then practice - as well as learn some tips to make their presentation a positive learning experience with real-life applications. Sign-up by March 7th via our google form found here.

AAC Public Speaking Contest will be held on March 26, 2022 at the Baldwin Early Learning Center (921 Generals Hwy, Millersville) starting at 9:00am. Through the 4-H Public Speaking Contest, youth have an opportunity to write a speech or a public service announcement (PSA) and deliver it to an audience. This event helps youth develop skills for communicating to real audiences, organize and prepare a speech, practice speech delivery skills, learn presentation skills, and develop self-confidence. Ribbons awarded by 4-H age category (Jr, Int, Sen) for 1st-3rd place. County winners will have the opportunity to advance to the State Public Speaking Contest held on April 23, 2022 at the Carroll County Extension Office. Please check out our web page for more information, rules, etc... Sign up to participate via this google form.

*** JUDGES NEEDED. No experience/special credentials needed. Join us for a fun experience. Please email Gretchen for more info: gsumbrum@umd.edu.

AAC Variety Show. 4pm, Sunday, April 3, 2022. Baldwin Church, 921 Generals Hwy, Millersville. What's your talent? The AAC 4-H Foundation is once again sponsoring the Variety Show! Be part of a group or do your own thing. There's signing, dancing, skits, playing instruments, and much more. Join us as part of the show or an audience member. It's a family event so young and old alike will enjoy the presentations. Here is a link to information, registration, rules and judging forms. Contact Joan Mauritzen at jm0037@prattlibrary.org for general questions or Mary Thomas at hackyt@aol.com for club acts. Registration forms due 3/25.

*** Adults interested in judging, please reach out to Gretchen, gsumbrum@umd.edu.

Gently used, full-sized backpack collection Do your children have old backpacks tucked away in their closet collecting dust? NBUMC 'Backpack Buddies' program provides food pantry items to local students in need. Gently used, full-sized backpacks are needed to transport donated food, toiletries and other basic necessities from the school to the student, who then takes the items home. Although backpacks are requested to be returned to the school, some wear out, break or are simply not returned - leaving the charity in short supply. Backpacks may be dropped off at our office, 97 Dairy Lane, during business hours. We will continue this collection for the duration of the year. For more information or questions, email Dayna Russell at daynar@umd.edu.

Save the Date! Anne Arundel County 4-H Summer Camp will be July 24-29, 2022.

Please watch for details in the coming months. More information will be shared via newsletter and our website. We look forward to a fun-filled week with all of our 4-H friends!

State 4-H Youth Event

The 2022 Maryland 4-H State Dairy Skillathon event will be held on Saturday, March 26 at he Carroll County Extension Office. This is a contest in which individuals compete - there will be NO team entries this year. $5.00 entry fee for each contestant. Official registration for the contest is submitted via the 4-H Online registration system by March 10, 2022 (Registration will open soon). Individuals participating in the statewide contest must be enrolled as a Maryland 4-H member for 2022 in 4-H Online by March 10, 2022.

Contest rules are available on the Maryland 4-H Animal Science webpage at: https://extension.umd.edu/4-h/4-h-program-areas/animal-science-resources. See the contest rules for a complete set of resources. Additional Study Resources can be found in the Dairy Skillathon Resources Google Drive Folder at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12oPpfWaqu7BxzsSlUEK3Wu9pHNsn4Yle

State 4-H Youth Event

The 2022 Maryland Horse Communications Contest will again be held virtually. Registration for the contest will be open from April 4-18th. This contest provides an opportunity for 4-H youth to demonstrate their knowledge of equine-related subject matter in a competitive setting where attitudes of friendliness and fairness prevail. Members will submit a recording of their speech or demonstration for judges to evaluate between April 4-18. Awards are offered in each of the three age divisions. Contest rules are posted here.

State 4-H Youth Event

The 2022 Maryland 4-H State Dairy Quiz Bowl event will be held on Saturday, April 23 at the Carroll County Ag Center. $5.00 entry fee for each contestant. 4-H members wishing to participate should contact their county/city 4-H office. Official registration for the contest is submitted via the 4-H Online registration system by April 8, 2022 (Registration will open soon). Counties may enter up to a maximum of eight members (comprised of a team of four members and four additional individuals or a team of four members/one alternate and three additional individuals) in each of the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior divisions. Contest rules are available on the Maryland 4-H Animal Science webpage at: https://extension.umd.edu/4-h/4-h-program-areas/animal-science-resources.

State 4-H Youth

Maryland 4-H is recruiting host families for our summer state’s exchange program. To learn more, visit the Maryland 4-H website: https://extension.umd.edu/programs/4-h-youth-development/program-areas/international-programs

Hosting Requirements:

• The Host Sibling should be within three years of the Delegate age and be of the same gender.

• Everyone 18+ in the household must pass a background check.

• You do NOT have to be in 4-H to host!

• Must have a permanent bed for them to sleep on, and prefer to share a room with the same gender.

• Go to this website to fill out an online application: http://www.states4hexchange.org/

• If you host for one month, you receive $100 off a States’ 4-H International Exchange trip (Up to $300); if you host for the school year, you receive $1000 off the cost of a trip. School year hosting opportunities are available.

The students are eager to learn English and to visit America. This is an opportunity for the family to learn about your student’s culture as you all grow awareness and empathy for the world. The relationships can last a lifetime!

State 4-H Senior Level or 4-H Alumni Scholarship Opportunity

(2022 4-H high school grads or 4-H alumni furthering education in fall 22-spg 23)

The Maryland 4-H Foundation offers 4-H members the opportunity to apply for academic scholarships. Each year scholarships are awarded to current Maryland 4-H members or alumni who will be enrolled at an accredited college, university or post-secondary technical training program for the fall and spring semesters of the upcoming academic year. The Maryland 4-H Foundation awards an average of $50,000 in scholarships annually. The application for the 2022-23 Maryland 4-H Foundation Scholarships will open on March 15, 2022. Applications will be due by June 15, 2022: https://www.mymaryland4hfoundation.com/how-we-give/scholarships

State Senior Level Scholarship Opportunity

(2022 high school grads furthering education in fall 22-spg 23)

The Maryland Sheep Breeders Association, in conjunction with the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, is offering a scholarship in the amount of $1,000.00 to a student who has been accepted or is in the process of applying for continuing education at a college or university, technical school, or vocational school. All academic majors will be considered, but priority will be given to agriculture related majors (such as food science, veterinarian, ag. teaching, etc.). Preference will be given to those applicants who are members or whose families are members of the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association. Applications (webpage linked) will be accepted through April 15, 2022. The scholarship presentation will be made in the Show Ring at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival on Sunday, May 7 at 3:15 p.m. The winner will also be honored at the Maryland Sheep Breeders Annual Dinner in October. Please email Carolann McConaughy, Stillpointfarmsheep@gmail.com, if you have any questions or need additional information.

NOTE: All events, County/State/National, are subject to change due to ongoing health crisis.

*** Be sure to share your club's next event with us so we can help you spread the word! ***

On Monday, February 28th, the 36th annual (virtual) Maryland 4-H Horsemen's Party was aired on the Maryland 4-H YouTube Channel and on various UMD 4-H Social Media pages (there is a link on the "Anne Arundel County 4-H" Facebook page). The following Anne Arundel County 4-Hers were celebrated at this event:

• Top 5 Individuals, 2021 Horse Judging Contest, Senior Novice Division: Penelope P, Linthicum Hi-Riders.
• 2021 Equine Art and Photography contest winners, Senior Visual Arts, Honorable Mention: Summer M, Linthicum Hi-Riders.
• Maryland 4-H Equine Showmanship and Equitation Standards, Tier 1 Knowledge and Handling/Showmanship AND Tier 2 Knowledge and Handling/Riding AND Tier 3 Knowledge and Handling/Riding: Summer M, Linthicum Hi-Riders.
• 2021 State Horse Judging Team, Coach Paige M.

We would like to commend these outstanding equestrians for their excellent work representing Anne Arundel County! 👏👏👏

*** Send us your 4-Her's accomplishments and special honors, we'll publish it here! ***

In late January, the Friendship Outdoor Skills Club, (even the Clovers, youth aged 5-7yr) explored the exciting world of robotics and coding. After learning about robotics (what makes something robotic, root of the word robotic, etc...), older members were paired in 'teams' with younger members to enhance their coding skills, build strong peer relationships and create a heightened sense of community (belonging and connectedness) within their club. Working together and sharing ideas aids in building youth esteem.

Awesome teamwork photos below 🔽🔽🔽

The Anne Arundel County 4-H Foundation Inc. provides direct support to the county 4-H program by providing scholarships to county 4-H members and volunteers, and county-wide social events like the 4-H Cookout🍔, and 4-H Ice Cream Social 🍦at the County Fair (anyone else getting hungry?). The County 4-H Foundation also sponsors:

• 4-H Variety Show ***Coming Up Soon - April 3***

• Terry Cooper Unsung Hero Award

• John C. Kozenski, Jr. Kindness Award

• James R. Kahler Turkey Shoot Top 4-H Archer Award

• County Fair 4-H T-shirt Design Contest

• County Fair 4-H T-shirts to 4-H participants

• Alumni gifts for members aging out of 4-H

The 4-H Foundation meets the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. For additional information and meeting locations, please contact the Anne Arundel County 4-H Foundation at our general mailbox at aacounty4hfoundation@gmail.com.

*** Share your club experiences with us and we'll include your event in our next newsletter! ***

“Inspiring Through Service: Celebration our 4-H Volunteers”

Save the Date: April 24th 1:30 - 5:00 p.m.

An in-person event for Maryland 4-H Volunteer Awards & Hall of Fame Recognition

Volunteer Refresher Course

The state 4-H program is requiring all UME Volunteers who have been a UME Volunteer for 5 or more years to complete the Maryland 4-H Volunteer Refresher Training, if you have not already done so. It never hurts to get updated on information for volunteering with the Maryland 4-H Program. You can complete the Refresher Course anytime from the comfort of your own home by visiting this link.

Helping Hands

We are compiling a list of volunteers, which we are affectionately calling 'Helping Hands', that may be interested in assisting with judging (record books, contests, variety show entries, fair entries), coaching a team, sponsoring an activity club, assisting with Fair set-up, or establishing partnerships. These are simply options, not required tasks, that we need assistance with - most only require a few hours here and there should we put a call out. Many of these volunteer opportunities can come from the community, UME certification is not required. If interested in being on this list, please email Gretchen at gsumbrum@umd.edu.

Thank you, Unit and Group Leaders, for submitting your Annual Forms. We appreciate your assistance is helping us fulfill this state 4-H requirement.

Kudos to all that attended the Volunteer/Club Leader Workshop on the 28th. We had an interactive workshop that allowed us to get to know fellow volunteers, review the foundational pieces (the "soil") of high quality 4-H programming, and engaged in activities to use at events. Thanks for attending.

Youth and adult leaders should work together to establish the plan allowing youth officers to step up and take responsibility. It may take more time to work through the process, yet once established you will find the time spent is worth the effort. Youth begin to feel a sense of belonging, positive youth-adult relationships are formed, and there is often more youth engagement because the work done is in an area of interest, a spark. The underlined terms are the building blocks of all 4-H programs, the Developmental Context.

In this part of the newsletter, we'll take a moment to discuss the basics of 4-H, how the University of Maryland Extension (UME) is structured, how 4-H fits into the UME, resources available to you at your UME county office, etc...

4-H is America's largest youth development organization-empowering nearly 6 million young people with the skills to lead for a lifetime. 4-H is delivered by Cooperative Extension - a community of more than 100 public universities across the nation that provides experience where young people learn by doing. In 4-H programs, youth complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement where they receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles. 4-H is in every county and parish in the country - through in-school and after-school programs, school and community clubs, and camps. Our network of 500,000 volunteers and 3,500 4-H professionals provide caring and supportive mentoring to all 6 million 4-Hers, helping them grow into true leaders in life.🍀

Our 2022 Calendar is out!

Please follow this link to our website and click on the calendar icon.

All newsletters are now uploaded to our AAC website.

Updates will be made as they become available to us.

• Mar 5-6 - MD 4-H State Horse Bowl Contest (online platform)

• Mar 10 - UME-AAC Public Speaking Workshop @ UME-AAC

• Mar 12 - MD 4-H State Livestock Skillathon @ Montgomery Cty Fairgrounds

• Mar 15 - MD Foundation Academic Scholarships open (until 6/15)

• Mar 26 - MD 4-H State Dairy Skillathon @ Carroll Cty Extension Office

• Mar 26 - UME-AAC Public Speaking Contest @ Baldwin Early Learning Center

• Apr 3 - UME-AAC Variety Show @ Baldwin Hall

• Apr 4 - 4 for 4-H Campaign (a MD 4-H Foundation fundraiser)

• Apr 4 - MD 4-H State Horse Communication Contest (virtual submission)

• Apr 23 - MD 4-H State Dairy Quiz Bowl @ Carroll Cty Ag Center

• Apr 24 - MD 4-H Volunteer Awards (a MD 4-H Foundation event)

• Apr 30 - Maryland Day @ UMD- College Park

• July 24-29 - AAC 4-H Residential Camp 2022 ***Save the date***

• Sep 14-18 - Anne Arundel County Fair 2022 ***Save the date***

4-H Inclement Weather Policy: If there is no school, or there is early dismissal in Anne Arundel County due to inclement weather, ALL 4-H events will be cancelled.

4-H Covid Policy: MD 4-H activities must comply with local directives for indoor or outdoor gatherings. If AACPS transitions to virtual learning, we are required to transition ALL indoor 4-H activities to virtual format (including 4-H Meetings). Outdoor activities are still permitted in alignment with local government requirements for masking, physical distance and capacity sizes.

Have questions, ideas or news to share? Please Email Joy Sim, jsim1@umd.edu, to be included in our UME -AAC 4-H monthly newsletter.

Gretchen Sumbrum, UME - AAC Educator Facebook

UME 4-H Facebook

Email: GSumbrum@umd.edu
Website: https://extension.umd.edu/locations/anne-arundel-county/4-h-youth-development
Location: 97 Dairy Lane, Gambrills, MD, USA
Phone: 4102223900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AACO4H