Southwest 4-H Region Retreat

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

By royal decree . . .

All 8^th – 12^th youth are

reQUESTed

to attend the

Southwest 4-H Region Retreat

On the 6^th and 7^th day of the month of March in the year of 2015

Your journey will lead you to the Rockin’ R Ranch in Antimony, UT. 

Guests should arrive at 4 p.m. The opening ceremony will being at 5 p.m.

Royal Fee: $55.00

Registration Deadline:  February 18, 2015

Signup at ut.4honline.com; must be enrolled in 4-H to register

   

			Royal Ball, feasting, and fun adventures await you!

 

  "Utah State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution."

Relationship Support for 4-H Alumni, Parents, and Community Members

Did you know that USU Extension teaches relationship education for singles and couples ages 18 and older right here in Sevier County? Classes are open to anyone in the community and are free of charge.  Here are the details for classing coming up in our area:

Series for couples:
Strengthen your Relationship
February 11, 18, 25 from 7-9 p.m.
Sevier County Administration Building

Series for singles:
Find a Healthy Relationship
March 11, 18, 25 from 7-9 p.m. 
Sevier County Administration Building

For more information or to register visit: http://healthyrelationshipsutah.org/

Happy National Kindness Month! How will you celebrate?

21 Day Kindness Challenge

The Sevier County Teen Council is teaming up with other youth groups during the month of February to change the world by being kind.

Justina Bryant, founder of the 21 Day Kindness Challenge, is piloting her program in the Sevier County School District during the month of February and it all kicks off February 2-3 with assemblies at each of the high schools and middle schools.  Justina will be here to meet with students and challenge them to be give 5 acts of kindness a day for 21 school days and see the ripple effect that it will have on the atmosphere at school. 

For more information about the challenge go to: http://www.21daykindnesschallenge.org/

What kindness have you done today?

Sevier County 4-H hires 8 new staff members!

We are excited to announce that the Sevier County 4-H staff has some new faces.  Pictures of those new faces will be coming soon; drop by our community events coming up to meet these wonderful folks in person.  Here's some info to get you started:

Phyllis Peterson is the Community Liaison and Volunteer Manager in the North Sevier Area.  She is a life-long Sevier County native who brings a lot of wonderful ideas, energy, and networking contacts to our program.  She is determined to help the people of the North Sevier area see all the great things that 4-H has to offer their young people.

Jerry McMorris is the Community Liaison and Volunteer Manager in the Central Sevier area.  Jerry is relatively new to the area but has experience volunteering in the Iron County 4-H Youth Mentoring Program. He has unique club ideas and is working hard to meet key people in the area so that he can provide opportunities for youth in Richfield and surrounding areas.

April Cobb is the Community Liaison and Volunteer Manager in the South Sevier area.  Moving to the area a couple years ago, April reached out to 4-H to help her daughter find friends and connections here.  April will be the first to tell you that she has seen the difference 4-H is making for not only her own daughter but others as well.  April is starting a large community club in the Monroe area and is excited to get more adults and youth involved.

Jennifer Baletka is our 4-H College Readiness Director and comes to us from Emery/Carbon counties.  She has a passion for higher education and will be implementing programs that help our young people become comfortable and prepared to pursue higher education.  As a current master's student and former assistant to the Chancellor at USU Eastern, she is a great example for our young people to connect with.

Linda Lowe is our 4-H Literacy Director.  She is a former school teacher with lots of great ideas for how to make learning to read and getting comfortable with reading a hands-on experience.  Our literacy project will be focused on the K-2 grades (aka Cloverbuds) and Linda is working on what form that will take; could be reading-buddy program, library events, summer programs and so much more.  More details to come as we move forward.

Aris Biederman is our 4-H STEM Director.  We have been lucky to have Aris since last summer when she started as our student intern.  She has great ideas and passion for all things science-technology-engineering-math.  From leading the computer coding club, to starting the lego robotics league this Spring, to co-hosting a K-6 Science Camp with the school district this summer, Aris has definitely brought science to the plate here in Sevier County 4-H and its starting to take off!

Valerie Christensen will be working as a Teen Council Assistant Adviser directly responsible for implementing relationship education activities. Learning how to communicate with others, handling conflict, navigating boy/girl and peer-to-peer relationships is a big part of growing up.  Sevier County was chosen as part of a state wide project to train our teens on these skills that will impact them for the rest of their lives.  Valerie's kids have been involved in 4-H for several years and she is an active 4-H volunteer; we are lucky to have her on staff now as well.

Heather Bosh might not be a "new" face to Sevier County 4-H but we want to welcome her back for sure!  Heather will be taking the lead on Horse and Livestock projects in the program and working with Kim Chapman to help the youth involved in those project areas be successful.  Heather is from Aurora, previously worked as our Horse program assistant, has children involved in the program and her husband Jordan is the leader of one our Shooting Sports clubs.

WHEW!  Great things are happening in Sevier County 4-H and we are lucky to have such great people on our team. 

4-H Open House coming to a town near YOU!

Get the SCOOP on 4-H!

To kick off and highlight our new and existing 4-H programs we are hosting a series of events in February.  There will be opportunities to re-enroll, see some of the new things coming up, meet our staff members, ask questions, and have ICE CREAM!  Here are the details:

Wednesday, February 4th: 6 p.m. at South Sevier Middle School.  Come at 6 for a short introduction in the auditorium then meet us in the cafeteria to see all the great things 4-H has to offer.

Wednesday, February 11th: 3-6 p.m. at the North Sevier Rec Center in Salina.  This will be more of an open house style event; drop by afterschool, get some ice cream, and mingle with our staff to have your questions answered.

Wednesday, February 18th: 4-6 p.m. at the Richfield Youth Center.  Last chance!  Drop by any time, pick up some 4-H info and some ice cream and get signed up for programs coming up.

For questions about these events, please call Rebecca Mills at 435-893-0470 or email rebecca.mills@usu.edu 

Beef Ambassador Opportunity - DUE FEB 14TH!

The Utah Beef Ambassador program strives to provide an opportunity for youth to educate consumers about beef, including beef nutrition, food safety, the economic value of the beef industry, and stewardship practices of the beef industry.

For their efforts, winners will be awarded scholarships:

1^st- $1000.00

2^nd- $500.00

3^rd- $500.00

Along with the scholarships, these 3 finalists will then be recognized as Utah Beef Ambassadors. As Ambassadors they will be asked to attend events to represent the Utah Beef Cattle Association around the state. The first place winner will also win a trip to attend the National Beef Ambassador Program competition in September 2015. 

This looks like a great scholarship opportunity and experience. The application and more information is available by emailing Rebecca Mills (rebecca.mills@usu.edu) or coming into the 4-H office. All youth between the ages of 17 and 20 are eligible.  There's also a brochure available HERE.

If you have any further questions please contact Nikki Weston at (208)847-5243 or montyweston@yahoo.com

2015-2016 4-H State Officer Applications Available

The 2015-2016 4-H State Officer Applications are now available on 4-H Online! Youth must be currently enrolled in 4-H to access the application. The deadline for submission will be May 15^th, 2015. All youth grades 9-11 are encouraged to apply.

What is a 4-H State Officer?

A 4-H State Officer is an individual who has been elected by the 4-H youth body to represent Utah 4-H. State Officers are responsible for shaping the future of 4-H and are active on the State 4-H Volunteers Leaders Council. 4-H State Officers will have the opportunity to attend National 4-H Conference, National 4-H Congress, and a mission mandate-appropriate Summit. The Officers will then be charged with presenting at State Regional Summits on their specific areas, teaching about the mission mandate material they have learned at each event. They will also be charged with creating tracks for the Utah 4-H State Contests. When appropriate, the 4-H State Officers will be asked to present or help in other areas throughout the state.

There are four positions: President, Vice President of Science, Vice President of Healthy Living, and Vice President of Citizenship.  If you're interested in learning more, Rebecca can send you a copy of what is on the application.  This is a great opportunity for youth to get involved at the state level and make a difference in Utah 4-H!

JYC Camp Counselor application open!

The 2015 JYC Teen Leader application is available on 4-H Online. This will be available until the deadline of APRIL 15^th! Youth must be currently enrolled in 4-H to access the application - renew your membership or get enrolled today!

The JYC Teen Leader Positions are open to youth in grades 10-12. This Leadership opportunity provides Teen Leaders with a chance to plan, prepare, and facilitate an amazing youth conference for 4-Hers in 5^th and 6^th grades. JYC we be held this year on June 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th on the campus of Snow College in Ephraim, UT. (Teen Leaders will meet one day prior to the camp (June 7^th) at Snow College to prepare for the camp) The conference includes water games, workshops, a movie, a dance, fun at a recreation center, and much more!

Not only do Teen Leaders receive an amazing amount of leadership experience, but they also get to have a lot of fun! Each leader has such an amazing influence on the younger 4-Hers. Lifelong mentoring and friendships are created each year between the youth and their teen leaders.

This year we will have a mandatory planning/get to know you meeting that will be held on Saturday May 2^nd from around 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM. (We are tentatively planning on meeting at the Utah County Extension Office). Teens chosen as counselors will be required to attend.

We encourage all who are eligible to apply. 

ITS Kids Science Camp

Who can attend?
Youth in grades K-6 are invited to participate.

What is ITS Kids Science Camp?
Sevier County 4-H is partnering with your local teachers to bring you ITS Kids Science Camp. This weeklong summer adventure is all about exploring science and engineering through hands-on experiences and projects. Check back on Facebook and this blog to hear about the themes for this year.

When is this happening?
Camp will be held July 13-17 from 8:00AM to 4:00PM daily.

Where will this day camp take place?
Sevier County Fairgrounds, 410 E 200 S, Richfield, UT 84701

How do I sign up?
Visit www.itskids.eventbrite.com or swing by the 4-H office.
Register before April 30 to save $25!

Sponsored by: