July 2009

Statewide 4-H Online Calendar
4-H Science, Engineering and Technology Updates

• Based on 4-H YDP staff feedback, we are moving the monthly release of 4-H UPDATES to the 15th of each month. The 4-H SET UPDATES will now be released on the 1st of each month.
  
  Showing Our Value - In these uncertain and challenging economic times it is even more important for all those associated with California's 4-H Youth Development to look for ways to show the important value the 4-H YDP provides to youth, families, communities and the field of youth development. To assist in sharing a consistent message, I am sending to the Regional Directors (RDs), several support documents that highlight the recent impact of the California 4-H YDP. I am asking the RDs to forward these documents to County Directors (CD) for their use in important county budget negotiations. I encourage you to have conversations with your CD about the specific value of your local 4-H programs and offer to adapt these materials to showcase your local programming. Your CD is responsible for all county UCCE programs and any promotions of the 4-H YDP must be approved and in concert with the CD. I applaud everyone's united efforts to publicize how the 4-H Youth Development Program continues to use research and knowledge to improve the lives of California's youth, families, and communities!
  
  

• 4-H Involvement Makes a Difference!
  Youth who participated in 4-H at least twice per month:
  
  
  • Showed greater confidence
  • Reported higher grades
  • Were 1.6 times more likely to plan to go to college
  • Scored higher on civic identity and engagement measures
  • Had a greater ability to express opinions on community issues
  • More likely to help neighbors and bond with adults and teachers
  
  
  
  
• Serving as a 4-H Officer Pays Dividends
  Annually, over 5,900 California 4-H youth participate in elected leadership roles, serving as club and council officers and providing project expertise and guidance to younger youth. Research shows that this early involvement in civic leadership is a proven potential for earning higher income in later life. 4-H youth who participate in these leadership activities have also been shown to participate at a greater level in other school and community leadership roles.
  
  

• Leland Named Executive Director - California 4-H Foundation
  
  Annette Leeland has been appointed Executive Director of the California 4-H Foundation. Leland, who will be relocating to Davis, will assume her new responsibilities on July 6.
  
  Leeland earned a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Utah and a master's degree in social and cultural anthropology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.
  
  She brings to the position 15 years experience in fund development. Most recently, she served as Vice President - Fund Development for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Anchorage, Alaska and prior to that, Executive Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Livingston, Montana. During her 10 years with Big Brothers Big Sisters, she demonstrated tremendous success in increasing private funds for program support. Moreover, Leeland has a strong interest in youth development as further evidenced by her earlier teaching and counseling work with at-risk teens.
  
  Originally from California, she is very pleased to have relocated to California and equally pleased to be joining the California 4-H Foundation.
  
  
  
• Greetings for Military Kids:  Is your club looking for a fun service project to help military children?  Well look no more!  Operation Military Kids (OMK) supports California’s military youth by providing them with Hero Packs.  One of the items we include in each pack is a letter of support and encouragement written by another California youth.  If your club would like to write letters to military kids or learn more about how your club can get involved in the OMK hero pack project, please contact Sylena Wise at the CA 4-H State Office, smwise@ucdavis.edu. 
  
  

• The South Section Teen Council has released the 2010 Teen Involvement Conference Workshop Proposal Forms, due July 13, 2009 in preparation for participation in the 2010 Conference, scheduled for January 13-17, 2010 at Pathfinder Ranch in Mountain Center, CA. 4-H members from across California are encouraged to attend! Proposal forms and more information can be found at: http://ss4h.org/teen. 
  
  
• 4-H Summer Camp for Military Youth
  Special funding was made available for military youth in California ages 9-17 to attend 4-H camps free of charge. Lodging, recreational activities and meals are included.
  Camp locations and dates are as follows:
  July 12-16 Central/North CA: 4-H Camp Cisco Grove
  July 18-22 Northern CA: 4-H Camp Tehama
  July 20-25 Central/North CA: 4-H Camp Cisco Grove
  For camp registration information visit our website at http://www.ca4h.org/military/jfsap/index.asp or contact Jeanne Christenson at 530-219-6608 or email, jpchristenson@ucdavis.edu.
  
  
• 4-H Stories from 4-H Record Books submitted to the State Office on or before July 31, 2009 will be entered for a chance to win a $25 certificate. Click here for more information on submission guidelines and to upload and submit your story on-line. Please contact the State 4-H Office, 530-754-8518 for questions. 
  
  
• Volunteer Opportunities:
  The Army Reserve is requesting 4-H's help with some upcoming Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) Events. Several units in California are preparing for the upcoming YRRP events that focus on preparing, sustaining, and reintegrating our Soldiers and Families throughout their deployment cycles. If you would like to showcase your 4-H club or volunteer your time by providing fun youth activities for military kids during the event please contact Sylena Wise at 530-752-8585 or smwise@ucdavis.edu. Funding is available to purchase supplies for these events.
  • Los Angeles, CA-- August 8, 2009 from 9:30 am to 4 pm.
  
  
• Help Staff 4-H Booth at California State Fair
  Once again The California 4-H Foundation is recruiting 4-H members and leaders to help staff the 4-H booth at the California State Fair (August 21 - September 7). This is a great opportunity for 4-H members and volunteers to share with the public their 4-H experiences, as well as, the wide range of projects and leadership opportunities that are available to youth through participation in the California 4-H Youth Development Program.  Small 4-H projects are welcome to accompany you (robots, rabbits, arts/crafts, service dogs, etc.) to give the public a “feel” for what types of projects are available.  Examples of service projects also make for good stories to share with the public.  Please feel free to bring photo albums or record books with you to show anyone who may be interested in learning even more about your 4-H project.
  Parking passes and fair admission tickets will be provided to 4-H members and adults who sign up for a 2-hour shift.  A maximum of 4 youth and 2 adults per shift will be allowed.  Further, each shift must have an adult or older teen in the booth at all times. To sign-up, please visit http://www.ca4h.org/wrp/statefair/.  
  
  
• Youth ages 10-15 are invited to attend the 3rd Annual Kids Culinary Convention and Conference, September 19, 2009 in Sacramento, CA. Youth and parents may register starting Aug. 15. The conference is an opportunity for youth to experience and learn about food, from preparation, hands-on cooking to the benefits of healthy eating habits. Visit: http://www.jrchefcentral.com for more information.
  
  

• Are you planning a service-learning project for next year? Each year the California State 4-H Office provides funds to members and volunteer leaders for service-learning projects through the California 4-H Service Learning RFP. Groups can request up to $5,000 to fund activities that address significant environmental, economic and/or social issues affecting California's youth, families, and communities. The Service Learning RFP application and information is available on the web at: http://www.ca4h.org/citizenship/funding/index.asp. Examples of past projects are also listed. The application is due September 15, 2009.
  
  
• 4-H club support funding is available through the Bob and Pat Dean Memorial Legacy Fund for California 4-H members or volunteers. Funding is intended for activities that meet the following criteria: 1) enable youth to develop citizenship, leadership, or life skills; 2) support the development of new and innovative 4-H projects benefiting 4-H members; 3)increase public awareness of the 4-H Youth Development Program; 4)expand the reach of the 4-H Youth Development Program (new youth, new audiences); 5) provide continuing benefits to the applicant's local 4-H Club or project. Application information is available at: http://www.ca4h.org/citizenship/funding/. Applications are due September 15, 2009.
  
  

• 2009-2010 State 4-H Ambassadors Announced - We are pleased to announce that twenty outstanding 4-H youth have been selected to serve as 2009-2010 State 4-H Ambassadors. The 4-H State Ambassador is one of the highest service opportunities and recognition attainable in the 4-H YDP. Over the next 14 months, they will serve the 4-H YDP through both education and service and act as state 4-H representatives to various local, sectional and statewide programs and activities; including providing public presentations, workshops and leadership development opportunities. A major responsibility for the group will be the planning and implementation of the 4-H State Leadership Conference.

  
  The following California 4-H youth are congratulated on this honor:
  

  Austyn Smith, Merced County
  Rachel Coe, Santa Clara County
  Cherry Chico, Shasta County
  Shelby Wagner, Sacramento County
  Melissa Withrow, Sacramento County
  Cynthia Hinde, Sonoma County
  Rhiannon Stark-Willingham, San Diego County
  Holly Rogers, San Diego County
  Stephanie Ya-Wen Kwan, Los Angeles County
  Jessica Ya-Yun Kwan, Los Angeles County
  Ryan Cleland, Butte County
  Kylie Deal, Butte County
  Victoria Hamilton, Sonoma County
  William Simmons, Solano County
  Jazmine Jackson, Madera County
  Emily Hamilton, Tuolumne County
  Grant Oliveira, Kings County
  Darren Coates, San Benito County
  Ashley Coates, San Benito County
  Katy Byers, Madera County

  
  
  

• The recent issue of the Journal of Research on Adolescence includes two new articles addressing adolescent participation in youth development programs. The first article, "Patterns of Early Adolescents' Participation in Youth Development Programs Having Positive Youth Development Goals," used data from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. The second article, "Predictors of Adolescent Participation in Organized Activities: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study," serves as an additional resource for updated research on youth development. To read the full journal articles, visit: http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=1050-8392. 
  
  

• For Staff: The Office of Disability and Employment Policy has released a document that serves as an outline and support piece in planning the utilization of resources provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The document is an overview of sources of funding available for direct services to youth ages 13-24. Click here to access the full document.
  
  
• For Staff: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has released a document containing recommendations for reducing the spread of the novel Influenza A (H1N1) virus in day, residential or overnight camp environments. To access the document, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/camp.htm. 
  
  
  
  
• For Staff: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) has announced an opening with Families, 4-H and Nutrition, Nutrition and Family Sciences, for a National Program Leader (Child and Adolescent Development). The position is open to all U.S. citizens and the deadline for application submission is July 27, 2009. The position announcement number is: CSREES-2009-0082. Type the vacancy number in the keyword search. Visit: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/a9csrees.asp to view position description and to apply.
  
  
• For Staff: 2009 Enrollapoluza: 4-H Enrollment & Policy Workshops will provide staff with the most up-to-date enrollment and data management information as well as rollout the new 4-H Handbook. We are excited about the opportunity to provide these hands-on and interactive trainings that will use both online and face-to-face technologies. Please register online http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=3778 by July 1st.
  July 6-7, 2009: Shasta College, Redding
  July 8-9, 2009: Los Angeles County 4-H Office
  July 13-14, 2009: Tulare County 4-H Office
  July 15-16, 2009: UC Davis, Heidrick Western Center for Ag Equipment
  
  
• For Staff: The Board on Human Sciences (BoHS), Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities has invited individuals to nominate and submit an application for any of the four awards of excellence they've established. If you would like to nominate a person you know whose work has contributed to furthering the mission of human sciences and similar disciplines in colleges and universities. Nominations should be submitted electronically to Sharon Junge, skjunge@ucdavis.edu at the State 4-H Office by July 31, 2009. The nomination letter will be a single document that contains 1) a nomination letter detailing the nominee's outstanding achievements and contributions to advancing the human sciences; and, 2) the nominee's vita. The selected candidate will be contacted later for submission of additional information to BoHS.
  
  

• For Staff: Ready, S.E.T., Go! Afterschool Professional Development Train-the-Trainer Workshops have been announced. Trainees will receive training manuals designed especially for afterschool settings. Trainings will be held on:

  • August 5, Watsonville
  • September 30, San Diego
  Visit, http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=3652 to register for a training.  
  
  
  
  
• For Staff: Please remember to request 4-H administrative materials using the on-line WRP system by July 1. Orders will be sent out after that time. Please contact the State 4-H Office, 530-754-8518 for any questions.
  
  
• For Staff: Mark your calendars for these upcoming trainings for Volunteer Development Modules. Trainings have been scheduled at several locations across California.
  Sept. 16-17, 2009: Riverside, Highlander Hall, Room 200
  September 30-Oct. 1, 2009: UC Davis, Joe A. Heidrick, Sr. Western Center for Agricultural Equipment
  October 7-8, 2009: San Luis Obispo, UCCE Auditorium
  October 21-22, 2009: Hanford, AG Multipurpose Room, Ste. F
  This year, the trainings will include the following new modules: Essential Elements, Youth Adult Partnerships, Experiential Learning, Cultural Awareness and 4-H Safety. For training questions, contact Mignonne Pollard at mypollard@ucdavis.edu.
  
  
  
  
• For Staff: Save the Date for a Statewide Youth Traffic Safety Summit being planned for September, 19-20, 2009 in Anaheim, CA. Click here to for more details on the event. Registration and hotel reservation information will be available soon.
  
  
  
  
• For Staff: California to Host CYFAR Conference in 2010 - Sharon Junge, Acting Director
  San Francisco will be the location of the 2010 Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Conference.  Running from May 4-7, 2010, at the Downtown Marriott Hotel, the conference will feature the latest research, best practices, and project resources of the land-grant system to assist at-risk audiences meet basic needs, build skills and competencies, and create sustainable opportunities.
  The CYFAR conference also provides a wonderful showcase for many of California’s diverse youth, family, and community development programs and new opportunities for staff development.  As the host state and chair for the conference, I will be appointing California staff to serve as co-chairs or members of many of the conference committees.  If you are interested in being considered for any of these leadership roles please send me an email at skjunge@ucdavis.edu.
  Committees include: Registration/Facilities, Program, Research & Keynote Sessions, Technology, Interacts, Early childhood, School-age, Teen, Parent/Family, Community, Program Showcase, Evaluation, National Learning Priorities, and 4-H Military Partnerships.
  Mark your calendars!  More information will be available this summer.
  
  
  
  
• For Staff: If you are working on a 4-H project that focuses on youth, Pre-K to 5th grade, learning about food, you may be interested in a free resource offered by North Carolina Agriculture in the Classroom. This resource is a set of free lesson activities to use in teaching about MyPyramid, a food guide developed by the USDA. The lessons address the importance of nutrition and builds on multiple academic subjects. Visit http://www.ncagintheclassroom.com/, today for more information.
  
  
• For Staff: The Society for Research on Adolescents is inviting professionals in the field of youth development to submit their research papers for inclusion in the Journal of Research on Adolescence (JRA). For any questions on submission practices, please contact the Managing Editor at jra@s-r-a.org. To stay updated on the latest in the adolescent research, visit http://www.s-r-a.org/ today.
  
  
  
  
• For Staff: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced the newly redesigned website for the Guide to Community Preventive Services. Visit http://www.TheCommunityGuide.org for information and research on program and service planning, public health practice issues and more. 
  
  
• For Staff: Penn State University has created two on-line searchable databases of 4-H studies. The first database, "Making the Best Even Better: Searchable Database of Over 800 4-H Research Studies, Agricultural Experiment Station Projects, Journal Articles and Proceedings and Other Papers" is available here. The second database, "Making the Best Better: Searchable Database of 1700 4-H Graduate Studies" can be found here. Dr. Jan Scholl of PSU would like to extend an invitation for submissions of recent 4-H research studies, a thesis or dissertations to the database. Contact Dr. Scholl at jscholl@psu.edu.
  
  

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