Oahu 4-H - Newsletters

Happy New Year everyone! The holidays have passed, and I hope that everyone had a good time with friends and family. 2012 holds many opportunities as we set new goals and resolutions.

Thank you to the Farrington FCCLA for coordinating an excellent Communications Fair. All of our participants did well and I’m sure we all sharpened our public speaking and leadership skills.

More information has become available concerning the vegetarian workshop for the Food Show that will be held on Sunday January 8, 2012 at 1 p.m. in the Urban Garden Center. The class will be taught by a member of the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii. We’ll learn how to make a main dish, a pupu and a dessert using vegan recipes. Vegan means that the recipes have no eggs, dairy products, fish/seafood or meat. Please attend if you can. Send RSVPs to Mrs. Lockwood, cell phone 913-702-4764 or email mlockwood1@hawaii.rr.com.

Where:
Fort Shafter Flats (Lower), Bldg.1554
(Directions will be forthcoming)
Honolulu, HI

When:
Saturday, March 10, 2012

Time:
4:00 pm-9:00 pm

We will be celebrating the 40th annual Oahu County 4-H Food Show with the following theme: “EAT LOCAL, EAT HEALTHY”

"Vegetarian"
Select recipes that fall into the following vegetarian categories: lacto-vegetarian, ovo-vegetarian, pesco/pollo-vegetarian and vegan.

"Local Foods"
Use at least one half (1/2) cup of a locally grown, or raised in Hawaii produce and products such as guava, passion fruit, taro, daikon, choi sum, won bok, tofu, beef and home-raised eggs.

"Kraft Foods Products"
Include at least one-fourth (1/4) cup or 3 ounces of a Kraft Foods product. Check the Kraft website at http://www.kraftfoods.com for ideas.

The next WRLF meeting and Oahu County Leader's meeting to follow is scheduled for January 26, 2012. I am still working on setting up teleconference for the WRLF at UGC. Save that date for the late afternoon and evening meeting. More information will be coming out.

Nutrition Education for Wellness (NEW) is presenting “MyPlate”, a live webinar on January 19, 2012 at 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. HawaiiST. The webinar, designed to assist 4-H club leaders incorporate MyPlate into 4-H project activities will be presented by Julia Zee, MPH/ Registered Dietician, UH CTAHR CES. Although the webinar was originally intended for our OCONUS military club leaders, this also might be helpful for those that will be completing food show entry forms.

National 4-H has recently produced these two 4-H project resources. Copies are available (to borrow) from the UGC office. Check them out with Bea. Copies also can be purchased from the National 4-H Mall. These are great projects for 4-H members who are interested in natural resources.

This water conservation and water quality curriculum is grounded in a simple yet powerful concept that water is a finite natural resource whose quantity and quality must be responsibly preserved, protected, used, and reused. The curriculum includes six sequential learning modules.

Explore Your Environment - Earth's Capacity focuses on environmental stewardship and issues such as transportation choices, waste management, composting, recycling, and natural resources. The second unit - Ecosystems Service has youth engaging in hands-on activities that focus on our ecosystems, climate change, life cycles, ecological footprints, and living a sustainable life.

As spring slowly approaches, so does the annual fashion show!! Here’s some information to get you excited and start your sewing!

When: Saturday April 21, 2012 from 8am-2pm That is the tentative date. We are still waiting to hear back from the people at the auditorium. Our back up date is April 14th. (We hope this date is more convenient for many. Please be aware that parking will cost you $6 per car.)

Who: All 4-Hers!! We want everyone to participate!! You may enter as many garments as you like.

What: The annual Oahu County 4H Fashion Show! This year’s theme is “Seasons.” Obviously, there is spring, summer, autumn, and winter, so your garment can fit under any of those categories. We hope that is a versatile theme while having a cohesive look! Now, the theme doesn’t necessarily mean you must sew a coat if you choose winter, though that is an option. We thought it could go by seasonal colors instead so 4-Hers are free to sew whatever they want!

We also would appreciate if any clubs could sign up for some committees. We need all the help we can get!! Registration, Judges, Hospitality (food), Programs, Awards, and Clean up.

This year’s Communications Fair was a blast! Hosted by the Farrington FCCLA 4-H club, the Communication Fair was held at Farrington High School on December 10, 2011.

Twenty-four enthusiastic participants were supported by their loved ones as they shared their stories, poems, demonstrations, and PowerPoint presentations.

Farrington’s vice-principal, Ronald Oyama welcomed our 4-H families and guest. Then, our 4-H executive board recognized the judges for being a part of this island wide event, and all of the “first-time participants.” Each of the participants were awarded a ribbon and a certificate for their accomplishments.

Delicious refreshments were provided by the 4-H clubs! Thank you for being part of this event and we hope everyone had fun!

Rarely do I stay awake during key note
speakers much less listen. The 2011
National 4-H Congress was different.
These speakers actually penetrated my
thick skull and the even thicker fog that
clouds my brain when key note speakers
talk. It’s even more amazing that I actually
stayed awake and actually listened to all
the speakers during congress. From Dan
Thurmon who spoke at the Opening
Ceremony to Maggie Bergin, then, to Dr.
Eugen Schoenfeld who spoke at the
Inspirational Assembly, to Teresa Scanlan
(Miss America 2011) at the Congress Gala,
and finally to Dan Clark who closed the National Congress.

From Mr. Thurmon’s crazy juggling tricks that involved juggling sharp axes and knives I got the message that “we try to balance our lives but we never truly are balanced. We need to be off balanced in order grow and learn.” From Dr. Schoenfeld I learned a lot. I appreciate how he disclosed so much to us about his life in the interment camps and the struggles he went through during the holocaust. That was intense. What he wanted us to understand was that “God made humans imperfect so that we may work to be perfect. To be perfect we must put the ‘E’ after human and act humane.” The holocaust was an example of how far from perfect we humans are but it also shows that we can work towards being perfect. It’s all in how we treat each other.

I also learned from the other speakers but those two speakers are who I learned the most from. They truly spoke eye opening words to me. Mr. Thurmon made me realize that you shouldn’t get comfortable, always push yourself and be open minded while Dr. Schoenfeld opened my eyes to how we must act to be perfect. Even Shakespear said “Love all, trust half, and hurt none,” that is the secret to being humane. Love All.

Speed Meeting is similar to speed dating, you talk to different people for two minutes then we rotate. Within two minutes, I met wonderful people and had wonderful chats with them. The delegates would ask the same things, so I had the same answers. The delegates were very curious about our island and would ask the most weirdest and random-est things, yet I found it entertaining and fun to answer!

A New Friend
by Dwayne-Marie Edades

This year’s National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia was a great experience! I created new friends from Hawaii, and met people from all over our nation and Puerto Rico too! While attending a workshop titled "Join the Revolution," I met Danielle who is from Georgia. We hung out all day and I even met her mom! We shared our contact information and have continued to keep in touch.

4-H items are still available. Contact Wanda W. Kohashi, at wkohashi@hawaii.edu to place an order.

The National 4-H Conference is the premier youth development event for youth 4-H members (15-19 yrs.) who are actively engaged in 4-H programs across the U.S. and its territories. The conference is administered by 4-H National Headquarters of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

National 4-H Conference brings about 200 young 4-H leaders together each year for a working conference as they review the program and explore possibilities for improving it across the country. The high school aged 4-H members who attend will likely come home better prepared to lead groups in their county and state. Those who have attended from Hawaii for the past couple of years have played a major role in coordinating state wide events when they returned.

The Conference this year is March 24 – 29 at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, about a mile from the NW border of Washington, D.C. Hawaii will send a team of 4 youth and one adult chaperone. The total cost of this conference will be about $2,000/delegate, about half of which is covered by a donation to the Hawaii 4-H Foundation. Delegates will have to contribute about $1,000 from their own personal finances or possibly with assistance from their 4-H club or county 4-H program.

Applications are due February 10. The 4-H educator in the county must support the individuals who apply with a letter of recommendation but a county may have multiple applicants. Call any of the 4-H agents for an application.

Somerset County, PA 4-H Exchange Club

As a representative of the Somerset County, PA 4-H Exchange Club, I am writing to request that this e-mail be provided to any county extension agents or Exchange Club coordinators who may be interested in an inter-state exchange. We are in the process of planning our 2012-2013 exchange trip and would like to explore some states who have not listed adds on the 4-H exchange website.

Our Location: Somerset Co is in southwestern PA about 45 minutes south of Pittsburgh, exit 110 off the PA Turnpike.

Preferred Schedule: Travel in 2012/Host in 2013 - mid to late June is a target time period.

Experience: This will be the Exchange Trips 50th year anniversary for our county. In the past all trips have been planned by the Extension Office Staff, but due to budget cutbacks at Penn State, we are now a newly formed Exchange Club (reason for the lateness in this planning process).

County Info: Located in the "Laurel Highlands" we are on the eastern border of the Allegheny Plateau. Two ski resorts are located here - Seven Springs and Hidden Valley. There are many state forest, parks, and rivers which provide opportunities to hike, bike, whitewater raft, hunt, fish, and generally enjoy the outdoors. We also have the highest point in PA - Mt.Davis elevation 3,213 feet. Recently we have been in the world spot lite for Shanksville, PA - Flight 93 National Memorial, Quecreek Miners Rescue, and International Conservation Center for the Pittsburgh Zoo which is a 724 acre elephant sanctuary. Industries include coal, farming (beef, dairy, and produce), maple products, natural gas, and tourism. Population is about 80,000.

Hosting Info: This past year we hosted Stillwater Co, Mt and during the week there were in PA we toured Flight 93 Memorial, Seven Springs, Gettysburgh, and Hershay Park. We also traveled to Pittsburgh and went on a river boat - the Gateway Clipper. Other activity included square dancing a the Hayloft, family days for trips to the Johnstown Flood Museum/Kennywood & Sandle Castle Parks/ Fort Ligonier/Laurel Caverns/Maple Sugar Camps, etc....

EngineerGirl! 2012 Essay Contest

The National Academy of Engineering’s EngineerGirl! is pleased to announce their annual Essay Contest. Students are asked to write about the role of engineering in providing safe and nutritious food. Details and rules can be found on the EngineerGirl! website: http://www.engineergirl.org/CMS/Contest/food2012.aspx.

Participation is open to both girls and boys in grades 3-12 and submissions must be entered by 6:00 pm (EST) on March 1, 2012. All winning entries will be published on the EngineerGirl! website and winners will receive cash prizes: first place winners $500, second place winners $250, third place winners $100. The 2012 EngineerGirl! Essay Contest was made possible by the generous support of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

The EngineerGirl! website is designed to spark the curiosity of young people, girls in particular, and encourage them to consider careers in engineering. EngineerGirl! provides career descriptions, profiles of successful women engineers, information about exciting engineering projects, and interactive tools for girls, parents, teachers, and guidance counselors, all designed to encourage girls to pursue an engineering education and career. Launched in 2001, the site is visited by more than 18,000 unique visitors a month and has been featured by the Girl Scouts of America, the Society of Women Engineers, and local and national media in the United States and around the world. The #1 website on Google for “girls + engineering,” Engineer Girl! is a trusted and entertaining resource for young girls, parents, educators, and volunteer engineers involved in student outreach. In a 2011 poll, girls’ reported that viewing the EngineerGirl! website or participating in its annual essay contest caused 63% of them to consider a career in engineering and 81% to consider studying engineering in college. Please visit www.engineergirl.org to learn more.
MLK Day of Service

MLK Day of Service - January 16, 2012

Each year, Americans across the country come together on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service to serve their neighbors and strengthen their communities. Find more information below about MLK Day Grants and MLK Day Webinars.

Sodexo Youth Grants

YSA will award 100 Sodexo Youth Grants of $500 each to support youth-led service projects in the United States that address the issue of childhood hunger on Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2012). We're looking for projects that engage your peers, friends, families, neighbors, Sodexo employees, and other community members in creative, youth-inspired solutions to ending childhood hunger in your community. Over 17 million children in the United States live at risk of hunger. YSA and Sodexo are calling on young people, ages 5-25, to help make sure your peers don't have to worry about where their next meal will come from. Learn more at: www.YSA.org/grants/sodexoyouth

National STEM Video Game Challenge

Inspired by President Obama's Educate to Innovate Campaign, the National STEM Video Game Challenge is designed to motivate interest in STEM learning among America's youth by tapping into students' natural passion for playing and making video games. The contest is open to middle and high school students, college students, and educators. Deadline March 12, 2012. For more information, check out http://stemchallenge.org/

Kokua Hawaii Foundation Calendar Art Contest

It's time to start planning for the Kokua Hawai`i Foundation Calendar Contest! This year's theme is How do you Kokua Hawai`i? Hawai`i school-aged children grades K-12 are invited to participate. The deadline is February 11, 2012 and winning entries will be included in the 2012-13 school year Kokua Calendar. Students can use paint, crayons, pastels, fabric, collage, or mixed media from reused materials. This is a great way for kids to creatively raise awareness about taking care of our 'aina!

2012-12 National 4-H GIS/GPS Leadership Team

National 4-H Headquarters is pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2012-13 National 4-H GIS/GPS Leadership Team to continue the progress of 4-H community mapping. State/LGU 4-H programs are invited to submit an application for a team of teen 4-H members (minimum age 14) and adult GIS/GPS leaders for this national 4-H leadership opportunity.

Responsibilities, requirements and other details are included in the attached application. Participation includes a trip to San Diego to attend the 2012 Esri International GIS Conference with a hands-on GIS/GPS service project day at the Tijuana Slough U.S. Fish & Wildlife refuge in late July. Teams are responsible for securing their own funding for this trip. Teams considering this opportunity are encouraged to explore potential funding opportunities in advance of submitting their application.

Are you one of the nation's best young world-changers? Do Something Award nominees and winners represent the pivotal "do-ers" in their field, cause, or issue. In 2012 (up to) five finalists will be rewarded with a $10,000 community grant, media coverage and continued support from DoSomething.org. The grand prize winner will receive $100,000 during the nationally televised broadcast. http://dsorg.us/t5wklU

Happy Holidays from the 4-H Million Trees Project!

This is a great time to celebrate the success of the 4-H Million Trees Project this past year. Since the project started in Spring, 2007, over 41,000 youth have planted more than 340,000 trees. 4HMT continues to expand all over the world, from the U.S. to Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Africa. With 50,000 trees planted this year by 4HMT-KENYA and another 250,000 planned there in 2012, we are well on our way to one million. But we still need help from around the globe!

Thanks for your support of this project, because the Earth needs more people spreading the word about climate change and the importance of planting trees!

4-H Power of Youth

For additional articles on 4-H youth development nationwide, check out the National 4-H Clover Corner News at http://www.4hblogs.org/ccn/

If you have a disability and require special assistance during any of our planned 4-H activities, please call the applicable County Extension 4-H Youth Development Agent two weeks prior to the event.

Where: Fort Shafter Flats (Lower), Bldg.1554 (Directions will be forthcoming) Honolulu, HI

When: Saturday, March 10, 2012

Time: 4:00 pm-9:00 pm