Oahu 4-H - Newsletters

Sadly, this will be the last 'president's message' I will be writing for the Oahu county 4-H organization. I hope all of you enjoyed this past 4-H year as much as I did serving as President. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful organization for youth. I hope that this organization will continue to flourish and grow! I would like to send my congratulations and good luck to the upcoming executive board under the leadership of Aunty Rose and Kyrra. I'm sure you all will succeed in making the years to come great ones! The last event for this year will be the Achievement banquet in August. I look forward to seeing you all there! I'll be sure to come visit at future events, and hopefully I'll be able to help out a little.
Doomo Arigato, again!

A big mahalo to all the clubs that came out to the 4-H car wash fundraiser. Thank you to the following clubs: Double Deckers II, Clover Kids, Warriors, Just Us and Aunty Rose. Also thank you to all the clubs that donated money to the 4-H Organization. I appreciate all those who participated in this fundraiser, with hard work and great enthusiasm. Thank you again.

“The Climb”
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Moanalua High School Cafeteria
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

All 4-H members and volunteer leaders are invited to attend the 2009 Oahu 4-H Achievement and Volunteer Recognition Banquet. Guests are welcome.

The cost is:
Registered 4-H Members (11-19 years old): $16.50
Registered 4-H Members (4-10 years old): $9.00
Guests (11 years - adults): $19.00
Guests (youth, 4-10 years old): $10.00
Guests (3 years and below): FREE
Registered 4-H Volunteers: FREE

All clubs/participants are encouraged to bring a dessert to share and Silent Auction items to donate. Proceeds of the Silent Auction will go to the Oahu 4-H Organization.

Watch for the informational flyer/invitation by e-mail. The deadline to register and make payment is Wednesday, July 29, 2009.

Liane Tanigawa, who teaches science at Pearlridge Elementary was one of two Hawaii public school teachers among more than 100 science, math and engineering teachers and mentors honored recently by President Barack Obama with Presidential Awards for Excellence.

Ms. Tanigawa was also one of two teachers who helped put together our 4-H Malama I Ka Pono science curriculum which is being used for our week long 4-H day camps at the Urban Garden Center.

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to the best pre-college-level science and math teachers from across the country.

Oahu County 4-H Agents Claire Nakatsuka and Rose Saito are conducting Science Day Camps for third and fourth graders at the Urban Garden Center during July 6 - 10th and 13 - 17th. Two Certified Teachers Jenna Kanaya and Michael Fricano are conducting the camp which runs from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm for 5 days. Each week a new group of students attend the sessions.

The students do science experiments on what plants need to grow and record their findings. They do an earthworm hunt and do experiments on what conditions earthworms enjoy. They study isopods and see whether they like cold, room temperature, or warm conditions. Each day has a different theme. They do ice breakers, prepare a nutritious snack, do an art project and have a group reading. Gathering the comments and seeing the interactions from the student during the first week, the students are learning and having fun too.

Four 4-Hers had a golden opportunity to sharpen their demonstration skills and do a presentation to 300 Japanese Farmers and their families who were on tour in Hawaii. The scene was on the roof top of the Convention Center where the Japanese Families gathered for a Hawaiian Fureai Fiesta with exhibits from the local farmers and the "All Star Demonstrators"... Valerie Inafuku teaching Fresh Anuenue Lettuce Wraps, Tobi Kaneshiro demonstrating bacon with fresh Waialua Asparagus, Staci Kohashi showing how to make her famous Chinese Chicken Salad using May’s Romaine Lettuce and Erin Voss using her cooking skills and explaining how to make Somen Salad using local grown cucumbers. If you think doing a demonstration in English is hard, try doing it all in Japanese. Thanks to Staci and Erin who did their presentation in Japanese. Overall it was an excellent opportunity for these 4-Hers to use their skills and sharing their recipes. They also had to prepare enough samples for about 150 people. While doing their demonstration, the Convention Center's media department video the presentation to show it on TV throughout the roof top.

Any military family (active duty, reserve, guard) who has experienced or will experience a deployment is invited to attend. All lodging and food costs are covered, except for a $20 per person registration fee.

FAMILY CAMP is a perfect way to have a great mini family getaway at a very affordable price! Family camp provides all meals, accommodations and activities! All you need to do is come out relax and enjoy.

WHY: Through a network of community partners, such as the YMCA of Honolulu and Camp Erdman, OMK provides youth program opportunities for school age, middle school and teenaged youth and connects them to support resources where they live. OMK and the YMCA understand the need for youths, and their families to have time together in a supportive environment to rest and recover from the stress of a recent deployment, or to spend quality time together due to a current deployment or someone is soon to be deployed.

These camps are being provided by Operation: Military Kids. Operation: Military Kids (OMK) is the U.S. Army's collaborative effort with America's communities to support the children and youth impacted by deployment. This initiative was launched in April 2005. Operation: Military Kids, as part of the 4-H/Army Youth Development Project, is a vital part of the Army Integrated Family Support Network (AIFSN) delivery system. 4-H is a major partner in the OMK program.

As the school year is starting in late July so is the KAMP program. Oahu County will be receiving $6000.00 from the Weinberg Endowment to carry out the program to about 20 schools in the Windward, Central and Leeward school districts. KAMP is a transitional program for both kindergartners and their parents on the first day of school. The parents attend school with their child and go through the day experiencing what the child will do upon entering kindergarten. This program has been going on for about 10 years.

Rose Saito

Have you ever wondered how the GPS (Global Positioning System) on your car works? Well, the Warriors 4-H Club learned that multiple space-born satellites send down signals that show satellites position. Then the GPS unit finds its location based on how it is situated to these satellites and their respective signals.

On May 31st, the Warriors participated in a geospatial activity at the State Capitol District located in Downtown, Honolulu. Each four person group was given a GPS unit, a compass, a set of coordinates, and was asked to find hidden treasures strewn on the grounds of the State Capitol, State Library, and Iolani Palace. Using the compass to reference north, the GPS showing where they were, and the coordinates telling where to go, each team used logic to find their objectives. Not all teams found all the treasures, but everyone tried their best.

However, before this all happened, the Warriors took part in a few practice runs at club meetings. Each person group learned the proper use and care of a compass and a navigation technique called triangulation. The students also learned how a GPS unit worked and how to use it. The Warriors were well prepared for the big scavenger hunt.

Much mahalos to Uncle Adrian Lee for planning the GPS activities…and helping the Warriors navigate to the future.

Hawaii 4-H recently received a Healthy Living grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation. Under the direction of 4-H agent Laura Kawamura and State 4-H Program Leader, Dr. Gary Heusel, each county will be seeking “Health Leadership Teams” that will consist of two youth and one adult. The teams selected will attend a training on Kauai the weekend of September 25th - 27th. Following the September training, teams will then return to their communities to involve “youth and adults in this program to increase their level of physical activity during a six week period of planned activities designed to change exercise habits for life.” The goal of this grant statewide will be that by February 1, 2010, at least 800 youth and 200 adults will have engaged in the six weeks of planned physical activities designed to change their exercise habits for life.

With current flu outbreaks, it is more important than ever to avoid germs. The washing of hands is one the most easy and effective ways to counter germs. Michael Voss has shared this message throughout the 4-H community, however, this time it was a little more special. On June 12th Michael, along with the Warriors 4-H Club, and the Germ City tent, went to Waimanalo Beach Park for the Relay for Life. Michael gave an enlightening speech and demonstration on hand washing. He explained proper hand washing techniques and invited everyone to participate in the Germ City exhibit.

Germ City is an interactive guide to hand washing. A special gel, representing germs was put on participants hands; it could only be seen under the black lights within the tent. The goal was to remove all the invisible gel from their hands, using skills learn from Michael’s prior speech. Upon returning to the tent, participant could see if they removed all the germs. Many participants removed most of the gel, although the area under the finger nails and the webbing between the fingers were common missed areas. Participants were also given goals for the week and some reminders in the form of pencils and handouts.

Relay for Life was a success, especially for all the “walkers” and cancer survivors who participated. It also was a success for the Warriors, and the community who learned the importance of hand washing and keeping healthy.

Operation Homefront is once again organizing Freedom Walk, scheduled for Friday, September 11, 2009, as a continuing tradition to renew our commitment to freedom and the values of our country, to honor our military members, and to reflect on the lives lost on September 11.

We would be honored if you would personally join us for this 1 1/4 walk which begins at the Department of the Navy's ball field by Valkenburgh and Main Street, and ends by Lynch Field.

* Free Event Commemorative T-shirts will be available on a first-come/first-served basis. Please email us for your shirt size. *Free bottled water for event participants.

Kids! If you have a green thumb, think growing food in your own garden is cool, or are a lover of fresh,
healthy vegetables, organizers of Food Independence Day want you to submit a vision video sharing Why Im a Victory Grower.

Is your dream to become a farmer and spend your days outside in the field? Do you hope to one day feed others with the food you grow? That makes you a Victory Grower, and one of hundreds of thousands of kids
who realize growing your own food is fun, healthy and patriotic.

Food Independence Day is a grassroots group of individuals encouraging others to celebrate this 4th of July and the entire summer by eating food grown locally. The Why Im a Victory Grower video campaign is a
way for kids who love garden food to share their stories and celebrate food independence.

To participate and receive a free one-year membership and a packet of seeds from Seed Savers, log on to TELAVISION (www.telavision.tv) to access the free tools that will help you easily create a vision video.
Tell us why you're a Victory Grower and how that affects who you want to be and what you want to do in the future. Maybe you just really like playing in the dirt, but deep down, gardening, farming or otherwise raising good food supports the American economy, preserves natural resources and can help stamp out hunger.

Tell us your Why I'm a Victory Grower story by September 1, and your vision video could be one of five selected to be shown to important leaders in the good food movement at the Institute for Agriculture and
Trade Policy (IATP) Food and Society Fellows Summit in Washington, D.C., September 9-11, 2009.

Creating your vision video is fun and easy. Take photos of your garden, the fresh vegetables on your dinner plate, the farmers market or community garden, local farms or choose from free images from the Food and Society Fellows flickr site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fasfellows/favorites ) and combine them with music and graphics from the TELAVISION Web site. Most importantly, make the video your vision by sharing your
ideas, experiences and goals for the future. Just watch the easy-to-follow tutorials at www.telavision.tv/tutorials or visit http://foodindependenceday.org/post/116892037/telavision for instructions.

On 4-H National Youth Science Day, October 7th, young people across the nation will get a chance to examine one of the most important issues facing our nation today—energy. Youth will discover, learn and have a blast exploring alternative fuels through Biofuel Blast, the National Science Experiment.

Developed in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension and Wisconsin 4-H, the experiment is designed to spark an early interest in the sciences—all part of 4-H's bold goal to engage a million new young people in science, engineering and technology programs by 2013.

You can find everything you need to participate in 4-H National Youth Science Day online at www.4-H.org/NYSD. The site has lots of useful information, including the experiment facilitator's guide, interactive tools, event planning kits and much more. Plus, new features, information and promotions will be added in the months and weeks leading up to October 7th—so make sure to register to receive event updates today.

We're looking forward to another successful 4-H National Youth Science Day!

Best Buy wants to empower teens, so they have pledged to donate money to charitable organizations that support teens. Best Buy is donating $1 million, and teens who are registered on at15.com decide where the money goes! Teens earn points by completing activities on at15.com. The more teens participate, the more points are earned. Some activities are worth a few points some are worth a lot. Four times a year you give your points away - to the featured charity partners on at15.com you believe in most. Every three months, we add up all the points, divide up that big stash of cash, and donate it. http://www.at15.com/changeexchange

4-H Clover Corner News
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.

Oahu 4-H Newsletter Online