APRIL 4-H UPDATE 
Hello 4-H'ers!

March flew by! I hope you all followed and enjoyed the pictures shared from the Teen Ambassador's trip to Austria on Chris Clover. Be sure to ask them to see the videos- they have become quite the Austrian dancers. All kidding aside, we toured dozens of farms and spent two days in their high school equivalent- which was like nothing offered here stateside! The opportunity was one I am sure our teens will never forget.

A few important events in April and May to look forward to as well as scholarship opportunities. Our Spring Leader's Forums are also coming up- May 3rd or May 5th, registration will be sent out soon.

I will be out of the office 4/9- 13 but will be back on 4/16- getting ready for Fashion Revue!
As always, if you have any questions, email me at cmm473@cornell.edu!

-Cassie
4-H Fairbook Cover Contest!

            Click here for more information!

Entries must be submitted by 4/13.

CONTEST RULES
All entries must be on 8 1/2 x 11 white paper. Include the OFFICIAL 4-H CLOVER with no specific club name or leader references.

All entries must depict the range of 4-H projects in the County, including items in the Exhibit Hall as well as Agriculture.

Include your name, club, and age on the back.
     Be creative.
Career Explorations
June 26-28, 2018.

Nearly 500 4-H youth and chaperones will attend this action-packed, three-day event to immerse themselves in exploring their future education, career opportunities, and to experience Cornell University and campus life! Cornell faculty and graduate students conduct engaged-learning workshops in two age-specific tracks: 

1)   Focus for Teens programs for youth entering grades 10-12
2)   University U programs for youth entering grades 8-9

Over 20 programs are offered to help youth understand what a particular career field entails, what type of education they would need to pursue, and to learn from the experiences of the Program Facilitators.

For more information, click here.

Registration closes in early June, but best to register early to get your choice in areas! Cost $260 per participant. Scholarships available.
Animal Crackers
Dairy Cattle and Rabbits – Sat. May 5, 2018
The annual Animal Crackers program provides New York youth with fun, hands-on, science-oriented learning experiences on Animal Science topics. This workshop is for 4-H members interested in learning more about their favorite livestock, companion or pet animal species; emphasis on different species groupings and activities varies annually. Participants will learn about different aspects of animal care, interact and exchange information with faculty, staff, students, professional producers, industry experts, and more, utilizing the unique facilities of Cornell University. Hands-on workshops are planned for each species group.

For more information, including program schedule, click here.

Cost: $15 per participant. Contact Cassie to register by 4/23.
Equine and Dairy 101
May 11/12. This one-night two-day 4-H Dairy & Equine Camp will be held at Morrisville State College. 4-H youth ages 13-19 years of age are eligible to participate in this camp/college experience. Participants choose to participate in either the dairy or equine tract. All sessions will be taught by Morrisville State College faculty and other professionals in the industries.

The cost for the program is $100 per 4-H participant ($75 per chaperone). For more information on this awesome program or to register, call Jennifer Collins at the Herkimer County 4-H office at 315-866-7920. Registration is also available online here.
4-H Capital Days!
May 20-22, 2018.

4-H Capital Days is an event that gives youth, ages 14 and older, an opportunity to meet and interact with legislators and tell their 4-H story. 4-H Capital Days creates awareness of career opportunities in New York State government, better understand state government, and network with delegates from other counties.

For more information: https://nys4-h.org/capital-days

Registration and payment due to Cassie by 4/18. Cost $225, includes lodging, meals, and program activities. Scholarships available.
Cosette Veeder-Shave at the Capital Days event in 2017.
4-H Horse Clinic
Clinic Registration is now open! Join us at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds for 3 fun-filled days in July, followed by an all youth horse show!

For more information check out the un-mounted clinic registration and the mounted clinic registration.
Forestry Weekend
Join youth from across the state for a weekend of forestry activities, games, and competition. This three-day event is for youth aged 10 and up (as well as staff and volunteers) interested in learning more about forests, and to select the NYS team that will go to the 2018 National 4-H Forestry Invitational (must be 14-19 for the national event).

For more information click here.
Mandatory Livestock Sale Meetings
Don't forget!

All 4-H'ers considering selling their animals in the Livestock Sale must attend one of the Mandatory Meetings.

Option 1: April 17th
Option 2: May 4th
Opportunities for 4-H'ers
 If you are interested in attending any 4-H event, please keep in mind there are often local and state scholarships available!  Submit the  General Event Scholarship Application application with your event registration!

DUTCHESS COUNTY DAIRY COMMITTEE SCHOLARSHIP
Posted under Member Resources - Scholarships! Click here.

SPLASH at Cornell!
Splash! at Cornell is pleased to announce that registration for our Spring 2018 event, which will be held on Saturday, April 28th, is now open. Our program invites 7th-12th grade students to Cornell’s Ithaca campus twice per year to take classes taught by undergraduate students. In the spirit of our motto - “teach anything, learn anything” - our teachers choose their own class topics, allowing them to teach what they’re most passionate about, and providing students with the opportunity to explore just about anything that interests them. Students may register for Splash! classes on a first-come, first-serve basis through our website , after creating an account . The class catalog is also available on our website and includes a wide range of exciting classes.

All students will receive a Splash! t-shirt, notepad, and lunch. We will also be providing some programming for guardians who wish to stay for the day. This will include information sessions and sample Splash! courses.

Please note that the cost of Splash! is $25, but generous financial aid is available for those families to whom the cost might prove an obstacle to attendance. If you have any questions, please check out our Q&A pages here and here , email us at splashcornell@gmail.com , or call us at (909) 713-4830!

Citizens Preparedness Training - Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 6:30 PM
19 Tucker Drive Poughkeepsie - Town of Poughkeepsie Police Community Room
.. a special presentation for teens ...
Event is FREE and open to the public.
  • Acquire the tools and resources to better prepare for any type of disaster
  • Learn how to respond accordingly in a disaster and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions
  • Each participant will receive a Free Preparedness Kit

For More Information: (845) 486-2080 or www.dutchessny.gov

Calling All Young Writers!
Become a part of the Millbrook Literary Festival’s 10th anniversary celebration on May 19, 2018 by submitting an original POEM to this year’s competition. All writers will have their work included in the Young Writers Showcase 2018 publication.
Guidelines for Entering:
The Showcase is open to students between 8 and 18 years of age. Three gift cards to Merritt Bookstore will be awarded in each age group: 8 - 12 and 13 - 18 First prize winners will receive a $20 gift card Two Runners up will each receive a $10 gift card Finalists will be announced on May 1st.
Finalists must read their poem at the festival on May 19 to be eligible for a prize.

  • One entry per student
  • Each entry must be typed and no longer than 20 lines
  • Entry must include the student’s name, age/grade, school, and telephone number
  • By submitting your entry, you are giving permission for your work to be published.**

Write on a subject of your choice. Your entry can be something already written during this school year, or something written especially for the Showcase. Entries must be typed and submitted electronically to fountainpress1@yahoo.com.
Deadline for entries is April 15, 2018
For more information about the festival go to www.millbrookliteraryfestival.org

4-H STEM CAMP - June 15-17
The NYS 4-H STEM Camp at 4-H Camp Shankitunk in Delaware County is open for registrations for youth ages 10 and older. Three new course offerings! $75/person. Online and paper registration along with more detailed information is just a click away ..

HOST A JAPANESE EXCHANGE STUDENT
The NYS 4-H Office is looking for Host Families again this summer as we welcome 15 youth and one adult Japanese chaperone to the U.S and New York State! The delegation will fly into Syracuse again this year and will be with us from July 21 – August 18. 

We have 8 female delegates this year, ages 13 to 16 and 7 male delegates, ages 12-14. Miya, age 13, is hoping to share her love of volleyball, basketball with her host family. Shota, age 12, is hoping to learn as much as he can about life in the USA while sharing his interest in dogs and horses and art with his host family! 

Go to  www.states4H.org to start the Host Family Application process! 

CCEDC Wi-Fi Information
 If you are in the building for a meeting and need the Wi-Fi, please use the following:

CCEDC_PublicWifi or CCEDC_PublicWifi 5G

Password for both is: publicwifi
7- Regional Horse Communications @ CCEDC
7-12- National 4-H Conference, Chevy Chase, MD.
13-15- STARR (State Teen Action Rep Retreat), State Fairgrounds, Syracuse
17- Mandatory Livestock Sale Meeting (Option 1)
19- Sewing Evaluations @ CCEDC
21- District Livestock Skillathon–Orange County
21- State Dairy Bowl, Cornell
26- Fashion Revue @ CCEDC
28- District Level Public Presentations
3-Spring Leader Forum Option # 1
4-Mandatory Livestock Sale
Meeting (Option 2)
5-Spring Leader Forum Option # 2
5-Anmial Crackers (Dairy and Rabbit), Cornell University
11-12 -Equine and Dairy 101, SUNY Morrisville
20-22-4-H Capital Days, Albany

And Finally ......
Don't forget- all 4-H club meeting minutes, advisory minutes, and independent member reports are due by the 10th of the following month.  And please, send photos and be sure to let me know what awesome things your club is up to!
Contact Cassie Messina
(845) 677-8223, ext. 108