_{Check out what's coming up!} 

The fair runs from August 24 - September 5 this year, and we would love to support you getting involved! Find the latest state fair news at the official website and email us about how you can participate through Monroe County.

Participating in the animal science exhibits? Find the latest news here.

State Fair Animal Entries are due to the CCE Monroe Office by Thursday, August 11^th at 12pm. Contact Susan with any questions [email protected]. 

The end of the 4-H year will be upon us before we know it! Please plan to complete the 4-H Experience Form and attend the End of Year Celebration in October. This form is due by October 1st and can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed or dropped off.

Yes, these are meant to record an individual's achievements - cloverbuds included!

In the "CLUB" section, write "independent" or "4H Family".

Attending a Spark event or other 4-H program with an informational focus (such as Japanese Children's Day), or working on new skills at a 4-H event or club meeting (such as sewing club)

Active contribution to an effort to help the community in some way, like food drives, litter pickup, or painting kindness rocks, preferably through a 4-H club, event, or project.

Participating in setup, takedown, engaging with the public, or otherwise helping out at an event open to the public which spreads awareness of 4-H (such as activity demonstration tables at the Strong).

Just leave it blank, and consider doing public presentations next year!

Participating in one of these events in person or submitting a project to the Summer Experience.

No essay required! Just tell us something that made your year great.

Junior Champion: Melanie List

Junior Reserve Champion: Audrey Casaceli

Senior Champion: Victoria Canales

Senior Reserve Champion: Erin Zielinski

4-H UNITY youth from the Ibero-American Action League, Inc.’s Aspira mentoring program at Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School spent two wonderful days at Cornell University.

After a warm welcome from New York State 4-H Civic Engagement Specialist Jamila Walida Simon, the teens explored life as college students by eating in the dining hall, visiting the library, and sitting in a lecture hall. Highlights of the day included learning about animal science and making a bang in the chemistry department. The evening concluded with a competitive game of bowling and relaxing nature watching.

The next day, they spent time in nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, connected with the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement exploring social science research, and appreciated and created art at the Johnson Museum of Art.

Fifteen teens in the Cultivating Community 4-H program have worked through rain, heat, and wind to make an impact on the beds at Maplewood Rose Garden. They have also spent ti exploring financial management, practicing safe knife and food safety skills while learning about the importance of fruit in the diet with SNAP-Ed NY, exploring soils with agriculture educator Jarmila, traveling through the water cycle, practicing observation skills on a scavenger hunt, learning about the food system, spending time reflecting and journaling, and more! They have also worked at the Ryan R-Center Community Gardens and the Peace Garden on Portland Avenue.

Over the past 10 weeks, I had the opportunity to work with 4-H at CCE Monroe as an Urban Fellow. An Urban Fellow is an intern matched with a non-profit organization in Rochester and based with the University of Rochester’s Community Engagement Office to promote strong relationships with the local community. For my project, I worked as a Facilitator of Art in Nature programming, something I am extremely passionate about. I am a filmmaker and multimedia artist and hope to use my art to support the community and raise action around social issues in communities. With 4-H, I was able to develop curriculum for youth K-6^th that feature creative art activities that followed the STEAM guidelines. In combating summer learning loss, I was able to provide these lessons to three community partners: Rochester Public Library, YMCA at School 4, and Cameron Ministries School. For 4-5 weeks, I was able to meet with some of these classes weekly, gaining connections with the students through the nature art activities.

Some of those activities included learning about deserts and planting a succulent in layered sand art. Another activity was a “rain-making” circle where students could take turns in leading everyone in a drum circle with reused water bottles as instruments.

In addition to these activities, I was able to table at community events around the city and the greater Rochester area, including planting seeds in a glove with youth at Springdale Farm and soil painting at Nature in the City at the Rochester Public Market. I feel as though I have grown incredibly close to the community, immersed in the culture, life, and energy of different organizations, students, and artists that I have been able to connect with.

As my journey now comes to an end, I am so grateful to have worked with an amazing team at 4-H and to have made a small impact in some way with the students I have worked with. Nature-based learning is such an important aspect to youth curriculum, as it connects all of us to the world around us, deepening our curiosity, critical thinking, and motivation to create something of our own. I hope that every individual who experienced art in nature programming this summer have experienced a spark that will excite them to continue creating in the future.

Thank you CCE Monroe and 4-H for such a wonderful experience!

-Haven

https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/236/67508/GovernmentIsUsCurriculum_units5-6.pdf

As summer draws to a close, many parents may find themselves struggling with how to prepare their children for school. Children may have anxiety about the upcoming year, or may struggle with getting back to routine. Here are some tips on how to get your child ready for school.

Each year, children experience summer learning loss. Summer learning loss is the loss of academic skills over summer break. Across grades 1-8, students can lose up to a third of the prior year’s learning (Alleberry & McEachin, 2020). However, studies have shown continuing to help children read and engage with math or science can alleviate this loss (Dewar, 2019). By reviewing math and science with your child in the weeks before school, caregivers can help refresh forgotten topics. Caregivers can also make learning more fun, by taking their child to museums, zoos, or libraries.

Over summer, children often sleep in later than they typically do over the school year, and stay up later. Getting enough sleep can improve school performance, and can improve attention in life (CDC, 2020). The CDC recommends regulating this cycle, by keeping the same wake-up time on weekends, and by limiting technology exposure in the evenings (CDC, 2020). To prepare for school, it can help to gradually move up your child’s bedtime by 10-15 minutes for two weeks prior to school starting (Frederick Health, 2019).

School is stressful for any age, and many youth may have worries about the upcoming school year. It can be helpful to address these anxieties with your child through mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of staying in the moment, and acknowledging any current feelings and body sensations. You can practice mindfulness with your child by introducing breathing techniques, practicing yoga, or even doing scavenger hunts. More activity ideas can be found here.

CDC. (2020, September 10). Sleep in middle and high school students. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/features/students-sleep.htm#:~:text=The%20American%20Academy%20of%20Sleep,10%20hours%20per%2024%20hours.

Dewar, G. (2019). How to prevent summer learning loss (and still have fun). Parenting Science. https://parentingscience.com/summer-learning-loss/#:~:text=Studies%20suggest%20we%20can%20prevent,truly%20stimulated%20%E2%80%94%20and%20having%20fun!

FMH. (2019, August 16). Get your child’s sleep schedule back on track before school. Frederick Health. https://www.frederickhealth.org/news/2019/august/get-your-childs-sleep-schedule-back-on-track-bef/#:~:text=A%20week%20or%20two%20before,your%20child's%20circadian%20rhythms%20reset.

Join us THIS SATURDAY (August 6th) on Salmon Creek in Monroe County to remove water chestnut! This site has a large infestation of this terrible invasive species, and we need YOUR HELP to successfully remove it. 

The pull will begin at 9am and we will be launching from the Braddock Bay Tavern and Grill. You can bring your own kayak, or we can provide you with one! Just let us know which you prefer when you sign up using this link: https://forms.gle/MizyPtwE9U9fUvBZA . Please email [email protected] with any questions!

Come check out Cornell University's Agritech Campus during this free event at Jordan Hall on Saturday, August 13, 2022, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Faculty, students and staff will showcase their scientific research, give tours of our facilities, research fields and greenhouses and demonstrate how important (and fun) science really is. For more information, Contact Event Coordinator Gemma Osborne at [email protected] or 315-787-2248

The Finger Lakes PRISM will be holding a virtual training for the Trail Trek, a volunteer initiative to find three of our worst invasive species across the FLX, on Monday, August 8th @ 6pm. Email any questions to [email protected].

The NYS Youth Council creates opportunities for youth to participate in regional and state level activities to better inform State government on issues and challenges. Members of the NYS will offer their solutions to key issues facing young people in NYS to the Governor and other policymakers, including how to have better outreach and communication strategies to young people. Youth voice is recognized through this initiative; if you would like your voice heard, apply today!