Eaton County 4-H
Family News
Program Announcements
Happy Holidays!
Eaton County 4-H wishes our youth participants, families, volunteers, and supporters a very happy holidays! We hope that you find time to spend doing what brings you joy this holiday season.
Order by Monday, January 4: Eaton County 4-H T-shirts and Sweatshirts!
Please help support the Eaton County 4-H Council!

Eaton County 4-H Council is selling county 4-H t-shirts and sweatshirts as a fundraiser! Due to the pandemic, 4-H Council was not able to conduct its annual 4-H Food Shack fundraiser, which supports our county 4-H awards, provides the funds to host the annual awards banquet, provides scholarships for youth and volunteers to attend state and national 4-H events like 4-H Exploration Days, and provides other fun and educational opportunities throughout the year.  

Preorder your shirts by filling out the order form. Payment and order are due by January 4 (preferred payment method is a mailed check). The shirts are expected to be available by the week of January 18. T-shirts are $12 and sweatshirts are $25 each (2XL and 3XL sizes add $2/shirt). For more details, including payment and pick-up instructions, view the order form. Let's show our 4-H pride and how we are #4hstrong!

Upcoming County 4-H Events and Activities
4-H Council Meeting

Monday, January 4, 7 PM

Passcode: council

Each club should send a volunteer and youth representative to this meeting! Agenda items: officer elections for open positions, county t-shirts, awards committee
Virtual Open Office Hours

Thursday, January 21, noon


Passcode: office

NEW Lunch and learn opportunity! January's open office hours will also feature an opportunity to learn what clubs and groups have been doing for club engagement and activities while we cannot meet face-to-face. We will feature tips and tricks for engaging youth in a variety of activities from club business meetings to projects like cooking, robotics and more! Grab your lunch and attend the beginning of the office hours to join the conversation!

As a reminder, we'd love to hear from you on future topics:
Small Animal Association Meeting

Thursday, January 7, 7 PM

Passcode: saa

Any youth involved in rabbits/cavies, goats, and poultry projects are encouraged to attend this meeting! Agenda items: officer elections, curricula/newsletter, fun events
Officer Training
Are you a 4-H club, association, or committee officer? Learn about the different officer roles (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and the basics of parliamentary procedure! This free virtual training using Zoom will feature a special focus on running club meetings virtually, along with the opportunity to try out various features, tips for voting in a virtual meeting, and more. The training will be youth-focused. Taught by Janelle Stewart, Extension Educator from the Leadership and Civic Engagement team. There are two dates available: Thursday, January 28, or Wednesday, March 10, both from 6 - 7:30 p.m. This training is open to all 4-Hers in the following mid and southwest Michigan counties: Berrien, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Montcalm, St. Joseph, and Van Buren. To register, please go to: https://events.anr.msu.edu/virtualofficertraining/
Art & Activism SPIN Club
Michigan youth ages 9-13 are invited to join us for discussions and activities related to activism. Michigan AmeriCorps members will lead the meetings from 6:00-7:00 PM EST Tuesday from January 5th - February 23rd. To receive club access, please make sure all youth interested are registered on 4-H Online. For more information on how to register, please go to https://tinyurl.com/y5djuaxb under “4-H SPIN Clubs.” Please email Ally Baird (bairdal2@msu.edu) or Rachel Ochylski (ochylski@msu.edu) with questions.
4-H STEP (Supportive Teens Empowering Peers) SPIN Club
Are you missing the ability to connect with friends and peers? Looking for an opportunity to get to know other teens in your area? Join the 4-H STEP (Supportive Teens Empowering Peers) SPIN Club from January 6 – February 24 on Wednesdays from 4 – 5pm! This club provides an opportunity for teens ages 13- 19 to connect virtually with peers through fun games, social interaction, and more! Created by teens from the Michigan 4-H State Youth Leadership Council with support from 4-H staff.

For more information and to register, visit https://events.anr.msu.edu/4hstep2/.
Great Money Games Challenge
Are you interested in learning how to save, budget, and invest your money from the comfort of your home? During the Great Money Games Challenge SPIN Club, Michigan youth ages 11-15 will explore these topics and more through interactive games and discussions. Michigan AmeriCorps members and 4-H staff will lead the meetings from 5-6 p.m. EST Mondays and Wednesdays from January 11 until the 27. Register here: https://bit.ly/MoneyGamesSPIN 
Access information, including meeting links/passwords, will be emailed prior to the first meeting. Please contact Rachel Ochylski (ochylski@msu.edu) with any questions.
Planting the Seeds for Healthy Habits
Are you interested in nutrition, mindfulness and yoga? Are you missing the ability to connect with friends and peers? Looking for an opportunity to learn about healthy habits? The 4-H Planting Seeds for Healthy Habits SPIN Club provides an opportunity for Eaton and Ingham County teens to connect virtually with peers through mindfulness activities, nutritional demonstrations, and more! The club will be on Tuesdays from January 12 - March 2 at 4pm. Virtual zoom meetings will be led by AmeriCorps members and a Sparrow Health nutritionist with support from 4-H staff. Thanks to a generous gift from Sparrow Hospital, participants will receive Shipt deliveries containing ingredients and materials for activities and to support extended learning.

Volunteer Presentation: Mental Health and COVID-19
What are we up against? How does COVID-19 impact our mental health? How do we care for ourselves and others? What resources are available and how do we access them? 4-H volunteers are invited to learn and talk about these and other important questions as we address the intersection of physical health and mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic in this presentation from Jen Cronkite, Prevention Therapist with the Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties. The “What We’re Up Against: Mental Health and COVID-19” presentation will be held on Thursday, January 14, at 6pm. Please register at: https://bit.ly/377H249
Statewide 4-H Events
Registration Open: Virtual Michigan 4-H Creative Arts Celebration
Time to get Creative!! Do you love arts & crafts? Do you enjoy sewing & textiles? Do the performing arts provide you with enjoyment? Registration is now open for the 2021 Michigan 4-H Creative Arts Celebration Workshop virtually held February 19-21, 2021! If you want to participate register now as sessions are limited! Virtually connect with instructors and work together on your projects, have fun doing a Goose Chase, reconnect or make new friends virtually, be creative, increase your emotional health, and have an enjoyable experience! Here’s the link to register: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/2021-virtual-creative-arts-celebration
New resource for volunteers: Animal Science Hot Topics
This series was previously ran for 4-H staff and is now available for volunteers! Topics include: Ractopamine Wrap-Up, Why is it Important to have a Relationship with Your Local Health Department?, Biosecurity and Signs of Influenza, Heat Stress and Animal Handling, Parasite Control, Cattle: RFID Requirements and Bovine TB, Dairy: Assessing Calf Health, Horse Care, and Small Ruminants for 4-H Projects. The recordings are approximately 1 hour long per topic and can be found in this playlist: https://mediaspace.msu.edu/playlist/dedicated/1_q51839e1/1_khn8rfdo
Paracord Bracelet Kit

Ever wondered why people in the wilderness or the military wear a paracord survival bracelet? Are you a outdoors lover and always try to be safe when you are outdoors? Do you have a youth that enjoys making things for the outdoors? Then this kit is for them!!!
This program is open to both 4-H youth statewide, ages 10-19. Families can register by January 15:
Adulting 101

Ready to be out on your own? Learn some important skills to be successful as an adult. Our Adulting 101-Winter Series includes: international conversations, goal setting, and food safety. Bring questions and gain practical skills you can use in your everyday life. Webinars will be held on Jan 14, 21, and 28 at 4:00 p.m.
Wild and Crazy Careers

New program starting on January 12 for youth ages 9-19! Wild and Crazy Careers! Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? Do you want an "out-there" career? Hear from people who followed their passions to find a job they love--from wildland firefighters to wildlife documentary creators, from zookeepers to mountaineers, and everywhere in between. Get ready to ask yourself, "you can get paid for THAT?"
This will be a 6 week Zoom series on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30-5:30pm. Open to all, no cost.

Success and Safety on Volunteer-led Virtual Programs

MSU Extension volunteers: With more virtual programs and meetings taking place, have you considered how you are keeping youth and adult participants safe and creating a positive learning environment? Attend Success and Safety in Volunteer-Led Virtual Programs and learn about best practices and strategies to use when programming virtually with youth and adults. This hour-long session will cover important points to remember and resources to help you in your role. Register for January 21st 1:00pm EST at https://bit.ly/3oA5K3i  OR January 26th 6:30 PM EST at https://bit.ly/36VOOyf
4-H Lego Master Builder SPIN Club

This club will begin on Monday, January 18th and end Friday, January 22nd, registration closes on January 14th. This club will meet virtually every day from 10-11:15 am EST. Over the course of the week, youth will get a chance to be creative, be ingenious, be an engineer and become a Master Builder with LEGO! This 4-H SPIN Club is FREE and OPEN to 4-H and non-4-H members ages 5 to 12.  For more information and to register, please visit: https://events.anr.msu.edu/4HLegoSPINClubJanuary/ 

This 4-H SPIN Club will meet virtually via Zoom (both computer and smartphone accessible). Zoom link information will only be sent to event registrants that complete their 4-H Online enrollment by January 15th (Club is listed under Livingston County – SPIN Club LEGO Master Builder).
4-H Minecraft SPIN Club

This club will begin on Monday, January 25th and end Friday, January 29th, registration closes on January 21st. This club will meet virtually every day from 10-11:15 am EST. During this week, youth will be introduced to computer coding through the world of Minecraft- no game necessary! This 4-H SPIN Club is FREE and OPEN to 4-H and non-4-H members ages 8 to 12.  For more information and to register, please visit: https://events.anr.msu.edu/4HMinecraftSPINClubJanuary/

This 4-H SPIN Club will meet virtually via Zoom (both computer and smartphone accessible). Zoom link information will only be sent to event registrants that complete their 4-H Online enrollment by January 22nd (Club is listed under Livingston County – SPIN Club Minecraft). 
4-H Ninja Training SPIN Club
Ever wonder what it takes to be a ninja like you see on TV? Besides being physically active and in shape, what other things help them to be successful? Michigan 4-H will be hosting a new and fun SPIN club opportunity for youth to learn what it takes to become a ninja. This series will run each Wednesday from February 10—March 17. Topics covered will include: Goal setting, strength, physical activity, good nutrition, balance, mindfulness (patience and focus). 
 
Youth that complete the SPIN club will have the opportunity to hear directly from a real-life ninja: 2020 American Ninja Warrior winner Daniel Gil. He will speak to Michigan 4-H youth and friends on Wednesday, March 24. To register for the club, visit www.canr.msu.edu/events/4-h-ninja-warrior-spin-club
Michigan State University is an affirmative-action, equal opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and material are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status.

Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. The university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.
Kristy Oosterhouse (Pronouns: she, her, hers) | 4-H Program Coordinator | Eaton County MSU Extension
517-543-2310 | oosterh6@msu.edu