April 2021
4-H Newsletter
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We have the details and save-the-dates
you'll need to make a plan for 4-H fun and learning!
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Region 2 Hippology
Virtual Event
April 10 and 11, 2021
The term “Hippology” comes from the Greek “hippo”, meaning horse, and “ology”, meaning “the study of”. The primary objective of the Region 2 4-H Hippology contest is to provide an opportunity for youth participating in 4-H to demonstrate their knowledge of and reasoning ability in equine science and management in a friendly event setting.
Region 2 hippology registration is open through Tuesday, April 6th. Event will be held virtually the weekend of April 10-11 – an email will be sent to you by 4:30pm on Friday, April 9th that contains the link to the test that you can complete at your leisure over that weekend.
Please be sure to check the accuracy of your email address on the registration.
Any registered 4-H member in Monroe County (and the Finger Lakes) can participate in this contest! You do NOT need to have attended any practices nor do you even need to know anything about horses - you could just do it for fun and learn in the process! Not a 4-H member yet? Join today and participate in this event.
Registration is to be completed by the participant/parent. There is an opportunity for Novice, Junior, and Senior aged participants (no Cloverbuds please).
Certificates and ribbons will be mailed after the event. Please reach out to Susan with any questions at [email protected]
Practice exams can be found here:
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4-H Mighty Monday:
Spring Into Gardening!
Monday, April 12, 6:30pm
This is the time to try out 4-H and see if "Springing into 4-H" is a good fit for your family! Come learn about plants, insects, seeds, and more!
We will explore how insects are important to our gardens, complete fun activities with plants, and see what the inside of a seed really looks like!
For this event, youth are invited to participate either in person or virtually. If you would like to participate virtually, kits will be available for pick-up at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County Office (2449 St, Paul Blvd, Rochester NY 14617).
Fee
$5 supply fee
Register here:
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Blueberry, It's My Jam!
Food Preservation Workshop
Thursday, April 15, 6:00pm
This virtual workshop is best suited for youth ages 8 and older. Please plan to participate with a supportive adult partner.
Participants will create Homemade Blueberry Jam using home food preservation methods of freezing and refrigeration.
During this highly interactive Zoom "jam session" participants will be making their own blueberry jam and learning home food preservation tips and tricks.
Participants will be able to pick up kits including the recipe, pectin and freezer jars at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County Office (2449 St, Paul Blvd, Rochester NY 14617). Participants will also receive a supply list and need to provide blueberries and sugar at home.
Fee
FREE for enrolled Monroe County 4-H members, $25 for non-enrolled youth.
Register
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It's Magical!
Hands-on Magic Workshop
Monday, April 19, 6:30pm
Join John from Tricky Business Magic Academy to learn life skills
while having fun!
Youth ages 8 to 12 will learn how to do amazing magic tricks using things from around the house, PLUS receive a top-secret file folder which not only explains all of these magic tricks but comes with a custom-made magic prop that they can perform with over and over.
FREE for enrolled 4-H youth, $20 for others. Join 4-H today and participate in the workshop for no cost.
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Public Presentations Training |
Tuesday, April 20, 6pm
Monroe County 4-H Public Presentations are coming in May! They will be followed by the Finger Lakes District 4-H Public Presentations in June!
Do you need a hand thinking of a topic? Do you want advice about your poster? What is a summary or a catchy introduction? Find out the answers at the 4-H Public Presentations Training.
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Youth Mental Health:
Building Awareness
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Curbing Our Carbon Appetite:
Exploring Climate Change Community Event
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Animal Crackers
All Creatures Great & Small
The Cornell University Department of Animal Science is pleased to announce Animal Crackers 2021, "All Creatures Great and Small” will be taking place virtually via Zoom on Tuesday and Thursday evenings during the month of May. Species covered include equine, sheep, poultry, dairy, dog and cat, goat, swine, and rabbit and cavy. Registration ends Thursday, April 1st. For more information, visit the Animal Crackers website.
Contact Susan today to register. |
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Family Earth Day Activity
April 9 through 30
An invitation from the Millard Filmore 4-H Club to all:
We have a new opportunity for you! We've created a new project called: Inspiring Community Action| Earth Day Edition. The registration link can be found here.
We'll provide prompts for you to consider family or local projects to inspire caring for our environment. Our hope is that families (youth and adults together) will take full part in this three-week project – completing activities demonstrated online. The cost is $10, and the materials will arrive by mail. One kit = content + 1 customizable photo frame. See form - you can order extra frames for additional children/participants.
Details about the online project will be sent to you by April 9, upon completion of this registration form. Timing: Project begins 4/9 and should completed by 4/30. There will be three short activities that can be completed over the course of three weeks. Feel free to share this information with families, neighbors, and friends.
Should you have any questions - please feel free to reach out to me - Celeste Carmichael, leader - Millard Fillmore 4-H Club - [email protected]
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International Exchange
Summer Host Families Sought
Recruitment for Host families for this summer's International Exchange has begun! NYS is excited to again be hosting 20 Japanese delegates and 2 chaperones this summer (2021).
There may be concerns about continuing forward with this program and NYS 4-H is in constant contact with the States’ 4-H International team and making every effort to offer this opportunity in the safest way possible. Currently, States’ 4-H International has been forced to suspend all Outbound Programs with the exception of Japan but is hopeful that the Inbound programs will continue as planned following required and recommended safety procedures. There is still a chance that this program could be canceled depending on how the pandemic progresses over the next few months. For more information about the program, you may visit NYS 4-H Website or the States’ 4-H Website.
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For Teens
Capital Days
4-H’ers (ages 13-18 as of January 1, 2021) you are invited to attend the
2021 NY 4-H Capital Days, April 27-29, 2021! Three sessions, one each day, starting at 6 p.m.
Cost: $25.00 for youth participants
Join us from the comfort of your own home as we get acquainted with our state government and connect with other teens from across the state! Hear from both a state senator and assemblyman as you learn how our legislative branch works. Explore our judicial system by meeting a NYS Supreme Court judge, enjoy a live presentation from the Department of Corrections, and activities from the Cornell Law School. Finally, learn about the executive branch and local government. Then choose an agency you can interact with that you would like to know more about: Department of Ag & Markets, Department of Parks & Recreation, Department of Education, and Department of Environmental Conservation. Add in live games and the chance to win prizes!
Registration fee for youth includes a conference t-shirt, and other program materials that will be mailed prior to the program. There is no fee for adults to attend, though they may pay the registration fee to purchase the t-shirt if they wish.
Contact Susan TODAY to register.
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STARR
2021 Virtual STARR: May 1, 2021
Theme: Be the STARR of your own movie.
Keynote Speaker: Kyle Scheele is a motivational speaker who talks about making the world a better place and how it only takes one person to make a huge difference in another person’s life.
Time: 9:oo AM-3:15 PM, with a 45-minute lunch break to stretch your legs
Registration fee: $40
Each participant will receive a 2021 STARR T-shirt, mug, fidget items, and a chance to win some prizes!
Contact Susan by Friday, April 9 to register. |
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Leader Activity of the Month
Investigating Animal Immune Systems
Example Activity Plan
Anchor: Ask the group, when is the last time you got sick? What symptoms did you have? How did your body feel differently than when you are healthy?
Add: Ask your group to share if they have learned about immune systems before. What have they heard? Explain the immune system is made up of cells that have different roles in fighting off diseases. Discuss these different type of cells, have the group write out their names and draw pictures of them.
Apply: Now use the M&M’s to represent the cells in the body. This can be done individually or in groups. Have youth count up the number of “cells” they have. Assign each M&M color to be a different type of cell. Count how many “cells” they have in each category. Compare these numbers to the chart of normal blood cell counts of various species in the downloadable activity guide.
Away: Test your knowledge with an online quiz! Reflect on the activity with the following questions from National 4-H…
- How does the immune system protect us against diseases?
- What diseases have you been vaccinated against?
- How can you better protect your pets or animals (if you have any) against diseases?
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Agriculture in the Classroom & School Enrichment
Dairy Farming in a Glove:
Dairy Farmers are Stewards of the Environment
Schedule your classroom's virtual visit here:
This programming is free due to generous support of New York State Dairy Farmers.
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Curbing Our Carbon Appetite
Connect with Lori to schedule a one-hour, virtual lesson led by teens with your classroom!
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Arbor Day
Participate in Arbor Day Festivities and connect to your artistic side!
Contact Susan to learn more.
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Public Health Concerns
Food Insecurity and Covid-19
Food insecurity is defined as a household’s incapacity to provide enough food for a person to live an active and healthy lifestyle. In New York State along there are 2.4 million residents that are food insecure, or 11.9%. The most recent data shows that Monroe County has the highest rate of food insecurity at 93,790 people. As of October 2020, the number of food insecure Americans is at 54 million. Food insecurity effects more than just the individuals and families that are suffering, it impacts the society as whole.
Food insecurity leads to worse health outcomes, poor nutrition is linked with several chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes (Food Insecurity, 2016). This increases the risk of getting Covid-19 significantly. Research has shown that poor nutrition leads to worse health outcomes. Worse health outcomes also effect our hospital system, when there are more people susceptible to the virus because of a lack of food that means that there is a greater burden on the hospital system.
Food insecurity has not remained a problem only for the United States, it has impacted countries all over. According to the World Bank global food prices have increased by about 20%. There have been 12 countries identified by the World Bank that are at risk of food insecurity crisis; Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen, and Zimbabwe (Food Security and COVID). They have all been impacted by the pandemic in different ways. For example, in Afghanistan farmers couldn’t sow their crops on time because of social distancing, thus increasing food costs because of low supply. The World Bank is committed to providing funding to all these countries and more to eliminate or at least try and reduce food insecurity.
There are many ways to help, either by donating to food pantries or making monetary donations. If you would like to donate to a global fund, you can donate to Mercy Corps which helps fight hunger and food insecurity in more than 40 countries and reaches 37 million people worldwide. You can donate to Feeding America, an organization that has over 200 food banks set up across the nation. A local organization that you can donate to is Food Link, their mission is to end hunger while building healthier communities. They do this by addressing root causes of food insecurity. While monetary donations are helpful, if you would like to drop off food at food pantries or banks refer to the list below. Helpful items to donate are in the list below as well.
Rochester, NY Food Pantries
· Food Link
· The Community Food Cupboard of Rochester
· Brigton Food Cupboard
· The Community Place of Greater Rochester
· Salvation Army Rochester Area Services
Helpful items to donate
· Canned items
· Boxed milk for cereal
· Spices, salt, and pepper
· Sandwich bread
· Eggs
· Can openers
· Oil
· Feminine hygiene products
Food insecurity. (2016). Public Health Reports, 131(5), 655-657. doi:10.1177/0033354916664154
Food security and COVID-19. (n.d.). Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-covid-19
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Club and Program News
4-H Teen Healthy Living Conference
The Teen Conference shared a plethora of useful information! Experts in the field shared about nutrition, physical activity, healthy relationships, maintaining balance in life, and careers!
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Bishop Kearney Horticulture |
The BK Students have been busy learning with Miss Lori! Favorite activities have included Soil Painting and guest speakers! |
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4-H Youth and Master Gardeners had a great weekend at Peter Rabbit's Garden Party and the Produced in New York Event.
Thank you to all of the volunteers who made this possible!
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2021 Tractor Supply Paper Clover
Spring - April 28 – May 10
Fall - October 6 – October 17
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