4-H - Something for Everyone

Two friends run into each other at the grocery store. One friend's children are learning and having fun with a wide range of activities through 4-H. Produced by KTIV in Sioux City, Iowa.

Khan Academy helps youth learn math and other subjects!

The Khan Academy is a collection of over 1000 videos teaching youth how to master skills from math to biology. This non-profit was started by Salman Khan on Youtube. You can check it out at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/khanacademy

The Khan Academy and Salman Khan have received a 2009 Tech Award in Education. The Tech Awards is an international awards program that honors innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity.

Thank you so much Salman for your contributions to youth education!

WSU 4-H Challenge Course training offered

Photo is of with volleyball players from Sequim High School in front of the Wall at the WSU 4-H Gibbs Lake Challenge Course.

For some, arriving at the WSU 4-H Gibbs Lake Challenge Course and seeing the Wall, Hole in Space or Nitro Crossing, it looks easy. That is until they learn that it is not about individual accomplishment, but rather how well they can communicate, problem-solve and cooperate with others to help their entire group achieve the goal. The Challenge Course for individuals can be a life-changing event of learning to trust, express needs clearly and support others. For groups, it can mean learning new ways to be inclusive, letting go of personal needs for the good of the group and finding the “magic” that comes of successful teamwork. Participants include sports teams, youth clubs, therapy groups, and even birthday parties, but the goal remains the same - to provide skill-building experiences that help young people grow to be successful and productive members of our community.

Beginning April 17, 2010 WSU Jefferson County 4-H and Jefferson County Parks and Recreation will team up to offer a 4 day challenge course facilitator training for teachers, youth leaders, counselors and coaches or anyone else wishing to learn effective team-building skills, group development and communicating in groups. This training will feature portable activities that can be done in the classroom or on an outdoor field along with experiencing and learning to facilitate the more difficult elements at the Gibbs Lake Challenge Course. The training dates are April 17, 18 and May 1, 2 from 9-3 pm at the Gibbs Lake Challenge Course in Chimacum, WA. Cost is $200 (limited scholarships are available).

To sign up call Nancy Wyatt at (360)732-4069. Clock and credit hours are available.

Jefferson County well represented at 4-H Know Your Government 2010!

Front l. to r.: Sue Hay, Abbi Robocker, Linda Barnfather (Legislative Assistant to Kevin Van De Wege), Hannah Tipton and Marianne Walters. Back l. to r.: Chloe Robocker, Kaylee Short, Kaila Janders, Sarah Chisick.

Jefferson County was well represented at 4-H Know Your Government (KYG) in Olympia, Washington from February 13-16, 2010. Six youth delegates, Sarah Chisick, Kaila Janders, Abbi Robocker, Chloe Robocker, Kaylee Short and Hannah Tipton, with lead chaperone, Sue Hay, experienced the roles of lobbyists and senators throughout the conference weekend at the Red Lion Inn.

One other youth, Angelina Pace, had extra responsibilities as a Conference Facilitator (CF). She and Core Committee (adult leadership) member, Marianne Walters, were in Olympia from Feb 12-16, helping to prepare and conduct the conference, after weekend training in January with seven other youth and 4-H adult staff and volunteers to plan the KYG 2010 experience.

Along with three other counties, Jefferson County KYG supported Senate Bill 5946 with following title: An act of protecting freedom of student press and speech. This bill addressed protection of student rights under the First Amendment. The bill sponsors were: McDemont, Murray, Keiser, Fairley, Kline, and Marr. The bill proposed to ensure free speech and free press protections of high school and college students in school-sponsored media. This was one of eleven bills passed in the mock legislature and presented to the Washington State Legislature February 16.

The delegates were busy with a rigorous schedule lobbying mock legislators, testifying before mock senate and house committees and floors, voting on bills, touring the capitol, meeting with real State Senators and Representatives, and having fun… challenge activities, dance, games, movies, shopping, and, of course, eating and making new friends from across the state.

Thanks to all who help support our county 4-H KYG program. For more information contact WSU Jefferson County Extension at 379-5610.

Kurtis with a "K" faces off with Pamela Roberts about NASA

Kurtis Kench of the Jefferson County WorkSource Program and 4-H Network News in Jefferson County, Washington has a friendly debate with Pamela Roberts about budgets related to NASA.

Kurtis has done a great job this year learning about technologies in the communications and media fields - on this one he recorded our discussion on GarageBand and then imported it into Final Cut Pro where he added the image to create a video.

Good job, Kurtis!

4-H - News of Youth - NAPS-TV

AMERICA IS FACING A FUTURE OF INTENSE GLOBAL COMPETITION WITH A STARTLING SHORTAGE OF SCIENTISTS. IN FACT, FAR FEWER U-S COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE PURSUING SCIENCE, ENGINEERING OR TECHNOLOGY DEGREES THAN IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THIS DILEMMA IS AMERICAʼS LARGEST AND BEST-KNOWN YOUTH ORGANIZATION 4H.

TODAYʼS 4H PROVIDES SIX MILLION YOUTH WITH SCIENCE-BASED OUT-OF-SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN EVERY COUNTY IN THE NATION. THESE RESEARCH-BASED PROGRAMS SPAN EVERYTHING FROM AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND RENEWABLE ENERGY TO ROCKETRY, ROBOTICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE.

4-H and county team up to reduce waste!

County and WSU staff unveiled Jefferson County’s new materials exchange website, called 2Good2Toss. Showing off the site are (from left) Al Cairns, Public Works; Dennis Bates, Public Works; Jack Reid, Public Works; Natalie Hobart, 4-H; Connie Templin, Public Works; Darrel Erfle, Public Works; Luke Turner, 4-H; and Pam Roberts, WSU. 2Good2Toss connects individuals interested in buying, selling or exchanging goods that are not quite ready for the landfill. County staff says the site could become a key marketplace for moving composting materials and other soil-building items.

By James Robinson of the Leader

Got compost? Composting materials? Fencing? An old but still serviceable washer or dryer, lumber or windows salvaged from a building project or remodel? Do you have items you’d like to get rid of, yet are still usable and aren’t really ready for the landfill? If the answer is yes, you’re in luck.

Through a partnership between Jefferson County 4-H teens, Washington State University (WSU) and staff with the county Public Works Department, county residents now have the ability to buy, sell, give away or trade a variety of items deemed “too good to toss” using a website funded in part by the Washington State Department of Ecology and Jefferson County.

Read more

Congratulations especially to Luke Turner for his phenomenal tech work on this and many other projects in 4-H Network News!

Jefferson County Master Gardeners Graduate - ONLINE!

4-H Network News and the Jefferson County 4-H staff congratulate the Jefferson County Master Gardeners in their recent graduation from the Washington State Master Gardeners Program! We are proud of you and your recent achievement and we look forward to working with you to serve youth, families and the community of Jefferson County!

4-H was instrumental in assisting these new Master Gardeners as they navigated their new online instructional program. The graduates shown in the photo above are among the most recent graduates of this new computer-based online program. From what we have heard they really enjoyed the program, the videos and the ease of access to information and resources through the new online system!

Bishop Dairy in Chimacum, Washington

Gerald Bishop of the Bishop Dairy in Chimacum, WA recently talked with Sophie Gilbert, 4-H Network News reporter. Sophie asked him to share a little about the history connected with the Bishop Dairy, the establishment of a healthy herd, and some of the challenges related to dairy management and marketing in the 21st Century. Gerald had a lot to say and much information to share.

Jesaint Baril - page at Washington House of Representatives1

Jesaint Baril, 4-H Network News reporter and eighth-grade student at Blue Heron Middle School, recently spent a week serving as a page for Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam. Baril is the son of Haydee and Richard Baril of Tomball, Texas. Since 1981, students have come from across the state to serve as pages in the Senate and House of Representatives. Pages spend one week in Olympia, with housing and a meal allowance provided. To serve as a page, a student must be at least 14 years old but not yet 17, have permission from his school and from his parents or legal guardian, and be sponsored by a member of the House or Senate. For more information visit www.leg.wa.gov/House/PageInternProgram.

Port Townsend youth help welcome Dan Burden on walkability tour!

4-H Celebrates Healthy Living!

Jefferson Community School (JCS) students are staying healthy by "walking their way to Mount Rainer" -- with pedometers locked on they walk and record each day's progress toward the 158 miles it would take to walk to Mt. Rainer. They walked over to the Port Townsend City Hall and met with Port Townsend Mayor Michelle Sandoval and Jefferson County Commissioner John Austin. And then who walks in, but Dan Burden!

Dan Burden is the nation's most recognized authority on walkability, bicycle & pedestrian programs, street corridor & intersection design. He was in Port Townsend with fifty urban planners from around the country, as well as New Zealand and Britain. And Dan wanted to meet and greet the students.

The JCS students had a unique opportunity to join Burden and the city planners in a walk through Port Townsend which Burden called "the most interesting city per square foot than any other city in the nation". Burden encouraged the students to think about getting involved in designing the cities of the future. He talked to them about the opportunities that they have to design the cities of the future, to be sure that they don't loose their creativity, but rather think about how they can use their talents to ensure that future cities provide places for kids to play, places for seniors to walk safely, and cities that are designed to be not only sustainable but good places to work and live.

Note: Jefferson Community School students belong to the JCS Expedition Club, a 4-H club that supports national and international service learning expeditions.

4-H Network News - video project resources

Click on title links or images below to open documents

4-H Video Judging Scorecards
These judging sheets can be used at fairs to judge various types of youth-produced videos. Youth can choose the main area they want to be judged in, depending on their role in the production of the individual video. These role areas include:

• Reporter
• Actor
• Editor
• Camera Operator
• Animator
• Script Writer

4-H Mic Flags
Click on the title above to open the Mic Flag document. Glue this on or make your own paper design so that you have your own customized mic flag!

Take a quart-sized milk carton and cut the bottom part off as high up on the carton as the carton is wide so that you essentially have a cube. Flip it over so that the bottom of the carton is now the top of your new mic flag. Cut a circular hole in the top to insert your microphone into. The new "bottom" of your mic flag will be open so stuff it with some foam to keep it from slipping down away from the microphone.

4-H Video Project Planning Form
This project planning form helps youth explore different video genre and analyze ahead of time the elements that go into making various types of video projects (e.g. elements such as dialogue, close-ups, interviews, b-roll, etc.)

There is room on the form to write down brainstorming ideas before you begin the filming process and also a blank page for beginning to write your script or improvisational ideas.

It can be an amazing process, putting a 4-H video project together - it often looks like a big puzzle by the time you are finished. This form helps you get at least a road map of ideas together before you dive into the film-making process.


Video Storyboard Form

This form gives 4-H youth something visual to help guide them as they plan and write their script for a film.

There is ample room for drawing pictures and writing dialogue below the pictures. The visual nature of this planning form provides a workable bridge from the "head" stuff of planning to the "eyes and ears" stuff of filming.