The Deadline to Re-enroll for This Project Year is December 31, 2022.
4-H Online is OPEN for Reenrollment.
https://v2.4honline.com
If you run into any issues or have questions, please feel free to contact the 4-H Office for assistance.
NATIONAL 4-H CONFERENCE SET FOR APRIL 2023
TThe 2023 National 4-H Conference will be held April 14 – April 19, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. This conference brings together youth and adults to help with strategic planning for the 4- H program nationally. Potential delegates must be in grades 10-12 as of September 2022 and between 15 and 19 years old (as of January 1, 2023). NOTE: For this year we will accept youth in grade 13 who will be no more than 19 years old as of January 1, 2023. New Jersey sends six (6) 4-H members to this conference
Interested 4-H members must complete an application form available from the county 4-H office or online at http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/leadership/nat4hconference/.
All applications are due to the county 4-H office by December 5, 2022.
Group and individual interviews will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2023, in Martin Hall of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences located at 88 Lipman Drive on the Cook Campus in New Brunswick.
December PhotoCorps: “Follow Me”
The NJ 4-H PhotoCorps is open to youth in grades 4-13.
This month’s PhotoCorps theme is “Follow Me”. In this photo theme, your photo beckons “Follow Me”! Through the power of your camera lens, you can draw us in to follow you down unique paths. Lead and we will happily follow! You can download directions for joining PhotoCorps. Entries for this theme are open from the beginning to end of the month.
If you have any questions, please contact williams@njaes.rutgers.edu
NEW DATE
New Jersey 4-H members in grades 9-12 who are members in good standing are invited to participate in a multi-level leadership program called the NJ 4-H Leadership for Life Program.
Adapted from Ireland’s youth development program Foróige, the Leadership for Life Program is based on theories and principles of youth work, leadership development, and leadership styles.
Offered in three sequential modules, this program is aimed at equipping young people to explore their vision and passion and to develop such key skills as planning, decision-making, critical thinking, goal setting, and problem-solving.
Members must complete Modules 1 and 2 before they are eligible to complete Module 3. The Advanced Module is held during a 9-day travel experience to the Foróige Leadership for Life Conference at the University of Ireland in Maynooth, Ireland.
The Leadership for Life Program will be offered on the following dates during 2023–2024:
| Module | Dates & Time | Location | Registration Fee and Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat., Dec. 9, 2023 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Mercer County Extension Office 1440 Parkside Ave. Trenton, NJ | $75 for program materials, lunch, and snacks Registration due Dec. 1, 2023 Module 1 Registration Packet (341k PDF) |
| 2 | Sat., Jan. 6, 2024 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Mercer County Extension Office 1440 Parkside Ave. Trenton, NJ | $75 for program materials, lunch and snacks Registration due Dec. 28, 2023 Module 2 Registration Packet (343k PDF) |
| 3 | Sat., Feb. 10, 2024 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Mercer County Extension Office 1440 Parkside Ave. Trenton, NJ | $40 for program materials Registration due Feb. 1, 2024 Module 3 Registration Packet (342k PDF) |
| Advanced | July 25–August 2, 2025 (tentative) | University of Ireland at Maynooth, Ireland | Applications will be accepted in Dec. 2024 |
Information and registration for all of the NJ 4-H Leadership for Life Program Modules are available on the NJ 4-H Website at:
http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/leadership/leadership-for-life/
Questions about the Leadership for Life Program can be directed to Camden County 4-H Agent Sharon Kinsey (sbkinsey@njaes.rutgers.edu) or Warren County 4-H Program Associate Michelle Teitsma (teitsma@njaes.rutgers.edu).
Bridge to 4-H Virtual Programs for Youth
For youth in grades 6 & up. “Bridge to 4-H” began two years ago as a way for youth to continue to get a 4-H experience during the pandemic lockdown, and grew into a special community of youth in grades 6 & up looking for leadership, healthy living, and life skills programming. Join for one hour a month of interactive Zoom lessons and games! This year’s topics include Environmental Science as well as Biological Science, leadership, arts, games and more! Meetings are 7-8 PM, virtually on the following dates: Nov 10, 2022; Dec 15, 2022; Jan 19, 2023; Feb 16, 2023
More dates tentatively will be scheduled. For more details contact Laura at eppinger@njaes.rutgers.edu.
Register here: https://go.rutgers.edu/ins94rbb
Ocean 4-H Animalology Trivia Game
When: January 28, 2023
Where: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 708 Rt. 88, Point Pleasant, NJ
Registration starts at 8:30 am, teams set by 9:15 am
Animalology is a friendly Jeopardy!-style competition for youth in grades 4-13. Topics may include animals but also go beyond the animal world. Youth register as individuals and have a team of four drawn from a hat on the day of the competition. Awards will be given in Junior and Senior divisions to the top four teams and the top 10 individuals. The Ocean County 4-H Association will have delicious breakfast and lunch items for sale. Contact the Ocean 4-H office for more information, 732-349-1227 or Ferrie@njaes.rutgers.edu
NJ 4-H STEM Teen Planning Committee
For youth in grades 8-13. You have probably heard the phrase, 4-H is more than cows and cooking. We all know that 4-H caters to a lot of different interests, and this is a group for teens interested in 4-H projects and programs that focus on science and technology. This group is being formed to explore the idea of hosting a one-day NJ 4-H Technology Symposium in the late spring/early fall to bring together 4-H youth interested in technology on Rutgers–New Brunwick campus. We are currently seeking 4-H teens who would be interested in being on the planning committee. Fill out the interest form here for more information.
4-H Animal Science Video Contest and Film Festival
New Jersey 4-H, in cooperation with the New Jersey Junior Breeder Symposium, is sponsoring the 4-H Animal Science Video Contest and Film Festival to include ALL 4-H animal project areas.
Youth may work individually or as a team to create short educational videos (3:30 minutes or less) about alpacas, cats, cattle (beef/dairy), dogs, goats, herpetology, horses, llamas, poultry, rabbits, sheep, small animals, and/or swine to enter in the 4-H Animal Science Video Contest. Youth must upload their video and media release(s) by the end of March 4 (see website for details). The videos will then be shared at the film festival in the Round House of the Rutgers Cook Campus Farm during an afternoon session of the Junior Animal Science Symposium on Saturday, March 23.
Youth of the top scoring videos will receive awards, including gift cards. Videos will be scored on educational value, creativity, clarity, pacing, and technical quality (sound, lighting, etc.) – 20 points each, total of 100. A tip sheet and a description of the judging criteria are both available on the website, along with the top scoring videos from prior years. Youth are encouraged to have fun and be creative in designing their video entries!
Details are available on our website at http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/animals/film-festival.
2023 Rutgers NJ Junior Breeder Symposium
The Rutgers Junior Breeder Symposium is scheduled for Saturday, March 25, 2023, at the George H. Cook Campus of Rutgers University. This symposium is not just for breeders, but for any youth or adult who would like to come learn! Hands-on workshops in Equine, Large Ruminant (Cattle), Small Ruminant (Sheep & Goat), Swine, Poultry, Rabbit, Cavy (Guinea Pig), Small Animals, and Beekeeping! This event is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Junior Breeder program in cooperation with Rutgers Cooperative Extension faculty and staff
4H Rabbit & Small Animal Project Members
SAVE THE DATE
Sussex County Rabbit & Small Animal Showmanship & Skillathon will be:
Saturday, May 6, 9 am-12 pm
Sunday, May 7, 4 pm – 7 pm
To be held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.
More information, including a Signup Genius to register for the event, will be sent closer to the event.
Poetry x Hunger: Poetry Call from Middle and High School Youth
Do you want to help eliminate hunger and poverty through the power of your pen? NJ Arts 4-H is introducing Poetry X Hunger. Join in the Poetry X Hunger project promoted by Expressive Arts 4-H of Rutgers Cooperative Extension. If you would like to learn more about the many forms of poetry you can choose from, contact Ellen Williams, Expressive Arts 4-H Agent at williams@njaes.rutgers.edu.
For more information visit https://nj4h.rutgers.edu/comm/poetryxhunger/
Club News
Great Job to our top-selling
4H Foundation Holiday wreath sellers!
Our top 3 clubs for 2022 were:
1. Bunnies-N-Buddies/Regal Rabbits with 184 Small 8 Large
2. Bit by Bit with 164 Small, 6 Large
3. Sussex County Milkmakers with 78 Small, 10 Large
Honorable mention goes to
– Top O’Jersey Beef: 61 Small, 5 Large
– Yeastie Beasties: 53 Small, 3 Large
– Aim to Survive: 46 Small, 10 Large
– Cow Kids 52 Small
A big thank you to all who sold and bought wreaths this year to support Sussex County 4-H Foundation Scholarships.
If you would like to have a Club Event, Fundraiser, or Recruitment mentioned in the weekly newsletter, please send info to Tanya (patrie@njaes.rutgers.edu). The info must be received by Thursday noon, to make it in the next week’s newsletter.
The RCE/4H Office will be closed Friday December 23, Monday December 26, Monday January 2, and Tuesday, January 3 for the Christmas & New Year Holidays.
The Newsletter will also be taking a break those weeks. It will return January 6.
Information and Programs For Our 4-H Parents and Leaders
Attention Leaders
Your Annual Rutgers Protection of Minors Training is Due
Leaders, this is a reminder that you must complete your Rutgers Protection of Minors Training annually. This is a requirement before will the office can approve you in the 4-H Online System for the new program year.
Thank you to those that have already completed this requirement for this year.
You may have received an email from the Rutgers Protection of Minors email with the following link: https://pom.ipo.rutgers.edu/.
If not, you can use the link at any time to complete it.
The following are steps to complete this:
1. Click the link. You are taken to the Rutgers Protection of Minors training home page.
2. At the bottom, use the NON-NetID User option to request a PIN login.
2. Once you receive the PIN via email, use the link above again to gain access to the site and enter the training via the PIN Login.
3. Complete the training. There are 4 modules and quizzes you must complete. The last page you will see is:
The process should take less the 30 minutes. Once you get here, you are all done. We will be sent a notice when you complete the training.
If you have any issues please contact the 4-H Office for assistance
Gardening Education Series 2023
The Science Behind How Things Grow
This horticultural education program is available to home gardeners and covers a variety of topics related to understanding the science behind how things grow. Online classroom instruction will run February 9th – May 25th, Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30 pm (2-hour lectures with question and answers session following). The program consists of 16 content expert lectures and 5 core prerecorded webinars, plus additional elective webinar content and class discussion sessions.
Lectures include the following topics: Botany, Soils, Entomology, IPM, Plant Pathology, Trees and Shrubs, Pruning, Turf, Weeds, Vegetable Production, Small Fruit, Tree Fruit, Composting, and Herbaceous Plants.
For More Information About the Program Contact
Lisa Chiariello -Program Coordinator
973-948-3040 lisa.chiariello@rutgers.edu
Register for the 2023 Rutgers Environmental Steward Class
Make a DIFFERENCE in your community…become a Rutgers Environmental Steward – Classes start in January!
Additional information is on their website- https://envirostewards.rutgers.edu/
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@SussexNJ4H
