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If you have any issues, contact the 4-H Office.
The Sussex RCE/4-H Office will be closed Wednesday, February 12 for Lincoln’s Birthday and Monday, February 17 for President’s Day.

Getting Presentation Ready?

Here are a few things to remember when preparing for County Presentations in March
- Be sure to include three main parts:
- Introduction—the why, who you are and what you will be talking about;
- Body—the show and tell portion, tell/show the audience what you know; and
- Summary—the what of it, summarize what you talked about and thank them for listening, cite any source.
- Presentation Time requirements:
- Cloverbud members 3-15 minutes. Regular members 5-15 minutes.
Team Presentations 10-15 minutes.
- Cloverbud members 3-15 minutes. Regular members 5-15 minutes.
- Be sure to dress neatly. No dirty jeans or sweatshirts preferred.
- If using a poster board- keep them simple. Use dark lettering and pictures large enough so that people in the back of the room can read and see them.
- Look at your audience and smile.
- Practice!
A complete guide to presentations is available for download; NJ 4H ‘How to Make a 4-H Public Presentation’. In addition, there is also a YouTube video with tips on how to give a public presentation. Both are great resources for those presenting for the first time, but also a great refresher for more seasoned presenters.
If you have any question please reach out to Tanya. patrie@njaes.rutgers.edu
Attention 4-H Members in 9-12th grade
Plans are underway for the 2025 Citizenship Washington Focus conference scheduled for June 21-27, 2025.

Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) is National 4-H Council’s premier leadership and civic engagement experience held each summer in the Washington, DC area. It is a week-long event (Thursday – Thursday) for 4-H members in grades 9-12 (14-19 years old). The program is based on the principle that democracy requires skills and strategies that must be learned and practiced and it teaches participants to be active, responsible citizens and leaders. The program utilizes Washington, DC as a working classroom to learn about the government, citizenship, and civic engagement and provides hands-on opportunities for our teens to promote “Better Citizens Today, Better Leaders Tomorrow.”
During the CWF program week, delegates will:
•Strengthen communication, leadership, and civic engagement skills on a national level
•Understand the importance of Youth Voice and the skills necessary to make a change in their community, such as civil discourse and media literacy
•Exchange ideas, practice respect and form friendships with other youth from diverse backgrounds
•Experience hands-on learning using the historical backdrop of our nation’s capital city, Washington, DC, as their classroom
•Create a plan and work with fellow delegates to develop the steps to carry out the plan upon their return home, to make a difference in their community.
The New Jersey delegates will travel by coach bus for the week and will experience all that Washington, DC has to offer. We will join approximately 250 4-H members representing a variety of states
Information can be found on the New Jersey 4-H website at the following link: http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/citizenship/washingtonfocus/
Event Scholarships may be available. Contact the 4-H Office for the application and more information.
The deadline to Apply is February 10
Room Host NEEDED!
Community Service Hours Available for Middle/High School Members
The 4-H office is looking for help individuals, Middle and High School members, to volunteer to serve as Room Hosts for our 4-H Public Presentations in-person programs.
As the Room Host, your responsibilities will be to introduce those presenting and assist them with setting up their presentation. Community service hours will be granted to those who volunteer.
Please contact Tanya Patrie at patrie@njaes.rutgers.edu for more information or to sign up. You may also use the following link to sign up to volunteer https://forms.office.com/r/DYmwSteMaS.
4-H Public Presentations NEEDS Volunteers
Caring adults are needed to volunteer to help us evaluate those 4-H youth participating in our 4-H public presentations program.

Presentations are being held on and at the following dates and places:
March 7 – Frankford Twp. School, 2 Pines Rd. Branchville (live animals allowed)
March 14 – Frankford Twp. School, 2 Pines Rd. Branchville (live animals allowed)
March 21 – High Point Regional High School, 299 Pidgeon Hill Rd, Sussex
Please use the following link to sign up to serve as a presentation judge: https://forms.office.com/r/fQFZ6rV2eE , contact the 4-H office at (973) 948-3040, or email Tanya at patrie@njaes.rutgers.edu.
If you know someone who would like to serve or be a good fit to serve as a 4-H public presentation judge, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Tanya at patrie@njaes.rutgers.edu.
For any questions please contact the 4-H Office.
Calling all 4-Hers! Don’t miss out on the 5th annual 4-H TOP CHEF event.

This virtual event invites you to get creative and create a short “cooking video”. Prepare your favorite food, a family traditional meal, or try something new. Videos must include the ingredients for the dish, steps to prepare it and the finished product. Creativity counts! Enter ASAP and submit your video by February 15. Trophies to top winners and recognition for all participants.
Register at www.tinyurl.com/20254HTOPCHEF
Questions? Contact Middlesex County 4-H.
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 3 (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 29.
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.

Website: https://nj4h.rutgers.edu/smallanimals/junior-symposium/
To officially register: https://tinyurl.com/2025AnimalSymposium

L.G. Cook 4-H Summer Camp
Limited Spots Available!

It’s that time of year! Registration for L. G. Cook 4-H Camp is open for both their classic overnight program, and the day camp, 4-H Camp at Rutgers Gardens.
More information can be found on our website at https://nj4hcamp.rutgers.edu/
Also check out their new overview video on or website at https://nj4hcamp.rutgers.edu/videos.html
Registration opens for both:
Still need more details Call 973-948-3550 to reach the Camp Office with any and all questions.

New opportunities available.

4-H NJSF/SCF&HS Community Service Sign up
The NJSF/SCF&HS is setting up Community Service days to enable 4-H members who would receive 4-day passes to have the opportunity to earn 8-day passes (or any part thereof) by participating in volunteer activities that help out at the Fairgrounds in the Fall and Spring. Two hours of volunteering will earn one additional day pass.
The Fair believes engaging 4-H youth in volunteer activities at the fairgrounds will give members a perspective on how the Fair operates and create a better connection with the Fair Association. The hope is that some of these 4-H members will eventually become adult volunteers or directors.
Listed are current Community Service volunteer opportunities. You may choose one or all. Additional opportunities will be added/deleted as they become available.
Wednesday June 4th, 2025, 4:30 to 6:30 pm – BOA Farmers Market Clean-up with Lori Space Day.
To sign up for please use the following online form:https://forms.gle/oLyGXtCzw6qvAz3T6
New 4-H Fair Pass Policy

The New Jersey State Fair is implementing a new 4-H fair pass policy that will primarily affect members who are only exhibiting projects in the Shotwell 4-H Building during the fair.
Those 4-H members with live animal exhibits that will be on the grounds for at least 4 days will receive a full 8 1/2-day Fair pass, as usual. This includes alpacas, cattle, goats, horses, poultry, sheep, and swine. The Fair will offer 4-H members entering static exhibits 4-day fair passes. These would include 4-H members who are only entering projects in the Shotwell Building or are not exhibiting animals at the fair for four or more days. Currently exceptions are being made for a few non-livestock 4-H clubs that provide over four or more days of member lead activities or service that engage the public.
4-H members who would receive 4-day passes will have the opportunity to earn 8-day passes (or any part thereof) if they choose to participate in volunteer community service activities that help out at the Fairgrounds in the Fall and Spring. The Fair believes engaging 4-H youth in volunteer activities at the fairgrounds will give members a perspective on how the Fair operates and create a better connection with the Fair Association. The hope is our 4-H members will eventually become adult volunteers or directors.
Those 4-H members receiving 4-day passes will be eligible for additional days based on hours of volunteer service prior to the Fair. Two hours of volunteering will earn one additional day pass.
The 4-H Office will be notified of volunteer opportunities in advance and will provide the Fair office with the approximate number of 4-H’ers planning to participate. 4-H is responsible for providing supervision as required by 4-H policy and for recording attendance. A representative of the Fair will also sign off on attendance at each volunteer day.
Those who qualify for additional day passes based on volunteering prior to the fair will be listed as eligible when passes are issued in July. This is assuming these members fulfill other 4-H fair pass requirements (Record Book, Member in Good Standing with their club, etc.), they will receive additional day passes or a full 8 1/2-day pass.
4-H leaders and 4-H parents will all still receive full passes as it is expected that they will volunteer to help and supervise in the Shotwell Building or other areas during the Fair. As in the past, there will be a fee for parent passes.
This is a new policy, and we understand you may have questions, please let us know.
Information and Programs for Our 4-H Leaders & Parents
Volunteer Connections – Learning Opportunities for You!

Be sure to register for this series of virtual learning for volunteers. https://tinyurl.com/4HNERV2025
Find out more about these sessions here:
https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteer-connections/

The first episode of 4-H Volunteer Ventures is available on Spotify and other platforms. The 4-H Volunteer Ventures Facebook page is also available.
The 4-H Volunteer Ventures Podcast examines the fun, but sometimes confusing role of the 4-H volunteer. Each episode will explore a specific aspect or challenge volunteers face ad offer best practices to improve the experience. Join hosts, Kelly and Laura, as they discuss current trends, share resources, and offer tips and tricks learned from their own volunteer experiences.
New episodes drop Wednesdays 2 twice a month –
be sure to listen when it’s convenient for you!
Spotify link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/4hvolunteerventures
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558574791500
We want to hear from YOU! If you have any suggestions for volunteer-based topics you would like us to address, or something you would like to learn more about as a 4-H volunteer, let us know. We appreciate your input.
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@SussexNJ4H