4-H Connections
A Newsletter for 4-H Volunteers and Families May, 2004

YORK COUNTY 4-H NEWS

Youth Making a Difference With Creative Communities Grants
Over a three-year period (2000-2003), approximately 363 Maine youth have completed 42 Creative Communities service-learning projects in all 16 counties around the state.  More than 40 communities across the Maine have received the benefits of Creative Communities projects planned and implemented by youth, and new applications are coming in for 2004.

The Creative Communities Grant program was initially funded by the 4-H Foundation and the Mudge Foundation to support youth designed and led projects with a service-learning component.  The 4-H Foundation is now the sole funding agency.  Some examples of 4-H Creative Communities projects have included:

•  Planting trees, landscaping parks and cemeteries and caring for public gardens and trails

• Planting and harvesting community vegetable gardens for disadvantaged families

• Teaching other youth specific life skills

• Reading to children involved in community literacy programs

• Providing toys to a pediatric hospital ward

• Sewing blankets and pajamas for babies and kimonos for patients at a women's health clinic

Youth work together and with their leader to determine a need in the community and how to meet that need.  Participants develop life skills, including responsible citizenship, teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, decision making, relating to others, planning, organizing, and showing empathy.

 The Foundation provides up to $200 to 4-H groups to conduct a creative service projects in their communities (one group per project.) This exciting initiative encourages youth to use their creative ideas to help people, animals and the environment in their community.

There have been three grants made in York County.

Supporting animal rescue
Nine 4-Hers aged 10-13 in York County provided services to support a floundering no-kill animal shelter. They used funds to purchase poster supplies, tape for a video camera to make a documentary about their efforts, doggy and kitty treats, bake/lemonade sale supplies, and to use a town facility to hold their Llama Walk-a-thon fundraiser. The service project goals included raising more than $500 in support of the shelter and creating community awareness about the cause through publicity and outreach.

Teaching safety
Ten York County youth ages 12-18 created and led a Farm and Tractor Safety program for any youth who work on, visit, or live on or near, a farm. They taught about safety around dangerous farm machinery through games and role playing. Those who ran the program also developed their communication and teambuilding skills. The program was advertised through 4-H newsletters and local newspapers.

Sharing information on soil erosion and conservation
Eight York County youth ages 7-19 developed 3-dimensional displays and demonstrated the proper use of soil conservation techniques when planting fields, locating animals on a farm, and establishing safe margins to watersheds. They learned soil conservation techniques and then shared their knowledge with the public at the Acton and Fryeburg fairs.

The Creative Communities grant fund provides grants up to $200 for project expenses for youth completing a community service project that helps them meet a community need and build life skills.

The goals of the grant program are:

to affirm the positive power of youth energy, ingenuity, and commitment through contributions youth make in their local communities to the public at large;

• to provide youth with an opportunity to express themselves and their individual creativity;

• to increase youth awareness of local and global community issues; and

• to offer youth the opportunity to design, implement, and evaluate their own projects.

For more information on Creative Communities grants, contact Jon at the Extension office, or visit the Maine 4-H

website: http://www.umaine.edu/4hfoundation

Vaughn Island 4-H Environmental Camp
SPLASH!  From the minute you set foot on Vaughn Island 'til the moment you leave, you're part of an exciting learning adventure!  Our unique program offers three and four day tenting experiences where youth discover -- through their own natural curiosity and imagination -- the sights, sounds, smell and feel of Maine's rocky coast.

 

Designed with the whole child in mind, Vaughn Island 4-H Camp brings lasting memories.  Living, working and playing together, campers make new friends and develop a sense of trust and responsibility for the whole group. 

 

The program places an emphasis on no-trace camping skills, cooperation, discovery of the island's plant and animal life, coastal heritage, and marine ecology.  Vaughn Island Camp is affiliated with Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center.

• June 28– Aug 11:  3 and 4-day overnight camping trips with environmental education focus at Vaughn Island, Cape Porpoise Harbor, Maine

• Space is limited.  Pre-registration required

• Program fee $125-$165

We still have a few openings left for this summer!  Call the Extension Office for a brochure and application.

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Happy Birthday to…Special birthday wishes to the following 4-H'ers

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4-H Leaders Association Meeting - May 10

 Attend our Leaders Association meetings!

They’re informative, fun, and a great place to network and learn from one another.  At the May meeting we’ll be planning Acton Fair clean-up day, and discussing emerging opportunities for 4-H clubs.

Hope to see you there!

CWF Delegates Chosen
Congratulations to our three York County      4-H’ers who have been selected to attend Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) this year.  Amanda Williamson, Zachary Poulin and Ashlee Dunn will be attending CWF, July 10-17.  They will travel to Washington, D.C. with the Maine delegation.  CWF is a 4-H leadership program for youth ages 15-19, from across the country.

Acton and Ossipee Fairs
It's not too early to be working on your fair project exhibits and signing up for Acton Fair food booth!  To sign up for the food booth contact Diane Qualey.

Make Science Fun Through Hands-on Learning
Rutgers Cooperative Extension has published a wonderful "Science Discovery Series", which is available through the York County Extension office.  The series is provided as a self-contained "4-H Discovery Kit" to help 4-H club leaders, other volunteers, and teachers provide science lessons to youth using a fun, learn-by-doing approach. 

 Each kit contains a lesson plan and nearly all of the teaching materials needed to teach the lesson in a hands-on way.  They are aimed at teaching youth in group settings such as 4-H clubs and school classrooms. 

Some examples from Volume One:

•  As Big as a Whale! (best for grades 4-8)

• Don't Trash the Planet (best for grades 3-6)

• Geology Where You Live (Best for grades 3-7)

• Tree-mendous Fun (Best for grades 2-3)

• Some Examples from Volume Two:

• Weatherwise (Best for grades 4-7)

• Spiderrific (Best for grades 4-6)

• Mountains High, Oceans Deep (Best for grades 4-6)

• Exploring Planet X (Best for grades 4-7)

• Where Does Your Garbage Go? (Best for grades 5-7)

 For more information, to review or order copies of these materials contact the Extension office.  To review and order direct, visit http://www.n4hccs.org/shop/products.asp

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STATE AND NATIONAL NEWS

The 2004 Flag and Flower Project
The 4-H Flag and Flower Project is a way for youth to help with flag and flower planting at the graves of veterans on Memorial Day (May 31.)  The number of living veterans is dwindling, and on Memorial Day veterans will need assistance in honoring the men and women who have served our country in the military.  4-H provides the information a group needs to get started on a service-learning project, and when possible, makes a connection between a registered veterans group and a youth group.

Flag and Flower is important not only for Maine youth to assist veterans in honoring the people who served our country in the military (and who are deceased) but also for the youth to meet and learn from living veterans.  The project began in 2003.  Twelve groups registered last year from around the state, some providing to four or more towns.  A 4-H group in Augusta placed more than 1,000 flags at the Togas Veterans' Cemetery, and another group of 4-Hers offered a community program at a local library for veterans to come and share their stories.

To register a group this year, visit www.maine4h.maine.edu/flagandflower.htm on the web.  You may also contact Lisa Phelps or Dick Brzozowski in the Cumberland County Extension office (1-800-287-1471) for more information or to register.  Veterans' groups who would like assistance should also register so that 4-H staff can connect them with interested youth.

COUNTY CLUB NEWS    

Learning and Growing in Maine’s First 4-H Lllama Club:

Llama Brigade
Maine's first 4-H llama club is deeply involved with llamas but also are involved in community and service projects, and fun activities. 

In the next four months they will be participating in:

• Acton Fair Clean-up Weekend

• Kids Fest at Dover Ice Arena

• Planting a pumpkin patch

• Working on costumes for Acton Fair

• Sewing grooming aprons

• SAFE HOMES, a community coalition working to create a culture that supports healthy alternatives to substance use

• A Maine Llama Association hike

• A public library fundraiser

 Today the club boasts 12 members, and an extremely active corps of parents.

 "We have an incredible group of parents.  We couldn’t do this with the great involvement of the parents," says Heidi West, club leader.

 At a recent meeting, members discussed what they liked best about 4-H:

Mary: "Making new friends.”

Kendra: "I’ve learned you have to get along with people.  There are lots of different ages and personalities here, and we get along well.”

Jeni: "I’ve learned patience and self-control.”

Simon: “I’ve learned how to knit and sew.

Mary’s mother: 4-H has given Mary lots of opportunities to participate in the fairs.  Fairs are more fun and educational if the kids participate in them.”

Several of the youth commented that they liked the experiential part of 4-H.  One said: “We don’t just talk about things, we do them.  I’ve learned a lot here.”

As to what challenges them the most, there was general agreement that record keeping and using the Life Skills wheel was challenging.  However, they said they could understand their value.

Kara: “Keeping records makes you think about what you’ve been doing.”

Simon: “They help you to reflect.”

Heidi West says that the time she spends with the 4-H members makes her realize what terrific youth there are in York County. 

 “I’ve really enjoyed working with an older group, and this is a great group of kids.  It renews my faith in older kids,” says West.

The club meets at least once a month, on Saturday, and also offers a variety of extra activities each month.  Scheduled meetings often begin with a business meeting and then move on to activities, demonstrations or special events.  At a recent club meeting, members learned about the health and safety of llamas.  They had been learning how to give llamas shots and vaccinations by injecting bananas with water. 

At the April club meeting the practice paid off and members gave vaccinations to about a dozen llamas at club leader’s Heidi West’s farm in Berwick.  There were two nurses on hand (parents), as well as other parents to help out. The kids did wonderfully!

 This is an engaged, active and fun club with great youth, committed parents, and wonderfully skilled leaders.

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