4-H Winterfest

It’s getting pretty cold already, but we are looking forward to seeing you all in January for our 2016 North Central District Winterfest! Winterfest is a one day event for all 4-H’ers in the North Central District ages 11 and up.

In the morning there will be an interactive workshop on various 4-H project areas as well as a community service project led by your District Officers. In the afternoon we will have lunch followed by your choice of Airbound Trampoline Park or bowling with your fellow 4-H members.

Date: Saturday, January 9, 2016

Locations: Winston-Salem - Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Office (1450 Fairchild Rd), Airbound Trampoline Park (7840 N. Point Blvd), and Northside Lanes (3550 N. Patterson Ave.)

Times: Arrival between 9:00-9:30am, Program from 9:30am-3:00pm

Cost: $20/person including Adults (Checks payable to North Central District 4-H Council)

Lunch will be provided and afterwards all participants will have a choice of Fun activity. Contact Whitney by January 4^th to register!

Poultry Science Summer Institute

Applications are now being accepted for the Poultry Science Summer Institute which is offered to any high school students interested in poultry.  It's a week long camp which covers all aspects of the poultry industry including feed milling and genomics. The application and more information can be found on the website at:

https://poultry4hyouth.ces.ncsu.edu/poultry-science-summer-institute/

Cards & Cookies 2015

Join us on your early dismissal day from school for a fun & festive community service project! 

Register by December 11th by calling 401-8025 or emailing Whitney at whitney_collins@ncsu.edu

Join in the DeSTEMber fun with Girlstart!

Girlstart's mission is to increase girls’ interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through innovative, nationally-recognized informal STEM education programs. By empowering more girls to continue STEM studies, we can help address our nation’s STEM workforce inequities and impact innovation and economic development in America and across the globe. We accomplish this by developing innovative models and processes for teaching and delivering STEM through integrated informal STEM education programs. Girlstart provides year-round programming for girls and families including After School, Summer Camps, Girls in STEM Conference, Community STEM events, Hands-on Wednesday blog, and DeSTEMber to get girls interested in STEM at an early age.

Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful, and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.

Throughout the month of December, Girlstart hosts DeSTEMber- 31 days of STEM fun for the whole family. DeSTEMber will highlight various STEM-related topics with hands-on activity blogs, photos, videos as part of a month long program to drive awareness for STEM, showing kids and families that 'STEM is everywhere.' Families can find DeSTEMber’s 31 days of STEM fun at www.destember.org!

Greenlight a Vet!

Many of you have seen Walmart's commercial "Greenlight A Vet".  Walmart is committed to hiring more then 250,000 veterans by 2020 through the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment.  Walmart has partnered with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Team Red, White and Blue, Team Rubicon Hire Heroes USA and Blue Star Families to launch Greenlight for Vets.  This campaign is to help create a visible and actionable national support for America's veterans and their families.  We interact with them every day at work, school, and in our neighborhoods.  Once they are back home and out of uniform,  it s hard to show support or recognize their contributions.  They are camouflaged more than ever.

The Meaning of Green

"Green is the color of hope, renewal and well-being. "Greenlight" is also a term commonly  used to activate forward movement.  The simple action of changing one light to green is intended to spark a national conversation regarding the recognition of veterans, and "greenlight" them forward as valued members of our communities." (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 2015)

What is Greenlight a Vet?

America's veterans are some of our nation's bravest, hardest-working men and women.  However, it is hard to show them the appreciation they deserve when, back home and out of uniform, they are more camouflaged then ever.  Greenlight a Vet is a campaign to establish visible national support for our veterans by changing one light to green.

Change One Light to Green

Let us honor our veterans not only on November 11th, but all year round by changing one light to green in a visible location - on your porch, your home, or at you office- and keep it glowing every day as a symbol of appreciation and support for our veterans.  To help share your support, take a picture of your green light and post it using the hashtag #greenlightavet

To learn more about Greenlight A Vet campaign, click on the links below:

http://news.walmart.com/videos/youtube/greenlight-a-vet-ydrh341m0kk

http://www.greenlightavet.com/

I encourage you, your family, friends, organization(s), etc. to participate in the Greenlight A Vet campaign. If you do choose to participate,  please share your story with NC Cooperative Extension Military Outreach.  We would be happy to add your commitment to our veterans and their families on our website.

Project Learning Tree Workshops

November 11, 2015 K-12 Workshop
Jordan Lake ESF
Chatham County
To Register: Carla Hunt carla.hunt@ncagr.gov 919-542-1154
Registration Deadline: November 9, 2015

November 20, 2015
K-12 Workshop
Halyburton Park
Wilmington, NC
To Register: Theresa Celia theresa.celia@wilmingtonnc.gov or 910-341-0075Registration Deadline: November 11, 2015

More Online...  http://forestry.ces.ncsu.edu/events/?search=Project

January 11, 2016, K-8, Belmont (Belmont Abbey College)

February 15, 2016, K-8, Fayetteville (Cape Fear Botanical Garden)

February 19, 2016, K-8, Wilmington (Cape Fear Museum)

March 19, 2016, K-12, Charlotte (Queens University)​

State Council 4-H Health Challenge!

The North Carolina State 4-H Council is focusing on The 4th H: Health as our State Project this year. As a part of this project, the State 4-H Council Officers have developed a monthly health challenge and we want you and your 4-H'ers to participate! Each month a new challenge, resources and helpful hints will be shared through both the State 4-H Council Facebook page and the North Carolina 4-H Facebook page. The challenges will relate to dietary, physical and mental health and will be posted a few days before the start of each month.

If participants meet the monthly goal, they will be asked to submit their information here: http://goo.gl/forms/tJGVmC62eK . This is an honor system and one 4-H youth and one adult (employee or volunteer) will be randomly selected each month to receive a health related prize! Winners will be announced through Facebook! Please share this information widely and let people know about this great opportunity! Thank you for your support of our State 4-H Project!

State 4-H Council Newsletter-October 2015

The October State 4-H Council Newsletter has been published and is available on the 4-H website.  You can find it here: http://www.nc4h.org/youth/statecouncil/

OJJDP Poster Contest

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) sponsors a Educational Poster Contest to promote awareness of missing and exploited children. Your 5th grade student can help this cause by designing a poster with the theme of “Bring Our Missing Children Home.” Participating students are to create a poster that reflects the theme and complete an application describing their poster and the importance of collaboration in bringing missing children home.
http://mecptraining.org/…/uplo…/2014/01/2016-Flyer_Final.pdf

Healthy Halloween with 4-H

Join us for a HEALTHY Halloween afternoon of crafts, activities/games, snacks, and lots of fun!
Friday, October 30th
1:30 pm-3 pm
Surry County Cooperative Extension Office
Call (336) 401-8025 or email Whitney at whitney_sprinkle@ncsu.edu to register!

4-H State Council Conference

It is almost time for the 2015 State 4-H Council Conference! The dates of the conference are November 14-15 and it will be held at the Jane S. McKimmon Center in Raleigh. State Council Conference is for youth ages 13 - 18. 

Your State 4-H Officers have been working to plan exciting workshops and speakers for the event. Our State 4-H Council this year has selected the “The 4th H: Health” as the State Council Project and I know you will enjoy the workshops that are being planned around this theme. We will have a variety of workshops at this year’s conference including Ambassador workshops, State Council workshops, and Leadership workshops. 

The Registration deadline is October 12 and the cost is $140. T-shirts are available for an additional $15. Call (336) 401-8025 or email Whitney at whitney_sprinkle@ncsu.edu to register.

4-H Horse Program Newsletter

The September issue of the NC 4-H Horse Program Newsletter is now available.  To access the newsletter, please click the following link:

https://equinehusbandry.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/NC-4-H-Horse-Program-Newsletter-September-2015.pdf?fwd=no

Fall Tractor Supply Campaign 2015

Tractor Supply Company (TSC) stores in Mount Airy and Elkin will again be joining 4-H in support of local youth with the 4-H TSC Paper Clover Campaign, a national in-store fundraising effort to benefit state and local 4‑H programming in each of the communities where a Tractor Supply Company store is located.

Beginning Wednesday, October 7th through Sunday, October 18th, shoppers at the Mount Airy and Elkin Tractor Supply Company stores will have the opportunity to support 4-H in Surry County by purchasing paper clovers for just $1 at checkout.  All funds raised through this local 4-H TSC Paper Clover Campaign will be donated to 4-H, and will support 4-H camps, school enrichment/after school programs and other 4-H youth development program activities in Surry County. Please help support this effort and share the news with your friends and family.

Our local Tractor Supply Company stores are located at:

Mount Airy TSC:

2151 Rockford ST STE C,

Mount Airy, NC 27030

(336) 786-1211

Elkin TSC:

1925 N Bridge ST STE 100

Elkin, NC 28621

(336) 835-6004

2015 Dairy Poster Contest

The theme for the 2015 Dairy Poster Contest is "Get More with Milk". Youth should incorporate this theme into their posters.  Please note the following rules:

1. Competition in this contest will be conducted on an individual basis in Division I (9-12 years of age), Division II (13-15 years of age), and Division III (16-19 years of age) at the county and state level. Youth in Division IV (5-8 years of age) will participate on a non-competitive basis at the county level only.
2. Posters should be a standard 22" X 28" size.
3. Posters MUST NOT contain copyright material such as cartoon characters, etc.
4. Posters must have been displayed at least once in a public place.

All posters at the state competition in Division I, II, and III will be displayed in a prominent place during the dairy shows in the Jim Graham Building at the NC State Fair.

The following awards will be provided to state winners in Division I, Division II, and Division III by the Southeastern United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA):

• First Place: $100 cash
• Second Place: $75 cash
• Third Place: $50 cash

NOTE: Each poster must have the DAIRY POSTER CONTEST SCORECARD, with the top portion completely filled out, taped to the back side of the poster.

Deadline to enter is September 11, 2015.