4-H County Activity Day

 Just a reminder that the deadline to register for County Activity Day is March 5.  You can register on the app under programs or by clicking this link: https://forms.gle/2U5UKFKYcdLRHfWA7 

This year's presentations and public speaking will be held virtually.  Outdoor cooking will be held in person following all COVID Guidelines and participants will have to go through our Face to Face training (held virtually) prior to participating.  You can register for the 4-H Family F2F Training here.

Please note all participants must have an active 4-H Online (https://v2.4honline.com/) profile to take part in this competition.

-All videos will be due to the 4-H Staff by 1pm on Saturday, March 13.  

-Videos will be shared with judges and scores will be announced later that week.  

-Participants with video are required to follow the same guidelines as for face to face presentations. 

-If you would like to utilize a zoom session to record your video (especially recommended for those using PowerPoint with their presentations)  please schedule that with the 4-H staff prior to the deadline.  Be advised they will not be able to do zooms the day of the deadline.

-All outdoor cooking participants will have areas that are six feet apart and will be required to supply their own tools to compete.

-Please note participants will need to pass a temperature check prior to setting up, and will be expected to wear a mask throughout competition.

-Participants should report to the office on March 13 prior to 1 pm to set up and be ready to light their grills at 1 pm.  Judges will be in place and we will be able to announce placings for the section of the day at the end of the event.

If you have any questions please contact Wendy Maynor or Shea Ann DeJarnette at (910) 671-3276 or wrmaynor@ncsu.edu or sadejarn@ncsu.edu

The Environmental Protection Agency extends nominations deadline for the 2021 President’s Environmental Student and Teacher Awards

 

WASHINGTON (February 19, 2021) — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it’s extending the nominations deadline for their Environmental Education Presidential awards program. EPAs Office of Environmental Education will now accept applications for the 2021 President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) through April 30, 2021.

“Investing in our nation’s students and teachers by creating opportunities to engage in real world issues will help build the next generation of environmental leaders,” said Rosemary Enobakhare, Associate Administrator, Office of Public Engagement and Environmental Education. “Providing an extension will allow additional time for all students and teachers to submit applications for this invaluable awards program.”

Since the establishment of the original Environmental Education Act of 1970, The President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) Program has recognized outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth for over 50 years. Today, as part of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990, PEYA continues to promote awareness of natural resources and encourages positive community involvement.

PIAEE recognizes outstanding K-12 grade educators who integrate environmental, place-based experiential learning into their classrooms.

Additional Information on the Awards

EPA is seeking PEYA and PIAEE award applications for projects on a variety of environmental topics, including (but not limited to), projects on: 

• Climate Change 
• Making a visible difference in Environmental Justice communities 
• Reducing food waste and loss and excess food recovery efforts
• Reducing contributions to ocean and marine litter
• Solutions in recycling
• Using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to teach environmental education
• Environmental sustainability
• Sustainable agricultural practices
• Healthy school environments

The President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects from grades K-12 by promoting environmental awareness and encouraging community involvement. EPA will select up to two winners in each of EPA’s 10 Regions – one regional winner for grades K-5, and one regional winner for grades 6-12. The winning projects will be highlighted on EPA’s website. All student projects must be sponsored by at least one adult over the age of 21. And, if the sponsor is not a teacher, the project must have a teacher as a co-sponsor. The application and eligibility information are available on EPA’s PEYA page.

The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) recognizes outstanding K-12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education. Up to two teachers from each of EPA's 10 regions, from different states, will be selected to receive this award. Teachers will receive a Presidential plaque and an award of up to $2,500 cash to be used to further professional development in environmental education. Winning teachers’ local education agencies will also receive awards of up to $2,500 cash to fund environmental educational activities and programs. Next years’ winners will be highlighted on EPA’s website.

The application and eligibility information are available on EPA’s PIAEE page.

Applications for both awards programs are due no later than April 30, 2021.

For more information on the youth awards (PEYA), please contact: PEYA@epa.gov.

For more information on the teacher awards (PIAEE), please contact: PIAEE@epa.gov.

EPA’s Office of Environmental Education (OEE) works to expand the public’s environmental knowledge and enables people to effectively solve environmental problems. OEE develops training programs, provides education materials, supports environmental education publications, holds seminars and events, and administers environmental education grants and awards, please contact: education@epa.gov.

4-H Top 4 for the week of March 1, 2021

 

Prayers go out to all of our returning face to face students and teachers this week.  May it be a wonderful and safe new adventure.

  Also we would like to let share news about two of our 4-H Families.  Joyce Jones, a long time 4-H volunteer with Young Leaders 4-H Club, her husband, Dr. Robert Jones, passed away over the weekend.  Dr. Jones worked with the Public Schools of Robeson County and spent several years as the Principal at W. H. Knuckles.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to them.

  Also one of our longtime volunteers, Beverly Chambers who was the club leader for Spiritual Generations, is in the hospital battling COVID.  Please keep Beverly and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

On to our 4-H Business for this week....

-March 3 at 6 pm and on Sunday, March 7 at 4 pm we will be holding information workshops on getting back face to face in 4-H and what it will require for families.  In the fall our club leaders went through the guidelines and families that want to meet face to face will have to go through this training prior to taking part in face to face activities.  Please note, 4-H members and volunteers must be active in 4-H Online (https://v2.4honline.com/) to take part as well.  There will be more opportunities to take part in this training in the future, however these will be the only two available prior to 4-H County Activity Day, so you plan to be part of our outdoor cooking you will need to take part in one of these two trainings.  You can register by using this link or on our app.

-March 5, is the deadline to register for 4-H County Activity Day.  This year's presentations and public speaking will be held virtually.  Outdoor cooking will be held in person following all COVID Guidelines and participants will have to go through our Face to Face training (held virtually) prior to participating.  Please note all participants must have an active 4-H Online (https://v2.4honline.com/) profile to take part in this competition.  To learn more about the guidelines please see the post about CAD, which will take place at 1pm on Saturday, March 13 at our office.  You can register on the app (under programs) or from this link.  If you have any questions please contact Wendy Maynor or Shea Ann DeJarnette at (910) 671-3276 or wrmaynor@ncsu.edu or sadejarn@ncsu.edu

-March 5 at noon, is also the deadline for any teens interested in running for SE District Office to submit their packets.  The deadline was previously March 1 and was changed to the 5.  For more information about that please see our blog post at https://robeson4-h.blogspot.com/2021/01/calling-all-4-h-members-interested-in.html.

-March 5 is also the deadline for Volunteers to register for our first 4-H 4 County Training.  This is the first in a series of four trainings for 4-H Adult Volunteers in Cumberland, Hoke, New Hanover, and Robeson Counties.  We are excited to offer a training that will focus on coordinating the standard course of study and age appropriate 4-H activities.  We will also give a 4-H update and introduce you to the 4-H Sourdough Challenge and get you started on that if you would like to implement that with youth in your county.  To register please go to our app and register under programs. 

If you have any questions please let us know.  Hope your first week of March is warm and wonderful. 

Stay Safe!

Wendy, Christy, and Shea Ann

District Officers-New Deadline

4-H Members interested in running for district office now have until March 5, at noon to get your nomination packets into the 4-H office.  

For more information such as requirements to run please see our blog link at:  https://robeson4-h.blogspot.com/2021/01/calling-all-4-h-members-interested-in.html

For access to the packet please see:  https://nc4h.ces.ncsu.edu/youth-3/4-h-teen-programs/state-council/

Don't Miss Out Sign Up Online Today

 

This article was written by our own 4-H Program Associate, Wendy Maynor.  You can find it on our web page as well as published in the Robesonian.

Are you looking for something fun, educational, and an opportunity to meet new friends in a safe and nurturing environment? The Robeson County 4-H Program online registration is open for new members and new volunteers as well as re-enrollment for our previous members. Sign up today by going to https://www.v2.4honline.com to complete the enrollment process. Once your child is registered they are eligible to participate in the 4-H programs that are virtual, hybrid, and face-to-face. Some programs are local and some are held virtually state wide. Parents, you will also have the opportunity to become a 4-H volunteer by completing the volunteer application and your first training at the same time.

To make the process even easier to register as a member, volunteer, or sign up for a program, download the 4-H app; just go to your app store, then search for “4-H NOW!”. Once it is downloaded, open the app and click on Robeson County 4-H. You will have complete access to the program calendar, so you can decide what is of interest to you and which programs your child would like to participate in.

Due to COVID-19, we are not meeting face-to-face quite yet, BUT we are continuing to deliver fun and educational youth programs and volunteer training virtually. Once you register as a 4-H member and download the 4-H NOW App, registering for programs is as simple as clicking on “programs” in the app, scrolling through to find the program right for you, and clicking the registration button, then – BOOM! – you are done. Even the least tech savvy of our 4-H family have found this to be a simple and easy way to be a part of 4-H.

Some of our 4-H clubs are meeting virtually with a lot of hands-on activities and time for youth to socialize with each other in a supervised setting. In the 4-H App you can see which clubs are meeting virtually and when. You also have access to the upcoming programs and complete event calendar.

Locally, 4-H County Activity Day is March 13, 2021. Youth between the ages of 5 and 18 will showcase their talents through public speaking or demonstrations and submit an unedited video to the 4-H office for judging. The outdoor cooking competition will be face-to-face. We will follow mandates and guidelines by the state and CDC regarding COVID-19 safety protocol. Everyone will be required to wear a mask and maintain a minimum of six feet apart. There will also be virtual training for our volunteers on March 8.

I know it is only February, but the 4-H office is receiving phone calls about registering for Summer Fun Day Camps. We are still weighing all the information and requirements at this time to determine if they will be held face-to-face or virtually. A little known fact…as a 4-H member you have the first opportunity to sign up for programs. Day camps and overnight camps are limited to a maximum number of youth. Speaking of overnight camp, that will be face-to-face. Our youth will travel to Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Center in Reidsville where they will get to ride horses, swim, canoe, learn archery, and other fun, interactive activities. Give us a call if you are interested.

Wouldn’t you want your child involved in a program where they will learn leadership skills, public speaking, decision making, and goal setting; building on their strengths and weaknesses while increasing confidence and self-esteem? All you have to do is sign them up; all that costs is a few minutes of your time.

For more information, contact Wendy Maynor, Extension 4-H Youth Development Program Associate, at 910-671-3276, by Email at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/.

JMG News!

BIWEEKLY UPDATE | FEB. 2021 PLANTS AFTER SNOW/ICE NEED A NEW CURRICULUM? INDOOR PLANT IDEAS DID YOU SEE SNOW & ICE LAST WEEK? We did in College Station, Texas! Despite the bitter cold, some parts of our parsley were still protected against the cold. Can you guess why one part of the parsley is alive and well? Scroll to the bottom of the email to find out if you're right! If you need more information on how extreme winter weather affected crops in Texas, click here for information from our experts. NEED CURRICULUM FOR SPRING? Want a fresh curriculum for your group or class in 2021? Visit our website and browse options today! If you have questions about the right curriculum for your group, email us at juniormastergardener@gmail.com. When you have decided on your curriculum of choice, visit the AgriLife Bookstore to make your purchase! If you need assistance with purchase orders or want to follow up on when to expect your order, reach out to learnonline@ag.tamu.edu, or call them directly at 979-803-1372. CURRICULUM OPTIONS VISIT THE BOOKSTORE WANT TO START PLANTING BEFORE THE WEATHER IS READY? With this idea, you can! Get a simple "string garden" started with only: Plants Clay Mud Moss Some sort of thread or string Newspaper (to cover your working space) Click here to learn how! Answer: The snow acted as a blanket for the parsley that is still green, whereas the white roots got exposed to the freezing cold temps and ice. We will see how the plant fares the rest of the season! VISIT OUR WEBSITE Junior Master Gardener Program | juniormastergardener@gmail.com CONNECT WITH US:  ‌  ‌  ‌

 

4-H Ambassadors for Volunteers

 

The NC 4-H Ambassador Program is being revamped. Come to this session to learn more about the 4-H Ambassador program and how to get your 4-H'ers involved!  The deadline to register is March 5.  The training will take place March 9 from 6-7 pm.

To register for this workshop please go to:  https://go.ncsu.edu/ambassadortraining  Or you can find this link on our app under programs.  

This workshop is one of a series of workshops being offered by the state 4-H office for 4-H Volunteers.  For more information on this and the state's other spring workshops please check out  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YCaOtJFRpF8gFGPEWpanlAiY4T-xLlla/view?usp=sharing

For questions please contact Sarah Kotizan at Sarah_Kotizan@ncsu.edu.