Money for College

 

The NC Community College System just established the NC Longleaf Commitment Grant.  This grant will allow 2020 and 2021 high school graduates to attend one of the state’s community colleges.  Eligible students are guaranteed to receive $700 to $2,800 per year for tuition and fees for a total of two years.  Attached are three posters that may be shared with your 4-H youth, posted in Extension Offices, or shared with public school teachers for posting.  This program is set to conclude the spring semester of 2023.  More information about the grant can be found here.

4-H Top 4 for the week of December 6, 2021

   

Good morning everyone!  Hope you had a great weekend.  Our Extension office held our 8th Annual Very Local Holiday Festival at the Robeson County Farmers Market this weekend.  As part of that 4-H (with the help of our Master Gardener Volunteers/4-H Volunteers) gave out 100 S'mores kits advertising our Overnight Summer Camp.   In other words....if you would like to give the gift of a week of overnight camp to a child this Christmas, now is the best time to do it.  

    Speaking of Christmas Presents, our 4-H Cookbooks are available at our office.  They are $10 each.  The money from the cookbooks goes toward the Robert Wilkes 4-H Endowment.  When it is fully endowed it will offer scholarships for Robeson County 4-H entrepreneurial and leadership programs.     

  The year is winding down fast so let's get on with our top 4!

-The deadline to register for 4-H Appreciation Night is today! Just click on the link or you can register from the app, under programs.  Our 4-H Appreciation night this year will be set up as a drive in movie!  When you find your parking spot, send a representative in the lobby and we will have a bag for your car.  In the bag will be awards, and necessities for the movies such as popcorn, popcorn cups, drinks, etc.  We will also have photo opportunities and we heard there just might be snow.....you will have to be here to see it!  After 4-H Appreciation on the big screen we will be showing two classic movies, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.  So come in your comfy clothes and plan to enjoy the night.  For more information, check out our blog post.

-4-H Adult Volunteers the deadline to register and pay for NC 4-H Leaders Conference, which will take place in Durham, is January 6.  You can register and pay online through our app, under programs.  To learn more about the event click this link to read more about the event on our blog.  There is also a link to registration from that blog post.  This is a great way for our adult volunteers to network with other volunteers from around the state and to get all your training for the year in at one time.  This year because of the schedule you can just drive up early Saturday morning if you want and drive back when the conference is over at 5 pm.

-January 18 is the deadline to turn in 4-H Project Records, Portfolios, Honor Club Applications, and Scholarship forms.  That is a lot right?  

        Project Records/Portfolios:  Project Records for work done in 2021 should be dropped off at our office prior to 5 pm that day.  For youth who took part in animal science, just update your books and drop them off at our office.  Just for turning in a project record or portfolio (which is for 13 year olds and up-showing three consecutive years of work in a project area) you will get a cash award and if you place first or second in your age division in that category, you will move forward to District Competition.  To find the forms you need to complete these just click this link.  Make sure to download the appropriate form for your 4-H Age on January 1, 2021.  

    Honor Club-4-H Honor club is for 4-H members who are 4-H age 16 and have been in 4-H for at least three years.  You have an opportunity to list the things you have done in 4-H and apply to be part of the strongest and longest serving alumni 4-H programs in the Nation.  Less than 1% of those who apply get in.  Being a part of honor club means you are part of a 4-H service organization for life (IF selected Robeson County 4-H will pay your one time, lifetime dues amount).  It is a great networking opportunity and a great way to stay connected to 4-H when you age out of the program.  You can find the application here to download and fill out.  You will need to scroll about halfway down the page to find it.

   Scholarships-For college seniors who want a little bit of financial assistance you should apply for one or more of the college scholarships.  All it takes is one form and you can apply for as many of the 67 scholarships that are available, that you qualify for.  Please read the descriptions of scholarships carefully before checking off which scholarships you want to apply for.  Some are school specific, some two year vs. four year, some are specific to your district, county etc.  Also be prepared to have the following information to include in your packet:   

                a. NC 4-H Scholarship Application Form 

                b. Official High School Transcript 

               c. Scholastic aptitude test scores (SAT or ACT) 

               d. Letter of recommendation (1 academic and 1 4 -H achievement) 

                e. Applicant’s current resume – two-page resume – 4-H’ers choice on style 

                f. Essay (required for NC 4-H Horse Program scholarships) 

                g. Financial need statement (optional, confidential)

        We are still waiting for the State to post this years scholarship application and packet of information.  We will share as soon as it is available.  If you have questions or need help please contact Shea Ann or Wendy at (910) 671-3276 or sadejarn@ncsu.edu, wrmaynor@ncsu.edu.  To download the application please click this link. 

-February 15 we will be holding our annual county record book judging at our office starting at 10 am.  Any volunteers willing to come help out with judging, we would love to have you.  If you haven't done it before this is a good time to learn.  We will have experts on hand to help teach you what to look for.  We will have a sign up available later this month.

That's all for today.  Please know how much we appreciate you and all that you do to make 4-H what it is today.  If you have any questions please let us know.

Wendy, Christy, Dominique, and Shea Ann

4-H Camp for Christmas?

 

 I know, its December 1 and I am already talking about 4-H Camp.  Weird right?  However if you think about what you are getting your child for Christmas this might be the very best thing.  Think about it.  Camp offers our youth a safe and nurturing environment, an opportunity to learn about living independently, and a chance to build their self esteem.

    Through participation in the 4-H camping program youth: 

    -Understand that learning can be fun. 

    -Improve communication skills.

    -Acknowledge their abilities and limitations and develop skills and options for growth. 

    -Learn about various sciences and develop scientific skills. 

    -Gain an understanding and appreciation of different cultures and the value of diversity in a global society. 

    -Learn about the natural environment and improve stewardship skills. 

    -Improve their physical skills and fitness. 

    -Learn a process for solving problems and working cooperatively in groups. 

    -Learn skills to set goals and make decisions individually. 

    -Learn to identify and manage resources. 

    -Experience a variety of life-long recreational activities. 

    -Learn and practice ethical behavior. 

    -Explore spiritual values.

Robeson County 4-H will be camping at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Camp July 24-29, 2022.  We hope you can join us and check out our special pricing for those who reserve their slot early.  If you pay your $100 deposit before Christmas we will even give you a pillowcase to wrap up under the tree for the camper to unwrap.  It will have the camp name and dates on it as well as our 4-H logo.

For more information about what 4-H Camps have to offer please go to: https://nc4h.ces.ncsu.edu/camps-centers/

Message from United Way

 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is a foundational member of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) National Board and would like to share with our family of partner agencies information regarding its COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought grief to every corner of our nation, taking the lives of over 700,000 people. FEMA is committed to reducing the financial burden of these deaths and is providing individuals who incurred COVID-19-related funeral expenses with funding for eligible costs.  Since FEMA began the program, over one billion dollars in assistance has already been distributed.

 

FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred on or after January 20, 2020. Like other federal assistance, these funds cannot be used in duplication of other programs.  We are seeking your assistance to help get the word out to individuals who may be eligible to apply. Click here on FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance for guidance and eligibility requirements and types of services funded.  Instructions on how to apply for this assistance through FEMA's dedicated helpline at 1-844-684-6333 can also be found on the website.

 

Helpline representatives are trained to provide personal application support and answer any questions regarding program eligibility. Since this program is not administered by United Way Worldwide or the EFSP National Board, all questions should be referred to the FEMA Helpline or its website, https://www.fema.gov/disaster/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance, for more information. 

 

We would greatly appreciate your assistance in sharing this program with your community and partner agencies so more people are aware of this financial resource.

 

 

JMG News

 

BIWEEKLY UPDATE | NOVEMBER 2021 PLANT PARTS FOOD DRIVE JMG NLT 2022 THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS PARTICIPATE IN A PLANT PARTS FOOD DRIVE! GET INVOLVED Wondering how you can work with your group to make a difference? Collect your fall harvest and/or canned goods, learn more about parts of a plant, and impact your local community with this activity. This is a great activity to support local food banks, most of which are currently experiencing supply challenges and greater demand in the holiday season. Share your group's efforts with the hashtags #plantpartsfooddrive and #jmg so we can share the love and even reward some of our favorite posts with books from our JMG Library! PUT JMG NLT 2022 ON YOUR HOLIDAY WISHLIST! Want to up your teaching and gardening game? JMG NLT 2022 is the perfect opportunity! Join us for a hands-on, fun-filled 3 days of JMG training in College Station, TX on February 21st-23rd, 2022! Hear from experienced speakers and engage in activities with fellow group leaders. We hope you will consider joining us, and be sure to register SOON to get the best pricing! LEARN MORE REGISTER NOW! LOTS OF THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS? Check out these tips to ensure you are storing leftovers safely! Some of our favorite tips from friends at Dinner Tonight include: Cool Food Rapidly Seal Food Well Best Devices to Reheat View their article here with details on all the best tips! STORING LEFTOVERS SAFELY VISIT OUR WEBSITE Junior Master Gardener Program | juniormastergardener@gmail.com CONNECT WITH US:  ‌  ‌  ‌

NC Volunteer Leaders' Conference

 

    The 2022 NC 4-H Volunteer Leaders’ Conference will be February 4-5, 2022 at the Hilton Durham near Duke University. This is your opportunity to participate in workshops and seminars designed especially for 4-H volunteers and agents to create positive learning experiences for young people across the state. Annually, more than 200 conference participants gain skills and knowledge to help make the best better!

    Friday will offer pre-conference optional workshops during the day and a night fun group activity you will not want to miss. Saturday features a variety of workshops, district meetings, recognizing awards recipients and incoming officer installation, plus chances to network and see friends! We hope you can join us for this great training event! To learn more about this great

conference, be sure to check out the agenda here.

    In order to attend this conference, you must be an approved volunteer in 4-H Online and you must register in Eventbrite. Once you register and pay, your 4-H Agent will be able to register you and approve your registration in 4-H Online.  Please look at the agenda and note that you do not have to spend the night.  This year awards will happen at the awards lunch, so there will not be an evening banquet.  

Registration Fees:

Pre-Conference Registration $10

Full Time Registration $140

Saturday Only Registration $110

Awards Dinner Only Registration $50

    Thanks to our United Way Funds we will pay registration for our Robeson County 4-H Volunteers that would like to attend.  (Please note if you do not attend you will be asked to reimburse the program for the funds spent on your registration).  If you would like to spend the night before or after (or even both) we just ask that you pay for the hotel room when you register.  We will make the Hotel reservations for you.   Registration can be found on our 4-H App under programs or by clicking this link.

 

    Registration will close on January 7, 2022 at 3:00 pm.  No cancellations or registration changes will be accepted after January 7th at 5:00pm. We hope to see you at North Carolina 4-H Volunteer Leaders’ Conference 2022:  4-H Family Reunion, Together Again!

4-H Top 4 for the week of November 22

  

    First and foremost we would like to wish you and yours a happy Thanksgiving.  We are grateful to our 4-H member, volunteers, families, and Extension staff for making this program what it is today.  We hope each of you has a happy and safe holiday filled with love and kindness.

  Also want to share some exciting news!  Jordan and Jada McKinnon with Inspirational Leaders 4-H Club travelled to the National Egg and Poultry Conference to represent North Carolina 4-H and compete in Chicken and Turkey Chargrill.  Our youth placed 6th and 4th in the Nation!  Congratulations to them for all their hard work and incredible showing.  Also Maggie Underwood will be travelling to National 4-H Congress this month to represent NC at that event.  We wish her well.

  As we look forward to the end of the year we wanted to share our top 4.  Please note almost all of our  opportunities are available for registration on our app.

-Club Leaders-December 1 is the deadline to have all your club members registered in 4-H Online.  For questions about this please contact Wendy Maynor at wrmaynor@ncsu.edu.  If folks are not actively registered in 4-H Online they will not be recognized at 4-H Appreciation Night. 

-4-H Appreciation Night will be held at our office on December 10 starting promptly at 6:30.  We are excited to be offering a Drive-In Movie night for our families.  You will not want to miss this.  Registration and more information is available on our app (under programs) as well as on our blog.  Deadline to register is December 6.  For more information about this fun and first time ever celebration (where you can see your name on the big screen) contact Wendy Maynor at wrmaynor@ncsu.edu

-2021 Dairy Christmas Photo Contest deadline for entries is Monday, December 6.  For rules and the entry form please check out our blog post at this link.

-Club Leaders your 6 month calendar for 2022 (or entire year would be fine) is due by December 15.  SPIN Club leaders if you know when you would like to meet again and would like to set up your club dates please contact Wendy Maynor at wrmaynor@ncsu.edu.  She can get you registered and make sure you are ready to go for 2022.

That is all for this week.  Thank you for all you do for the youth of Robeson County through 4-H.  We are grateful to all of you.

Wendy, Christy, and Shea Ann