Tag Archives: national 4-H council

by | October 11, 2012 · 8:30 am

4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp recognized as one of top 4-H science programs, report on study released

We knew all along that Michigan State University Extension’s 4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp is a great pre-college program for kids to learn through outdoor hands-on experiences and have fun in the process. Others have noticed as well. In 2008, the annual seven-day camp held on the shores of Lake Huron in Presque Isle, Michigan, was named as a 4-H Program of Distinction. In 2009, it won the National 4-H and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Natural Resources Conservation Education Award.

 In 2011, it was selected out of 70 nominations of promising science programs through a structured process of nominations and vetting as one of eight top science programs in a National 4-H science program in-depth case study. The study was part of the 4-H Youth Development Program’s National Science Initiative evaluation funded by the Noyce Foundation through a grant to National 4-H Council.

A new report was recently released on the case study. “Priming the Pipeline: Lessons from Promising 4-H Science Programs,” written by Derek Riley and Alisha Butler from Policy Studies Associates, features the camp and the seven other selected science programs. It covers practices in the following areas: youth outreach and recruitment, staff and science volunteers, professional development, science curricula and pedagogy, youth development and attitudes toward science, partner organizations and resource support, program evaluation, and program sustainability and scale-up.

Senior program leader Judy Ratkos serves as camp administrator and co-directs the camp with 4-H volunteer Bob Patterson.

Judy said, “It is truly an honor for the staff and volunteers involved in 4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp to have it recognized as one of the top 4-H science programs in the nation. To have it held up as a model for other youth science programs – both within and outside of 4-H – creates awareness that MSU Extension can help lead the way in increasing science literacy among Michigan young people and increase the number of youth pursuing postsecondary education and careers in science.

“The lessons shared in this newly released report should be helpful to other 4-H science programs striving to be ‘SET Ready.’ A SET Ready 4-H experience is a program that is framed in science, engineering and technology concepts based on SET standards and intentionally targets the development of SET abilities and the outcomes articulated by the 4-H SET Logic Model,” Judy said.

Congratulations to Judy and her team! They inspire the rest of us to make the best even better.

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by | April 19, 2012 · 10:36 am

National 4-H Council honors Nate Seese with Youth in Action Award

Imagine a 15-year old youth who gets called out to New York City to receive a national award for doing what came pretty naturally to him. Then imagine being that youth on the stage with other honorees, including a famous country singer (Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland) and the executive vice president of a major international corporation (Jim Borel of DuPont). I would have a hard time imagining what it would be like to be that youth, but I got to see Kent County 4‑H member Nate Seese have that experience on Tuesday night when he received the 2012 4‑H Youth in Action Award at the third annual 4-H Legacy Awards Gala hosted by National 4-H Council.

 I’ve told Nate’s story on several occasions in Spotlight, so today I’d like to spread the spotlight a bit further to tell you a bit about Nate’s family, parents Christine and Kevin Seese and grandparents Jeanne and Louis Kiesling.

 Youth like Nate don’t just happen, and no one should think that 4-H is what made him special. Obviously it begins at home, and I was honored to meet Nate’s parents and grandparents at the National 4-H Gala. His mother, Christine, was born and raised on a farm in New Jersey. His father, Kevin, has worked in agribusiness on an international stage for much of his career. They actually chose to move to Michigan and to realign their careers so that their children, Nate and Nate’s older sister Hannah, could have a childhood more connected to community, church and the land than they had previously, a childhood much like their parents experienced. It was heartwarming to see that commitment rewarded with their son’s recognition in New York. And then to meet the grandparents who drove up from New Jersey to see their grandson honored was a special treat. Grandfather Louis was a 4-H’er 56 years ago. Jeanne has a wealth of stories about raising kids on the farm. Christine and her siblings grew up working on the farm, and she had some colorful stories to share about planting strawberry seedlings and treating city folk to a rural experience when they visited the family farm.

 Kevin grew up as a youth active in 4-H. He and Christine specifically sought out 4-H as a program that they thought would help them to raise their children with the values and skills they acquired from their own experiences. And Glenda Kilpatrick, Michigan State University Extension children and youth educator, who has worked with Nate and his club and their leaders, was able to witness the impact of Nate’s choices and actions on others who hear his story.

 Nate’s a special young man. And I recognize that Michigan 4-H has thousands of young people equally committed to contribute to their communities. Nate has received a great deal of well-deserved attention for his work and each of the other youth in 4-H deserve that recognition as well. I like telling his story because it captures people’s attention so well. I think the only dry eyes in the room when Nate accepted his award were his own. There’s nothing too haughty about this young man. He represents many more youth and I hope to shine the spotlight on others as well. Michigan has a promising future with youth like Nate Seese and the thousands of others we serve through Michigan 4-H.

 You can read more about the award Nate received at this summary of the National 4-H Gala.

Nate tells his own story here and on the following video:

 

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by | December 1, 2011 · 10:14 am

MSU Extension works closely with award-winning teacher contributing to environmental education

One of the outstanding things about our organization is the way that our partnerships build capacity in community leaders.

 Bob Thomson, a Sanborn Elementary School teacher in Ossineke, Mich., who works closely with Michigan State University Extension, won a Chevrolet GREEN Educator Award. Through the award, Earth Force and the General Motors Foundation team up to reward educators who integrate quality environmental education into their schools. Bob works with Michigan Sea Grant, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 4‑H Youth Development and Huron Pines AmeriCorps program to guide his students in learning about the Thunder Bay watershed beyond the classroom.

 MSU Extension is connected with Bob Thomson’s work in three ways: 

  • The Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (NE MI GLSI) initially supported Bob’s work. This is a regional collaborative network, part of a statewide place-based education programming network supported by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. Michigan Sea Grant, partnering with 4-H, facilitated the early planning discussions dating back to 2006 in establishing this regional northeastern Michigan network. Today, Sea Grant and 4-H continue to serve as leadership partners in facilitating the NE MI GLSI work in our region. 
  • The Toyota-supported 4-H2O Project, a water science and education initiative, supports Bob and his work. The Toyota 4-H2O Project is funded by a grant from Toyota to National 4-H Council and the Michigan 4-H Foundation. Sea Grant and 4-H partners locally, co-coordinating 4-H2O efforts with the help of Extension educators Sienna Suszek and Melanie Chiodini, Extension program associate Tammy Barrett and Extension program instructor Les Thomas. 
  • Sea Grant is a direct partner to Bob’s project, supporting Great Lakes fisheries and aquatic invasive species studies conducted with his class. Brandon Schroeder, Northeast Michigan District Sea Grant Extension educator, serves as a resource expert to his class and participates in several of their exploration field trips.

 Brandon shares about Sanborn’s place-based water science education partnership, “What’s most exciting is that MSUE has been able to directly support Bob’s class through different yet complementary angles, strategically bringing to the school partnership ‘table’ both 4-H Youth Development (focused on enhancing youth learning) teaming up with Michigan Sea Grant (fostering Great Lakes science education and engagement). This reflects another great example of collaboration between two MSU Extension programs and expertise, and Bob’s class has benefited greatly as a result!”

View this video featuring Bob’s class as one of several school projects of the NE MI GLSI:

 See the October 2011 edition of “Upwellings,” a quarterly Sea Grant publication, to read more about Bob and his relationship with Sea Grant. The newsletter featured his work as an exemplary model of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education programming. (See page 5.)

 Read this fact sheet for details about fifth and sixth grade students from Sanborn Elementary studying the Thunder Bay watershed through the help of these collaborations.

 These partnerships are great examples of how our work branches out, enabling others in the community to improve lives.

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by | November 3, 2011 · 8:46 am

Kent County 4-H’er joins the Revolution of Responsibility

In a recent Spotlight article, I talked about the 4-H Revolution of Responsibility, National 4‑H Council’s movement for positive change, challenging kids to make a difference and take responsibility for community problems and issues.

 Nate Seese, a 4-H’er from Byron Center in Kent County, is taking on responsibility in a big way right in his own community. Nate raises and shows sheep and hogs as a 4-H project. Usually, a 4-H’er involved in this type of project would auction off the animals at fair and then keep the profits. But Nate saw a need to help hungry people in his community and stepped up to do something about it. He put together a buying group consisting of local business owners and community members to buy the animals at auction. The group lets Nate keep the animals so he can donate the meat to the Buist Community Assistance Center, a local food pantry. After taking the animals to Byron Center Meats (the company donates its time and services to process the meat), Nate was able to donate 500 pounds of lamb and pork to the center this year.

 Nate says, “4-H has taught me that we can’t just sit back and wait for somebody to take the lead. We have to take the lead if we want to make a change.”

 Michigan State University Extension 4-H Youth Development is also taking the lead in the revolution, developing responsible leaders for the future.

 Agriculture and Natural Resources Communications staff members Kraig Ehm, Steve Evans and Michelle Lavra created a video featuring Nate’s story. View the video:

 The video was shared at the 2011 NAE4-HA (National Association of Extension 4-H Agents) Conference held Oct. 24–28 in Nebraska. The video will be posted on the National 4-H Revolution of Responsibility site.

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by | September 29, 2011 · 1:39 pm

Revolution of Responsibility calls 4-H’ers to lead the way for positive change

So often, people look to others to take responsibility for the world’s problems. It’s easier to go about our business and let somebody else step in. But National 4-H Council is working against this attitude of non-involvement and lack of concern with a new movement for positive change, the 4-H Revolution of Responsibility. Dr. Julie Chapin, director of the MSUE Children and Youth Institute, gave a description of this campaign during our MSUE Redesign call on September 26.

 4-H youth are starting a revolution for doing the right thing – right here in our own state, where they’re making a measurable difference in their communities. Michigan State University Extension 4-H Youth Development is guiding youth to identify problems in the community and then work on solutions to those problems through responsible action. All over the state, 4-H members are volunteering to tend community gardens, lead recycling efforts, visit senior centers and much more.

 During National 4-H Week, Oct. 2–8, you’ll be hearing about the ways 4-H youth are meeting the responsibility challenge. Various activities and events will take place throughout the state to celebrate.

 Read more about the Revolution of Responsibility here.

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by | August 11, 2011 · 1:24 pm

Agriculture/Agribusiness Institute well represented at NACAA

I had the privilege of attending the Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference (AM/PIC) of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) in Overland Park, Kan., this week. It was a great conference for all attendees but particularly rewarding for me to see the tremendous involvement of our Michigan State University Extension colleagues in the association and conference. The Michigan Association of Extension Agents (MAEA) is the Michigan affiliate of NACAA. I’d like to share a few big impressions I came home with: 

  • Our colleagues are leaders! Our own Stan Moore, Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute (AABI) Extension educator, has served as president of the national association for the past year, presided over the entire conference with great class and demonstrated a great example of servant leadership throughout the conference. In addition, Charles Gould and Dennis Pennington provided leadership for an astounding amount of professional development opportunities on bioenergy research and Extension programming (two field tours, four luncheon seminars, ten other seminars and the unveiling of a new curriculum on bioenergy). They worked with colleagues from other states in the North Central region and received a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to support their efforts.
  • Our colleagues excel in their work! MSUE professionals came away with awards for distinguished service, leadership and presentations, which I will describe in greater detail in next week’s MSUE Spotlight.
  • Our colleagues are serious! Everywhere I went, I encountered our colleagues engaged in intense discussions, trying to learn more about their craft and sharing their insights with colleagues from across the country.
  • We have some incredible 4-H youth from Marquette County! At the annual 4-H Talent Revue on Monday evening, 11 different acts were presented by 4-H youth from across the country, and the lead-off act was the Goldmine Sisters, Gentian and RiLee Waller, 4-H youth from Marquette County. They performed two bluesy numbers, singing, and playing guitar and mountain dulcimer (first time I’ve heard one of those on a blues number!). Their second song was one they had written about 4-H called “Count on Us,” and they had the crowd singing along with them. We need to get a recording of them performing that on the National 4-H Council’s Join the Revolution of Responsibilitywebsite! Click on this YouTube link to hear the sisters play “Baby Elephant Walk” and “Count on Us” at the 2010 Exploration Days Talent Show.

 Especially at times like this, it’s tempting to scale back on investments in professional development. And for certain, we are reducing our expenditures in this to some extent. But the trip to NACAA’s AM/PIC was all I needed to remind me how critical it is to remain invested at some level in professional development. It keeps us up to date on knowledge and skills and gives us a chance to venture into new areas that we need to address as we help Michigan face the challenges and opportunities ahead. And it’s also great to see how exceptional our colleagues are on a national platform. Congratulations to all who participated! They were Oz-some.

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by | June 16, 2011 · 11:47 am

$185k in 23 days

Dr. Julie Chapin, director of the Children and Youth Institute, received notification yesterday that MSU Extension is being awarded a grant for $185,000 from the New York Life Foundation (NYLF) and the National 4-H Council. The grant is part of the Metro Youth in Governance Project funded by NYLF, intended to start new 4-H clubs in the Detroit area, expand the number of youth from underserved neighborhoods in community engagement activities, increase the number of volunteers working with youth in metro Detroit and provide opportunities for youth from these clubs to participate in the Citizenship Washington Focus program at the National 4-H Conference Center. Detroit is one of four cities to receive this funding.

 We always welcome grants that help us achieve our goal of expanding the number of youth we serve, and this one is no exception. What is really remarkable about it to me is that we learned about the opportunity on May 23. The grant was due by June 13, three weeks after we first learned of the opportunity. Dr. Chapin was notified that the grant had been awarded to us late yesterday, June 15. So in the course of 23 days, Dr. Chapin and the team from District 11, consisting of Sandra Griffin, Laurie Rivetto and Tom Schneider, pulled this proposal together and were successful in taking advantage of this opportunity. Cheryl Howell, executive director of the Michigan 4-H Foundation, provided critical assistance in pulling together the proposal as well. The past 23 days haven’t exactly been calm and bucolic around MSU Extension, so this team’s ability to focus and put their best work forward on very short notice is remarkable. As to their success – a nice final endorsement to what we already knew about our team.

 Thanks to the entire team who responded so quickly and so well to this great opportunity and for helping to show how MSUE is ready to respond quickly to ensure that we’re bringing resources to bear on Michigan’s critical needs.

 

 

 

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by | January 20, 2011 · 10:43 am

4-H Tech Wizards ready to launch in Michigan

Michigan State University Extension 4-H has received an $82,000 grant from the National 4-H Council and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to expand youth mentoring. 4-H Tech Wizards, a small group-mentoring program that matches professionals who work in science, engineering and technology (SET) fields with youth, will be implemented in Ottawa and Wayne counties.

 Reducing and helping prevent juvenile delinquency and school failure, and building supportive relationships are primary goals of the initiative, as well as introducing mentees to opportunities within the SET fields. The program includes an emphasis on building family and community support that will promote college access for youth. It also provides participants with meaningful opportunities to engage in service learning.

 Extension mentoring educators Laura Schleede, Ottawa County, and Edward Scott, Wayne County, will provide local leadership to this initiative. Laura and Ed, along with mentoring specialist Lisa Bottomley and associate program leader Molly Frendo just returned from a grantee training in Washington D.C. The team is ready to launch the program with participation from 120 youth.

 According to Lisa Bottomley, Michigan has offered youth mentoring through 4-H for many more years than most other states, and our Extension colleagues across the country are looking to Michigan for support.

 “People really want to learn more about mentoring, and we have the resources,” said Lisa. “In fact, at this very moment I am pulling things together to send to a large group who requested support.”

 Tech Wizards is a program that was developed in Washington County, Ore., and has shown dramatic impacts on a population of youth with high dropout rates from high school. It’s featured as part of the Revolution of Responsibility marketing campaign for 4-H developed by the National 4-H Council. You can learn more about the Oregon project at “Our mouse started a revolution”. I’m sure we can expect great things to happen in this program with the MSUE mentoring team at the helm.

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