Hungry to Help

North Carolina 4-H Youth Development has created a program called, "Hungry to Help" that addresses hunger issues in North Carolina. According to statistics, 1 in 5 children in North Carolina struggle with hungery issues on a daily basis. Whether it involves skipping meals, eating less than is needed to live a healthy life, or "making do" with foods that are filling but not nutritions...hunger's effects can be devastating.

In Alabama, more than 15 percent of Alabama residents live in poverty. In some counties in our service area, the number rises to almost 30 percent (one out of ever three residents).

Alabama Hunger Facts:

1. 1 out of every 5 children in our area lives in poverty.

2. 1 out of every 4 of Alabama's seniors live below the poverty level.

3. Over 12% of Alabama citizens receive food stamps. The benefit equates to 79 cents per meal

4. In 2004 Alabama had one of the Top 5 Highest Poverty Rates in the US

The "Hungry to Help" program offered by North Carolina 4-H is a pre-packaged service project for 4-H Clubs. They provide:

• Healthy Food Drive Tool Kit
• Agent Packet
• Hungry to Help--Press Release (template)
• Hungry to Help--Media Alert (template)
• Hungry to Help Clip Art
• Grocery Bag Clip Art
• 4-H Clover Soup Can Clip Art
• Staffing the Initiative

If your 4-H Program, whether on the regional or county level, is looking for an impactful service project....you might check out, "Hungry to Help" from North Carolina 4-H Youth Development.

4-H Marketing Resources

It's that time of year again...school is back in session and 4-H staff across the state of Alabama are gearing up for a new 4-H club year....so are many other youth development organizations. Alabama 4-H competes for youth audiences with many other extra-curricular activities being offered today. We know, however, that what we can offer a child is of lasting importance. We teach life skills...we make learning fun and valuable!

With so many options available to youth, we need to make sure that our marketing on the local level is at the forefront of everything they are being offered. Our 4-H flyers, member's booklets, and promotional materials needs to be colorful and attractive; we want to get their attention!

This month, I thought I would share some 4-H Marketing Resources offered by Iowa 4-H. This is a wonderful resource that Iowa 4-H offers to anyone to use. They offer free cool fonts, colorful and graphically stimulating backgrounds as well as templates for letterhead, postcards and 4-H Newsletters!

The vivid colors, futuristic graphics, and cool fonts offered by Iowa 4-H will definitely create some eye-catching flyers and ads for your 4-H program! Check it out today! To reach the website, please click here.

My Very Own Scientific Snowflake

Howdy 4-H Folks...

I thought I would show off my very own Scientific Snowflake!

I followed the directions from the website this morning and *poof* we have a snowflake this afternoon!

As a suggestion...you may want to use a vessel that you don't mind possibly disposing of after the project. My 4-H Club used Styrofoam cups yesterday, but I haven't heard how they turned out.

-Kim

A Very Merry 4-H Christmas

Not many of us conduct 4-H Clubs during the month of December due to the shortened month and the hustle and bustle taking place in the schools...BUT...in case you do...Have I got a project for you!

Scientific Snowflakes!

4-H'ers can create long-lasting, shimmering snowflakes using a simple chemical process. They supersaturate hot water with borax, lower a pipe cleaner snowflake shape into the liquid, and leave it suspended overnight. As the water cools, the borax forms into crystals upon the pipe cleaner. The next day, your 4-H'ers will return to discover their beautiful crystal snowflakes.

Detailed instructions and science content can be found at the eGFI website for teachers.

Enjoy & Merry Christmas!

4-H Club Officer and Youth Leader Training Resources

In working with 4-H Leaders in my Region, I have discovered that we are all in want of some fantastic officer training materials. I believe we have found just what we need through the Wisconsin 4-H Community Club Central website.

On this page, you will find detailed information and training suggestions for each 4-H Club Office, like:

• President


• Vice President


• Secretary


• Treasurer


• Reporter

In addition, there is a "Quick and Easy Guide to Parliamentary Procedure" and "Team Building Activities".

Perhaps, my favorite portion is an "Officer Training Challenge". It is a powerpoint based Jeopardy game that can be used in Officer Training or part of a 4-H Club meeting. It teaches the roles and responsibilities of officers that provide leadership to the 4-H Club.

Kids-N-Kash

Penn State University Cooperative Extension and Pennsylvania 4-H have developed the Kids-N-Kash 4-H Program. This is a four-issue program designed to develop the attitude, values, and skills that help make young people productive members of society.

Pennsylvania 4-H felt that because of widespread changes in American families, children have expanded their roles as consumers. Today's children have more money, more responsibility, and more influence on purchases than previous generations. There is a clear need for children to learn and use consumer and money skills.

The program materials include a leader's guide as well as four kid's issues to use in your programming; all of this information comes as a free pdf file that you can download and save.

The issues are as follows:

• Kids and Kash, issue 1
• Kids and Kash, issue 2
• Kids and Kash, issue 3
• Kids and Kash, issue 4
• Kids and Kash, Leader's Guide

Any of these programs would be a great addition to your in-school, special interest, or community club 4-H setting!

Need A Quick & Easy 4-H Lesson Plan?

Iowa 4-H Youth Development Specialists have created 4-H Lesson plans that correspond to various 4-H project curricula. Lesson plans were developed to assist Extension staff in marketing user-friendly 4-H project materials with out-of-school time/after-school personnel. Many of these lesson plans also correspond to the time-frame of an in-school 4-H Club Setting.

The lesson plans are divided based upon age ranges. There are lesson plans for K-3rd grades, 4-6th grades, and 7-8th grades with such subjects as:

4-H Afterschool Lesson Plans

Bugs
Cats
Child Development
Citizenship
Communication
Consumer Management
Dog
Food and Nutrition
Leadership
Pets
Photography
Sportfishing
Theatre Arts
Woodworking

To learn more or to access these plans, please click here.