Registration is now open on 4-H Connect for the 2018 District 11 Leadership Lab which will be held June 20-22 at McKinney Roughs Nature Park. For more information visit: https://d114-h.tamu.edu/events-and-contests/leadership-lab/.

 

Information for the 2018 District 11 4-H Horse Show is now posted to the District 11 website: https://d114-h.tamu.edu/events-and-contests/horse-show/.  Registration will be open now through May 18.  After May 18, there is a $25 late registration fee.

Horse show T-shirts will be available for sale here:  https://secure.touchnet.com/C21490_ustores/web/classic/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=10219

Please note the April 15 validation deadline. On April 16, validation fees go up to $20 per horse and after May 1 they are $250 per horse.

The Texas 4-H Program and Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation are excited to one again partner with National 4-H to reconnect with 4-H Alumni across Texas and our country.  The 2018 Raise Your Hand campaign will run from April 1st – May 15th.  Each county 4-H Program is encouraged to join with us in promoting the Raise Your Hand campaign through the use of social media and other marketing assets during the six week campaign period.

The purpose of Raise Your Hand is to encourage our 4-H friends and alumni to raise their hand and help pay it forward for the next generation of 4-H members.  The goal is to have as many alumni sign up and then at the end of the campaign each county will receive a list of those alumni from their county.  County offices are encouraged to reach out to these alumni and involve them in 4-H by signing their children up for 4-H (if not already), or asking them to volunteer, or maybe becoming a donor to the program.

What is in it for YOUR COUNTY?!? In addition to the list of names you will receive, National 4-H Council has committed $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000 prizes to the top three states that have the most alumni sign up during the campaign period (April 1st to May 15th).  Texas 4-H is confident that we can bring home this grand prize and want to offer an incentive to counties to be part of the award if we win.  If Texas wins one of the three monetary prizes, half of the funds will go directly back to the top ten counties in the form of mini-grants to help enhance and promote 4-H programs in your county.

For more information visit: 4-h.org/RaiseYourHand

 

National 4-H Congress is the flagship event of the National 4-H program held annually at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. The 2018 National 4-H Congress will be held November 23-27, 2018. Texas 4-H members can apply starting April 1^st and ending on April 20^th .  The applications will be on 4-H CONNECT and are required to have two reference letters, one of which should be from a County Extension Agent. There is no fee to apply . Selected applicants will be notified on April 30th. Face-to-face interviews will be held in College Station on Monday, June 11^th.

Once the delegation is selected, the participation fee is $1,500 which cover:

• Congress registration (includes most meals)
• Roundtrip airfare
• Ground transportation in Atlanta
• Lodging at the Hyatt Regency
• Educational tours
• States lunch
• State photograph
• Trading pins
• Commemorative shirt.

Registration DOES NOT cover:

• Getting to and from selected airport
• Spending money for souvenirs
• Meals while traveling to and from Atlanta.

In order to attend, youth MUST be in grades 9 – 12 at the time of the event.

For more information, please see National Congress Information Packet.

 

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is proud to announce that there will be two Texas 4-H Veterinary Science Camps this summer. They are open to Texas 4-H members that are 12-18 years old as of September 1, 2018. The first program is at Texas A&M University on June 11-14, 2018 and the second is at West Texas A&M University on July 23-25, 2018. The cost is $175.00 and applications are on the following link: https://agrilife.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9WTT3UMrOQCISSV and are due by 5:00pm on April 19, 2018. The camps are limited to 25 participants per site.

For more information, please contact Dr. Joe Mask at joe.mask@ag.tamu.edu

 

Registration opens this week for the 4-H Sportfishing Project Leader Training which is open to any adult currently enrolled as a 4-H volunteer and and Senior age 4-H member (9th-12th grade). The date is April 21 and the location is Lake Bastrop South Shore Park. Registration is on 4-H Connect. For more information see flyer or contact the 4-H Natural Resources Program at 979-845-9763.

Please validate your horses ASAP as the 2018 D11 Horse Show is June 5 & 6, which is earlier in the month of June than past shows. The 2018 Horse Validation is $10 per horse from March 1 – April 15, $20 per horse from April 16 – May 1 and there is a late fee of $250 per horse from May 2 – 5. Absolutely no validations will be accepted after May 5. For more information, please see 2018 Horse Validation Instructions for Families.

The 1st Annual Jim Wells County 4-H Invitational Ag Product Identification Contest will beheld on Sunday, March 25th at the JWC Fairgrounds Merchants Building. Registration begins at 2:00pm and the cost is $20 per team through March 21. Registrations collected after the 21st will have a late fee added of $5 per team. For more details, refer to the flyer or contact the Barbie Wymore at b-wymore@tamu.edu or 361-688-5705.

 

The 2018 Navarro County Youth Expo will be held March 22-23, 2018 at the Navarro County Expo Center in Corsicana, Texas. Contests offered are Livestock Judging, Consumer Decision Making and Food Challenge. The early registration deadline is March 2 with a registration fee of $20 per team and $10 per individual. After March 2, the fee is $25 per team and $15 per individual. Contest registration is available at www.judgingcard.com. All entries are non-refundable. Registration fees should be forwarded to: NCYE, PO Box 96, Barry, TX 75102. If you have any questions please see Rules and Entry Form or contact the Navarro County Extension Service at (903) 654-3075 or Dan Waggoner at (254) 715-2922.

 

The Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador Program is now accepting applications. Through this application process, 50 youth are chosen to participate in rigorous college-level animal science curriculum. Held at both Texas Tech University in conjunction with West Texas A&M, and Texas A&M University, short courses generate exceptional knowledge gained outcomes. Livestock Ambassadors are required to commit at least 40 hours of service annually. Ambassadors conduct educational livestock project clinics, speak to civic groups, assist with livestock shows, and advocate for livestock and agriculture across Texas.

2018 Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador Short Courses:

Texas A&M University: July 16-19, 2018

Cost: $250

Texas Tech University/West Texas A&M University: July 23-26, 2018

Cost: $250

Selection Criteria:

• Senior age (14-18) 4-H youth that have exhibited a superior level of ambition regarding his/her livestock projects
• Students with a profound interest in animal science, animal production and advocacy
• Students have shown advanced leadership qualities and a willingness to help others
• Top 25% class rank

Application Process:

1. Applicant goes to: http://tamuag.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3O9MuXE8KeGj1sh
2. Student will complete the application and enter the contact information of supervising County Extension Agent
3. CEA will be automatically emailed a recommendation survey
4. A selection committee will review the applications and accept up to 25 participants per university
5. Applications are due June 1, 2018
6. Applicants will be notified by June 15, 2018 regarding application result

For more information about the program, please contact Billy Zanolini at wfzanolini@ag.tamu.edu or refer to the Texas 4-H Ambassador Program Information Booklet.