Beginning in 2011, All Maryland 4-H members enrolled in alpacas, beef, dairy, goats, horse and pony, poultry, sheep, swine and rabbits MUST complete a new on-line training program to be eligible to exhibit their project animals in Maryland County 4-H and State 4-H Shows.

4-Hers are required to complete the training program in 2011, unless they completed the on-line training course during 2010 as one of the four pilot counties (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Frederick). Even if a member completed the training at a face-to-face session in their county in 2010, they MUST complete the new on-line training program this year.

Free tickets to the Maryland Women’s Basketball Game went to 4-H Families from Allegany County, Baltimore County, Frederick County, and Prince George’s County. The program last night at the Comcast Center featured representatives from UM Sports teams – Men’s Basketball, Soccer and Football, Women’s Volleyball, Lacrosse, Hockey, Swimming, Track and Field, Soccer and the UM Cheerleaders. Activity stations were set up around the auditorium and over 100 youth participated as a part of the Women’s Basketball Team’s partnership with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and First Lady Michele Obama’s Let’s Move initiative. Take the Fitness Challenge http://www.fitness.gov/ and get on board to eat healthy, increase physical activity. Promote health and fitness in your 4-H Clubs let’s move http://www.letsmove.gov.

2011 State Communications Contest

It’s getting closer -- 2011 State Communications Contest will be at Maryland Day on Saturday, April 30^th. Encourage your county champions to enter the state contest. The on-line transmittal form is due April 1^st – if you county/city event is after that date please let the State Office know that you will be entering youth after your contest. Here’s a direct link – register your young speakers. http://www.maryland4h.org/4HFiles/HSStateTransmittalFormFillable.pdf

Sign up to be Helpers/Judges. We encourage the reserve champions to come and help and if for some reason the champion does not attend – we’d be glad to let the reserve champ give their speeches. We need dozens of judges – so please send corridon@umd.edu names and contact information of potential judges.

Bring the entire family to Maryland Day – there is so much to see and do! Check out their website and get excited!!! http://marylandday/

2011 State 4-H Fashion Revue

If you or 4-H members and volunteers are interested in working on the 2011 State Fashion Revue – please contact Lacie (lashby@umd.edu ) or Shante' (sstokes1@umd.edu ) or Sandy (corridon@umd.edu ) and they will include you on the State 4-H Fashion Revue Committee. If you have ideas that you’d like to share with the committee, just let them know. We’ve gotten three new members – make sure your county is represented!

2011 Purchase Power

The Human Science Committee wants to have the 2011 Purchase Power topics and information out to our interested 4-Hers before the end of the school year – PLEASE let us know if you have ideas for class topics and we will consider those suggestions as we develop the 2011 program. corridon@umd.edu

Up for the Challenge

If you are using any of the lessons from this curriculum we have an evaluation component and we’d like to gather impact data statewide. Please contact corridon@umd.edu

Attendance for the day is anticipated at over 70,000 visitors to campus and this is a great chance to showcase the Maryland 4-H Youth Development program and our proud connection with both the University of Maryland Extension and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Many thanks to the club, county and city 4-H units who will be providing hands-on exhibits for youth participants and their families.

Do you have an exhibit you would like to set-up? It is not too late to join the fun!

Please contact Denise Frebertshauser at dfrebert@umd.edu.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The UMES Geospatial Technologies Laboratory is offering ESRI’s 3-day ArcGIS Desktop II: Tools & Functionality Workshop.

March 16-18, 2011 from 8am to 5pm

Geospatial Technologies Lab, UMES

For registration forms and more information, please see our websitehttp://www.umes.edu/GIS/Default.aspx?id=5382 or contact Tracie Bishop 410-651-6383 or tbishop@umes.edu.

Click Here to register for the 2011 Maryland 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Training Workshop scheduled for April 8,9 & 10. Program areas include: Rifle, Archery, Shotgun, Pistol, Muzzleloader, and Hunting and Wildlife.

We are also seeking Youth ages 8 or older to come to the Thendara 4-H Center in Dorchester County on Sunday, April 10 to serve as students for the newly trained adult volunteer 4-H Shooting Sports instructors. The youth DO NOT need to be involved in 4-H Shooting Sports to participate. They only need to be 8 years of age or older as of January 1, 2011. This puts the final touch on the adult training when the instructors are given the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice immediately. Click here to see the flyer for more information.

Looking for enriching activities for the middle-school children in your program that present engaging, hands-on challenges that emphasize teamwork and creative problem solving?

A plethora of creative, challenging engineering activities designed for 9- to 12-year-olds can be downloaded free as part of the Educator's Guide on the Design Squad Web site (http://pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/educators_guide.html).

Design Squad is a PBS television show that features high school contestants who tackle engineering challenges for a client. The Educator's Guide has four units and includes information on how to set up a Design Squad club and where to obtain the resources needed to complete all four units.

Units are:

* It's Electric: Children design and wire a hidden alarm and build a dance pad that sounds buzzers and flashes lights.

* Cars, Cars, Cars: Children build a rubber band car, a motorized car and a custom car.

* Blowin' in the Wind: Children build a high-rise tower and a kinetic sculpture tower.

* Kick Start: Children build a Kicking Machine and an Extreme Kicking Machine.

Come join us April 2, 2011 for the Maryland 4-H Sporting Clays Tournament. Click Here to see a flyer for more information. For a brochure and to register Click Here.

Funds raised through this event help support the many 4-H shooting sports programs in Maryland including:

Sending 4-H youth shooting teams to the National 4-H Invitational

Support for our state matches – Rifle, Shotgun and Archery

Support for volunteers to attend the state 4-H shooting sports instructor training

Matching mini grants to support county 4-H shooting programs

We are also seeking sponsorship for the event. Please Click Here for additional information regarding program ads and station sponsors.

LET’S MAKE THIS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR EVER!

Every year, Kohl's recognizes and rewards young volunteers (ages 6-18) across the country for their amazing contributions to their communities. This year they are recognizing more than 2,100 kids with more than $415,000 in scholarships and prizes.

Visit www.kohlskids.com for official rules and to nominate a kid today. Nominations deadline is March 15, 2011.

Disney Friends for Change Grants (Deadline: March 10)
YSA (Youth Service America), together with Disney, is now accepting applications from youth around the world for the Disney Friends for Change Grants. The grant funds youth-led service projects that focus on making environmentally friendly changes and engage youth on Global Youth Service Day, April 15-17. The Disney Friends for Change program will award 50 $500 grants to youth-led service projects around the world that demonstrate youth leadership, creativity, and the commitment to making a positive impact on the environment. Applicants must be between the ages of 5-25 and be associated with a school or organization. Applications are due March 10. Learn more at www.YSA.org/grants/disney-friends-change-grants



Sodexo School Engagement Grants (Deadline: March 18)
The Sodexo School Engagement grant program is designed to address the need to ensure that every child in the United States grows up with access to enough nutritious food. The programs funded through this grant will engage teachers and students, grades K-12, in learning about childhood hunger in their community, and in leading meaningful activities that facilitate access to nutritious food for all children, especially those most at risk. 10 grants of $5,000 will be awarded to teachers to implement a service-learning "Semester of Service" focused on childhood hunger, starting in September 2011 (Hunger Action Month) and going through Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week (November 14-20, 2011). Applications are due March 18, 2011. Learn more at www.YSA.org/grants/sodexoschool

2011 Craig Tufts Educational Award (Deadline: March 31)

The family of Craig Tufts, Family Summits, Inc. and National Wildlife Federation announce the 2nd Annual Craig Tufts Educational Scholarship Award, which is given to a young person between the ages of 8 and 18 to attend a week-long, summer outdoor educational adventure camp with a parent or guardian. The Craig Tufts Educational Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Craig Tufts, chief naturalist of National Wildlife Federation. Each year the Fund grants an award to one youth to attend a Family Nature Summit. The Fund provides travel, room and board and program fees for the award winner and an accompanying parent or guardian. This year's Family Nature Summit will take place in the Ozark Mountain Region of Missouri, August 1-7, 2011.
www.familysummits.org/craigtufts.php

The Maryland State Bar Association is accepting submissions for its 2011 Video Contest, Rules of the Road. Videos will be accepted until April 1, 2011. Information can be found at www.msba.org/?videocontest.

To enter, participants are encouraged to create a 1-3 minute video about the importance of the Rules of the Road. The video can portray and number of the Rules, including those affecting drivers, passengers, bicyclists, pedestrians or any other component of traffic safety.

The winners will be selected based on originality, creativity, adherence to the theme and overall quality. Cash Prizes will be awarded to the Top Three videos (First Place- $500, Second Place- $300, Third Place- $200).

Check out www.msba.org/?videocontest for more details. You can email MSBAVideoContest@msba.org with any questions, or call the MSBA directly at 410-685-7878.

This year the Maryland 4-H Camp Action team is pleased to present five staff training workshops across the state of Maryland. Each session will be identical in content, so staff members from the same camping program may attend different sessions but receive similar information.

Camp Staff Training Series Dates and Locations

February 19, 2011

Patuxent River 4-H Center

March 26, 2011

Eastern Shore – Thendara

April 16, 2011

Harford County 4-H Camp at the Rocks

May 21, 2011

Washington County Extension Office

June 4, 2011

College Park Area – Specific Location TBD

If you are a 4-H Volunteer or Teen Staff member who plans to volunteer with a 4-H Camping Program this summer or another 4-H summer program experience, we invite you to attend this training. New and returning participants will receive valuable information and training on a variety of subjects.

Click Here for more information and to register.