August:

• August 30: Deadline to Participate in Vermilion Co. 4-H Fair Survey

September:

• September 1: 2017-2018 4-H Year Begins!
• September 3: Deadline to register for 4-H Road Trip for Teens @ U of I
• September 4: Champaign & Vermilion Co. Extension Offices Closed for Labor Day
• September 8: Deadline to submit Champaign Co. 4-H Awards & Records
• September 13: Deadline to submit Vermilion Co. 4-H Awards & Records
• September 15: 4-H Re-enrollment and New Member Enrollment Begins
• September 22-24: Family Camp at 4-H Memorial Camp
• September 23: 4-H Road Trip for Teens @ U of I
• September 30: Speaking for Illinois 4-H Event @ Boone Co. Extension Office, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

October:

• October 1-7: National 4-H Week
• October 29: Champaign Co. 4-H Achievement Celebration @ Champaign-Urbana Elks Lodge, 3:00 p.m.

November:

• November 3: Danville Area Community College Family Science Night

January:

• January 12: Vermilion Co. 4-H Member Re-enrollment & Beef Project Enrollment Deadline

Vermilion County 4-H families and volunteers should have received a link to a survey to complete for feedback for the Vermilion County 4-H Fair. This survey will be open until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, August 30. If you have not completed the survey, click HERE to participate. The questionnaire only has 8 questions, so please provide feedback so we can make next year’s fair even better!

1. Congratulations for working through the first year of 4-H Online enrollment. Re-enrollment for the 2017-18 years will open September 15. The site will be closed from Sept. 1 – 14 so new projects can be added.
2. National 4-H Week is Oct. 1-7. Illinois’ theme is Mission: Adventure – Join the Team | Change the World.
3. Consider taking one of these NEW projects: Collectibles, Creative Writing, Coding in Visual Programming Languages, Coding in Text Based Programming Languages, Seeing i2i—Adventures in Diversity and Cultural Awareness, Free Range Robotics, 3-D Printing & Design, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Fiber Arts, Stained Glass Projects, Duct Tape Crafts, Paper Crafts, and Getting Started in Art (beginner level).
4. Invite a friend to your next 4-H club meeting!

The 4-H year is ending so it is time to finish your 4-H Record Books and apply for awards. Information about Champaign and Vermilion County 4-H award applications, nominations, record books, and club records was mailed to 4-H leaders.

All of the applications are on our websites. Look in the important date section of the e-news for deadlines!

Click here to access Champaign Co. 4-H Awards & Records

Click here to access Vermilion Co. 4-H Awards & Records

Vermilion County 4-H will be providing an after-school Cooking 101 class for youth ages 8-18 at the Oakwood Public Library September 20 (12:30-1:45 p.m. school is out early this day), September 27, and October 4 from 3:15-4:30 p.m. Space is limited so make sure to register early! To register, contact the Oakwood Public Library at oakwoodpubliclibrary@gmail.com or 217.354.4777.

September 23 @ University of Illinois Campus

Register @ go.illinois.edu/4Hroadtrip before September 3

COST $10

DJ | GAMES | PRIZES | CAMPUS

Are you a teenager looking for your next adventure? Did you know that there’s even more you can do in 4-H as a teenager from leadership and teaching opportunities to international travel and scholarship awards you can win.

You can find out more about these exclusive adventures by coming to 4-H Road Trip on September 23.

The 4-H Road Trip will be a one-day event located at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign on September 23. The day will include a rally with a DJ, a bucket list challenge sponsored by collegiate 4-H members, and an 4-H Opportunity Expo where youth will learn more details about leadership, awards, and open opportunities available just for teen 4-Hers.

Youth can learn more about the event and register by visiting the page on the Illinois 4-H website: http://go.illinois.edu/4Hroadtrip.

Enjoy a weekend family camping trip without the prep or mess! Come experience rock climbing, zip lining, archery, fishing, campfires, crafts, cardboard boat racing, and other fun activities. 

At least one youth attending must be 8 to 16 years old, and children must be accompanied by at least one parent or guardian. The fee for participants 8 years and up is $75/person, while those 4-7 years old are only $35/person. Plan to arrive anytime from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, September 22. Camp runs through 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 24. Late arrivals will be accepted from 8-10 a.m. Saturday.

Details can be found @ https://4h.extension.illinois.edu/programs/camping/family-camp

We’re looking for Illinois 4-H teens that want to give back – give back to 4-H by sharing their 4-H story with others. That could be YOU. Whether it be talking to donors, civic groups, county board members or state legislators, we need YOUR help! Join the Speaking for Illinois 4-H team and share your story. The next training is Saturday, Sept. 30 in Belvidere at the Boone County Extension Office.

Taught by members of the Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team, Speaking for Illinois 4-H is open to 4-H members age 14 and older. Speaking for Illinois 4-H (SFI4-H) offers teens advanced training in preparing your 4-H story to “tell the world” how great the 4-H program is!

By taking the training, you’ll be able to assist your local 4-H program with speaking engagements and one-on-one conversations. Once trained, 4-H’ers are expected to work with their local Extension staff to promote 4-H on the local level. On the state level, trained members receive invitations to participate in the 4-H Legislative Connection events at the state Capitol each spring.

Cost is $12 for the 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. training; lunch is included. Space is limited, so don’t wait until the last minute to register! We hope to see you at the next Speaking for Illinois 4-H training! Register @ go.illinois.edu/4Hspeaking by September 20.

National 4-H Week is October 1-7 and we want all of our clubs to celebrate! Illinois’ theme is Mission: Adventure – Join the Team | Change the World. All 4-H clubs in Champaign and Vermilion Counties are encouraged to participate in a window display contest. 4-H clubs should pick a business, school, or community center that is willing to allow clubs to setup a window display during National 4-H Week. The purpose of the window display is to promote 4-H. More details about the contest will be available shortly!

Champaign County 4-H members, families, and volunteers should save the date for the Achievement Celebration on October 29 at 3:00 p.m. The event will be at the Champaign-Urbana Elks Lodge. More information will follow soon!

Even though we just finished the summer of 2017, we’re already making plans for next summer’s Illinois’ Citizenship Washington Focus trip! The dates have been set for Saturday, July 7 to Saturday, July 14! Registration will open in mid-October, so start YOUR planning now to join us on this once-in-a-lifetime 4-H experience!

Citizenship Washington Focus is for 4-H members ages 14-18 by May 1, 2018. Our delegates will travel by bus or air, depending upon the number of final delegates who register. Teens explore the federal legislative process through workshops and hands-on sessions, tour historical sights and museums, provide youth voice on issues that concern them, visit federal legislative offices, and meet teens from other states. The 2017 cost to youth was $1025, with financial assistance from the Illinois 4-H Foundation. Our 2018 costs have not been finalized.

More information is available on the 4-H website: https://4h.extension.illinois.edu/events/citizenship-washington-focus.

The Illinois 4-H program is built on the work of amazing volunteers and we look forward to recognizing our volunteers for what they do! The National 4-H Council sponsors the Salute to Excellence Award Program that targets 4-H volunteers who demonstrate exemplary service to 4-H, while promoting service through volunteerism as both an opportunity and a privilege. Outstanding local volunteers can be nominated for consideration as the 2018 Illinois Salute to Excellence Volunteer. If you are interested in nominating a volunteer for consideration, contact your extension office. 

The award categories are:

1. Volunteer of the Year – recognizing individuals who have served as 4-H volunteers for less than 10 years at the local, county, region, and state level.
2. Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer – recognizing individuals who have served 10 or more years at the local, county, region or state level.

Nomination criteria will be available at your local Extension Office. Nominations are due to the State 4-H Office by Thursday, September 21, 2017.

Adults interested in teaching the shooting sports hobby to young people should attend the fall adult volunteer certification training for the Illinois 4-H Shooting Sports program Oct. 13-15 at 4-H Memorial Camp in Monticello. Volunteers must be at least 21 years of age. Cost is $125.

Volunteers must register through their local U of I Extension office. Check in begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13. The training ends at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15. Volunteers must be present for all hours of the training to receive their certification.

There are six concentrations of study, and volunteers must choose only one discipline to attend per session. These include archery, rifle, shotgun, pistol, and hunting and wildlife, as well as the overall county coordinator training. Remember, volunteers will work with their local Extension 4-H staff to establish or add to an existing shooting sports program in the county. Learn more about the Illinois 4-H Shooting Sports program at: https://4h.extension.illinois.edu/programs/shooting-sports.

4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator Needed For Vermilion County

Marsha Mohr has done a fantastic job serving as our Vermilion County 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator for over three years. However, Marsha is ready to pass the torch on to another willing volunteer to lead this active club. In order for our shooting sports club to meet, we must have a trained coordinator so we are asking a new volunteer to step up to take on this role. This volunteer must be able to attend training this fall, October 13-15. For more details, contact Kristin at knblock2@illinois.edu or 217.442.8615.