Massachusetts 4-H News

We have hired a new 4-H Extension Educator for Worcester County.  Please join us in welcoming Shelby Robin to her new position with the UMass Extension 4-H Program! 

Please welcome Andrew Samuelson!  Andrew is joining us as a part-time Animal Science Departmental Assistant. 

Congratulations to our UMass Extension 4-H Youth Development Director! Meg McDermott, who has served as interim director for the UMass Extension 4-H Youth Development program since last fall, has been hired as the permanent 4-H Director. Please welcome Meg to her role as you see her out and about at fairs this summer.

UMass Extension 4-H Youth Development Program is seeking students for paid summer internships.

Applicants must be either undergraduate students who are rising Juniors or Seniors, or graduate students at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. UMass 4-H STEM Ambassadors are trained to provide direct teaching of STEM curriculum to young people throughout Massachusetts. UMass Extension 4-H Educators train STEM Ambassadors with the lessons Ambassadors will teach.  All materials will be provided.

The third annual UMass 4-H STEAM Festival Awards was held on March 14th.  Congralations to all those entered and our winners.  Enjoy this overview from 2023. 2023 Overview and slide show 

National 4-H Agri-Science Summit:

The National 4-H Youth Summit for Agri-Science brings together teen agriculture and science leaders from across the country to focus on learning about and solving agri-science issues impacting our communities and our economy. Our 2022 team worked with several of the 2021 team to update their action plan and prepare.

Our on the ground team consisted of Hope H. and Owen W. of Plymouth with chaperone Meg Riley, local 4-H Educator.

The UMass Art Department partnered with the UMass 4-H Youth Development Program to offer a hybrid program on designing Apps for youth ages 10-13.  Then on April 9th the 4-H'ers joined Professor Jeffery Kasper’s UMass Art students on campus for a Design-A-Thon where they learned about taking their plans and using a program called “Marvelapp”.

UMass 4-H held the 2022 4-H Visual Presentation Day in April for all youth ages 8-19 who qualified at their local level.  Public Speaking is an important life skill that is taught through 4-H projects during the year and culminates at the 4-H Visual Presentation Day.  Pictured is Molly Quinn of Middleboro MA with her blue ribbon and rosette with her presentation on Mushroom Spore Printing.  Molly belongs to the Soule Kids 4-H Club in Plymouth County.   

4-H MEMBERS ATTEND 2021 NATIONAL 4-H CONGRESS. Six 4-H youth represented Massachusetts at the 100th National 4-H Congress, held November 26-30, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, in Atlanta, Georgia. Over 900 delegates from across the United States and Puerto Rico, gathered to participate in this year’s special 100th celebration “A CENTURY OF Empowering Youth” Congress

Our horse teams flew to Louisville, KY for the Eastern National Roundup. They are also traveling to the KY Derby Museum, the KY Horse Park and Claiborne Farms. https://claibornefarm.com Claiborne Farm - Learn for yourself why Claiborne is known as one of the most iconic Thoroughbred breeding farms in Kentucky’s Horse Country! Schedule a tour and see where the legendary Secretariat was buried, and walk the grounds where many other famous racehorses called home.

The teams have been practicing since June both in-person and Zoom. We have Hippology, Horse Bowl, Horse Judging and Speech along with Individual and Team Presenters. Sixteen youth are attending along with their four coaches.

A Season of Thanks and Service Earth Day Club Challenge 

April 1st – September 1st (Forms Due October 1st)

“...I pledge my hands to larger service... for my club my community my country and my world.” 

These words found in our 4-H pledge are meaningful to so many of today’s 4-H families as they have been to past members and volunteers throughout the years. Community Service has been one of the main components of 4-H programming over time.   

New 4-H Year kicks off September 1st

Fall is an exciting time in the 4-H program as youth complete their records for the previous year, set new goals for the new year and show their 4-H spirit. 

• September 7th- 4honline opens for re-enrollment
• October 1st – Records are due in the office
• October 3rd- October 9th is National 4-H Week
• October 6th – 2021 STEM Challenge “Galactic Quest” blasts off
• October 6-17th -Fall Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply Company Stores
• 4-H 101 and Animal Science Programs offered as we launch back post Covid-19

Join us for the Second Annual Massachusetts Virtual 4-H Fair! It is kicking off July 1st-31st , 2021. Entry deadline is July 31st. Results will be announced on August 9th at 7pm via Zoom. Participation in the fair gives you the opportunity to get feedback on your projects before the show season is in full swing. We have made the upload process easier this year.

Hope to see you at the fair!

Our 4-H STEAM Bitmoji Classroom has evolved!

We will be offering themed Classrooms that each have 4 bitmoji rooms and 4 assignments. Once all 4 assignments are completed and submitted you will receive a certificate of completion in the mail. You may complete the themed Classroom at your own pace, it can be accessed when it is convenient for your schedule. The first themed classroom, Space Exploration will be released on May 4th. You’ll learn about stars, mars, and the solar system from afar. Contact ldubois[at]umass[dot]edu to receive a google classroom invitation on Tuesday, May 4th, 2021. May the fourth be with you!  All participants who complete the 4 assignments by May 31st will be entered into a drawing for one of 2- $15 Gift Cards to Dunkin Donuts.  Good luck and "may the odds be ever in your favor."

The Massachusetts State 4-H STEAM festival celebrates all our 4-H members who are Makers!

March 14 (Pi Day) Awards Festival Video Highlights 

Congratulations to all our Participants!

Special Awards:

• Ariane D. - Top Junior for her 3-D vase, game and Scribblebot
• Matthew K. - Standout Project for his Weatherballoon with GPS, camera and coded using Python.
• Faith & Hope M. - Top Seniors with over 40 entries

“The Year Without a Summer: 4-H Projects in a Pandemic” is Massachusetts 4-H’s first literary magazine. An outgrowth of Mass4-H’s Spinning Stories pilot program, we want to hear about how you and your project have spent the season. We are looking for poetry (no more than 50 lines), short stories (no more than 1000 words), and artwork that tells a story about this summer from your project’s perspective.

Massachusetts 4-H Presents: Virtual Winter Workshops open to 4-H and the public. Over two weekends, January 16 & 17 and January 23 & 24 Registration deadline has been extended to December 11, 2020 for those workshops in Red that need materials sent to participants and January 6, 2021 for those in yellow. Two weekends filled with fun and interesting workshops the whole family can enjoy. These workshops are free to enrolled 4-H members and screened volunteers, otherwise there is a $30 fee to participate. 

This project was the brainchild of Kathyrn Aubry-McAvoy, leader of the Montague Stitchers 4-H Club. Twenty two 4-H youth, volunteers, parents and siblings made fabulous creations. View slideshow.

Online Community Craft Workshop Series

The 4-H Springfield Mass Youth Leaders have created a 4 session workshop series of fun and easy crafts for all 4-H youth. Cloverbuds can participate with support of a family member. Scissors, paint and measuring will be involved. This opportunity was created specifically to connect and engage with other 4-hers throughout the state since all in-person events have been canceled for 2020. The 4-H Springfield Mass Youth Leaders have missed creating experiences with other 4-H participants and this is their way to create a virtual connection and new experience. 4-H youth can register to be a part of this workshop series by emailing ldubois[at]umass[dot]edu

The awards event was SPOOKtacular! The First Massachusetts Virtual 4-H Halloween  Contests for Animal Costume, Pumpkin Carving or Decorating for cloverbuds and Scarecrow. See the video here. Thank you to all the participants and congratulations on submitting such creative pumpkins, scarecrows and animal  costumes.