Dear 4-H members, families, volunteers and supporters,
It is with a heavy heart that I share this news with you. Due to ongoing health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision has been made to cancel all Ohio State University Extension in-person programming through July 6. This includes all 4-H programs, activities, and events. Additionally, we’ve made the very difficult decision to cancel all 4-H camps thru August 31. Although in-person programming is cancelled, we will continue to offer virtual 4-H experiences.
We know this is an incredible disappointment and recognize how much everyone looks forward to our cherished 4-H summer events. As 4-H professionals committed to providing positive youth development programming, we share your sense of loss.
Given available information, we anticipate the next few weeks and months will continue to be critical times for stemming the spread of the COVID-19 virus. It is our duty to keep ourselves and those we serve safe through the education we provide and the modeling of safety-conscious behaviors. We do not want to get to the other side of this pandemic and wish that we had done more to keep our future generation of leaders safe and healthy.
While we are making decisions regarding the youth events we organize and manage (such as camps and 4-H project judging), we are deferring to local decision-makers and Governor DeWine’s administration on the events owned by others, such as county fairs. Our decision to cancel in-person 4-H activities and events through July 6 and summer camps, should not automatically imply that local county fairs are also canceled at this time. Please keep in mind that 4-H and our FFA colleagues support the education and development of youth, but the decision about whether fairs will occur is in the hands of others. This continues to be an evolving situation that will require some negotiation and monitoring depending on decisions. We will be ready should fairs move forward and to pivot if they are cancelled.
As we work through the impact of these decisions for 4-H activities and events in the weeks ahead, county OSU Extension 4-H professionals will share important updates and information with you as we develop and provide new online opportunities. We know the experiences will be different than we had hoped, yet we remain committed to working together to grow future generations of true leaders.
Yours in service to 4-H,
Kirk
Kirk Bloir, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, 4-H Youth Development
College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Ohio State University Extension
Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus, OH 43210
614-247-8168 Office
bloir.1@osu.edu | ohio4h.org | extension.osu.edu
We appreciate your patience and understanding. Please be safe, stay home, wash your hands and enjoy some extra time with your loved ones. If you are one of the health care, food service, or other essential workers who are not getting that extra time at home, please accept our sincerest gratitude for helping keep the rest of us safe. We are thankful for all you are doing!
Sincerely,
Jo and Josi
740.354.7879 Office / 740.355.8338 Fax
williams.2213@osu.edu scioto.osu.edu
Project Books
WONDERING HOW YOU CAN GET A 4-H PROJECT BOOK?
While county offices are closed and local distribution of project books is on hold, choose one of these methods:
Download one for free.
A special collection of project books is available for free on the Perfect Stay-at-Home Projects web page. Click on the book you want, and when the file opens on your screen, save or print it from there. Horseless Horse and Science Fun with Physics were added recently. (For accessible formats of these publications, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.)
Buy one online.
If you would like to buy a print copy of a Perfect Stay-at-Home project or any other project book, you can order directly from extensionpubs.osu.edu with one of these special discounts for Ohio residents: FREE2020 (for free shipping) OR 20IN2020 (20% off the entire order). Use the coupon that works best for you. Orders can be shipped directly to a person’s home as long as it is an Ohio address.
Please review your order carefully. Extension Publishing is unable to take returns. There is no restriction on the number of times a coupon can be used. See printable ordering instructions HERE.
Make your own.
If you would rather not purchase a book in this way, self-determined projects are an excellent choice for self-motivated members eager to get started by creating their own projects. Although self-determined projects may be better suited for older 4-H members, they are available for any member and are often based on idea starters already available online. Many of the idea starters are great stay-at-home projects too, for example, Music, Bats, String Art, Climate Change, American Sign Language, etc. Our extraordinary educators are even preparing one called My Stay-at-Home Summer! (For project judging, self-determined projects are judged in self-determined categories.)
Additional Resources
2020 Updated Pre-Fair Calendar
Communicating Online With Your Club
Tips and Tricks for Meeting With Your Club
Online QA
Online Quality Assurance Options (Free)
Youth will have five opportunities to complete their Quality Assurance training for 2020, please see the dates below. Participants will be able to log in up to 30 minutes prior to the training beginning, each QA session will begin on time and youth must be present through the entire session and will be required to participant in activites.
**Please click on the link below the date you have selected to attend to pre-register for your session **
Who needs to complete QA?
- All 4-H’ers enrolled in market beef, market sheep, market swine, market poultry (including turkey and waterfowl), market rabbits, market and dairy goat and dairy cattle projects (and wishing to exhibit and compete at the Scioto County Fair or Ohio State Fair) must be verified as attending a Scioto County Quality Assurance (QA) Session prior to exhibition. Session information is available at the Extension Office or from club advisors. Youth who do not attend a Scioto County QA session for the current year will be ineligible to exhibit and compete at the Scioto County Fair and/or the Ohio State Fair during that year. It is the 4-H’ers’ (and their parent or guardians) responsibility to see that they attend a session. No makeup sessions will be offered in Scioto County. All project, breeding, market, and carcass animals must be identified and/or weighed on specific dates in order to be eligible to exhibit, compete and/or sell at the Scioto County Fair. Members and volunteers will be notified of these dates. Please refer to a prefair schedule or volunteer newsletter for specific dates.
Dates
- Thursday, May 7th beginning at 6 pm, log in will be open at 5:30 pm
- Join Zoom Meeting
https://osu.zoom.us/j/91497344923
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 914 9734 4923
- Thursday, May 14th beginning at 2 pm, log in will be open at 1:30 pm
- Join Zoom Meeting
https://osu.zoom.us/j/97568843381
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 975 6884 3381
- Thursday, May 21st beginning at 6 pm, log in will be open at 5:30 pm
- Join Zoom Meeting
https://osu.zoom.us/j/91497344923
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 914 9734 4923
- Thursday, May 28th beginning at 2 pm, log in will be open at 1:30 pm
- Join Zoom Meeting
https://osu.zoom.us/j/97568843381
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 975 6884 3381
- Thursday, June 4th beginning at 6 pm, log in will be open at 5:30 pm
- Join Zoom Meeting
https://osu.zoom.us/j/91497344923
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 914 9734 4923
Online QA Instructions (YQCA)
Virtual Volunteer Trainings
Below are dates for Virtual Mandatory Policy 1.50 trainings and New Volunteer Trainingl. Please check your email for the link to sign into these trainings.
Tuesday, May 5th @ 7:00 pm
Wednesday, May 6th @ 2:00 pm
2020 Livestock Tagging Information