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5 Reasons Why 4-H is Lifelong

1.   Education :   4-H is education for life that uses a hands-on approach.   4-H prepares youth for higher education and potential careers by emphasizing life skills such as problem solving and critical thinking.   When members participate in activities such as creating a project or developing a nutritional plan for livestock, learning is taking place without being noticed.   4-H has a special way of creating many learning experiences that are fun and engaging for 4-H members.   It has been proven that 4-H members are two times more likely to get better grades in school and are two times more likely to attend college than individuals that don’t partake in 4-H. 2.   Companionship:   4-H members share many common interests with one another such as static projects, livestock, or working exhibits.   There is always another 4-H or family member that shares the same interests.   Common interests are quite often the foundation for creating lifelong friendships and memories.   Fri

Thankful for 4-H

Thanksgiving is a special time to be thankful for the opportunities we are given and the people who have influenced our lives. We are approaching the holiday season and want to take the time to reflect on what we are thankful for in our life . Among many things that we have to be thankful for this year, we would like to take the time to give a special thanks to 4-H. We would like to take time to reach out and recognize members in our community that have made our 4-H experiences successful and helped to create great memories. 4-H Members: Thank you for everything you do. You are the reason we do what we do. Without you, 4-H would not exist. You dedication to the 4-H program, your hard-work and your talents do not go unnoticed. By living through the 4-H pledge each and every day, you inspire us to make the best better for our 4-H youth! We have seen many time over and over again, the impact that 4-H leaves on 4-H youth. It is an important role in youth development and we see 4-

Polk County 4-H'ers Prepare Meal for Governor

On Friday November 15, five 4-H'ers from Polk County had the honor of preparing and serving Governor Branstad a private sit down meal  with 14 close friends at Terrace Hill. The 4-H'ers arrived and ready to work at 4:30 PM and they didn't leave until 10:30 PM.  Governer Branstad, Joy Niklasen – Polk CYC, Laurel McGonegle, Jessica Bigelow, Rebecca Osthus, Alek Gill, Trevor Schwager, First Lady Chris Branstad in the Formal Dining Room at Terrace Hill. Alek Gill is helping Chef Sharron to prepare the main dish. Chef Sharron instructed the youth on their duties for the evening festivities. They prepared tasty appetizers, fresh salad and the main dish. The dessert was  homemade ice cream and chocolate cake from close friends attending the meal. The kids even helped with the clean-up process around the kitchen. And, yes, they were able to sample and even take home some of the leftovers from the meal they had prepared for the Governor.  It was a special experien

New Record Set!

The annual Iowa 4-H Foundation Call-A-Thon has been underway for over 10 weeks raising money for Iowa 4-H. Members of the Iowa State University Collegiate 4-H Club have been taking to the phones on behalf of the foundation during this annual fundraiser. The fall of 2012 had set the record with a total of $21,251 raised for the Iowa 4-H Foundation. On November 12, 2013, the collegiate 4-H members broke the 2012 record with a total of 22,135. Two days later, they raised an additional $2,000!   The running total is now at $27,345!! There are still four weeks of calling remaining, and they are not slowing down! The Call-A-Thon is under the direction of ISU Collegiate 4-H Programming Chair and Iowa 4-H Foundation student employee, Ashley Kinkade.  Current ISU Collegiate 4-H members have spent numerous evenings calling prospective 4-H supporters requesting donations.  Over a period of 19 calling evenings, they have volunteered over 47 hours of their time making phone calls.

#GivingTuesday

The holiday season is right away the corner; a time for family, celebration, giving thanks and gift giving. During the holiday season, we would like to give thanks. Thank you to all of our 4-H supporters, 4-H members, 4-H volunteers and 4-H staff for helping us “Make the Best Better” for Iowa 4-H year-round. The beginning of the holiday season is quickly approaching… Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday….but have you heard about the latest day to celebrate, #GivingTuesday? What is #GivingTuesday? #GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. It will culminate with a global day of giving on December 3, 2013. This effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners— charities, families, businesses and individuals—to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. #GivingTuesday will inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smar

Former 4-H'er Takes Experiences To Heart

Does a 4-H member forget 4-H experiences? Does a 4-H member forget what they learned throughout their time as a member? Or does 4-H stay in an alumni's heart forever?  We thought we would find out asking former 4-H member, Nikki Seehusen of Pocahontas County. Q: What are the HIGHLIGHTS of your 4-H experience? A: I was a nine-year 4-H member of the Guys & Gals of Grant 4-H Club in Pocahontas County.  Every year I took static and livestock (sheep and cattle) exhibits to the fair.  I did educational presentations and working exhibits as well.  I was fortunate enough to have some of my exhibits and presentations advance on to the Iowa State Fair.  There were numerous committees I was involved in at a 4-H'er and I held many offices in my 4-H club and for the Pocahontas County 4-H Council.  In 2009, I competed in the Pocahontas County Fair Queen Pageant and was honored to be crowned queen and represent my county at the State Fair. Q: What does 4-H mean to you?

National 4-H Week

Being green is actually not that hard, especially when it is National 4-H Week! But do you need help on coming up with ideas to celebrate 4-H? Well we are here to help! The purpose of the 4-H Program is to highlight the program’s success and most importantly the youth that are involved in it.  Each year, during National 4-H Week, the local and county 4-H clubs/groups have the opportunity to showcase what they have gained from their membership in 4-H through activities and events at the local and county level.  The Iowa 4-H Foundation joins the rest of the nation to celebrate the organization and youth we love so much.  National 4-H Week is October 6 through the 12, 2013! Show off your 4-H pride and join the Iowa 4-H Foundation’s mission to turn Facebook 4-H Green for a week! Take the picture below and download it as your profile picture on any of your social media pages, especially Facebook! Who  doesn't  love green? Help turn Facebook 4-H green during Natio

5th Annual Gala Planning Underway

In 2014, the Iowa 4-H Foundation will host their 5 th annual Gala; and it will be bigger and better than ever! The Central Iowa Gala will be held on February 22, 2014 at The Meadows in Altoona, IA. New for 2014 will be an Eastern Iowa Gala which will be held on March 1, 2014 in the Iowa City area- location TBD. In 2013, the annual Gala Fundraiser raised a net total of over $102,000 to support Iowa 4-H’ers. This successful event would not be possible without help from volunteers and supporters like you and it is not too early to get involved. We are currently looking for volunteers for both Gala event committees. Committees include: Auction – develop plan, solicit auction items and identify auction process & display. Each event will include a live, silent, purse, tool belt and 4-H’er items auction. Logistics – food, décor, table settings, entertainment, program messaging, etc. Promotion – design, messaging & implementation from start to finish; include

Keep Calm and Pledge On

The Iowa 4-H Foundation's Call-A-Thon is unique in it's own way, differing from other calling fundraisers. This Call-A-Thon is not based out of a call center, or from an outside state. It takes place in our offices here on the Iowa State University Campus. Our callers are Iowa 4-H'ers who have benefited directly from donors and sponsors during their 4-H membership. The Iowa State University Collegiate 4-H Club   members take to the phones to raise money for the Iowa 4-H Foundation through the annual Call-A-Thon. Historically, ISU Collegiate 4-H members call for a week during the fall semester. This year, they will be calling two nights per week for the remainder of the fall semester. Colin Ryan, member of The Iowa State University Collegiate 4-H Club, enjoys hearing 4-H stories and experiences from donors. The purpose of the annual Call-A-Thon is to raise funds for the Iowa 4-H Foundation's scholarships and recognition programs such as National 4-H Conference

Hoedown Throwdown

On Sunday, September 1, 2013, the Iowa 4-H Foundation's Executive Director, Kris Fish Kuhlmann, made a trip to the University of Iowa for the collegiate 4-H Hoe-down Throwdown.   This year marked the event's second year of promoting agriculture on the U of I campus. This free event invited students to compete in teams of 4 in an obstacle course and various activities, including but not limited to, a corn dig, corn-husk throw, hay-bale course, water balloon tossing, sack races, milking, rubber chicken throwing, greased pumpkin carrying and identifying things from Iowa. There were also community service projects including making tie blankets for the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. Not to mention, there was also a mechanical bull that was open for rides all afternoon! Bethany Welsh, the founder of the U of I Collegiate 4-H, believes it will bring the spirit of county fairs and agriculture to the university. Prizes were awarded to teams with the best time. C

Here's to a Successful Summer

Along with summer, our three “Going for the Green” Golf Tournaments for 2013 has come to an exciting end. Last week, we visited  Blue Top Ridge at Riverside to host our Eastern Iowa Golf Tournament. 70 golfers took the course on the hot summer day to support Iowa 4-H’ers. Our other two golf tournaments this summer were the Central Iowa Golf Tournament at  Hyperion Field Club in Johnston, IA and the Northwest Golf Tournament at  Emerald Hills Golf Club in Arnolds Park, IA. These golf tournaments all included a fun, friendly golf competition, putting contest, longest drive, hole in one, closest to the pin, longest putt, and live auctions. Aaron Thomas was featured as our celebrity golfer at the Central Iowa Golf Tournament. There was a “beat the pro” contest where the golfers were challenged to beat Thomas with the longest drive. Iowa Soybean Association was a proud presenting sponsor of all three golf tournaments. At each tournament, ISA goodies including soybean snacks, ISA

Eastern Iowa Golf Auction

The Iowa 4-H Foundation will host their third and final golf outing of the summer at Blue Top Ridge in Riverside, IA. This golf outing will include a live auction during the evening social and will feature six items valued at over $9,000! Can’t attend our live auction on Friday? You can be a proxy bidder! We will place your bid on your behalf during the live auction. If you would like to place a bid on any of the following item(s), please contact Carter Collins at 515-294-1607. We will take your highest bid from Wednesday, August 21 st at 9:00 AM to Thursday, August 22 nd at 4:00 PM. The live auction will take place on Friday, August 23 rd 7:00 PM. Auction Items: 1.        Home/Office Décor donated by P&K Midwest. This package includes two framed and matted agricultural prints, each valued at $150. 2.        Iowa State Recycle Bin donated by Cummins Central Power. This package includes a one-of-a-kind Iowa State recycle bin. Dress up your tailgate party or wo