The Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team is starting to recruit applicants for our 2013-2014 Team. We're looking for 4-H members and/or recent 4-H alumni who are 16-19 years of age as of 9/1/2013 to apply and interview for a 2-year term starting September 1.

We're looking for top youth leaders who are interested in giving back to the Illinois 4-H program. YLT members plan and conduct the Illinois 4-H Junior Leadership Conference, design and teach the Speaking for Illinois 4-H program, and help with various statewide 4-H events, including but not limited to: Illini Summer Academies, State Fair, Legislative Connection, ACES Connection, Salute to Ag Day and more. Representatives from the Team also serve on the Illinois 4-H Foundation Board of Directors and the Illinois Farm Bureau Youth Education Committee. YLT members have the first opportunity to apply for trips to National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C.

The application is available on the 4-H website (http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sylt.cfm) and on the 4-H Contacts portal (Youth & Adult Volunteer Opportunities = Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team). Applications are due postmarked by June 15 for interviews to be conducted June 23-25 at the Illini Summer Academies or August 1 for interviews to be conducted August 8-13 at the Illinois State Fair.

Help us recruit the best teen 4-H leaders in the state to help us continue to conduct our statewide 4-H programs!

Illinois has been selected as one of five states to pilot the 4-H: Empowering Youth to End Hunger in Their Communities, an effort to heighten awareness of and solutions to reducing hunger and food insecurity in America. This grant opportunity, sponsored by the National 4-H Council with funding from the Howard G. Buffet Foundation is designed to engage and empower youth through service projects addressing community-based food security and hunger relief. Our goal is to engage a minimum of 500 youth and 100 adults in providing 10,000 service hours addressing this important issue. Program information for staff is posted to the Portal under Groups/4-H Contacts/Feeding and Growing Our Communities and includes:

Feeding and Growing Our Communities Overview – background information about the opportunity and useful websites.

2013 Illinois Challenge Grant Application – application form for use by 4-H clubs and extension staff in applying for funding.

4-H Ending Hunger Toolkit – a compiled source of resources, activities, and workshop suggestions to increase awareness of hunger and food insecurity and the Invest An Acre program for farmers and landowners.

Illini Fighting Hunger Community Partner Handbook – a step-by-step resource is provided by the Illini Fighting Hunger organization for groups interested in organizing a meal-packaging event to fight hunger in their community, county or region. Illini Fighting Hunger is a student led volunteer organization serving the UIUC campus and expands their reach into the state. If you are interested in observing and learning more about a meal-packaging event join Chancellor Phyllis Wise on April 20 as the U of I Campus community volunteers gather to assemble 146,000 meals representing 1,000 meals for every year the University of Illinois has been in existence.

This information will be posted to the State 4-H website and a notice will be emailed to 4-H leaders who had members enrolled in vegetable gardening during the 2011-12 4-H program year.

How can you get involved? Please communicate this opportunity to all 4-H clubs in your county/unit and challenge them to practice BIG M as they engage as a group to learn about hunger/food insecurity in their community and how they can become part of the solution in alleviating this significant need.

Feeding and Growing Our Communities Webinar – plan now to attend the Feeding and Growing Our Communities Webinar scheduled for Friday, April 19 from 1:30 – 2:30 PM. Following is the registration link:

https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=8182

Once your registration is complete you will receive a confirming email with the Meeting ID and Password.

The April/May 2013 issue of the Illinois Leader is now available for download from the portal under Volunteer Support: Illinois Leader. It will also be posted shortly to the Illinois 4-H web site under Volunteers: Volunteer Support: Leader Resources: Illinois Leader. Please share this newsletter with your 4-H leaders via email, by linking it on your county/Unit web site, by including it in your county/Unit newsletter, or by providing paper copies at leader meetings.

The registration site for the 2013 Illini Summer Academies is now open! Information regarding the 10 Academies and other details are available on the ISA page on the 4-H website: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/summeracademies.cfm. Early-bird discount pricing is in effect until April 15.

Promotional pieces for your use have been posted to the 4-H Contacts portal - Events - Statewide - Illini Summer Academies. The brochures are at the printers and should be available shortly; we will be providing each county with a supply. (These will be delivered at the Youth Development Team meeting on March 12-13.) In the meantime, the postcards and flyers are available on the portal and the brochure will be posted shortly (if you wish to run your own copies).

Within the next week, we will also be posting pieces that you can use for Extension/4-H newsletters, in letters to schools, and an email for sending to your 4-H volunteers to encourage their teens to attend.

Remember that we are requesting staff or volunteer support - 1 male and 1 female - from 3 "groups" of units from across the state this year. Units 1-3; Units 10-12; and Units 19-21 are requested to work together to recruit staff members or middle management volunteers to assist at this event. Please see the ISA Staff Fact Sheet (posted on the portal) for more information. Those individuals will need to register, but please contact the State 4-H Office first because they will need a discount code in order to register as ISA Headquarters Staff.

Dan Boomgarden will be handling the logistics for the 2013 ISA program. If you have questions regarding the educational Academy component, please contact Deb Stocker. Thank you in advance for helping us promote this exceptional educational opportunity for teens across the state.

We have finalized the list of Academies for the 2013 Illini Summer Academies program! We are excited to offer 9 Academies, including two NEW Academies!
*Aerospace Engineering
*Art & Design
*Creative Writing (NEW!)
*Crop Sciences
*Electrical & Computer Engineering
*Leadership
*Molecular & Cellular Biology
*Natural Resources & Environmental Studies (NEW!)
*Veterinary Medicine

ISA is scheduled from Sunday afternoon, June 23 through Wednesday, June 26. We will again be housed in the Florida Avenue Residence Halls (FAR) on the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana campus. In addition to the 15-hour Academies, ISA will offer high school teens opportunities to experience college life, live in the dormitory, tour campus and CampusTown, participate in campus recreational options, meet teens from across the state, and celebrate the accomplishments of 4-H members and ISA attendees.

Promotional postcards are being mailed to last year's ISA attendees and will be given to 8th grade attendees of the Jr. Leadership Conference this month. The postcards, ISA logos, and a promotional flyer have been posted to the 4-H Contacts portal (Events = Statewide = Illini Summer Academies...) for your use to promote this event to your 8th grade and high school contacts - 4-H members, school groups, home school audiences, etc. In the next week, we will be also posting newsletter articles, school promotional letters, and a letter for your volunteer leaders to help promote the event. Promotional brochures will be available by mid-March. (Other 2012 ISA items on the portal will be updated to the 2013 items over the coming weeks.)

We have also updated the ISA Fact Sheet for Staff that is posted on the 4-H Contacts portal (same location as the promotional pieces). PLEASE NOTE - This year we are starting a NEW ROTATIONAL SYSTEM for UNIT ASSISTANCE at this event! We are asking 9 units (3 Units from different areas of the state) to work together to provide us with one male and one female staff member or middle management volunteer to assist with this statewide event. For 2013, we are asking Units 1, 2 and 3 to work together; Units 10, 11 and 12; and Units 19, 20, and 21. The details are spelled out in the Fact Sheet, under Responsibilities of and Timeline for County/Unit Staff.

Registration will open on March 1; the ISA website (http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/summeracademies.cfm) will be updated with the 2013 information at that time. Academies are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. An early bird discount is offered through April 15. Final registration will close May 22.

Scholarships will be available to 4-H members who are first-time attendees. Details will be available via the application posted on the portal in the next few weeks.

If you have questions about the Academies, please contact Deb Stocker. If you have questions regarding registration or logistical details, please contact Dan Boomgarden.

Sorority built on affordable, cooperative living helps extend leadership experience

Young 4-H women attending the University of Illinois have a unique opportunity to share their college experience with others who share the same interests. 4-H House, a cooperative sorority on campus, recently changed its requirements to allow women with three years of 4-H experience to live at the house.

"Our house is built on the same principles of leadership that you learn in 4-H," says Laura Child, a junior at the University of Illinois and Interviewing Chair for 4-H House. "Teamwork is a big part of our house and we share that responsibility with women who bring diverse leadership skills to the table."

4-H House operates as a cooperative, meaning its members share in the work needed to make the house function: cooking, cleaning and general maintenance. The shared work reduces house expenses, making 4-H House an affordable option compared to dorms or other student housing. In fact, 4-H House currently saves members 64 percent compared to dorm living.

"The founders of our house wanted a strong focus on scholarship and a well-balanced college life for young 4-H women," says Childs. "Those ideals still resonate throughout the house's activities and hundreds of 4-Hers have called our house home over the years."

Childs adds, the benefits of living in the house are more than meets the eye.

"The relationships we build are life-long," says Childs. "Our strong network of alums and reputation for competent, on-the-job leadership skills make 4-H House a good addition to a resume."

Don't have three years of 4-H experience? Due to a recent by-law amendment, 4-H House changed its requirements to allow young women with three years of experience in a broad range of leadership activities to apply and live in the house. 4-H House will host two interviewing weekends, Feb 8-9 and March 9-10, for interested women.

217-344-4784

The February/March 2013 issue of the Illinois Leader is now available for download from the portal under Volunteer Support: Illinois Leader. It will also be posted shortly to the Illinois 4-H web site under Volunteers: Volunteer Support: Leader Resources: Illinois Leader. Please share this newsletter with your 4-H leaders via email, by linking it on your county/Unit web site, by including it in your county/Unit newsletter, or by providing paper copies at leader meetings.

State 4-H Award Selection for the 2013 4-H award trips starts just after the first of the year. Here are a couple of items that you need to know:
1) The Transmittal Form for the 4-H member award applications has been posted to the 4-H Contacts Portal under Awards, Scholarships & Recognition. This form is to be sent in with ALL 4-H award submissions for National 4-H Congress, National 4-H Dairy Conference and the 4-H LCP Award. Award applications must be submitted to the State 4-H Office postmarked no later than January 4, 2013.

2) The Illinois Farm Bureau 4-H LCP Award is for members age 17 and older by December 1, 2012. The award focuses on Leadership, Citizenship, and Professionalism. Counties are permitted to submit TWO applications to the state selection process. The application is fairly simple - most of the items are "check if you've done it". There are two-tiers of awards for this program. The top ten scoring 4-H members are invited to the Premier 20 Leadership Conference in April - an elite conference for only 20 youth (10 4-H members and 10 FFA Section Presidents). The second awards are presented at the Illini Summer Academies 4-H Celebration Banquet in June. ALL counties should be able to submit at least ONE applicant to this program - it's a wonderful way to recognize those teen leaders who have successfully grown within the 4-H program.

3) We are asking counties to recruit volunteers for the State 4-H Awards Judging process. Judges will assist on Saturday, January 26 in Champaign by scoring the State 4-H Award Applications. The day starts at 9:00 a.m. with an orientation and recent judging has been completed by 3:00 p.m. We provide mileage reimbursement and if the judges live more than 1-1/2 hours from Champaign, we will also provide a shared hotel room for Friday evening, January 25.

Judges cannot have ANY personal ties to ANY of the applicants - relatives, same 4-H club, volunteers/staff who have assisted youth with their applications. Staff who are interested in assisting are welcome, but should have permission from their County Director to participate. Please email Deb Stocker if you are interested in helping. We will need all judges confirmed by January 11 so that we can finalize hotel rooming lists.

Award application information was covered in the 4-H 101: Recognition for Excellence Part 2 Webinar held April 12. If you are a new staff member or just want a review regarding the Competition level of the Recognition program, I encourage you to listen to the recording of the session: http://media.itcs.illinois.edu/telenet/.

Get your members in high gear at the start of 2013 by promoting the Speaking for Illinois 4-H program. We're heading to southern Illinois for a Saturday, January 12th training at the Jefferson County Extension Office in Mt. Vernon.

Speaking for Illinois 4-H trains older 4-H members in advanced public presentation - how to solicit donations, provide reports to county boards, speak to state legislators, presentations for civic groups, etc. We train these youth to help YOU in the local Unit to spread the 4-H story and get the word out! Members receive a brief training in BIGM and the importance in including that type of data/information in talking about 4-H to stakeholders. Pam Weber, the legislative lobbyist for Extension Partners, provides informaton on putting together the member's 4-H story to share with legislators and county board members. As an extra bonus, SFI4-H youth are invited to help at the spring Legislative Connection event(s).

SFI4-H trainees must be at least 14 years old to participate. Get them excited about sharing not only their own accomplishments, but those of the entire Extension program within your county and/or Extension unit.

Registration items are already posted to the 4-H Contacts Portal, including the link to the registration site. The Illinois 4-H website page (http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm) is also updated EXCEPT for the Registration link! That change has been requested and should be done in the next couple of days!

Speaking for Illinois 4-H is designed, sponsored, and taught by members of the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team -- Teens teaching teens! Members who are trained in January will be invited to assist with Legislative Connection this spring. Get your teens involved now and you'll have help throughout the rest of the program year!

NOTE: A SECOND SFI4-H Training has been scheduled for March 2, 2013 in Pontiac (Livingston County). To avoid confusion, that registration will not open until after registration for the January 12 training has been closed, but you can start advertising the date now with your members! Thank you.

Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2013 Illinois 4-H Jr. Leadership Conference! This event is targeted towards 7th and 8th grade 4-H members who want to expand on their leadership opportunities within the 4-H program. A 4-H member may invite a non-4-H friend to attend with them. JLC is planned and implemented by the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team.

The conference is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, February 23-24 at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center in Urbana. Programming starts with registration Saturday morning and ends right before lunch on Sunday. All youth will attend all six workshops, focusing on project areas such as arts and photography, leadership skills like parliamentary procedure and public speaking, and more. All workshops are hands-on and focus on building the skills of the delegates so they can bring the information learned back home to use in their own clubs and communities.

A promotional flyer is available on both the 4-H Contacts portal (Events/Statewide/Illinois 4-H Junior Leadership Conference) and the Illinois 4-H website: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/juniorleadership.cfm. The registration fee was slightly increased this year to $135 to accommodate the 1 delegate/bed (2 delegates/room) policy. Registration is open until Monday, January 28. All required payments and paperwork must be postmarked by January 30, 2013. We are limited to the first 100 youth registrations that we receive.

A limited number of scholarships are available for first-time 4-H attendees. The application is also available on the portal and via the website. Scholarship applications must be received by January 7 in order to be considered.

Chaperones are also required and we ask counties to recruit a chaperone if you are sending delegates. One chaperone is required for each 10 delegates of the same gender, so we will need both male and female chaperones. Chaperones must also pay the $135 registration fee. It is up to the local Extension office if you cover this fee for your chaperones. All chaperones MUST be completely screened through our University of Illinois Extension Volunteer Screening procedures.

We hope you will promote this event to your young leaders! Last year, we exceeded our registration limits and were able to add on some rooms at the last minute. We don't know if that will be the case this year! But we appreciate your support in getting the word out about this outstanding conference.

We have rescheduled the cancelled September Speaking for Illinois 4-H Training and reopened registration for more participants! The new session is set for Saturday, November 17 at the Scott County Extension Office in Winchester.

Speaking for Illinois 4-H trains older 4-H members in advanced public presentation - how to solicit donations, provide reports to county boards, speak to state legislators, presentations for civic groups, etc. We train these youth to help YOU in the local Unit to spread the 4-H story and get the word out! Members receive a brief training in BIGM and the importance in including that type of data/information in talking about 4-H to stakeholders. Pam Weber, the legislative lobbyist for Extension Partners, provides informaton on putting together the member's 4-H story to share with legislators and county board members. As an extra bonus, SFI4-H youth are invited to help at the spring Legislative Connection event(s).

SFI4-H trainees must be at least 14 years old to participate. Get them excited about sharing not only their own accomplishments, but those of the entire Extension program within your county and/or Extension unit.

Registration items are already posted to the 4-H Contacts Portal, including the link to the registration site. The Illinois 4-H website page (http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm) is also updated, including the link to a new registration site.

Youth who were registered for the September 29th session do not need to re-register. However, they MUST complete a NEW Agreement to Assume Risk Form and send that in for the November session. If they were already registered, but cannot attend, have them notify Deb Stocker and we will refund their registration fee from the first session.

Speaking for Illinois 4-H is designed, sponsored, and taught by members of the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team -- Teens teaching teens! Get your teens involved now and you'll have help throughout the rest of the program year!

Clover Challenge Grants for 2012 – 13 Now Available

Applications for the 2012-13 4-H Clover Challenge Grant program are now available for downloading from the Illinois 4-H Foundation website. Thanks to DuPont Pioneer and the Illinois Soybean Association for sponsoring this opportunity for a second year. Staff and members can download the applications at: http://4hfoundation.illinois.edu/financial_support.

Staff are encouragedto review the applications on line as the information included will answer many of their questions. In addition to meeting both age and project requirements as listed in the application, selected applicants will be expected to:

• Secure an adult mentor (non-parent) to discuss their plans and seek advice/guidance and will meet with their mentor at least two times during the year
• Submit a Plan of Action detailing the steps they will follow to complete their study, secure the signature of their local 4-H Youth Development educator and their Mentor and return a copy to the State 4-H Office
• Agree to share their results using a minimum of two different methods to communicate with the public

Please note: all 2012 State FairExhibitors in Crops and Foods and Nutrition projects meeting the age requirements andreceived a Superior ratingwill receive a special email invitation to participate. Applications are due December 1 and program acceptance will be communicated with all applicants before January 1. Applicants will have between January 1 and July 31, 2013to complete their plan and report their accomplishments.

Please let me know if you have additional questions. Bill

Just a quick reminder that the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team is hosting a Speaking for Illinois 4-H Training in Winchester (Scott County) on Saturday, September 29. Major details were posted in a July 3 article in The Leaflet. The registration deadline is Wednesday, September 19. Due to the amount of final details that need to be completed after the deadline, late registrations ARE NOT ACCEPTED.

Information on Speaking for Illinois 4-H is available on the Illinois 4-H website: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm. Registration is open at: https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/default.cfm?RegistrationID=6939. PLEASE make sure that members you recruit are at least 14 years old and know that additional paperwork needs to be submitted (all noted on the website and the registration site).

Speaking for Illinois 4-H is YOUR opportunity to expand your Extension Unit's reach within your area. Trained members not only assist with Legislative Connection, but can help locally with County Board reports, donor and volunteer recruitment, and 4-H promotion to civic groups. These are members who want to give back to the 4-H program - let them help you!

Yes, you can start planning for the new 4-H year already by promoting the next Speaking for Illinios 4-H Training!! It's been set for Saturday, September 29th in Winchester at the Scott County Extension Office.

As a reminder, Speaking for Illinois 4-H trains older 4-H members in advanced public presentation - how to solicit donations, provide reports to county boards, speak to state legislators, presentations for civic groups, etc. We train these youth to help YOU in the local Unit to spread the 4-H story and get the word out! Members receive a brief training in BIGM and the importance in including that type of data/information in talking about 4-H to stakeholders. Pam Weber, the legislative lobbyist for Extension Partners, provides informaton on putting together the member's 4-H story to share with legislators and county board members. As an extra bonus, SFI4-H youth are invited to help at the spring Legislative Connection event(s).

Start recruiting your older 4-H members this summer at your fairs and 4-H shows. SFI4-H trainees must be at least 14 years old to participate. Get them excited about sharing not only their own accomplishments, but those of the entire Extension program within your county and/or Extension unit.

Registration items are already posted to the 4-H Contacts Portal, including the link to the registration site. The Illinois 4-H website page (http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm) is almost ready - the download materials are ready, but the link to the registration site is not updated yet. (Had a glitch this morning; hopefully it will be ready to go by Thursday!)

Speaking for Illinois 4-H is designed, sponsored, and taught by members of the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team -- Teens teaching teens! Get your teens involved now and you'll have help throughout the rest of the program year!

I am excited to announce that this year's NYSD challenge is called "Eco-Bot" and involves the design of simple "bristle bots". The learning guide includes activities in which young people design different barriers (e.g. paper cups, string, etc.) to keep the bristle bot within an area of an environmental oil spill. http://www.4-h.org/4-h-national-youth-science-day/ This activity is accessible to all ages and engages interests in robotics, stewardship of the environment, and science inquiry more broadly.

Due to generous support from Caterpillar, we have funding to purchase up to 2 kits/county.

We are asking that educators meet with their unit 4-H staff to decide how many kits you would like to request and start thinking about how you might use these. Some ideas might include:

• A booth at an event already planned for the fall
• A booth in a local business or museum where there is a lot of foot traffic
• A specific NYSD event at your county office, partner school or other youth organization
• A recruitment activity for a new robotics SPIN club
• A leadership opportunity for an existing robotics SPIN club
• Involve 4-H federation youth, members of an existing robotics SPIN club, or members enrolled in environmental/natural resources to help do the NYSD activity with younger youth

The kit order form has been posted to the portal under: 4-H Contacts/ScienceExcited/2012 NYSD Kit Order Form. We are asking each educator to complete the attached form by July 20^, 2012 and send by fax/mail/scanned email to Dorothy Horsch at dhorsch@illinois.edu in the State 4-H Office.

If you have any questions or want to brainstorm ideas, please let me know!

Lisa (lbdiaz@illinois.edu)

The Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team would like to encourage the counties in northern Illinois to strongly consider recruiting 4-H members to register and attend the May 19th Speaking for Illinois 4-H (SFI4-H) Training. The all-day training will be held in Woodstock (McHenry County) at the McHenry County Farm Bureau Auditorium.

SFI4-H is open to 4-H members age 14 and above and provides these members with skills to assist YOU in promoting the 4-H program in your area. Youth who attend learn about PYD and BIGM, enhance their public presentations skills, and learn to put their 4-H story to best use in recruiting volunteers, soliciting donors for local programs, and most importantly, speaking to local fundors and local and state elected officials about the benefits of University of Illinois Extension and the 4-H program. While the major intent of this program is for youth to assist on the local level, SFI4-H members are also recruited to assist with state legislative contacts and are invited to attend Legislative Connection events at the State Capitol.

Youth must register on-line at: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm. Registration closes for the May 19th session on May 9th. LATE registrations are NOT accepted; if we do not have enough youth to hold the program after registration closes, the training will be cancelled. Youth who register are sent email instructions regarding the training following the May 9th deadline. The registration fee is $10 and includes lunch. The program runs from 9:30 Registration Check-in to 3:00 p.m. Youth must attend the entire day to become a member of the SFI4-H statewide team.

Think of the benefits to having youth from your Unit help you with speaking to civic groups or talking to potential donors for your special program needs. The impact that the SFI4-H youth have made at the State Capitol is immeasurable - think about what they could do at your local County Board meetings when they speak about the impact 4-H has made on them, their families and their communities! We encourage you to strongly consider getting your older members involved in giving back to the 4-H program in this manner.

Registrations continue to be accepted for the 2012 Illini Summer Academies through the May23rd final deadline. Here is an update on a few items you need to be aware of!

* The Physics Department has lowered their grade requirement for the Physics Academy. They will now accept youth who have completed their SOPHOMORE year in high school (previously it was set at the Junior year). This has been changed on the ISA website information, but obviously we cannot change the brochures that have been printed and distributed. If you could update your own information and/our send out a post on your local websites, we would greatly appreciate it!

* The Electrical & Computer Engineering Academy is FULL and we are taking names for a waiting list. The Bioengineering Academy would offer another look into possible careers in the ECE area - please promote that Academy as a potential option. It currently has 7 openings left. Veterinary Medicine currently has 9 openings left.

* Requests for 4-H Scholarships must be filed by May 1; we still have 11, $50 scholarships remaining for 1st time attendees.

* We are in need of Adult Assistance at this event -- PLEASE continue to recruit chaperones (or consider attending yourself). We are trying to recruit summer college students as well, but have not had any success at this point. If you have multiple youth attending from your county/unit, we ask that you work on recruiting at least one adult to attend. As you know on the county level - events do not happen by themselves! :-) We need your assistance to help make this event happen!

Thank you for your continued support of this statewide event focusing on workforce preparation in science & technology areas for youth!

It is time to start promoting employment opportunities for the 2012 Illinois State Fair Junior Department! The REVISED State Fair Jr. Department Job Application and Job Listings have been posted on the Illinois 4-H website Fair & Exhibits page: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/fairsandexhibits.cfm. We have openings for youth ages 14-15 (limited); 16 and over (LOTS) and adults as judges, project assistants, livestock crew, superintendents, and set-up crew. Please assist us with promoting these opportunities to your members, parents, volunteers, and others who may be interested.

We have also updated the 2012 Fashion Revue Narrative Instructions; those are also posted on the Fairs & Exhibits page. Please make sure to either download the information for your members or direct them to the webpage following your Fashion Revue Contest this spring/summer. Information is due by August 1 for those counties who are not requesting late entry status. Information from counties who have late entry status is August 7.

As a reminder to all staff, entries for the General 4-H Exhibits will be due August 1 to Dan Horn (via the State Fair DMS program) UNLESS you have contacted Dan by July 15 regarding late entries. Late entries are permissible only for those counties who have late 4-H Shows (July 30 or later).

The Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team is starting to recruit older Illinois 4-H members and recent 4-H alumni to apply and interview for the 2012-2014 term. We are looking for 4-H teens who have demonstrated leadership abilities and are willing to step forward and assist with programming on the statewide level.

Information regarding the Youth Leadership Team and their activities, along with the YLT application, is available on the Youth Leadership Team page of the 4-H website: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sylt.cfm. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age by September 1, 2012 (and no older than 19 by that date) in order to apply. We will be interviewing to fill 3-8 positions on the team from teens from across the state.

Applications are due at two times during the summer, depending on when the members wants to interview. Interviews at the Illini Summer Academies require applications be sent to the State 4-H Office no later than June 15. Interviews will be conducted June 24, 25 or 26 during meal and break times. Youth do NOT need to be attending ISA in order to interview on those dates, but they will be required to come to Champaign/Urbana for the interview.

For interviews during State Fair (August 10-14), applications are due by August 1. Interviews will be held on the State Fairgrounds.

If you would like a promotional piece to give to your teens, you can run a copy of the YLT brochure at your office. It is designed to be run on the 4-H marketing 3-segment brochure paper. If you don't use this paper, you will have large blocks of "white" on your copies of the brochure.

We are excited to announce a spring Speaking for Illinois 4-H (SFI4-H) Training has been scheduled for Saturday, May 10 in Woodstock at the McHenry County Farm Bureau.

All promotional materials are available on the 4-H contacts portal under Youth & Adult Volunteer Opportunities = Speaking for Illinois 4-H. An updated promotional brochure, fact sheet, and registration link will be posted to the Illinois 4-H webpage shortly: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm.

With the uncertainty of the state budget, now is the time to recruit our older 4-H members to help us tell the 4-H story - to county board members, to state legislators, to potential donors. SFI4-H provides training to members in the basics of Postive Youth Development, BIGM, 4-H statistics, telling your 4-H story, and more to help Extension staff in getting the word out about their outstanding programs.

Check out the materials on the portal and then starting recruiting members age 14 and above for this leadership opportunity. SFI4-H members join Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team members in helping at the State Capitol for our 4-H Legislative Connection events.

Registration for the 2012 Illini Summer Academies opened today, March 1 and we already have several youth who have registered for the event.

Please check out the ISA page on the Illinois 4-H website, http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/summeracademies.cfm, and The Leaflet blog entry from February 18th for information regarding promoting the Academies and registration opportunities!! Staff members should also check out the ISA Staff Fact Sheet that is posted on the 4-H Contacts portal for staff information on the program, chaperone responsibilities, and more.

Registration is open until May 23rd or an Academy is full. We are offering an Early Bird Discount through April 15.

The Great American NO BULL Challenge is the largest campaign to combat cyberbullying in America's history: The Great American NO BULL Challenge, invites 4-H's to get involved with the annual campaign that inspires America's 25 million teens to stand up and create a video with an anti-bullying message. Check the website at: www.nobullchallenge.org.

The Great American NO BULL Challenge offers teens in 6^th – 12^th grades the opportunity to write and direct videos on the danger of cyberbullying and be a part of a national competition where the winners will be recognized as a celebrity at the star-studded NO BULL Red Carpet Awards Event in San Francisco on July 21, 2012.

If you are worried you don't know enough to get involved – everything teens need to know about making a video; what cyberbullying really is; standing up; prevention and intervention tips are available in the online NO BULL Cyberbullying 411 Toolkit. The toolkit was developed by teens FOR teens and contains everything you need to create a 3-5 minute video starring you and your friends on how you would deal with cyberbullying; upload the video; and urge your friends, family and community members to vote for your video.

Join Paige Logan, Illinois 4-H member who is one of only five teens serving on the National NO BULL Youth Advisory Council in this effort to put an end to cyberbullying! The deadline for uploading your Great American NO BULL Challenge video is March 15^th!

We are looking for 10-12 individuals to assist with 4-H Scholarship and State 4-H Key Award Judging on Saturday, March 17. Judging will take place at the State 4-H Office, beginning at approximately 9:00 a.m.

We will be scoring Legacy of Leadership Scholarship, 4-H Livestock Scholarship, and State 4-H Key Award Applications. As with any of our award selection processes, judges should not have ties to any of the applicants.

If you and/or you know of a volunteer who might be interested in assisting, please contact Deb Stocker as soon as possible, dstocker@illinois.edu. Thank you!

We are extremely excited to announce plans for the upcoming 2012 Illini Summer Academies (ISA). We have 11 Academies this year - up 3 from last year and introducing 4 NEW Academies - and have added an additional day of programming, including a 1/2 day of community service.

ISA is our summer teen "conference" that takes place on the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana campus. It is open to ALL Illinois high school teens - it is not limited to 4-H members. It will start on Sunday afternoon, June 24 and continue through Wednesday afternoon, June 27. High school teens from across the state will participate in 15-hours of college department Academies, exploring a college major and potential careers with hands-on work in labs, classrooms, and field trips. The Leadership Academy will focus on Youth and Adult Partnerships this year and encourage adult participation for one day of the 3-day Academy.

2012 ISA Academy Options include:
* Aerospace Engineering
* Agricultural & Biological Engineering
* Art & Design
* Bioengineering
* Crop Sciences
* Electrical & Computer Engineering
* Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning
* Leadership
* Molecular & Cellular Biology
* Physics
* Veterinary Medicine

Registration is scheduled to open March 1 via the ISA website page: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/summeracademies.cfm. (2012 information for ISA will be posted as soon as possible, but no later than March 1). Registration MUST be completed on-line. Academies fill on a first-come, first-served basis. Some Academies do have grade restrictions because of needed high school class requirements and the nature of their Academy topics, however most are open to teens ages 14-18, as of 9/1/2012. Some Academies do not allow repeat attendees. Early-bird fee discounts are available through April 15. Final registration will close May 23.

We also encourage Extension staff to recruit volunteer chaperones for this event or consider attending themselves to assist with the non-Academy program (with County Director approval). We need adult support during the day to help with various aspects of transportation, lunch deliveries, evening program preparations, etc. and need evening support of chaperones. More details are included in the Promotional Packet and ISA Fact Sheet that are mentioned below.

Some promotional materials are currently available on the 4-H Contacts Portal for county/unit use to promote ISA (Events = Statewide = Illini Summer Academies). Those items include:
* Promotional Postcard for ISA Program announcement (Cards are being sent to 2011 attendees.)
* Promotional Packet of Information
* ISA Fact Sheet for Staff
* Promotional Flyer
* 2012 logo and ISA logo for use in newsletters and on your websites
* 4-H Member Scholarship Application (due no later than May 1)
* 2013 ISA Committee Application
* 2013 ISA Committee Information

Additional items will be forthcoming:
* Promotional Brochure
* Newsrelease, 4-H/Extension Newsletter Article, and a Letter to 4-H Volunteers
* Promotional PowerPoint

We hope you will join us in promoting this exciting teen event to high school youth across the state. Please let me know if you have questions about the program!

We have had an unusual mid-year change in one of the Recognition for Excellence items that are ordered through 4-H DMS. We were going to change an item this fall for the 17-year old Standards of Excellence winners, but the current item (the CD/DVD case) went on backorder much sooner than expected. Since we can no longer get that item, we had to make a switch.

Now available, with the same DMS # - W90164 - is a lime-green cooler with white logo for the 17-year-old members who meet the 9 Standards of Excellence for members.

For those of you waiting for the backorders of the CD/DVD cases, the coolers will be shipped instead. Those backorders are being processed now, so you should have those items shortly.

I apologize for this mid-year switch. From previous year's inventory numbers, we should have had enough, but more orders came through than expected, so we had to move ahead with the change. We hope your members will like the new item.

Registration for The 4-H Great Debate, the popular mock legislative debate event for high school youth is now open. Click here to register.

This event is scheduled for Friday evening through Saturday afternoon, March 23-24 in Springfield. Staff can access a 4-H Great Debate Fact Sheet on the portal at: Groups/4-H Contacts/ Events/Statewide/4-H Great Debate. This event is open to 4-H members; however 4-H enrollment is open year round.

Registration fee is $85 per participant (based double occupancy) and is accepted on a first come first serve basis for the first 90 completed registrations received. There is a special rate for Parents/Drivers bringing participants to the event and includes lodging for Friday evening and lunch on Saturday. Parents and family members are welcome to observe the participants in action from the House of Representatives Gallery Saturday morning.

Remember that we are looking for 4-H members ages 14 and above to join our Speaking for Illinois 4-H "team"! Our next training is scheduled for Saturday, March 3 at the Clinton County Extension Office in Breese. (Previous blog posting was 12/8/2011.) Speaking for Illinois 4-H is designed and taught by the member of the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team. Registration closes for this program on Wednesday, February 22.

Speaking for Illinois 4-H (SFI4-H) offers Extension Units the opportunity to recruit older 4-H members for training that will assist staff with volunteer recruitment, presentations to civic groups, and reports to elected officials on the local and state level. Youth are trained in Positive Youth Development, BIG-M, reading and using local and state 4-H statistics, advanced presentation skills, and putting together their 4-H story to make the greatest impact with the intended audience. Pam Weber, Extension Partners Legislative Liaison, helps with the training - providing a great insight into educating state legislators on the impact of Extension and 4-H programming.

The following items have been posted on the 4-H Contacts Portal (Youth & Adult Volunteer Leadership Opportunities = Speaking for Illinois 4-H) to help you promote this program. This includes all the paperwork that is also needed to register for this event.
* SFI4-H Fact Sheet, Promotional Brochure, and Promotional Flyer (for the 3/1 training)
* SFI4-H Application, Agreement to Assume Risk Form and SFI4-H Media Release (to be submitted prior to attending the training)
* Link to 3/3 Training Registration Site

Or you can send members directly to the SFI4-H page on the 4-H website: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm.

Youth who have completed the SFI4-H Training will be invited to participate in the Legislative Connection dates at the State Capitol this spring. SFI4-H and Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team members who can attend any of the Legislative Connection dates will be assigned to visit specific state legislators to discuss University of Illinois Extension and 4-H programming accomplishments. Those dates have just been finalized and are scheduled for April 18-19 and May 15-16. More details will be sent to SFI4-H youth later in the spring about registration and responsibilities.

Teleconference: 1-866-628-8620 Code 185831

This webinar is part of a series provided by National 4-H Council and covers topics of 4-H science curriculum, volunteerism, fund development and evaluation. To access toolkits of related resources, a full calendar of upcoming events (and archive of past webinars) go to http://www.4-h.org/resource-library/professional-development-learning/science-training-guides-resources/

We are excited to announce the five youth delegates who will be representing Illinois at the 2012 National 4-H Conference this spring! Heading to Washington D.C. and Chevy Chase, MD from March 24-30 will be:

Aleska Barkoviak, McLean County
Brad Braddock, Marion County
Ann Clary, McLean County
Blair Phillips, McLean County
Matheu Poust, Kane County

Aleska, Brad, Ann, & Blair will be representing the Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team. Matheu was selected as a "delegate at large" to complete our 4-H membership representation.

While in Washington, D.C., the delegates will work in roundtable discussion groups focusing on national issues of importance to teens. The 2012 topics include Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention; Youth Suicide Prevention; Healthy Eating & Living; Equal Education Opportunitieis for Under-Represented Groups (Rural and Inner City); Integration of Veterans and Military Family Members into the Local Community; Using Science & Technology to Improve your Local Community; Making Education Relevant for Future Career Readiness; and Creating the Next American Scientist. After discussions, roundtable groups will provide briefings to national leaders of agencies, organizations, and industry on their findings.

Illinois delegates will also visit our federal legislators to promote the 4-H program and Extension, as well as tour several national memorials and museums. They will also participate in various workshops focusing on decision-making, issue planning, roming partnerships, event planning, or self-identity.

Once delegates return, they will spend the next year working on a statewide special project to complete their commitment to this Conference.

We are currently recruiting individuals to assist with the scoring of our State 4-H Award Applications on Saturday, January 28 in Champaign. While we primarily target volunteers and former State 4-H Award Winners, if staff have the approval of their County Director to attend, this would be a great opportunity to learn about the application and judging process that offers youth a chance to attend one of two National 4-H events.

The State 4-H Office covers mileage, lunch, and if judges live farther than 1-1/2 hours from Champaign, the hotel for the night of January 27th. (Staff would need to pay for the hotel and submit a reimbursement voucher for milage and hotel to the State 4-H Office following the event). We try to recruit 30-35 judges for the 1 day judging in January. The morning starts with orientation at 9:00 a.m.. Judges are divided up into teams to cover the eight program award areas. Judging of most areas is generally completed by early to mid-afternoon; however larger areas may take until late afternoon.

Judges cannot have any personal ties to applicants -- relatives, 4-H leaders, or providing assistance to them in preparing their applications. So please be attentive to who you recruit for these positions!

Judges need to complete a Judge's Preference form as to award areas that they are willing to cover. So while I do not need final information regarding commitment or hotel until January 17, it is exceedingly beneficial to have interested individuals contact Deb Stocker prior to that time to receive the preference form.

We are in the process of contacting past judges for their interest in helping in January.

Our second judging date covers the Legacy of Leadership Scholarships, the Illinois 4-H Livestock Scholarship, and the Illinois 4-H Key Award applications. We will be scoring those applications on Saturday, March 17 at the State 4-H Office in Champaign. For that date, we could use up to 12 judges to cover the 3 areas. Judging starts at 8:30 a.m. and generally finished by mid-afternoon. Lunch and mileage are furnished. Again, if you are interested or have an interested volunteer, please contact Deb Stocker at dstocker@illinois.edu.

The 4-H Great Debate Planning Committee has selected Friday/Saturday March 23-24 for the 2012 event. Please add the dates to your Unit calendar. Additional marketing materials will be available after the first of the year. On-line registration materials will be available mid-January and we are planning to make direct contact with 4-H members in 9-12 grade via email and social media.

For newer staff...4-H Great Debate is an opportunity for high school aged 4-H members to participate in a mock debate in the Illinois House of Representatives Chambers. Participants will select up to three bills (predetermined by the committee) that they will debate either for or against during the debate. This is an excellent opportunity for youth interested in learning more about the Illinois legislative process and hands-on experience researching a particular topic of interest. During the event participants will hear from a legislative consultant and a current member of the Illinois House of Representatives.

While the State 4-H Office is no longer coordinating international 4-H youth exchanges, we still offer inbound and outbound opportunities through the States 4-H Exchange consortium (states4Hexchange.org).

So if you have 4-H'ers who may be interested in spending part of the summer in Japan, Australia or Norway, please point them to the information at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/international.cfm That's where they'll find application forms and the 2012 brochure with further details about the available programs.

This is on the public website, so please feel free to share the URL with leaders and interested families.

There are still TWO openings for youth to apply to attend the 2012 National 4-H Conference in Washington D.C. March 24-30. The deadline has been extended to Wednesday, December 21st. If you have high school youth ages 15-18 by January 1, 2012 who would like to explore the 4-H program outside their county, represent Illinois on a national level, educate federal legislators on the 4-H program, and explore issues of interest to young people, then this trip is for them!

Information was included in the November 30th post to The Leaflet, as well as the Illinois 4-H website on the National 4-H Conference page. The Fact Sheet and Application are also posted on the website and the 4-H contacts portal. Funds are available to help youth who might find the $350 participant fee out of financial reach - please call Deb Stocker for more information.

We have four members of the Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team already attending this conference - we would love to include two more young people from Illinois!

The Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team has scheduled the next Speaking for Illinois 4-H (SFI4-H) Training for Saturday, March 3 in Breese at the Clinton County Extension Office (Unit #23). Registration is already open for this training.

SFI4-H Training is open to Illinois 4-H members ages 14-18 with the approval of their local Extension office. Extension staff are expected to work with and use the skills learned by these members to recruit new volunteers, present to civic groups, seek donors for programs, and/or provide information to local and state elected officials. Youth receive advance training in public presentations, Positive Youth Development, BIGM, using state and county statistics, how to tell their 4-H story, and speak with donors and elected officials.

The following items and links have been posted on the 4-H Contacts Portal (Youth & Adult Volunteer Leadership Opportunities = Speaking for Illinois 4-H) to help you promote this program. This includes all the paperwork that is also needed to register for this event.

SFI4-H Fact Sheet - Winter 2012

SFI4-H Promotional Brochure

SFI4-H Promotional Flyer (Updated for March Training)

SFI4-H Fact Sheet (updated for Winter 2012)

SFI4-H Application

Agreement to Assume Risk Form

FI4-H Media Release

Link to 3/3 Training Registration Site

Information has been forwarded to the webmaster and items should be updated on the SFI4-H page on the 4-H website shortly: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm.

Youth who have completed the SFI4-H Training will be invited to participate in the Legislative Connection dates at the State Capitol this spring. SFI4-H and Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team members who can attend any of the Legislative Connection dates will be assigned to visit specific state legislators to discuss University of Illinois Extension and 4-H programming accomplishments. Those dates have just been finalized and are scheduled for April 18-19 and May 15-16. More details will be sent to SFI4-H youth later in the spring about registration and responsibilities.

Registration for the 2012 Citizenship Washington Focus trip to Washington, D.C. is slated to close December 15. At that time we will be deciding whether we will travel by ourselves, join up with another state, or cancel the 2012 trip.

CWF offers Illinois teens ages 14-18 (by May 1, 2012) a chance to explore our nation's capitol city, visit with federal legislators, meet youth from across the state and across the country, and learn about the federal legislative process. They debate current issues that are in front of Congress and learn how bills are designed, discussed, and passed or vetoed. Tours of many historical sites and federal memorials are included in the CWF program, lead by CWF Program Assistants who are trained as official Washington, D.C. tour guides. Delegates stay at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, MD; only a few miles from the Capitol area.

Information and a promotional brochure are available on the 4-H website CWF page.

We are working to secure funding for all delegates to help decrease the $1,120 registration fee; however that commitment will not be confirmed until 2012.

Counties that provide scholarships to 4-H members to attend this trip should make sure that those members complete the on-line registration form by the December 15th deadline. The $375 deposit is also due within a week of the registration deadline. (All funds will be returned if the trip is cancelled.)

We would like to announce that slight revisions have been made to the Illinois 4-H Legacy of Leadership and Illinois 4-H Livestock Scholarship Applications. Both applications are due, postmarked by March 1, to the State 4-H Office.

If you are providing information to 4-H members who are high school seniors or college freshman, PLEASE make sure that they have the 11/2011 revised copy of the applications. These are posted on the portal (Awards, Scholarships & Recognition = Scholarship Applications) and are posted on the Scholarship page of the 4-H website. All applicants MUST be currently enrolled 4-H members in order to apply for these scholarships.

The primary revision to the Legacy of Leadership Scholarship application is the notation of the change of address for the State 4-H Office. We cannot guarantee that applications sent to the old address will reach us in time for judging, so it is imperative that the new address be used.

The revisions to the Livestock Scholarship application also include the change of address. However, the criteria for this scholarship has been changed and worded for more clarification: Applicants must have been enrolled in a Livestock Project a minimum of 3 years during their involvement in the 4-H program; must be pursuing a college degree related to the agriculture industry; AND plan to be actively involved in the agriculture industry after graduation (such as farming, teaching, large animal veterinarian, etc.)

Both applications now include a type-in .pdf format for the 1st and 2nd pages of the application. The remaining portion of the application includes open-ended questions as in the previous applications and members can format the pages as they wish.

If you have any questions related to the Scholarship Applications, please contact me at dstocker@illinois.edu.

State 4-H Award Applications are due to the State 4-H Office in January and must be postmarked by Wednesday, January 4 to be accepted. This includes applications for the 4-H LCP Award, sponsored by the Illinois Farm Bureau. The Illinois 4-H Award Applications are being submitted for selection to National 4-H Congress and National 4-H Dairy Conference. The 4-H LCP Applications are being submitted for selection to the IFB Premier 20 Leadership Conference and Illinois 4-H LCP (Leadership, Citizenship, & Professionalism) Award.

The Transmittal for these awards has been posted to the 4-H Contacts portal: Awards, Scholarships & Recognition.

New staff will want to review the 4-H Award Procedures and Policies in the Recognition for Excellence Illinois 4-H Awards Program Guide for Units that was sent to all county offices in early August. Depending upon your county award procedures, nominees for State 4-H Awards may already have been selected from your county/unit. Those youth have from now until the January 4th deadline (or earlier if you so choose) to update and revise their award applications before submitting them to the state process.

If you have questions on how to help your members complete these forms, please contact me and I will be glad to walk you through the process so that they can prepare the applications to their best advantage.

I am also seeking volunteers to help with the State 4-H Award Selection process on Saturday, January 28 in Champaign. Judges cannot have ANY personal ties to ANY of the applicants submitted....this includes parents, siblings, grandparents, 4-H leaders, and/or Extension staff who have helped members with their applications. Extension staff may assist if they have the permission of their county director. We will furnish hotel rooms for judges who are traveling more than 1-1/2 hours from Champaign. (Extension staff will need to initially pay for their room, then we will provide reimbursement.) I will be contacting past judges in early December about this process, but if you are interested (or have volunteers interested), please let me know.

We are looking for two additional Illinois 4-H Youth who would be interested in attending the 2012 National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C. in March. Members must be 15-18 years of age by January 1, 2012 and willing to fulfill a year-long commitment to a special project following the 2012 Conference. The Illinois delegation for this event should represent all aspects of the Illinois 4-H program, so we are especially looking for 4-H representatives from the northern 1/3 of Illinois. (The other 4 youth representatives for this event are members of the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team.)

National 4-H Conference is a working conference that involves young people discussing various youth-related issues with teens from around the country and preparing an action plan for 4-H members on the local, state, and national level. Action plan briefs are then presented to various agencies, legislators, and/or national organizations as part of the Conference experience. The 2011 issues revolved around topics such as bullying, distracted driving, retention of older 4-H members, obesity, hanger, science & technology, and social media. Delegates will also spend time in workshops, visiting federal legislators and sharing ideas with other teens.

Our Illinois travel dates for this conference are Saturday, March 24 through Friday, March 30. Delegate costs for the trip include a $350 participant fee (of which $150 is returned following their one-year commitment), a few meals, transportation in Washington D.C., and their own incidentials. The State 4-H Office and Illinois 4-H Foundation pick up the delegate registration costs (approximately $800), airline ticket, most meals, and room at the National 4-H Center. Some financial assistance may be available to help cover part of the participant fee (contact Deb Stocker for more information).

The 2012 Conference Fact Sheet and Application are posted on the 4-H Contacts portal, Events/Statewide/National 4-H Conference: 2012 National 4-H Conference Fact Sheet & Application. Applications are due December 12; the deadline may be extended if enough applications are not received.