Pottawatomie County 4-H’er Grace Hobbs has a big heart and she’s hoping to make a difference to nursing home residents across the state this Valentine’s Day – and she’s hoping Oklahoma 4-H’ers will want to help.

Hobbs, a member of the North Rock Creek 4-H Club, began creating Valentine’s cards for local nursing homes in Shawnee two years ago. The first year she took cards to nine nursing homes and the project grew to 16 nursing homes the next year. In 2024, Hobbs would love to see nursing home residents in all 77 counties get Valentine cards, and she’s offering free card kits to help make this project as big as possible.

The Oklahoma County 4-H Public Speaking Contest is conducted to promote a greater interest in public speaking and allow all 4-H members to develop and polish their public speaking skills.

DATE OF THE CONTEST:

The contest will be held on January 20, 2024, at the Oklahoma County OSU Extension Conference Building. 

ENTRY INFORMATION:

All entries must be received by the 4-H Educators no later than January 11, 2024. Participants must use the Oklahoma 4-H Public Speaking Entry Form online, linked below.

Please complete an entry form for each type of presentation you will be giving. Please identify the respective grade category, presentation type, subject category, and presentation title on each form. Members must be in “Active” status in the 4h.zsuite.org system. The Oklahoma State 4-H Membership Guidelines will be utilized to determine membership, grade categories, and general rules. 4-H members do not have to qualify at a local contest to participate. 

Program Overview: The Outdoor Adventure Program is designed to immerse our youth in natural settings, fostering healthy habits and providing valuable outdoor education. Recognizing the diverse skill levels within our community, this program accommodates differences by allowing participants to progressively build stamina through a series of tiered challenges. All youth are encouraged to participate, and see if this program is right for them. 

Program Structure: Each tier comprises a set of challenges that vary in difficulty, encouraging participants to push their limits and develop outdoor skills. To add an element of achievement and motivation, a reward is granted upon the successful completion of each tier. This gear is carefully chosen to equip participants for more demanding outdoor experiences.

Timeline and Challenges: To ensure a sense of accomplishment and maintain engagement, all challenges within a tier must be completed within the timeframe of a single 4-H year. In other words, all challenges for your current tier level must be achieved by July 31, 2024. Failure to do so will require participants to restart at the same tier level for the subsequent program year. To track the progression of the challenges, we are going to set up a group chat using the band app for participants to upload their progress. To verify hiking miles, 4-H’ers will need to have two things: a screenshot of an app used to track hiking miles (i.e. Strava, Alltrails, Hiking Project, etc), and at least one photo from their hike. 

Getting Started: We encourage you to share this exciting opportunity with your 4-H members and gauge their interest in joining the Outdoor Adventure Program. Leaders, your support and encouragement will play a pivotal role in making this program a success. Weather permitting, our second event is going to be a family friendly hike at Mt. Scott on Saturday, February 3rd. We will be sending out a signup for “trail angels” to come out that morning and prepare a light breakfast/refreshments for the group as we finish up the hike. Again, all ages are welcome to come, but all children must be accompanied by an adult.

RSVP: Again, all current 4-H members are welcomed and encouraged to sign up for this program. While we hope they continue on there is no penalty for dropping out of the program. So there is absolutely no harm in them signing up even if they are unsure if it’s really for them. To sign up, use the following form:

• Enrollment is a yearly requirement to participate in all 4-H activities and competitions.

• The cost is $20 per child.

• If your child plans to participate in any event or contest, they must have an "Active" status on ZSuite.

• Volunteers are also required to enroll yearly.

• Enrollment runs from August 1st- June 30th.

Oklahoma State University, as an equal opportunity employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Oklahoma State University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all individuals and does not discriminate based on race, religion, age, sex, color, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or veteran status with regard to employment, educational programs and activities, and/or admissions. For more information, visit https://eeo.okstate.edu.