2023 Ohio 4-H State Achievement Award results are in!

The Ohio 4-H Achievement Award results are in! THREE Fairfield County 4-Hers will have the honor to be invited to attend National 4-H Congress this fall as a State Winner in their project area. Additionally ONE Fairfield County 4-Her will attend the National 4-H Dairy Conference this fall. Congrats to all!
Do you want to know more about these awards and opportunities? Reach out to us for more info! The opportunities in 4-H are incredible! 🍀

Teen Opportunity: Take the Leap Career Readiness Day – April 1st

Excited to share with you that several teen leaders have been busy planning and we will again be hosting “Take the Leap: Career Readiness Day” on Saturday, April 1, 2023 (9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center! This event is open to any 4-H member – ages 13 to 18!  Event cost is $10. Several Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council members have been planning this event and are excited to facilitate this opportunity for their peers.

This day is jam-packed full of opportunities for participants with some highlights listed here:

  • Learn about 4-H opportunities at the state level
  • Rotate through career preparation workshops covering topics such as resume writing, interview skills, goal setting, and more
  • Network with peers who are also interested in preparing for their future

Flyer: Take the Leap Flyer 2023

Participants can register at go.osu.edu/taketheleap. Registration is due by March 15. Please share with your teens and community!

Please feel free to reach out to Frances (foos.61@osu.edu) or me (longo.79@osu.edu) if you have any questions.

Ohio 4-H Achievement Award Forms (ages 14-18) due 1/13/2023

Ohio 4-H Achievement Form (2023 Form- Word document- Please download to complete) 

2023 Achievement Form Instructions – PLEASE READ! For youth 14-18 as of January 1, 2023 interested in applying for state & county achievement/merit awards (Beef, Clothing, Leadership, etc.), county trips (Sea Camp, Leadership Camp, etc.), State Junior Fair Board, National Dairy Conference, Ohio Township Award, etc. Please use the current version of the form and please use Microsoft Word to edit. Do not open in Google Docs!

Paper copies of your Ohio 4-H Achievement Form are due to the Extension Office by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 13th, 2023.

The Ohio 4-H Achievement Form: Your GATEWAY to National 4-H Congress, Ohio State Junior Fair Board, National Dairy Conference, County Merit Awards, and County Trip Scholarships!

Fairfield County teens have an outstanding legacy with successful Ohio 4-H Achievement Forms. In fact, we had 6 state winners in 2022 alone! Join this group of outstanding teens by completing the Ohio 4-H Achievement Form which opens the door to so many opportunities including:

  • State Achievement Awards – winners attend National 4-H Congress on an expense paid trip each year!
  • National Dairy Conference Trip Winner
  • State Junior Fair Board
  • Ohio Township Association Local Government Award
  • County Merit Awards
  • County Trip Awards
  • County 4-H Scholarships

The 2023 Ohio 4-H Achievement Form is available now (see direct links below). Older youth applications and forms are due to the Extension Office by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 13th, 2023.

  • Ohio 4-H Achievement Form (2023 Form- Word document- Please download to complete) 2023 Achievement Form Instructions – PLEASE READ! For youth 14-18 as of January 1, 2023 interested in applying for state & county achievement/merit awards (Beef, Clothing, Leadership, etc.), county trips (Sea Camp, Leadership Camp, etc.), State Junior Fair Board, National Dairy Conference, Ohio Township Award, etc. Please use the current version of the form!

4-H Older Youth Opportunities – Applications are open!

Do you want to be a camp counselor? Junior Fair Board Member? Junior Leader? Outstanding 4-H’er?  Scholarship or Award Trip winner? Do you find yourself asking “How do I get to do that?” We suspect that as you have gotten older you have started to look for new and exciting things where you can be involved. Read on… 4-H has special opportunities for teens only where YOU can play a part!

The purpose of this email today is to inform you of the many exciting opportunities that await you as a teenager in the Fairfield County 4-H Program. The opportunities in awards, trips, scholarships and more available to teens in the 4-H program are incredible. Do not miss out on learning more and getting involved! Most of these opportunities are open to 4-H members ages 14 and up as of January 1st. Some of these activities require completion of special forms, such as applications or the Ohio 4-H Achievement Record, while others just involve asking for more information. Regardless of what you are interested in, be sure to call if you need more information or would like some help with the necessary forms. The deadline for the Ohio Achievement form and all applications is Friday, January 13th, 2023, so complete this survey soon so that you can get started.

To receive specific information about these opportunities, please select the link below:

2023 Older Youth Opportunities or copy and paste the URL: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1NVKQwp7hucroVw. Once you complete the survey, you will receive additional information by email regarding your areas of interest.

We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any question or need assistance with any applications or forms, feel free to call or email Leslie (740-277-4625) at cooksey.25@osu.edu or Aubry (740-277-4626) at fowler.443@osu.edu.

We encourage you all to broaden your 4-H experience and try something new. We think you will find many new friends and much more fun ahead!

Save the Date: December 8th for our Achievement Form Workshops

Be recognized for all you do in 4-H! It all begins with keeping great records of your 4-H accomplishments! Save the date of December 8th for upcoming workshops! Details are in the flyer posted below.

Younger 4-H youth (ages 9-13 as of 1/1/2023) are encouraged to start completing your Junior Achievement Form. Junior Achievement Awards will be awarded in April 2023!

Older 4-H youth (ages 14-18 as of 1/1/2023) are encouraged to explore the many teen opportunities available to them when they complete the Ohio 4-H Achievement Form including: County Merit Awards, College Scholarships, County Trip Awards, Outstanding 4-Her Award, State Achievement Awards – and perhaps earning a trip to National 4-H Congress! County Merit Awards, Scholarships, and Trip Awards will be awarded in April 2023!

4-H Teen Opportunities, Award Forms, and Recognition (youth ages 13-18 as of 1/1/2023)

Attention Teens! Do you want to be a camp counselor? Junior Fair Board Member? Junior Leader? Outstanding 4-Her? Scholarship or Trip Award winner? Do you find yourself asking “How do I get to do that?” We suspect that as you have gotten older you have started to look for new and exciting things where you can be involved. Read on… 4-H has special opportunities for teens only where YOU can play a part!

There are many exciting opportunities that await you as a teenager in the Fairfield County 4-H Program. Soon, 4-H members who will be ages 13-18 as of 1/1/2023 will receive a survey link emailed to them. This survey is an invitation for you to let us know what you are interested in learning more about. Read all about these opportunities, mark which ones you are interested in and we will follow up with making sure you have the correct forms, applications, and information to proceed to the next steps!

The opportunities in awards, trips, scholarships and more available to teens in the 4-H program are incredible. Don’t miss out on learning more and getting involved! Most of these opportunities are open to 4-H members ages 14 and up as of January 1st. There are also a few opportunities for youth ages 13 as of January 1st. Some of these activities require completion of special forms while others just involve asking for more information. Regardless of what you are interested in, be sure to give us a call if you need more information or would like some help with the necessary forms.

If members and parents would like a little extra assistance in preparing their records, feel free to call or email Leslie (740-277-4625) at cooksey.25@osu.edu or Aubry (740-277-4626) at fowler.443@osu.edu.

We encourage you all to broaden your 4-H experience and try something new. We think you’ll find many new friends and much more fun ahead!

Additionally, we invite youth who will be ages 13-18 as of 1/1/2023 to attend the Achievement Form Workshop on Thursday, December 8th from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Extension Office / Ag Center.

Virtual Ohio 4-H Achievement Form Workshop: October 2nd

This fall, the Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council will be hosting a virtual Achievement Form Workshop for 4-H members statewide!

  • October 2, 2022 (6:30-8:00 p.m. on Zoom): An informational session will be held, providing a basic overview of the Achievement Form, giving introductory tips for completion, and sharing about potential opportunities available to members who complete and submit their forms.
    • Must register at https://go.osu.edu/AchForm2022 by September 30 to receive Zoom information for the workshop.
    • This session will be recorded for those who cannot attend in live-time.

More information can also be found at go.osu.edu/TLC. Please feel free to share this information with your families!

Cece Woods receives State 4-H Award

The 2022 Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards were presented in June at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus. Local 4-H member Cece Woods received the Food and Nutrition Achievement Award.

Cece Woods, 16, is the daughter of Luke and Patty Woods. She has been in 4-H for nine years and is active in food and nutrition, clothing and fashion, and market rabbit projects. She is a junior at Bishop Hartley High School. She plans to attend college studying biology and business administration.

Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards are presented annually to individuals for outstanding work in their project area. Twenty-nine youth received 2022 honors. The evening was hosted by the Ohio 4-H Foundation.

Ohio 4-H is the youth development program of Ohio State University Extension, with more than 84,000 young Ohioans participating in 4-H clubs, groups and special interest programs.

Photo by Jay LaPrete

Alison Sponseller receives State 4-H Award

The 2022 Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards were presented in June at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus. Local 4-H member Alison Sponseller received the Rabbits Achievement Award.

Alison Sponseller, 16, has been in 4-H for 9 years and is active in rabbit and sewing projects. She is the daughter of Melissa and Andy Sponseller from Baltimore ,Ohio. She is currently a junior at Liberty Union High School and plans to attend college.

Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards are presented annually to individuals for outstanding work in their project area. Twenty-nine youth received 2022 honors. The evening was hosted by the Ohio 4-H Foundation.

Ohio 4-H is the youth development program of Ohio State University Extension, with more than 84,000 young Ohioans participating in 4-H clubs, groups and special interest programs.

Photo by Jay LaPrete