Leadership

Apply Now to be a Camp Counselor!

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2025 Camp Counselor Application is now posted as an online application for youth interested in serving as a new or returning Camp Counselor (must be 14 & older to be a counselor by June 1st). Please review the Training Schedule 2025 before applying as there are important changes to be aware of this year!

As you complete the online application, you will be asked to upload the following completed forms:

    1. Standards of Behavior form
    2. Ohio 4-H Camp Cell Phone Policy and Tar Hollow Electronics Policy/Camp Counselor Code of Conduct form
    3. Counselor Permission to Participate.

If you are not able to scan and upload these documents, please submit them to the Fairfield County Extension Office by mail or you can put them in the drop box located on the east side of the building. Our address is 831 College Avenue, Suite D, Lancaster, OH 43130. All documents need to be turned in by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 10, 2025.

Remember that 2025 camp dates are as follows:

  • Day Camp- June 3-5, 2025; Staff ‘move in’ June 2, 2025- Alley Park
  • Cloverbud Camp- June 7, 2025; Staff ‘move in’ June 6, 2025- Alley Park
  • Junior Camp- June 29-July 2, 2025; Staff ‘move in’ June 28, 2025- Tar Hollow State Park
  • Senior Camp- July 6-9, 2025; Staff ‘move in’ July 5, 2025- Tar Hollow State Park

Selection Day Information:

If you are a 1st or 2nd year counselor, selection day details will be sent to you. Save the date: Saturday, January 18, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

    1. If you are a 3rd year and up counselor, you will receive details about a returner interview and helping with selection day.
    2. If you are unsure if you need to attend selection day, please reach out to Aubry (Fowler.443@osu.edu)

If you have any questions, please contact Aubry (Fowler.443@osu.edu)!

4-H Teen Opportunities, Award Forms, and Recognition (youth ages 13-18 as of 1/1/2025)

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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 1/1/2025 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 1/1/2025 to attend the Achievement Form Workshop on Tuesday, December 3rd from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Extension Office / Ag Center.

Teen Opportunity: Junior Fair Board Applications – due 1/10/2025 (online)

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2025 Junior Fair Board Application (online application) For 4-H and FFA youth interested in serving on the Fairfield County Junior Fair Board.  Membership is open to youth between the ages of 14 and 18 years old. New members must be 14 years old by October 1st of the current year to serve. Applications are due Friday, January 10th, 2025.

Save the Date: December 3rd for our Achievement Form Workshops

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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 3rd for upcoming workshops! Details are in the flyer posted below.

Younger 4-H youth (ages 9-13 as of 1/1/2025) are encouraged to start completing your Junior Achievement Form. Junior Achievement Awards will be awarded in April 2025!

  • Please note that the Junior Achievement Form will be updated for 2025. Please be sure to use the new form.

Older 4-H youth (ages 14-18 as of 1/1/2025) 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 2025!

Teen and Young Alumni Opportunity: Ohio 4-H Foundation Board

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The Ohio 4-H Foundation Board is seeking applicants for both a 4-H teen and a young alumni position that would begin January 1. We will be accepting applications through December 1.

Young alumni: Applicants should be alumni of Ohio 4-H between the ages of 21 and 30. This is a three-year term running from Jan. 1, 2025 – Dec. 31, 2027.

Teen members: Applicants should be current 4-H members between the ages of 14 and 18 as of Jan. 1, 2025. This is a two-year term running from Jan. 1, 2025 – Dec. 31, 2026.

For more information and including the application, please go to our website: https://ohio4h.org/foundation/about-ohio-4-h-foundation/foundation-board

Coming October 30: Meet the Authors of Mentoring: Leadership in Action!

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Are you a 4-H member looking to lead, or do you know one who is? If so, register for National 4-H’s Meet the Authors Webinar on October 30! Authors Gwen Soule and Lisa Brenner will showcase the Ohio 4-H project, Mentoring: Leadership in Action. In this project, youth can refine their skills as a mentor and be the one a younger member looks up to for reassurance and guidance. This project is for youth 13 or older with at least two years of 4-H experience.

Register for the webinar and mark your calendar today!

Teen Opportunity: Ignite by 4-H National Summit

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Ignite by 4-H is a national summit designed to bring high school youth (between 13-18) together from across the country and give them the opportunity to explore the best 4-H has to offer in different tracks including STEM, Agriscience, and Healthy Living. A hallmark of Ignite is the Lead to Change campaign which empowers youth to be Agents of Change where you (as a delegation) will create and present a proposal to address issues within your community. The best proposals are then awarded funding for implementation. In 2025, Ignite by 4-H returns for youth to attend in-person in Washington D. C. during March 12-16, 2025.

Who: High School Aged Teens (13-18) interested in Agriscience, Healthy Living or STEM

Where: Washington, DC (Marriott Marquis – 901 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC)

When: Wednesday, March 12th – Sunday, March 16th

Application: Apply online at go.osu.edu/4Hignite by November 1 at 11:59pm

Cost: Selected delegates will have summit registration and travel expenses covered

2025 National Ignite by 4-H Summit

Ignite by 4-H National Summit

Wednesday, March 12th – Sunday, March 16th in Washington D.C

 

 

Teen Opportunity: Applications are now open for Ohio 4-H Delegates to the 2025 National 4-H Conference!

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Any 4-H member in Ohio ages *14-18 is able to apply by completing the Qualtrics survey linked below in this email.

Basic Information:

  • National 4-H Conference is specifically focused on civic engagement, civic education, and personal development. Delegates arrive ready to connect, learn, engage, lead, and impact their communities, their nation, and their world. In 2024, National 4-H Conference returns for youth delegates to attend in-person in Washington, D.C., April 10-16, 2025 (Ohio delegates arrive a day early on April 10. Conference begins April 11).
  • Interested Ohio 4-H members must complete an application via Qualtrics (linked at bottom) by December 1 at 11:59 p.m. *Applicants must be 15-18 as of January 1, 2025, and currently enrolled as an Ohio 4-H member in 2025.
  • After an application is received, the State 4-H Office will request a referral from county 4-H professional for the respective candidate.
  • A selection board of advisors, 4-H educators, and past attendees will review applications and conduct interviews, as needed.
  • Those selected will be expected to fully engage in all pre-conference and conference activities and adhere to all National 4-H guidelines, complete all required work as a result of conference participation, and share knowledge gained with Ohio 4-H upon their return.
  • More information about the opportunity can be found on the website: https://go.osu.edu/N4HC

See the attached document for the example application, and then be sure to have interested members submit an application via Qualtrics: https://go.osu.edu/N4HCapp

2025 National 4-H Conference Delegate Application Questions

Teen Opportunity: Ohio 4-H Global Immersion Project – Greece – March 12-23, 2025

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Participant Selection:  Ohio 4-H Professionals can nominate youth from their county to complete the short video application.  Final selection will be based on geographic characteristics and the below criteria:

  • Have an interest in pursuing a career in agriculture.
  • Can embrace unique and different cultures beyond their local communities.
  • Willing to share their experiences through presentations, newsletters, etc. at the local and state level.
  • A good representation of the local 4-H program.

Please contact Leslie Cooksey if you are interested in being nominated by your county 4-H Educator to apply for this experience. Teens must be nominated by their county 4-H Educator by October 1st.

What is it?

Ohio 4-H Global Immersion Project – Greece | March 12-23, 2025

Who: Ohio 4-H Teens 15-18 (Teens are nominated by Ohio 4-H Professionals)

Where: American Farm School (https://www.afs.edu.gr/) – Thessaloniki, Greece.  It was established in 1904, is renowned for its innovative approach to agricultural education. https://www.afs.edu.gr/afs-at-a-glance/

What: Participants will engage in a variety of educational classroom and field activities, including sensory analysis workshops with products such as feta cheese, honey, and olive oil.   They will tour the school’s state-of-the-art facilities, including its experimental farms and research centers. Teens will be part of a “Work Internship” with AFS high school students working in cohorts focused on different program units that include:  Animal and Plant Production, Food Science & Technology, and more.  Youth will also participate in a cross-cultural and agricultural career field exploration program designed to help youth learn about careers in agriculture, cross-cultural interactions, workforce preparation and leadership skills.

In addition, youth will help facilitate teambuilding and problem-solving activities through a Leadership Workshop with Greek high school and Jr. high students.  By engaging with these students, the teen leaders will expand their leadership skill development and gain insights into teaching an international audience.

Two off-site cultural experiences include hiking in the Enipea Canyon near Mount Olympus and a visit to UNESCO World Heritage site Meteora, which features monasteries built in the 11th century atop of limestone pillars.  A Greek cooking class, city history tour, and local farmers market activity are included.

Cost: To be determined – based on Grants received (Estimate- $2,000 – $3,000 –  includes airfare, all lodging, most meals, ground transportation, translation services, park entrance and program fees.)

Ohio 4-H Launches CareerNext Online Course, Empowering Youth for Success in Tomorrow’s Workforce

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Ohio 4-H proudly announces the debut of CareerNext: Are You Ready?, an innovative online course designed to equip young individuals with the skills and confidence needed to excel in the dynamic landscape of tomorrow’s workforce.

As the career landscape evolves rapidly, Ohio 4-H recognizes the importance of preparing youth for forthcoming challenges and opportunities. CareerNext stands as a comprehensive program integrating practical knowledge, interactive modules, and real-world scenarios to empower participants to explore various career paths, hone critical skills, and make informed decisions about their future.

Key features of the online course include interactive learning modules covering resume building, interview techniques, post-secondary education, and financial literacy. Participants also benefit from expert guidance, flexible learning options, hands-on activities, and resources for career exploration.

For more information about CareerNext: Are You Ready?, visit http://go.osu.edu/careernext.