Teen Opportunities

Teen Opportunity: Carving New Ideas (CNI) Camp

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Each year, Collegiate 4-H at The Ohio State University organizes a weekend workshop called Carving New Ideas (CNI). It will be held at 4-H Camp Ohio, November 21-23, 2025, and is open to all teen 4-H members across the state. Please consider sharing this opportunity in your newsletters and on social media. It’s a fun weekend for teens to get to interact with college students who serve as the organizers, camp counselors, and session facilitators. This opportunity focuses on workforce development, future-forward thinking, and program facilitation for 4-H members in grades 8-12. Campers develop their leadership skills while making new friends from across Ohio. (Franklin County staff and volunteers provide the administrative details, risk management, nursing services, and food preparation for the weekend.)

Fairfield County youth who received CNI Trip Award this spring should register but NOT PAY as Leslie will be taking care of your sponsorship and registration payment.

 

Congrats to these 9 Fairfield County 4-H members selected for Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council!

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Congrats to the following Fairfield County 4-H members who were selected for the 2025-2026 Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council:

Samantha Bader Fairfield Officer – VP of Outreach
Cora Bell Fairfield Member
Evelyn Hill Fairfield Officer – President
Brin-Leigh Hoisington Fairfield Member
Macy Lybarger Fairfield Member
Makenna Lybarger Fairfield Member
Madison Menke Fairfield Chair – Animal Science
Sophia Preston Fairfield Member
Kendall Wild Fairfield Member

Scholarship Opportunity: Ohio Pork Council – due 1/9/2026

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OPC Scholarship Applications for the 2026/2027 school year are due Friday, January 9, 2026. Previous OPC scholarship recipients are eligible to re-apply during their college career. Please note that scholarship applicants must be an OPC member, or the child of an OPC member, to be considered. Sign up to become a member at ohiopork.org/become-a-member.

  1. Ohio Pork Council Scholarship awarded annually in amounts ranging from $500 to $1,000.  All applicants must meet the eligible requirements outlined in the OPC Scholarship Criteria.
  2. OPC Women Scholarship awarded annually for the amount of $500. All applicants must meet the eligible requirements outlined in the OPC Women Scholarship Criteria.
  3. Dick Isler Scholarship awarded one scholarship annually for the amount of $2,000. All applicants must meet the eligible requirements outlined in the Dick Isler Scholarship Criteria.

Apply Here: Scholarship Application

 

Tony Forshey Memorial Scholarship – The Ohio Pork Council in conjunction with the Forshey family is offering the Tony Forshey Memorial Scholarship, in honor of Dr. Tony Forshey, Ohio Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian, and dedicated swine practitioner, who passed away in 2021. This memorial scholarship is designed to assist the next generation of veterinarians, devoted to food production animals. All applicants must meet the eligible requirements outlined in the application. Completed applications are due no later than January 9, 2026. Apply Here: Tony Forshey Scholarship Application

2026 Ohio 4-H Global Immersion Project – Greece (April 19-30) – 4-H Teen Nomination Information

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Ohio 4-H Global Immersion Project – Greece | April 19-30, 2026

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 an overnight experience in the historical town of Xanthi.  Youth will have the opportunity Kayak and experience the beautiful landscape.   There will also be 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- $3,000 – includes airfare, all lodging, most meals, ground transportation, translation services, park entrance and program fees.)

Participant Selection:  After receiving a nomination from their County 4-H Professional, youth will be emailed an application and complete a short online Qualtrics application that includes the submission of a short video due by October 24.  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.

Deadline for 4-H Teen Nomination by 4-H Professional:    October 1, 2025     

Informational Flyer: 2026 GIP Flyer

4-H Booth Information and Setup

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The 4-H theme for 2025 is “Reaching for the Stars, Exploring the Unexpected in 4-H”  Clubs should decorate their booth using this theme. Please note, no straw, sand, mulch, feathers, etc. is permitted in the displays. To view a booth score rubric, see the Advisors Resources on our website!

  • The club booths will be in the 4-H Display Barn (south side of the track). All booth related questions should be directed toward Haley at black.768@osu.edu.
  • If your club did not request a booth, there will be a special area in the 4-H Display Barn for your member’s projects to be displayed. A reminder that for a member to receive a premium for their project, it MUST BE DISPLAYED the entire week of the fair!
  • 4-H Display Setup is Friday October 3rd from 2:00 – 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 4th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (NO SUNDAY SETUP!).
  • 4-H Display Tear Down is Sunday, October 12th, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. No booths or projects may be removed prior to this time!
  • We are in need of volunteers to help oversee the safety of exhibits of 4-H Displays. Please sign up here and share this link.
  • A reminder when creating your club booths – if you are including pictures of your members, please make sure that the photo release was checked and electronically signed via 4-HOnline by the parent of your members. No photos of members who did not accept the photo release should be displayed. If you need to see who did not agree to a photo release, please contact the Extension Office.

Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarships – due 10/31/2025

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Several college scholarships are available to industry youth through the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation. High school seniors or college students pursuing degrees in beef or agricultural related fields are encouraged to apply.  Applicants are only eligible to receive one scholarship per calendar year and should apply by Oct. 31. Scholarships will be awarded at the OCA Annual Meeting on Jan. 24.

Learn more and apply here.

Virtual Ohio 4-H Achievement Form Workshop: October 12th

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Save the Date! The Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council is hosting a virtual informational session about the Achievement Record on Sunday, October 12th at 6:30pm. See attached flyer for information and how to register – please share with your families, or attend yourself! It will be recorded and there is an option to RSVP to receive the recording. RSVP at https://go.osu.edu/achform25.

Additionally, we will be hosting an in-person 4-H Achievement Workshop in December – more details to come AFTER the fair!

Save the Date(s) – 2026 Camp Dates!

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Start planning for Summer 2026, Fairfield County 4-H will have FOUR summer camp options for youth. Youth will sign up for camp based on the grade of school instead of age. This will be the camper’s grade as of May 1, 2026. We hope you are as excited as we are, so save the date and join us at Alley Park or Tar Hollow next summer!

Campers can attend both Day and Tar Hollow if they are interested, camperships will only be given on one camp (the highest value). If you have questions about this program, please contact our office at 740-653-5419.

**Please note, Camp Counselors who are still eligible to attend Senior Camp as a camper will not be slated to counsel at this camp. The Fairfield County 4-H Camp Staff are adding special things to Senior Camp that only our oldest campers will get to experience like multi-county camping, paint wars, outdoor cooking, kayaking, and more!**

Teen Opportunity: Ignite by 4-H National Summit – apply by September 19th!

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Ohio will be returning to Ignite by 4-H National Summit for 2026 and we are looking to take roughly 15-20 teens who are interested in Agriscience, Animal Science, Community Accelerators, Healthy Living or STEM. Please share this information with teens who might be interested and might benefit from this experience. Online application is due by September 19 at go.osu.edu/4hignite.

Ignite by 4-H National Summit

Wednesday, March 25h – Sunday, March 29th in Washington D.C

Ignite by 4-H is a national summit designed to bring high school youth (between 14-18) together from across the country and give them the opportunity to explore the best 4-H has to offer in different tracks including Agriscience, Animal Science, Community Accelerators, Healthy Living and STEM. 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 2026, Ignite by 4-H returns for youth to attend in-person in Washington D. C. during March 25-29, 2026. For more information, please visit go.osu.edu/4hIgniteOhio

Who: High School Aged Teens (14-18) interested in Agriscience, Animal Science, Community Accelerators, Healthy Living and STEM

Where: Washington, DC (Washington Hilton – 1919 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC)

When: Wednesday, March 25th – Sunday, March 26th

Application: Apply online at go.osu.edu/4Hignite by September 19th at 8:59pm

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

Scholarship Opportunity: Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association (Deadline 1/15/2026)

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The Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association scholarship application portal is now open and youth can find more details and apply on-line at: go.osu.edu/FCCAscholar.

Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association

College Scholarship Application
Deadline: January 15, 2026
Information and Requirements
  • At least one $750 college scholarship will be awarded
  • High School Seniors and Undergraduate College Students attending both 2 and 4 year programs are eligible to apply. College schedule or other proof of college enrollment must be provided before scholarship is awarded.
  • Applicant or his/her parent/guardian must be a ‘Lifetime’ member of the Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association at the time of application submission.
  • Applicant must have completed and exhibited a market beef, beef feeder, and/or beef breeding project for at least four years at an Ohio County and/or State Fair, either through 4-H and/or FFA.
  • Applicant must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA. Include HS and College transcript/advising report. You will have the opportunity to upload these at the end of the application.
  • Applicants are eligible to receive a total of four (4) FCCA Scholarships in a lifetime.
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