(Originally appeared on: https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/04/23/usda-launches-ace-waste-food-waste-contest-students)

Press Release

USDA Launches Ace the Waste! Food Waste Contest for Students

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2019 – Food waste is a problem everyone can tackle, including our nation’s youth. As part of Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is launching Ace the Waste! A student competition for food waste reduction ideas. This first-ever competition calls on students to come up with creative solutions to reduce food loss and waste in the United States.

The problem of food waste affects everyone. More than one third of food in the U.S. is lost or wasted. This amounts to 133 billion pounds, or $161 billion worth of food each year. Food is the single largest type of waste in landfills. Students age 11 to 18 are encouraged to submit proposals on reducing food loss and waste anywhere along the supply chain, from the farm to the dinner table and beyond. Topic ideas for the proposal include:

• Preventing food waste – such as ideas to prolong the storage life of food; improve efficiencies in the processing of food and its distribution; and create new products from unharvested or unsold crops (like so-called “ugly fruit and vegetables”) or from food processing by-products.
• Recovering wholesome, excess food to feed people – such as innovative approaches for getting excess food to people who need it and measuring the value of food donations.
• Recycling food scraps to keep them out of landfills – such as ideas to connect food waste generators with recyclers and to create animal feed, compost, and energy.
• Raising awareness – such as ideas about how to make students more aware about the amount of food being wasted and let them know how to reduce it.

Students may submit 1-2 page proposals or 1-2 minute videos. Proposals will be judged on impact potential; originality and creativity; clarity of expression; and adherence/appropriateness to theme. Judges will include representatives from USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One winner will be selected from each of two categories – ages 11-14 and ages 15-18. The winner of the challenge will be honored with recognition on USDA’s social media accounts and website, receive a certificate of appreciation, and will have the opportunity to discuss their proposals with USDA leadership.

The deadline for proposals is 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 24, 2019. Submit your ideas to the Ace the Waste! competition (PDF, 238 KB) today.

About the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative

The Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative is a collaborative effort among USDA, EPA, and FDA to affirm their shared commitment to work towards the national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030. The agencies agree to coordinate food loss and waste actions such as: education and outreach, research, community investments, voluntary programs, public-private partnerships, tool development, technical assistance, event participation, and policy discussion on the impacts and importance of reducing food loss and waste.

During Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month and beyond, join the conversation on social media with the #NoWastedFood hashtag. Learn more about USDA, EPA, and FDA programs and resources to reduce food loss and waste.

For years, 4-H has been partnering with the Rothenberg Rooftop School Garden. Through curriculum support, volunteering, and membership on their board of directors, it’s been a privilege to work with this amazing space and even more amazing people.

Located in Over-the-Rhine at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy, the Rothenberg Rooftop School Garden was a vision supported by the community. Through the hard work of a greater Cincinnati leader, Pope Coleman, the funds were raised and the roof of the school renovated to be an ADA accessible garden space. Bryna Bass and Julie Singer serve as the program staff who care for the garden and educate the students. Through thoughtful and creative curriculum the students at Rothenberg gain experiences that are not typically found in an urban environment.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to visit the garden in action Julie Singer is always looking for volunteers. For information on volunteering visit: http://www.rothenbergrooftopgarden.com/volunteer/.

If you’re looking for a chance to just visit the garden, you’re in luck. Their annual fundraiser is coming up, and at $35 a ticket, it’s a steal to visit the most interesting, successful and beautiful school garden, on a rooftop in Cincinnati. To get your tickets visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/light-up-rothenberg-tickets-33246419937?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR1X860djqmiwaVAGIzIqN-tm2p4cxM841yokQXUq3SSo6JUB_QoUz-bBwY.

APRIL 27, 2019
HAMILTON CO 4-H RABBIT & POULTRY CLINIC
Morning Session Rabbits – Afternoon Session Poultry
Moving through different stations you will:
1. Learn about Poultry and Rabbit diseases and treatment
2. Learn Poultry and Rabbit anatomy
3. Learn different breeds of Poultry and Rabbit
4. Learn nutrition
5. Practice Showmanship – Rabbit, Turkey, Duck and Chicken

• Terry Fender has been an ARBA judge since 1990. Currently, he raises Californians, Havanas, and Silver Martens. He is the ARBA District 8 Director and has been a Purina Rabbit Ambassador since 2004. He is the president of the Lima Rabbit Breeders Association and a member of the ARBA Youth Committee.

• Each 4-H member may bring 1 rabbit to use for showmanship. Please bring your own carpet and all animals must be caged.

• Each 4-H member may bring 1 of each poultry species

• Pollorum Testing will be available

9105 Luther Lane, Cleves, OH 45002
RSVP to : Teresa -teresaberting@gmail.com for rabbits and Kris- orchidbiochem@aol.com for poultry
9-12-Rabbits
1-3-Poultry

The 4-H dog training sessions will begin again in April.  If your child would like to take a dog project for the first time this year, please contact Cindy Capannari at gccapi@yahoo.com to get on the dog program email list.  This is how you will find out all the information regarding training sessions, required paperwork, and more.

Originally appeared on: https://lod.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/professional-development/internship-program

2019 Program Application

2019 Progam Summary

Through this paid internship, interns work closely with a local OSU Extension educator as they teach classes, work with volunteers and make a difference in the community. As an intern, you will learn how you can use your education to make a difference in people’s lives and how what you are learning in college can have an impact on some of the most pressing issues facing Ohioans. Your intern work may include:

• Planning, helping or teaching community classes, day camps, field days or fairs
• Attending meetings with community leaders and volunteers
• Developing news articles, exhibits, brochures, marketing materials, and resources for educational curriculum
• Using social media and technology to share research-based information
• Participating in field research, helping with literature reviews, and testing new methods and curriculum
• Working with youth through 4-H activities, county fair, camps and project judgings

To Apply (Application link)

To be considered for one of the 2019 paid internships, you must complete two years of college by June 1, 2019. Review the chart below to determine the internship in which you may be interested. You may apply for multiple positions with one application.

By March 3, 2019 (11:59 pm), submit the following information.

• Completed application survey
• Upload to the application survey:
  • A cover letter
  • A letter of recommendation from a professor, current or past advisor, or past employer
• When considering preference of county locations, please note that housing is not provided by the internship program, and interns are responsible for reporting to the correct work headquarters as instructed by the supervisor/mentor. Interns are not required to live in the same city/county as the headquarters, but must be able to report appropriately on a consistent basis (on time, correct location, etc.).

Intern Work Period ♦ June 3 to August 9, 2019
All interns work 38 hours per week and will be paid $11 per hour. Interns who are earning college credit during this period will work 28 hours per week.

Interns will work closely with the OSU Extension educators in the county. This will include educators in agriculture and natural resources; family and consumer sciences; 4-H youth development; and community development.

Timeline for Review and Interviews
Interviews will take place the week of March 18, 2019 (in the region where the position is located or by phone/video). Successful candidates will be notified the week of March 25, 2019.

Internship Opportunities Available
For a visual of locations, see the 2019 Ohio State University Extension Internship Program Map.
For a downloadable version of the chart, see the 2019 Ohio State University Extension Internship Program Chart.
Each internship location has a slightly different focus impacting local residents. Each county hosting an internship is listed below with a more detailed work plan linked.

Click on “Intern Duties” for a description. When you click on the county name, you will be connected to the county office website where you can learn more about the staff and local programs. Click on the impact area titles to learn more about those areas.

Counties included in the Full Program, Administration Funded:

The counties below will utilize the centralized application and hiring process, but funding is provided by individual sources outside of Ohio State University Extension Administration (i.e. county funds, donations, etc.).

To Learn More

Contact Jared Morrison at morrison.332@osu.edu.

S p i r i t   N i g h t

Monday, March 1 1 , 201 9 · 5 :00- 8:00pm

Benefiting Hamilton County 4-H Association

When ordering your food, hand the Team Member a printed copy of this flyer or show them a photo of the flyer on your phone. A percentage of the net sales connected with this Spirit Night will

be donated to Hamilton County 4-H to benefit the poultry species.

Springdale Chick-fil-A Springdale · 501 E. Kemper Road · Springdale, Ohio • CFASpringdale.com · facebook.com/CFASpringdale

7th Annual Ohio 4-H Night
at the Dragons
Head*Heart*Hands*Health*Home Runs
Saturday, April 27th, 2019, 7:00pm
Tickets Include:
– Reserved seat in our Group Section!
– Special 4-H Night – Dragons T-Shirt!
– A Night of Quality Family Entertainment!
All for the special price of $16
Schedule of Events on April 27th at Fifth Third Field:
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Pick up tickets & T-Shirts on Plaza
6:00 p.m. Meet inside stadium behind Lawn D for the 4-H Parade of Counties
7:00 p.m. Opening Pitch!
Tickets are first come, first serve.
Once seats are sold lawn tickets will be available.
Return to Carl Hertzberg at the Dragons By: March 29th ___
• Mail: Dayton Dragons, Fifth Third Field, PO Box 2107, Dayton, OH 45401
• Fax: to (937) 228-2284
• Email to: dragons@daytondragons.com

Download the registration form here: https://hamilton.osu.edu/sites/hamilton/files/imce/2019%20Ohio%204-H%20Night%20-%20Final.pdf

For additional info visit: https://hamilton.osu.edu/events/7th-annual-ohio-4-h-night-dragons

Hamilton County Farm Bureau has multiple scholarship opportunities for students pursuing post-secondary education including FFA students.

Application Deadlines:
• Active Member Agricultural Scholarship – April 1, 2019
• Community Member Agricultural Scholarship – April 1, 2019
• FFA Scholarship – April 1, 2019

If you have any questions, contact our office at 513-831-5870 or via email at hamilton@ofbf.org.

For the complete application visit: https://ofbf.org/foundation/scholarships/hamilton-county-scholarship/?fbclid=IwAR06VEkrIkN086hxQc0EJ6noonWDJWRxXCA2a1hK1IGAMiIAZXJwDvK-DOM

In an effort to recognize the quality youth of Ohio, and to help those interested in furthering their education, the Ohio Expositions Commission has established a Scholarship Program for Ohio State Fair participants.
The purpose of these scholarships is to assist high school juniors and seniors, and graduates who are continuing their education at an accredited institution in an under graduate course of study in any field.
Scholarships will be awarded to junior exhibitors during the Ohio State Fair. Applicants will be judged on Scholastic Standing, Citizenship and Leadership, Ohio State Fair Participation, County Fair Participation.
The Scholarship Committee reserves the right to not issue a scholarship if no applicant fulfills the requirements.

For more information visit: https://ohiostatefair.com/scholarships/

Scholarship Application

This year, Hamilton County 4-H worked with four public schools and one 4-H club to design projects to meet the diverse needs of our county population while also exemplifying the life and legacy of MLK

Students at Gamble Montessori High School and Pleasant Hill Academy have the unique privilege of being the only 4-H School based program and FFA program at an Urban School in Cincinnati, OH. Urban agriculture has its own unique challenges, including finding adequate space to engage the community. On the property of Gamble Montessori and Pleasant Hill Academy sits large swaths of land covered in invasive and non-native species. The students at both schools have been interested in removing the invasive species and reclaiming the land for native plants. In an attempt to build more garden beds for the school and community use Gamble Montessori High School removed invasive species to protect their local flora and fauna and increase growing space for the community. At Pleasant Hill the youth tended to their growing food forest by applying nutrients to the soil and working to maintain the trees through the winter.

Students at Hughes High School had a different idea, they elected to put together care packages for local homeless residents. Knowing that the winter is a particularly vulnerable time of year for those who are seeking shelter the students put together packages of necessities including soap, lotion and hand sanitizer. Through our partnership more than 50 kits were constructed.

At Withrow High School, the DECA program and the business classes worked with minority owned business owners to develop profiles to put on their websites and then they helped the owners update and make their websites more user friendly. This project met not only the academic needs of the course but the social and emotional needs of the students. Knowing that they have power and control over their lives is a cornerstone of future success. Through their work they hope to see an increase in the number of visitors to each web page.

Finally, our 4-H club volunteered through our Pet Pals program at a local nursing home and brought animals to the residents. Residents played with alpacas, chickens and rabbits and engaged with the youth. The event wasn’t just a show and tell it was a party sponsored by the club to bring a little light and joy to the lives of the seniors on a winter day. The seniors had a great time engaging with the youth and teaching them about a world before mass media and easy technology and the youth enjoyed sharing their hopes and dreams with an older generation.

In total 280 volunteers were engaged providing more than 400 hours of service. 1,500 people were served by the projects completed. Special Thanks to the Mott Foundation and Youth Service America for supporting this project.