While county offices are closed and local distribution of project books is on hold, choose one of these ways to get a project book:

• Download one for free. A special collection of project books is available for free on the Perfect Stay-at-Home Projects web page. Click on the book you want, and when the file opens on your screen, save or print it from there. Horseless Horse and Science Fun with Physics are being added soon! (For accessible formats of these publications, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.)
• Buy one online. If you would like to buy a print copy of a Perfect Stay-at-Home project or any other project book, you can order directly from extensionpubs.osu.edu with one of these special discounts for Ohio residents: FREE2020 (for free shipping) OR 20IN2020 (20% off the entire order). Use the coupon that works best for you. Orders can be shipped directly to a person’s home as long as it is an Ohio address. Please review your order carefully. No returns are accepted. There is no restriction on the number of times a coupon can be used. See printable ordering instructions HERE.
• Make your own. If you would rather not purchase a book in this way, self-determined projects are an excellent choice for self-motivated members eager to get started by creating their own projects. Although self-determined projects may be better suited for older 4-H members, they are available for any member and are often based on idea starters already available online. Many of the idea starters are great stay-at-home projects too, for example, Music, Bats, String Art, Climate Change, American Sign Language, etc. Our extraordinary educators are even preparing one called My Stay-at-Home Summer! (For project judging, self-determined projects are judged in self-determined categories.)

If none of these options work for you because of affordability or internet access, contact Lisa McCutcheon (mccutcheon.46@osu.edu) or Jane Wright (wright.646@osu.edu), 4-H curriculum manager, who may be able to help!

The April 10, 2020 updates for Licking County 4-H programming is now available. We ask that you review this information carefully, and reach out to us with questions. We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we continually become aware of additional information and readjust our programming materials. We are thankful to have you as a part of our Licking County 4-H Family, and we encourage you to stay home, and stay well…

Now more than ever it’s time for 4-H’ers to make the best better! While youth are at home and staying safe, we still want you to stay connected. Ohio 4-H has been collecting activities, videos, and resources for youth and volunteers. Check back frequently for additional links and program updates!

Dear Ohio 4-H members, families, volunteers and supporters,

It is with a heavy heart that I share this news with you. Due to ongoing health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision has been made to cancel all Ohio State University Extension in-person programming through July 6. This includes all 4-H programs, activities, and events. Additionally, we’ve made the very difficult decision to cancel all 4-H camps thru August 31. Although in-person programming is cancelled, we will continue to offer virtual 4-H experiences.

We know this is an incredible disappointment and recognize how much everyone looks forward to our cherished 4-H summer events. As 4-H professionals committed to providing positive youth development programming, we share your sense of loss.

Given available information, we anticipate the next few weeks and months will continue to be critical times for stemming the spread of the COVID-19 virus. It is our duty to keep ourselves and those we serve safe through the education we provide and the modeling of safety-conscious behaviors. We do not want to get to the other side of this pandemic and wish that we had done more to keep our future generation of leaders safe and healthy.

While we are making decisions regarding the youth events we organize and manage (such as camps and 4-H project judging), we are deferring to local decision-makers and Governor DeWine’s administration on the events owned by others, such as county fairs. Our decision to cancel in-person 4-H activities and events through July 6 and summer camps, should not automatically imply that local county fairs are also canceled at this time. Please keep in mind that 4-H and our FFA colleagues support the education and development of youth, but the decision about whether fairs will occur is in the hands of others. This continues to be an evolving situation that will require some negotiation and monitoring depending on decisions. We will be ready should fairs move forward and to pivot if they are cancelled.

As we work through the impact of these decisions for 4-H activities and events in the weeks ahead, county OSU Extension 4-H professionals will share important updates and information with you as we develop and provide new online opportunities. We know the experiences will be different than we had hoped, yet we remain committed to working together to grow future generations of true leaders.

Yours in service to 4-H,

Kirk

Kirk Bloir, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, 4-H Youth Development

College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences – Ohio State University Extension

Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus, OH 43210

614-247-8168 Office
bloir.1@osu.edu  |  ohio4h.org  |  extension.osu.edu