The 2026 Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards Form Packet as well as the 2025 Licking County 4-H Committee Scholarship Packet are now available. Both forms can be found on the Teen Opportunities page of the website. Achievement Awards forms and the 4-H Committee Scholarship are due to the Licking County Extension Office by Friday, October 10, 2025. By completing the Achievement Awards forms, members have the opportunity to be recognized for their comprehensive project work and leadership activities and can be chosen to represent Licking County at the state level competition. Applicants are also eligible to apply for state trips/camps and other opportunities through this process. Members must be at least 14 (as of 01/01/2026) in order to be eligible for this process. Please reach out to Lisa McCutcheon (mccutcheon.46@osu.edu) with questions or for help with the process.
Trips
Apply Now: 2026 National 4-H Conference Delegate Opportunity!
Applications are now open for Ohio 4-H members (ages 15–18 as of January 1, 2026) to represent our state at the 2026 National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C., held April 9–15. This prestigious event focuses on civic engagement, civic education, and personal development, bringing together youth from across the country to connect, learn, and lead. Interested members must complete the online application by December 1. More details and application link can be found here: https://go.osu.edu/N4HC.
Teen Achievement Awards Forms and Licking County 4-H Committee Scholarship
The 2026 Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards Form Packet as well as the 2025 Licking County 4-H Committee Scholarship Packet are now available. Both forms can be found on the Teen Opportunities page of the website. Achievement Awards forms and the 4-H Committee Scholarship are due to the Licking County Extension Office by Friday, October 10, 2025. By completing the Achievement Awards forms, members have the opportunity to be recognized for their comprehensive project work and leadership activities and can be chosen to represent Licking County at the state level competition. Applicants are also eligible to apply for state trips/camps and other opportunities through this process. Members must be at least 14 (as of 01/01/2026) in order to be eligible for this process. Please reach out to Lisa McCutcheon (mccutcheon.46@osu.edu) with questions or for help with the process.
Ignite by 4-H
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. (CWF at Ignite is not included in this application process, please contact your county 4-H professional to learn more). 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.
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 29th
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
For more information, please visit go.osu.edu/4HIgniteOhio
Teen Awards & Opportunities Workshop
Apply for county and state achievement awards, scholarships, camps and conferences using the Ohio 4-H Achievement Record. How do you know if you’re eligible? If you are a current 4-H member who will have passed your 14th birthday (but not yet passed your 19th birthday) by January 1, 2026, you are considered to be eligible for these opportunities. However, in order to compete for awards selection and recognition, you must complete and submit an Ohio 4-H Achievement Record Form. Not sure how to get started or have you completed these forms in the past and would like help to make them better? Lisa will hold a Teen Awards & Opportunity Workshop on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 starting at 6:30pm at the Licking County Extension Office. Reach out to Lisa at mccutcheon.46@osu.edu to register!
Local Teens Receive State 4-H Awards
The 2025 Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards were presented earlier this month at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus.
Local 4-H members received the following awards.
Henry Keller from Alexandria was selected to serve as an Ohio delegate at the 2025 National 4-H Dairy Conference. Keller, 17, has been a member of 4-H in Licking County for nine years. He enjoys showing dairy feeders, steers, and hogs, and he likes participating in the Steer Pool at the Hartford Fair. Keller has also volunteered as a camp counselor for three years. He is a junior at C-TEC in the electrical trades and is the son of Joe and Jennifer Osterholt.
Alexis Reimer from Newark won the Family Life and Child Development Achievement Award. Reimer, 16, has been a 4-Ever Friends 4-H Club member for nine years. She is on the Licking County Food and Fashion Board, is the president of her club, and was chosen to participate in the Ohio 4-H State Leadership Camp. Reimer is a junior at Newark High School and plans to attend college for accounting. She is the daughter of Andy and Bettrina Reimer.
Autumn Wampler from Marengo won the Goats Achievement Award. Wampler, 18, has been a 4-H member for 10 years and has taken a variety of projects including goats, lambs, cattle, rabbits, poultry, and self-determined projects. She is also a four-year member of the Hartford Independent Fair Board and is currently serving as a Junior Advisor. Wampler is a graduated, homeschooled student and is the daughter of Adam and Jennifer Wampler.
Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards are presented annually to individuals for outstanding work in their project area. Youth recipients will also have the opportunity to travel to Atlanta in November to represent Ohio at National 4-H Congress. The evening was hosted by the Ohio 4-H Foundation, with 32 youth receiving 2025 honors
Ohio 4-H is the youth development program of Ohio State University Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. In 2024, over 154,000 Ohio youth participated in clubs, groups, and special interest programs.
Ohio 4-H Urban Immersion Project
The Urban Immersion Project is a 4-H initiative that combines cross-cultural learning, teamwork, and service-learning in the urban environment of Washington, DC.
Curious about this experience? Review the Benefits of Urban Immersion Experiences for Urban and Suburban Teens to learn more!
Teens ages 15-18 are eligible for this 4-day service-learning experience that will build skills and abilities to prepare youth for success in a diverse workplace as well as build a cultural understanding of those who are different. This experience will not be about shopping or sightseeing, although we will visit some monuments and historic sites.
The 4-H Educator leading this experience will contact all teen applicants to complete an additional Zoom video/phone interview before selection.
Program Components
• Diversity and the Urban Experience
• Cooking in Food Groups
• Service Projects
• Ethnic Food Night
• City Scavenger Hunt
• Exploring Issues of Homelessness
• DC Monument Night Tour
• Metro Challenge
Who: Ohio 4-H teens ages 15-18 and still in high school (by the date of the trip)
Where: Washington, DC
When: Thursday (6 am), September 18th – Sunday, September 21st, 2025
Cost: $250 (limited scholarship opportunities available)
APPLY: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6QX2SYim38bKTHM
Questions about this experience? Contact Steve Brady (brady.111@osu.edu or 513.695.1311)
2025 Spark EXPO
From June 11-14, teens at the Spark EXPO will learn about agriculture and related STEAM fields from industry experts, and faculty and staff of the Ohio State College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
Open to all Ohio students who have completed the eighth grade or ninth grade at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year. Participants do not need to be enrolled in the 4-H program.
As part of Spark EXPO, students visit Ohio State’s Columbus and Wooster campuses and learn from Ohio State students, teachers, scientists, and researchers. Students explore careers, hear from Ohio 4-H alumni who share their career stories, and learn about the college and career-readiness program: Ohio 4-H Pathways to the Future.
Want to see all the fun from last year? Click here.
Additional details or to register: go.osu.edu/4hsparkexpo.
Payment is due no later than April 25 to be considered a complete registration. Health Forms are included in registration.
The event includes on-campus accommodations, meals, program materials, and transportation. Supervision is provided by adult program staff.
America’s Field Trip
America’s Field Trip is designed to engage America’s youth in commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The contest invites 3rd–12th grade students to reflect on what America means to them through artwork, poems, and essays for a chance to explore the historic places that have shaped our nation’s rich history. The 2024-2025 contest is now live and will accept submissions through April 16, 2025.
Student awardees will be able to:
- Participate in a three-day, two-night field trip this summer with airfare and lodging expenses covered for the student awardee and their chaperone
- Take part in specially curated educational experiences and behind-the-scenes tours at some of the nation’s most iconic historical and cultural sites from the Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to the National Archives, Yellowstone National Park, and Fort Point at the Golden Gate Bridge
America250 has also worked with Discovery Education to develop lesson plans and other resources to help educators bring the America’s Field Trip contest to their classrooms.
Fall Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply Company
Tractor Supply Company (TSC) is once again hosting their Paper Clover Campaign in all locations. The campaign runs from November 29th through December 15th. Make donations at any of the four Licking County TSC Stores. 80% of the funds raised at each store will stay in Licking County’s program to support 4-H leadership and scholarship opportunities. The monies raised helps Licking County 4-H send youth to state camps and national trips.
Heath: 2035 Hebron Rd., Heath, OH 43056
Johnstown: 659 W Coshocton St., Johnstown, OH 43031
Newark: 315 Deo Dr., Newark, OH 43055
Pataskala: 11309 Broad St SW, Pataskala, OH 43062
