Greetings 4-H Families!
2020 continues to be a year of surprises. The cancellation of the 2020 Muskingum County Fair earlier this week has generated a variety of questions about completing projects and finishing the year in 4-H. The cancellation of the fair does not mean 4-H is cancelled! We are an organization that loves the fair, but functions independently! Clubs can still meet virtually (and in person if they follow guidelines) and projects will still be judged.
Here’s an update related to 4-H Member Guidelines and 4-H Project Completion from the 2020 Muskingum County 4-H Owner’s Manual.
- A 4-H member in good standing must be enrolled in a club and have project enrollment by March 15; attend a minimum of four meetings from January through August 1; complete at least one project in order to receive credit for the year in 4-H; follow the Ohio 4-H Code of Conduct; meet additional club requirements. I will be contacting volunteers about providing information about club meeting attendance.
- 4-H projects must be judged at the county level to be completed. Youth can complete any 4-H project by participating in a county-level judging event outside of the fair.
- Still Projects – This year, completion options are to participate in Virtual Still Project Judging or contact the Extension Office if accommodations are needed.
- Livestock Projects – Youth can complete a livestock project in 4-H by participating in Virtual Livestock Skillathon or by contacting the Extension Office if accommodations are needed. Showing at a livestock show unaffiliated with the Muskingum County Fair does not meet requirements for project completion.
- Electing not to complete a project/or projects does not prohibit youth from participating in 4-H or that project in 2021. Clubs will not be penalized if members do not complete projects.
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Virtual 4-H Still Project Judging and Junior Fair Livestock Skillathon
In light of the cancellation of the Muskingum County Fair, we have extended the registration for Virtual Still Project Judging and Junior Fair Livestock Skillathon. Youth who have already registered DO NOT need to register again. If youth have not registered, please do so by next week’s deadline. Register online through July 23 at 11:59 p.m.: https://go.osu.edu/judgingregistration
We also extended the deadline for video submissions on Flipgrid to August 9 at 11:59 p.m. This gives all families two extra weeks, but we encourage you to start soon in case you encounter problems.
The following documents will assist members in preparing and submitting Flipgrid videos:
- 2020 Still Project Judging Details
- 2020 Livestock Skillathon Details
- Flipgrid Submission Instructions
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
- Youth enrolled in Project #588 The Writer in You will not be required to submit a portfolio to the Extension Office this year. Please share your writing activities during your Flipgrid video. If you like, you can include a link to your writing portfolio by following “If you want to add photos or a presentation” in the Flipgrid Submission Instructions.
- Flipgrid will ask you for a Flipcode. Many are assuming this is a number, it is not. Refer to the Flipgrid Submission Instructions for the list of Flipcodes by project area. Example: The Flipcode for Livestock Skillathon is: musklivestock. The password for every grid is: Musk4h!!
- Parents/project helpers are encouraged to help members (especially younger members) complete the video process. This could include: asking the questions from the project judging rubric, prompting them to show pages of the project/record book, providing cues on or off screen.
- Youth are not expected to show every page of the project book during their video. They should show the book, highlight some completed activities and what they learned.
- Be sure to review “Produce an Awesome Project Video!” in 2020 Still Project Judging Details and/or 2020 Livestock Skillathon Details, as well as the rubric. As long as suggested items are included, this process is intended to allow members to be creative in how they present information!
- Youth are not required to include animals in Livestock Skillathon videos; however, this might help the youth explain/demonstrate what they learned. If youth have already sold their animal or the animal has died, they can still participate!
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OSU Extension Office Reopening
- Answer questions about your health:
- your temperature
- any symptoms
- your exposure to COVID-19
- Wear a face mask
- Practice social distancing of 6 ft apart
- Use hand sanitizer upon entering
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Muskingum County Youth Livestock Expo
A group of community volunteers has formed a Muskingum County Youth Livestock Expo Committee to plan an opportunity for 4-H/FFA members to show their livestock projects. The first meeting will be July 22, 2020 at 6:00 P.M. at Muskingum Livestock Auction. The committee plans to abide by COVID-19 guidelines. Species that have expressed interest are: beef, sheep, hogs, poultry and rabbits. If there are other species interested, please contact Jim Porter at 740-819-9839. This effort is not affiliated with the Muskingum County Agricultural Society or OSU Extension.