Day: March 25, 2020

4HEYA Applications Now Available

Greetings!

4-H Event Youth Assistant (4HEYA) applications are now available!  This is an opportunity for teens 13-18 as of January 1 to get a short term experience at the state level.  Applications are available at go.osu.edu/4HEYA and are due by May 15, 2020 to longo.79@osu.edu.  They also require 2 reference forms (one from a 4-H / Extension professional).

Want more info about the opportunity?  See below.

Here is a basic overview of the opportunity:

  • What: 4-H Event Youth Assistant (4HEYA)
  • Who: Individuals age 13-18 (as of January 1 of the year of application) and have at least 1 year prior 4-H experience.
  • Timeframe: Apply by May 15, selection, training, service to OSF, and evaluation.  Complete responsibilities by August 31, 2020.
  • Requirements (in addition to application/selection process):
    • Training-Must attend one of the options for training (July 8 or July 14)
    • Events-Must work a minimum of 3 events at the Ohio State Fair; may work more if desired
  • Program Fee: $25/person for first year members; $10 for 2nd or more year members
  • Teens Receive:
    • 4HEYA Polo & Nametag
    • State Fair admission, parking ticket, and meal ticket(s)
    • Optional State Fair housing in the Rhodes Center (if desired)
    • Experience of working events at the Ohio State Fair
    • Opportunity to enhance leadership skills and be involved in the State 4-H program
  • What about the Teen Leadership Council? YES, these members may apply for 4HEYA AND TLC this year, if desired.  TLC applications will be available in June and will be due the Friday following the Ohio State fair.  Their term is September 1, 2020-August 31, 2021.  Current TLC members are not eligible to apply for 4HEYA, as they are already fulfilling obligations at the Ohio State Fair.
  • Questions? Contact Hannah (epley.24@osu.edu), Kayla (oberstadt.1@osu.edu), Sarah (longo.79@osu.edu) or Frances (nicol.115@osu.edu)

Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness – Tournament of Education

OSU Extension Announces Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness: A Tournament of Education

Columbus, Ohio—Did your usual conference get canceled? Looking to fill the void of the big basketball tournament? Ohio State University Extension is here to help with a new virtual education program for the agricultural community.

“Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness: A Tournament of Education” will include 64 educational events broken into daily brackets. Each day, a virtual educational session will be held at 9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m. The educational tournament is free of charge and will likely continue until mid-May.

“This effort is a direct response to providing a variety of useful and timely sessions for farmers and families across the state during Gov. DeWine’s stay-at-home order,” said Jacqueline Wilkins, interim director of OSU Extension. “While our ‘tournament’ is being loosely tied to March Madness, it’s not a competition, and people can join in at any time for as many or as few sessions as they desire.”

The tournament opens on Wednesday, March 25, with the eFields 2019 Results webinar. Learn how the eFields program used modern technologies to help Ohio farmers learn new practices and techniques to improve farm efficiency and profitability. Tip-off is at 9 a.m., and registration is required at go.osu.edu/eFieldsWebinar.

Also in this bracket is a March 25 noon webinar from Sam Custer, interim assistant director of OSU Extension’s agriculture and natural resources program, to discuss how educators are working remotely to continue serving Ohioans during these uncharted waters of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

Tournament “brackets” will change daily. Topics will cover a variety of subjects and be presented in a variety of virtual platforms. When possible, question-and-answer opportunities will be included.

To find complete details on the tournament’s educational opportunities and other event and webinar links, visit go.osu.edu/agmadness.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness is just one example of how OSU Extension is employing its online resources during this challenging time to remain engaged with Ohioans. “The intent is to reach the agricultural community in a time of high stress,” Custer said. “OSU Extension has also updated its Ag Crisis website to include a toolbox of resources related to COVID-19. Those can be reached at go.osu.edu/AgCrisis.”

OSU Extension has implemented a teleworking plan effective immediately, and all OSU Extension offices statewide are closed until further notice. The plan mirrors The Ohio State University’s decision last week to require all employees who can do so to work from home and to maintain only critical services on university property across all campuses.

Clients, stakeholders, and other community members can continue to connect with any OSU Extension staff member via phone or email as usual. To contact your local Extension office, visit  for office phone numbers and a direct link to each office’s website and staff directory. If you reach voicemail, please leave a message with your name and contact information, and you will be contacted as soon as possible.

OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), and works to share knowledge with every county in Ohio. Its four major program areas are family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development, community development, and agriculture and natural resources.