- Author: John Borba
This year, for the first time ever, a 4-H Western Heritage team from California attended the National 4-H Western Heritage Conference and Championship Shoot, held August 1 – 3, 2017 in historic Fort Benton, Montana. Seven 4-H members from Kern County and one from Santa Clara travelled to Fort Benton to participate in the program.
Experiencing Old West lifestyles and cultures
The 4-H Western Heritage Project combines a comprehensive study of the Old West with the fastest growing shooting sports discipline in the world – western action shooting. The purpose of this project is to provide an avenue for 4-H members and adult leaders to experience the lifestyles and cultures of the Old West from the period of around 1860-1900 through a living history approach to learning while instilling the concepts of firearms safety and personal responsibility. Members dress in Old West clothing, shoot replica firearms of the frontier period, and expand their knowledge of U.S. history. More information and a video of the event is available on their site, http://www.4-hwesternheritageproject.org/
Preparing for the event
California team results
Congratulations to the following 4-H members who placed at the event:
Junior Division - Girls Interview Skills
4th Place EmmaLee Lindley Kern County
Senior Division - Girls Interview Skills
3rd Place Christine Lindley Kern County
5th Place Hope Lindley Kern County
Senior Division – Boys Interview Skills
3rd Place Thomas Aquino Santa Clara County
Senior Division – Rimfire Shooting
4th Place Garrett Hawks Kern County
Senior Division – Historical Testing
1st Place Thomas Aquino Santa Clara County
Senior Division – Overall Top Hand
3rd Place Thomas Aquino Santa Clara County
5th Place Garrett Hawks Kern County
Join the California 4-H Western Heritage Team!
California is one of nine states across the country with an active 4-H Western Heritage program. If you are interested in joining this team, please contact John Borba, 4-H Youth Development Advisor, at jaborba@ucanr.edu or (661) 868-6216.
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- Author: Kate Lyn Sutherland
- Author: Suzanne Morikawa
Over 200 youth participants attended State Leadership Conference (SLC) on July 20-23 at UC Davis. The SLC Planning Committee came up with the theme, "DRIVE-Find your place on the map." The focus of the conference was on finding what is important to you, making a plan and getting there.
Alumni join the Opening Kickoff
The 4-H Foundation invited alumni and friends to an Alumni and Friends Nite Out just before the start of SLC. After an early dinner at a nearby restaurant, they joined the youth delegates at the Opening Kickoff. Socializing and networking between youth and alumni was a highlight for both sides!
Keynote Speaker: Houston Kraft
Houston gave a dynamic presentation on "Making Kindness Normal" to our young leaders. Houston is a professional speaker, leadership consultant, and kindness advocate who speaks to middle schools, high schools, colleges, and businesses across the country. He has spoken to nearly a half a million people nationwide at nearly 500 events and counting. He believes that real change comes through more than just motivation, so he has created tools like CharacterStrong and conversations like the Choose Love Movement to make sure that his work isn't just about good feelings or a positive message - it's about making real, practical, sustainable change. http://www.houstonkraft.com/
Covering topics ranging from Mindfulness to Bullying Prevention
Participants attended assemblies, workshops, and recreational events while networking with 4-H'ers from all across California. Workshops covered topics like mindfulness, robotics, bullying prevention and more. All of the workshops and activities were planned entirely by youth volunteers on the SLC Planning Team.
Daily Newscasts
For more photos and to see video highlights of the event, see the SLC event page.
Planning for SLC in 2018 is starting!
Interested in having a part in planning SLC? Apply for the 2018 SLC Planning Team! Applications are open now - apply by September 29th. For more information check the SLC Planning Team page.
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- Contributor: Emily Stenzler
- Contributor: Casey, Elyjah and Sencio Madera
- Editor: Suzanne Morikawa
We are launching our monthly STEM Highlights with two stories about 4-H'ers doing STEM projects in their clubs. Emily in the North Stockton 4-H is starting up an Astronomy project, and Casey, Elyjah and Sencio in Madera are having fun with Junk Drawer Robotics!
Astronomy in North Stockton
Hi, My name is Emily Stenzler. I am 15 years old and currently the President of North Stockton 4-H. This year, I started a new project called Astronomy.
A few years ago, I participated in a contest with the local Stockton Astronomical Society (SAS). I was nominated by a teacher for this contest. I attended various lectures organized by SAS and I also attended many star parties where I learned about the sky. I was selected from many applications and won my own telescope. From here, my passion of Astronomy grew and I decided to start a North Stockton STEM project on Astronomy.
For our first meeting, I invited SAS to come to the school and set up telescopes. After our general meeting, members got to go outside and learn about our night sky. Since this was early in the year, it was pretty cool since potential members also participated and love it (and joined our group).
In May, I will be setting up my telescope, along with other SAS members, and North Stockton 4-H members will get to share in my passion of the night sky!
STEM in Kern County
We have been having a blast with Junk Drawer Robotics and the Power of Wind. We did a couple of training exercises with John Borba at the Kern County 4-H extension office before he set us free with supplies to show other kids. Kids are given a limited number of supplies and challenged to build an object that will perform a task. The best part is watching the kids figure it out and seeing how excited they get when they understand the challenge.
Our favorite project so far is the “Can-Can” robot. We were given a plastic cup, tape, rubber bands, markers, a little motor, a battery, and an eraser. We were told to build a robot that was able to draw on paper using only these items. When we finally figured out what the eraser was for, the robot came to life! Our robot vibrated all over the paper, drawing gloriously!
Taking everything we have learned to our club meetings and teaching others has been so challenging and yet so rewarding. We love STEM!
Casey, Elyjah and Sencio Madera
Are you doing STEM projects in your club? Share them with us for the monthly STEM spotlight post. Submit your story and photos to morikawa@ucanr.edu.
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- Author: Suzanne Morikawa
In honor of National Volunteer Week this week, we want to highlight two of our volunteers who have been recognized for their service to 4-H. Paulette Sauln from San Diego County has been named the Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer and Curtis Ullerich from Santa Clara County has been named the Volunteer of the Year for the Western Region.
Salute to Excellence Awards
Each year, state 4‑H programs nominate two outstanding individual volunteers through the 4‑H Salute to Excellence Awards, which recognizes 4-H volunteers who demonstrate exemplary service to 4-H.
Each Cooperative Extension Region (Northeast, South, North Central, West) names its own Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer and Volunteer of the Year. The regional honorees become nominees for the national award, and one candidate in each category will be named the national Honoree later this month.
Paulette Sauln, 2017 Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award, Western Region
The Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award is given to an individual who has spent 10 or more years as a 4‑H volunteer. Paulette Sauln has been a 4-H volunteer in California for 29 years. During that time she has touched the lives of many 4-H members, leaders, alumni and future 4-Hers.
Curtis Ullerich, 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award, Western Region
The Volunteer of the Year Award is given to an individual who has volunteered for 4‑H less than 10 years. Curtis has been a volunteer in California for two years, coming from Iowa where he was a 4-H youth and collegiate member. In the short time he has been with California 4-H, he has become an integral adult volunteer of 4-H through club, county, state and national activities.
Learn more about our honorees!
Both Paulette and Curtis have so many accomplishments, we will be highlighting them in separate posts this week. We want to share all the ways they have contributed to 4-H, which won't fit in just one blog post! Please join us in congratulating these two outstanding individuals and showing them appreciation for all they do for 4-H in California.
/h2>/h3>/h3>/h2>- Author: Suzanne Morikawa
After 29 years of volunteering 4-H in California, Paulette Sauln is still going strong! She has held many roles in 4-H: Community Club Leader, Project Leader, offices on County, Sectional and State Councils – and is currently the Director for the Western Region Leaders' Forum 2018, which is being hosted in her home county of San Diego.
Mentoring new and existing leaders
Paulette is one of San Diego County's Master Trainers. She conducts New Leader Orientation for about half of the county's new volunteers, and is always available to assist them in their leadership roles.
Paulette encourages youth to challenge themselves. She is the primary force to facilitate youth participation at the annual Western Region Leaders' Forum (WRLF). Through her continuous efforts and dedication, she helped 10 youth raise the funds to attend the forum in Alaska in 2016; she acted as their chaperone and ensured their successful engagement in the conference. Many of these youth are now serving in leadership roles on the planning team for WRLF 2018.
Helping youth find their voice and put their dreams into practice
Paulette has co-presented many sessions with youth partners. In her Musical Theater sessions at the State Leadership Conference, she always had a youth choreographer and stage manager. Together they chose the musical number and presented the sessions.
When her club had a family of young lads from the Fern Street Circus who wanted to share their skills through a Clown Project, Paulette did not hesitate to reach out to Butterscotch the Clown, an Orange County 4-H Leader, to borrow her curriculum so she could serve as the adult leader for the project—while at the same time learning from these junior and teen leaders.
Promoting 4-H to inner city youth
Over the years, Paulette has organized many one-day Youth Expos to bring 4-H to the attention of inner-city youth and adults. She chaired a Youth Expo in Balboa Park in 1998 and 1999 and another in 2013 in Encinitas in celebration of California 4-H's 100th birthday.
Military 4-H
Paulette is a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer. As a 4-H Military Program representative, she implemented a partnership with El Capitan FFA to have field trips to their farm for Military 4-H youth. For some of these young people it was the first time they had ever seen a cow, pig, goat sheep or chicken. They also got to experience a working greenhouse, plant crops and take home a vegetable seedling.
A role model
Paulette believes in treating people the way she would like to be treated and is well respected in the 4-H community as a leader to emulate. She still keeps in touch with former 4-H'ers who are not just from San Diego County, but also from around the nation. They look for opportunities to spend time with her and are available to her to provide clinics and trainings!
Through the years Paulette has positively impacted the lives of many 4-H'ers,
both leaders and members alike.
Salute to Excellence Awards
As a regional honoree, Paulette is also one of four nominees for the National 4-H Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award. The 4‑H Salute to Excellence Awards recognizes 4-H volunteers who demonstrate exemplary service to 4-H.
Local/County 4-H Roles:
- 1987 to 1988: Assistant Craft Leader, South Coast Clovers, San Juan Capistrano, CA
- 1992-1994: Cavy Project Leader, Avian Bowl Coach, Jamul Chaparros 4-H, Jamul CA
- 1995-2004: Community Club Leader, Lemon Valley Leprechauns 4-H Club, San Diego, CA
- Project leader: Pets and Small Animals, Leadership, Heritage Crafts, Avian Bowl, Clown, Public Speaking and Presentations.
- Vice President and President of San Diego County Council, and representative to the Sectional council. Was also County Representative to the 4-H National Conversation in 2002.
- 2005 to present: Middle Management Volunteer in the roles of County Trainer, Emerald Star Advisor, 2 terms as Council President, Lead Chaperone to the State Leaders' Forum, Small Animal Advisory Chairman/ Key Leader
State/ Regional Roles:
- 1995 to 2016: Conference Director for the Western Region Leaders' Forum 2018 to be held in California
- Various terms as South Section Representative to the State Council
- State Council Policy Secretary 2 years
- Record book judge for 4 years
- Member of County and state 4-H Futures Task Forces
- State Diversity Committee member and provide diversity training throughout Southern CA Section
- Presents Small Animal clinics and judges Small Animal Shows throughout the state
- Served as Medical support for State Leadership Conference for five years
- San Diego County Representative to South Section Council
4-H Honors:
- Volunteer of the year, San Diego County: 2003 and 2005
- Volunteer of Excellence, South Section: 2004 and 2007
Non-4-H Volunteer roles:
- Small Animal Chairman Eastern San Diego County Junior Fair 1993 to 2010
- Small Animal Advisor to San Diego and Orange County FFA program