Hey 4-H’ers! Welcome back to our Grants and Scholarships series. This week brings a new and challenging national grant for you to take a look at, as well as some statewide grants from individual states. And remember, if you know of a grant we don’t mention here, please let everyone know about it in the comments field below.
It’s time to get busy and get those applications submitted – and good luck to everyone!
* 4-H National Mentoring Program Grant
This week, the national 4-H Council announced another significant grant opportunity and youth development program. Funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, this grant is available to 4-H members in all 50 states.
This is an exceptional grant opportunity for those who are willing to get out there and do some serious work! Grantees will recreate one of three documented programs at two different sites (sites can recreate different programs), reaching at least 60 youth per site for a total of 120 youth. Sites must target at-risk or high-risk youth populations ages 8 through 17 years.
You can learn all about the grant and the three programs you can choose from here – 4-H National Mentoring Program.
* West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program (West Virginia and Pennsylvania)
The West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program is now taking applicants. The program awards funds to qualifying undergraduates who require financial assistance in order to attend an (approved) educational institution located in either West Virginia or Pennsylvania. If you live in West Virginia and had your eyes set on a specific college in either of these states, only to realize you didn’t have the funds, then you’ve got to take a look at this grant program. Don’t let the tuition and fees keep you out of college! Talk with your high school counselor or college financial aid department to see if you qualify. Just ask them about the West Virginia Higher Education Grant.
* Grant Writing Workshop in West Virginia
Speaking of West Virginia, we wanted to let you know about a workshop being held this Tuesday at the West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Center for Community Engagement.
You can learn a lot of different things at the workshop; from writing the grants to why grants are rejected to “to dos” and “not to dos” and much more. If you are seriously seeking a grant or scholarship, then this is the place to be on Tuesday.
Click here to find out more, including contact information and times – Center for Community Engagement Hosting Free Grant Writing Workshop.
* National Wild Turkey Federation Grants (Kansas and Nebraska)
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, so it’s only natural that we mention something about turkeys! The National Wild Turkey Federation has been providing grants to 4-H students for years. But this year, instead of sending one large grant to state 4-H leaders to divide up, they are going to be accepting proposals from local 4-H Shooting Sports Clubs for funding to purchase new equipment – directly to the NWTF Regional Biologist by December 31. So if your Shooting Club is in desperate need of new equipment, give this one a look. Find out more at the NWTF blog here – NWTF is FOR 4-H!.
Remember there are literally thousands of scholarship and grant opportunities for 4-H students all over the country and in your local area. All you have to do is get online and start searching. If you still can’t find something up your alley, simply contact your college of choice’s financial aid office or your high school counselor and they will be able to help you find something to fit your needs and financial status. Good luck everybody! Well, that’s it for this week. Don’t let the holidays slow down your grant and scholarship search, you may miss out on a great opportunity! Make sure to check back next week for another list of exciting and educational grant and scholarship opportunities. If you know of an opportunity that we haven’t featured here, please tell us about it in the comment field below!
This month marked a nationally collective effort to gather food for the homeless and hungry. Food banks and pantries all over the country look forward to the annual Boy Scouts Food Drives because, for most of them, they provide the biggest donation of food for the entire year.
Back in April, James (12) and Austin (7) Fackrell were enjoying a vacation at Six Flags in Vallejo, California with their parents.
Today, the National 4-H Council announced that they are teaming up 4-H Groups around the world in an effort to curb hunger across the globe. With help from some big named partners, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Cargill, DuPont, Motorola, and the Nike Foundation, the Council is launching a global initiative to, “create sustainable livelihoods and economic security for the next generation of farmers.” 
Our volunteer spotlight of the week shines on a Winona County 4-H Leader named Donna Speltz. Donna has been volunteering her time and energy to her local 4-H Groups for 50 years – that’s right, FIFTY YEARS!
Thursday is Veterans Day, a day that Americans honor those who have worn the uniform and courageously served in the United States Armed Forces.
Suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mike trained his own dog to help him with his “invisible” disability. Once Mike realized how much it had helped him, he decided that he would create Halley’s K-9s for Veterans to provide trained dogs to veterans of all wars to help them overcome their disabilities and become more productive and functional.
In the coming weeks, we will be featuring grants and scholarships from specific states. This week, we’re going to focus on those offered in the state of Texas.
Hope Pierce Tartt Scholarship 
Finding More Texas State and National Grants
As we near the holiday season, it is easy to forget that some folks out there cannot afford a turkey dinner, some not even a special meal. The fact is that there are a lot of families right now that are having trouble simply putting food on their table.
Every year, thousands of food banks, churches and other organizations prepare and serve Thanksgiving dinner for those who cannot make it on their own. And there is a LOT of work involved.
Did you ever play with Legos when you were a kid? I know I did – and I loved them. Somehow I think the students below will be a step or two above my “Lego creativity.”
The Abington, Virginia 4-H Center was significantly damaged by recent violent storms. It wasn’t long before their story appeared in the local news – and the community rallied!
Hey there 4-H’ers! As you know, we are constantly on the lookout for new grants and scholarships available to 4-H members all over the country. But some of them are hard to find, so if you know of one that we’ve missed, please let everyone know by leaving a comment in the comment area below this post.
Are there a lot of ATV riders in your area? Do you think your community would benefit from ATV safety courses? Then this is a grant opportunity that you can’t pass up!
ATVs are fun and exciting, but very dangerous at the same time. Hundreds of Americans die every year from 
Agricultural literacy, otherwise known as the knowledge of the agricultural industry, is lacking in children all across America.
Of all things, Indiana counties are now using live worms to teach kids entrepreneurship.
In Kansas this week, a 20-year 4-H Leader stepped down after two decades of amazing work.
Groundbreaking for the brand new The Summit: Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve commenced this week in West Virginia. The Summit will be host to the next Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree. The official dates of the Jamboree were also announced this week, which are July 15-24, 2013.
Do you know who the first Eagle Scout on a U.S. postage stamp was? How about what the first, the millionth and the two millionth Eagle scouts had in common? Know what the cub scout sign (the index and middle fingers extended in a V shape) symbolizes?
Our “hero story” of the week comes out of the great state of Hawaii. Eagle Scout Avery Horton of Troop 135 was hiking at the Manoa Falls trail helping his brother’s Cub Scout Pack, when suddenly one of the older hikers stumbled and began slipping down the side of a steep cliff.
Could this be the best muzzle loading shooting sports team in the country? Well, if you think your team is better, you’ll need to leave us a comment below because these guys sure couldn’t be topped in Colorado last week.