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.

We found a couple of good ones this week that we want to share with you. Plus, we link you to a checklist to help you apply for a grant and get approved, and we give you an easy little tip to help you find scholarships on your local level.

So get busy and get those applications submitted and good luck to everyone!

 

National 4-H Volunteer Initiative Grants

The Monsanto Company is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation based in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2009, the company announced a massive $1.5 million donation to the National 4-H council to help drive the Volunteer Initiative. The goal is to expand vital volunteer training programs and fund the development of new volunteer recruitment and retention strategies. The Volunteer Initiative has been a great success so far, but they still need more of you to jump in! Applications are still being accepted at the 4-H Grant Portal. If you want to help the 4-H Volunteer Initiative, this is your shot. 4-H Grant Portal

 

4-H All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Safety Grant

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 ATV-related incidents, and well over one hundred thousand end up in the emergency room. ATV safety education is very important and can save lives in your community – possibly even someone you know. Applications are being taken now for local and/or statewide projects, you can read all about it here – 4-H ATV Safety Grants

 

Tips For Submitting A Formidable Grant Proposal

Have you ever wanted to apply for a grant, but were just too overwhelmed by the application? Lots of people are intimidated by grant applications when they first see them, but there’s no need to panic. Just take it one step at a time and take your time. If you are still having problems, there’s no reason you cannot get the assistance of someone who is more experienced or educated on the subject to help you complete your application. There’s no excuse for you not to start your quest for that grant or scholarship today! And here’s a list we found to help you out even more. Top 10 Practical Hints for Developing a Successful 4-H Grant Proposal

 

Finding your Local, County and State Grants and Scholarships

Every time we seek out the latest and greatest 4-H grants and scholarships online, we see literally hundreds of them pop up every week for individual counties and states. Unfortunately, we can’t list them all here. But there is a simply and quick way for you to find them! Just head over to your favorite search engine and type “your state 4-h grant application” into the search box – replace your state with the name of the state you live in. For instance, I am writing this blog post from Florida, so I would use “Florida 4-H Grant Application”. I could even go more local and use “Hillsborough County 4-H Grant Application.” I promise you, you’ll find plenty of them. You can also experiment with some other search phrases as well. If you know of a good one, let us know in the comment field below. So if you’ve been contemplating applying for a grant but you just didn’t know where to find them, well, now you know how. And it’s all right here on your computer screen. Now go get started because now you can do it!

 

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!

Howdy, 4-H’ers! There were a lot of awards and honors given out over the last week in 4-H gatherings all over the country. I wish we could mention all of you individually but there simply isn’t enough time in the day.

But we do want to send out our thanks and congratulations to each and every one of you. Your efforts in 4-H and in the community are making a difference in the lives of people, and that’s the end goal for all of us.

Keep up the great work!

4-H Weekly News for October 29th:

• Agricultural literacy, otherwise known as the knowledge of the agricultural industry, is lacking in children all across America.

  That’s why Evan Hall and Daniel New, 4-H ambassadors in Illinois, have started a statewide effort to bring agriculture literacy to the children of Illinois.

  This week, Evan and Daniel helped launch the statewide effort by presenting two children’s books to a Decatur library. These books will be given to libraries and elementary schools all across Illinois.

  Way to go, guys! We know this will produce some great long-term results and maybe even gain national consideration. 4-H ambassadors use books to spread ag literacy




• Of all things, Indiana counties are now using live worms to teach kids entrepreneurship.

  But it’s not as gross as it sounds. You see, Indiana is introducing a pilot program that will allow the kids to use worm farms to learn about both entrepreneurship and composting. OK, maybe it is as gross as it sounds.

  Either way, they should have enough “castings” to begin selling by the beginning of 2011. Read more here – Worm farmers seek to grow business




• In Kansas this week, a 20-year 4-H Leader stepped down after two decades of amazing work.

  Denise King decided to step down and let someone else take over the reigns of the 4-H Club that she loves so much. But don’t worry kids, she’s not going anywhere. She just wanted someone else to have the chance to learn all she learned from 4-H.

  Said King, “This club truly made me a better parent and I got far more out of my time with them than I put in.”

  Congratulations on a career well done – King steps down from Pioneer reign after 20 years




• Here’s a fund raising event that kills THREE birds with one stone.

  In Liberty, NY, the Sullivan County 4-H Program is holding a fundraiser that will raise money for their program, help the environment and help people in the community save money.

  They will be collecting what they call, “E-scrap,” which are things like batteries, computer monitors and cell phones – which are harmful to the environment when disposed of improperly.

  They are charging nominal fees for people discarding their E-scrap to raise money for their program and for community education, but much less than it would cost to discard at any other professional facility.

  Way to go 4-H’ers, keep up the great work! Another Chance to Recycle Electronics for 4-H Fundraiser

That’s it for this week, everybody. We know there are some stories we missed, so if you have a story or news event you’d like to share, just leave it in a comment below.

Now It’s Your Turn! Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Have a great Halloween weekend and we’ll see you next week!

Howdy 4-H’ers! Have you thought about applying for a grant or scholarship to help you further your education or help your community? Well, there are tons of grants all over the country that you can apply for right now! Just hop onto your favorite search engine and see what you can find.

We found a few this week that we thought you would be interested in below. If you know of a grant or scholarship that we haven’t featured, let us know about it in the comments section below!

Get those applications submitted and good luck to everyone!

 

2010 Youth Garden Grant Program

Sponsored by Home Depot, the 2010 Youth Garden Grant Program is aimed at schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs. Applicants must plan to garden in 2011 with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18 years. What a great way to get started on a new community garden! But you have to hurry, applications must be postmarked by November 1st, 2010. Youth Garden Grants Program Information

 

2010 National 4-H Shooting Sports Grants

The NRA has been funding grants for shooting sports since its inception, and this year is no exception! State Fund Grants are awarded to eligible applicants for qualifying projects or activities that promote firearms and hunting safety; enhance the marksmanship skills of those participating in the shooting sports; educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological, and artistic context; or contribute to the general well-being of the public at large. To find out which grants are available for your state, or who to contact for more information, click here – NRA State Fund Grants

 

Ohio 4-H Awards and Scholarships

Ohio has been offering scholarships to their 4-H youth since 1976 in an effort to help Ohio youth be, “self-directing, productive and contributing members of society,” and, of course, to help them further their education. There are currently 24 statewide scholarships available to apply for and many more on the local, county level. Here is a link to the page explaining the statewide scholarships – Ohio 4-H Awards and Scholarships. And here is a link to find out about scholarships in your local Ohio county – Locate Your Local Office

 

Texas 4-H and Youth Development Opportunity Scholarship

This one is exclusive to our Texan friends out there. The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program Opportunity Scholarships are just about ready to be applied for. This scholarship is based on a student’s 4-H experience, academic record and financial need, so if you are planning to attend a Texas college, need some assistance, and you’re currently a Texas student, give it a shot! Make sure to visit their website to get a jump start on your application! Texas 4-H and Youth Development

Courageous Heart Scholarships

Another Scholarship for Texan 4-H’ers, the Courageous Heart Scholarships are awarded to applicants who have maintained an active 4-H career despite unforeseen obstacles related to their medical/health, family, and/or educational situation. If you fit this description or know of someone who does, make sure to get an application in before February. Apply via your local County Extension Agent.

 

That’s it for this week everybody. Again, 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!

Hey there 4-H’ers! As usual, we’re impressed with all the different ways you come up with to help out your communities.

A lot of you are gathering donations of food, toys or clothing and donating them to those who are less fortunate. Still more of you are helping to beautify and improve your local community utilizing donations from others and your own donations of time and energy.

If you are planning a fund raising or community benefit project for the holidays, let us know about it in the comments below.

4-H Weekly News for October 22nd:.

• 4-H Teen Leaders in Leesville, Louisiana are making a big difference in the lives of children in their local community.

  Concerned that millions of children in America are at risk of hunger, the Vernon Parish 4-H club is organizing a food drive for local children. Dubbed the “backpack project” their goal is to fill the backpacks of children in their local schools with non-perishable items to take home for the holiday season.

  “By sending these students home with a backpack filled with nutritious, non-perishable foods and snacks, (we’re ensuring) the students are getting some of their dietary needs met when school is out for the holidays,” said a 4-H spokesperson.

  Great job, and a great example for other 4-H clubs around the country! Vernon Parish Backpack Project providing nutrition for needy kids




• This year, the Nebraska 4-H Foundation held a raffle as a big part of their yearly fundraising. The grand prize? A 2010 Ford F-150. This is the second year they have held the truck fundraiser and have raised over $45,000 each year with proceeds going to 4-H clubs all over the state.

  But here’s the really cool part about the story. The winner this year was Eric Woita, a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who is a former 11 year member of 4-H. “I was excited to win the truck,” Woita said, “4-H is a great program and any money they get, they appreciate a lot.”

  Way to go Eric! You can read the whole story here – Eric Woita Wins Nebraska 4-H Foundation Truck




• Congratulations to Ashe County 4-H who applied for and received a 21st Century Community Learning Center Afterschool Grant from the Department of Public Instruction.

  They will use the money to fund their new Afterschool program called 4-H LINK, which stands for Learning, Inspiring, Nurturing, Konnections.

  They will receive a total of $1,360,000 over the next four years to fund the program.

  Read all about it here – Jefferson Post – 4 H Afterschool receives grants in excess $1.3 million




• The Salem Ohio 4-H Group is helping their community by volunteering for good old community service!

  When they learned that their local library was having funding problems, they jumped into action and were able to get donations of gardening materials and beautify the outside of the library.

  According to the library staff, if 4-H didn’t do it, it wouldn’t have been done.

  Way to go 4-H’ers, keep up the great work! 4-H’ers Perform Community Service

That’s it for this week, folks. We know there are some stories we missed, so if you have a story or news event you’d like to share, just leave it in a comment below.

Now It’s Your Turn! Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week!

Congratulations to the winners of the ClassB 4-H Community Service Grant Contest!

We want to extend our appreciation to all of the groups who applied and sent us their project ideas. Hats off to each and every one of you! We hope that you will continue with your projects and help make your communities safer, healthier and happier places to live.

Below is a summary of each of the winning projects. Make sure to check back over the coming weeks and months as we will be giving updates on their progress and showcasing their projects upon completion.

McGuire Blue Falcons Project

Project Name: Cultivating Community Connections

Project Summary: The McGuire Blue Falcons 4-H Cloverbud club members are all 6-9 years of age. With the guidance and help of adult leaders and another club of older members, the “Nature Nuts” club, the Blue Falcons will plan and carry out a hands-on project developing a nature park at the McGuire AFB Youth Center. The park will include a stage area, physical fun activity area, quiet/reflection space, and a raised bed garden. As a group they have invested in a common goal of creating this nature park where they can play, learn, and work together. 4-H SET Club Project

Project Name: 4-H Fox River Trail 911 Community Service Learning Project

Project Summary: To install markers on the Fox River Trail and acquire waypoints using GPS. These waypoints will be mapped using GIS technology and downloaded into the Brown County 911 system. The ultimate goal is to have markers placed every 100 feet which will allow first responders to easily and quickly find people on the trail that have an emergency. Since the trail is not currently marked, other than for a few interpretive signs, there have been delays in finding people that need help. This project will benefit users of the trail by making it safer, especially for those who have an accident or medical emergency and may even save lives.

We can’t wait to see the finished projects and the benefits they will have on your communities.

Again, congratulations to the winners and kudos to all of the other groups who submitted their projects. We understand the importance of the 4-H program in the lives of youth in the community and we are confident that communities all over the country will benefit from the projects that were submitted.

Please leave a comment below with your thoughts!

Another week has gone by and it’s time for another round of new 4-H grants that you can all apply for. Remember that there are hundreds of grants in your local and/or regional areas that we are not listing here. Since our audience is on a national level, we try and feature only national level grants – although sometimes we will announce regional grants as well.

But there are tons of grants all over the country that you can apply for right now! Just hop onto your favorite search engine and see what you can find.

Get those applications submitted and good luck to everyone!

 

2010 4-H National Mentoring Program

It’s almost time to apply for the 4-H National Mentoring Program Grants. The Request for Application should be posted on the 4-H Grants Portal by the first week of November. If you and your group want to help out at-risk or high-risk children in your community, then this is definitely the way to do it. Your efforts will not only help the kids now, but your collected data will help at-risk children for many years to come! This is a very significant program for those who are fully dedicated to helping the youth in their community. Don’t wait on this one. Get all the details right here – 4-H National Mentoring Program

 

UnitedHealth HEROES Service Learning Grants

Youth Service America (YSA) and United Health Group are sponsoring grants for groups to plan and implement a service-learning project to help fight childhood obesity in your local community. We’re sorry for the short notice – but you really need to act fast on this one. The deadline for submitting your application is Midnight this Friday, October 22nd, 2010. The grants encourage semester-long projects that launch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 17, 2011) and culminate on Global Youth Service Day (April 15-17, 2011). Go to this website, take the quick quiz and get started ASAP – United Health HEROES Grant Questionnaire.

 

JCPenney Afterschool Mini Grants

Yep, it’s JCPenney in our grants list again. Way to go JCP! This time, they are offering 500 grants totaling $250,000 to county-based 4-H programs looking to help out with afterschool programs in their community. A lot of kids sadly just don’t have access to afterschool programs and some that do, will soon be forced to stop attending them due to lack of funding. This grant is aimed at putting a stop to that. For more information, visit the official 4-H page here – JCPenney Minigrants – and get involved today!

 

That’s it for now guys and gals. Again, make sure to check back next week for another list of exciting and educational grant opportunities. If you know of a grant opportunity that we haven’t featured here, please tell us about it in the comment field below!

Another week is done and we’re 7 days closer to Halloween…scary. But what isn’t scary is how you guys and gals continue to do tons of great things in your groups and communities.

We know you’re all busy keeping up with your 4-H activities and doing your best at school, so here’s a recap of some of the news you may have missed this week. And if you have a story we missed, let us know in the comments below!

• Ben Young started out raising alpacas in his high school 4-H club. After that, he turned his attention to raising chickens – and hasn’t looked back since.

  Every week, he brings several dozens fresh eggs, that his 200 chickens laid, to his local farmer’s market where they sell out within a matter of an hour or two. Not bad!

  But Ben doesn’t want to stop here, he plans on expanding the business and taking it to the next level soon. And from what we can see, he shouldn’t have any problems! This is a great example of the amazing head-start that 4-H gives kids, allowing them to reach their potential and to emerge as leaders.

  Local Farmer’s Eggs Fly Off The Shelves




• They’ve taken creativity – and hay – to a whole new level all over Phillips County in northeast Colorado. Commemorating their 100th anniversary, 4-H clubs across the county were given the challenge of taking a single hay bale and turning it into a work of art.

  I, for one, am completely impressed by some of the creations these clubs produced. Bugs, cakes, hats, pigs – out of a bale of hay! There are some very creative thinkers in Phillips County Colorado. Great job Everybody!

  Click on the link to see some photos of some of their decorated hay bales – 4-H Gets Creative with Hay Bale Decorations.




• And here’s a nice story out of Lancaster, Ohio. Justin Bachman and Taylor Justice met a few years ago in 4-H and have become close friends since then. In fact, they’re now roommates at Ohio State both studying animal sciences.

  What’s really cool is that this year they individually raised the grand champion steer and the reserve grand champion. Awesome job guys! But what is even more awesome is the fact that they are both using their auction money to help fund their college education.

  Kudos to both of you for being such great examples to kids everywhere.
  Click here to read the whole story, and find out who bought the grand champion – Friends Use Livestock Auction for College Cash.




• As we said above, Halloween is getting closer, and you can use it to your 4-H Group’s advantage if you act fast. Organizing and creating a “haunted trail” or a “haunted house” is a great way to raise funds for your group and/or a charity of your choice. You can even sell baked goods, candy and other things at the entrance (or at the exit if you don’t scare your guests too badly).

  Not only can you raise money, but you and your Group will have a great time planning and preparing the event as well.

  Take a look at what the 4-H club in East Brunswick, NJ has planned – 4-H Teens Host “Haunted House” Fundraiser in East Brunswick.

That’s it for this week, folks. We know there are some stories we missed, so if you have a story or news event you’d like to share, just leave it in a comment below.

Now It’s Your Turn! Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week!

Here at ClassB, we’re always looking for ways to help you succeed. So we’ve decided to keep you updated on a weekly basis about 4-H grants and scholarships that are currently available and ready for your application. We’ll be listing 3-4 grants and scholarships each week, so make sure to bookmark this page or subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss anything. Get those applications submitted and good luck to everyone!

Youth In Action Grant

The 4-H Youth In Action Grant is a community improvement grant funded by Cumberland Farms. This grant requires that your 4-H group create a community project which includes the Essential Elements of 4-H and focuses on one of the six following areas; Citizenship, Healthy Living, Workforce Preparation, Safety, Environment, and Science, Engineering and Technology. The goal is to have the 4-H group identify a community issue, develop and implement an action plan with goals and objectives to create positive change in their communities. From February through November, the Youth In Action Grant awards 43 grants of $1,400 each. Eligible 4-H programs or 4-H Afterschool sites must be located in one of the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island or Vermont. Click on this link or contact 4-H or Cumberland Farms for details.

Trio Of 4-H GIS Grants

Esri, Inc. has teamed up with 4-H, the USDA and NIFA to offer three new grants to 4-H’ers. The goal of this grant program is to help 4-H expand its current programs to include GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and geospatial technologies. The three grants include one aimed at beginners, one for more advanced GIS enthusiasts, and one for “training the trainer” which is geared toward training adults to start their own 4-H GIS technology program within their 4-H group. All three grants provide state-of-the-art software, online resources, books and training material. If you are interested in any of these new and exciting opportunities, click this link for more information – 4-H and GIS

JCPenney “Share, Care, Win” Facebook Competition

You need to act fast on this one! JCPenney is giving away a cool million dollars. Kids simply submit a 250 word essay on a community project along with a photo. 50 winners will be chosen, each receiving $3,000 scholarships! A $3,000 match will be given to the charities of the winners’ choice. Then, 3 grand prize winners will be chosen to receive $20,000, $30,000 and $50,000 scholarships, which will also be matched for charities of the winners’ choice! The remaining 1/2 million dollars will go directly to 4 organizations, one of which is 4-H. But you have to get to the JCPenney facebook page ASAP, and once a day, to vote on how those funds will be allocated. Voting ends on October 17th, 2010. – JCPenney Share, Care, Win!

On The Horizon

The Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has awarded the National 4-H Council with a huge $5 million grant to help support the 4-H National Mentoring program. It will be spread out to include two Mentoring programs in every state in areas deemed to have an increased risk of juvenile delinquency. Keep an eye out for news of this grant in your local state or community. You can find out more here – 4-H Awarded $5 Million to Expand National Mentoring Program.
That’s it for now. Again, make sure to check back next week for another list of exciting and educational grant opportunities. If you know of a grant opportunity that we haven’t featured here, please tell us about it in the comment field below!

Hey 4-H’ers! National 4-H week is upon us and there are millions of people all over the World honoring the organization. This week also brought us the 4-H National Youth Science Day. This is definitely a fun time to be involved in 4-H.

This week, we share a few stories below that we discovered in the midst of literally thousands of stories online about National 4-H week and Youth Science Day. We didn’t want them to go unnoticed.

If you have a 4-H related news story that you’d like to share, just enter it as a comment below and we’ll publish it right on this page!

____________________________________________________________________________________

4-H News for October 8th…

• 

  As most of you know, October 6th was 4-H National Youth Science Day. Hopefully most of you participated in the event and learned a lot about water quality and how it can affect climate change.

  This year’s experiment was the idea of Dr. Stephanie Luster-Teasley of North Carolina A&T, who teamed up with her colleague, Dr. Greg Goins to compete against other Universities for the chance to lead the national experiment.

  Well, they won the competition and as a result, millions of kids all over the World took part in the experiment and received a great learning experience.

  Click on the link below and watch the video to learn more about Dr. Luster-Teasley and see other kids participating in the experiment – Congratulations on your achievement doctor!

  N.C. leads 2010 National Science Experiment




• The moment I saw this story, I knew it would be in the lineup this week! Back in June of this year, a tornado smashed through the small town of Wadena, Minnesota causing widespread damage. The small town was devastated, including its local 4-H club.

  Fast forward to September 27th. In another small town a few miles down the road, the East Otter Tail 4-H Club was collecting their Blue ribbon auction winnings. But they had something else in mind.

  

  The East Otter Tail 4-H Club, eager to help their fellow 4-H’ers, donated a large portion of their auction winnings to the Wadena 4-H Club to help them replace what they had lost in the tornado.

  This is something that both 4-H clubs will remember for the rest of their lives, and something that every single one of us can take a lesson from.

  What else can we say? Kudos to the East Otter Tail 4-H Club. We wish both of your clubs the best!

  Giving From the Heart And Hand




• 4-H, It Runs In The Family!

  

  Here’s a great story about a family in Mason City, Iowa. When the two youngest children joined 4-H, they marked the 4th generation of the family to have been involved in 4-H.

  What’s interesting about this story, aside from 4 generations of 4-H’ers, is how much 4-H has changed, while maintaining the core values and traditions that make 4-H such a meaningful organization.

  Click on the link below and read about the different 4-H memories of 4 generations! There is a video link there as well.

  4 Generations of 4-H



• 

  The state of Illinois is very close to production of the brand new 4-H Specialty License Plate. But they need your help. If you live in Illinois, visit this page see if you can help them make this a reality.

  Once they receive 1500 commitments, the plate can officially go into production and begin funding 4-H programs across the state.

  Here’s a picture of what the plate would look like, and a link to the page where you can support the push for the plate. Purchase an Illinois 4-H License Plate.

  Not from Illinois? Does your state have a 4-H license plate?



• 

  As we talked about above, Wednesday was the 4-H National Youth Science Day. With that in mind, it was interesting to see this story out of Abilene, Texas.

  4-H Clubs throughout Texas will soon be widening their programs to include the fields of science, engineering and technology and they will be included in the State Roundup this year. If you’re interested in these fields, the good news is that, until they gain traction, you won’t have to qualify at the district level, you can go straight into the state level competition!

  This will definitely open up new opportunities for 4-H’ers and we want to know your thoughts. Leave a comment below!

  4-H Unveils Program In Sciences

Well, that’s it for this week. We know there are some stories we missed, so if you have a story or news event you’d like to share, just leave it in a comment below.

Now It’s Your Turn! Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week!

Howdy 4-H’ers. A couple of weeks has gone by since we merged CloverTees.com into ClassB.com and started our new 4-H blog.

To get things started on the right foot, we’re announcing the start of a weekly series which will highlight some of the interesting news and activities in the world of 4-H.

Make sure to bookmark this page or subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss anything! And, as always, we encourage you to post a comment below with your thoughts on any of the topics.

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4-H News for October 1st…

• How would you like to receive a $3,000.00 scholarship and another $3K to donate to your favorite charity? How about $20K, $30K or even $50K? OK, that may be a silly question, but if you hurry over to the J.C. Penney Facebook page, you can enter to win. All you have to do is submit a 250 word essay on a community project you are planning, along with a photo, and J.C. Penney will choose the winners. But you’d better hurry, the deadline for entry is October 3, 2010.
  – Click this link for more information and a link to the page – JCPenney to Donate $1 Million to Youth, Charities


• Now this is what we call taking the initiative – Mary Kersetter, who grew up participating in 4-H, recently traveled to war-ravaged Iraq and introduced the 4-H idea to Iraqi civilians. And they can’t get enough of it! In fact, Mary has already formed three 4-H clubs in Baghdad and Anbar.
  But Iraq has a different culture than the U.S. Check out this story about how Mary was able to weave 4-H into the culture of the Iraqis.
  – Awesome job, Mary! – Frenchville Native Uses 4-H to Aid Iraqis


• This week, our 4-H volunteer award has to go to Anne Keene of Monroe, Louisiana. Anne started in 4-H when she was just a girl, and years later became a volunteer when her own children joined their local Club – and she hasn’t stopped! Even after her children grew up and moved on, Anne kept on volunteering for decades, over 30 years. Now that’s worthy of some applause! Anne is being inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame in October.
  – Read more about her commendable story here – Volunteer Put Heart Into 4-H


• How does your garden grow? Through hard work and commitment, which is what these 4-H’ers have done in Arkansas. As a community project, they volunteered their time and energy into helping get a community garden started in their local park.
  If any of you are looking for a way to help your community, this is an awesome idea. Community gardens not only look nice, they actually put food into the mouths of hungry people and provide a spark in community development. They will also be helping in the harvesting and distribution of the produce.
  – Another super job! – Health Coalition, 4-H Members Cultivate Community Garden West of Hamburg


• While we’re on the subject of helping others, lets shine the spotlight on a group of 4-H members in Worthington, Minnesota. The “Elk Tip Toppers” gathered things for, packed and donated 65 drawstring bags full of items for foster children in their community. When the Elk Tip Toppers found out that foster children have very little of their own, sometimes just the clothes on their backs, they sprung into action. Gathering donations from local stores and businesses, they were able to put together these much-needed packages.
  – You can read all about their story here. Great job Elk Tip Toppers! – 4-H Club Compiles Bags for Children Placed in Foster Care

Well, that’s it for now everyone. If you have a story or news event you’d like to share, please send them to blog@classb.com.

Make sure to leave a comment below with any stories we missed!

Have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week!