Notes from Jennifer

For everyone

Colleagues,

Happy National 4-H Week! I am looking forward to us going green today.

Finishing strong

As we close out another 4-H program year, thank you for all you did to create meaningful learning and leadership opportunities for young people across Minnesota.

Our showcase season concluded with nearly 300 youth participating in the State Dog Show, more than 600 youth in the State Horse Show, and nearly 750 youth in the Shooting Sports and Wildlife Invitational.

Thank you to Kirstin Koch, Renee Kostick, Nicole Pokorney, and their teams for leading our state showcases. I also want to recognize our local and regional colleagues who create the pathway to these experiences. Young people do not arrive at a state showcase by accident. They get there because volunteers, educators, staff, and families invest their time, encouragement, and expertise every step of the way.

The next phase of our 4-H Beyond Ready Initiative 

Our 4-H Beyond Ready Initiative continues with the official launch of three more Explore 4-H programs to use with schools and homeschools:

• True Leaders
• Healthy Sips
• Digital Storytelling

Outdoor Explorers is in development and will launch in January.

The public Explore 4-H webpage and the YD Intranet page have both been updated. The YD Intranet includes program packets, curricula, marketing materials, and communication resources.

If you have questions about the programs, please contact Jessica Russo. For questions about establishing new partnerships, connect with your regional quality program specialist or Jan Derdowski.

Warmly,

Jennifer A. Skuza
Associate dean

Welcome the 2026 - 2027 Minnesota 4-H Agriculture Ambassadors!

For everyone

Please join us in welcoming the 2026 - 2027 Minnesota 4-H Agriculture Ambassadors! These youth leaders are ready to share their passion for 4-H, agriculture, and leadership with communities across Minnesota. Selected from a competitive pool of applicants, the ambassadors will spend the year building leadership and communication skills while gaining experience in public speaking, agriculture-focused programming, and hands-on plant science activities.

A resource for local educators

Minnesota 4-H Agriculture Ambassadors can be a great resource for local educators looking to add youth voice, agriculture experiences, and leadership opportunities to their programming. Ambassadors may be available to support county events, speak with youth, share their 4-H experiences, help with agriculture activities, or connect with other young people interested in agriculture.

We have ambassadors in each region! Do you have an agriculture event, program, or learning opportunity coming up? Consider reaching out! Connecting youth with these leaders can give participants a chance to learn from a peer while giving ambassadors valuable experience putting their leadership skills into action.

Complete the Ambassador request form.

Learn more.

Minnesota 4-H Agriculture Ambassador photos and bios are currently being updated on our website. You may want to check back in a few days!

Anja Johnson, Brian McNeill and Kelly Chadwick

Minnesota 4-H Agriculture Ambassador advisors

4-H Ag Ed Leader Exchange: Explore, lead, advocate!

For local educators

Youth in grades 7+ are invited to the 2026 4-H Ag Ed Leader Exchange taking place Nov. 13 - 14 on the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus! Explore agriculture, build leadership skills, learn how to advocate for agriculture, connect with the UMN Ag Education Department, and discover careers connected to CFANS. Registration is $100. Registration closes Oct. 20. Come explore, connect, and grow your future in agriculture! Learn more and register.

Anja Johnson & Kirstin Koch
Extension educators

Nominate youth program facilitators

For educators and county support staff

Do you know a youth leader who has a talent for connecting with others, facilitating discussions, and creating a welcoming environment? The Minnesota 4-H State Ambassadors and the civic engagement and leadership team are seeking outstanding youth leaders to serve as youth program facilitators (YPFs) at BLU: Building Leadership and Understanding.

Youth program facilitators play a vital role in creating a positive and engaging experience for BLU participants. Each facilitator is paired with a Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador to co-lead small-group learning experiences, support participants throughout the event, and help foster an atmosphere of inclusion, growth, and belonging.

This opportunity is ideal for youth in grades 11+ and young 4-H alumni who are ready to strengthen their leadership skills while making a meaningful impact on younger members. Strong candidates are empathetic, patient, and confident communicators who value diverse perspectives and enjoy helping others succeed. They also demonstrate creativity, problem-solving abilities, effective time management, and the ability to build connections within a group setting.

As a staff member, you may know youth who are quietly leading in their clubs, stepping up during county events, or demonstrating a natural ability to engage and support their peers. Your nomination can help these young people recognize their leadership potential and encourage them to apply for this unique statewide opportunity.

If you know youth who would thrive in this role, please submit a nomination. Once nominated, youth will receive an email invitation encouraging them to apply.

Help us identify and inspire the next generation of Minnesota 4-H leaders. Your nomination could be the first step in a transformative leadership experience.

Meg Clark & Jacquie Lonning
On behalf of the civic engagement and leadership team

Submit workshop proposals for BLU 2027!

For educators and county support staff

Strong youth leadership experiences start with engaging presenters and creative ideas. If you have a workshop concept that can inspire young people to learn, lead, and connect, we encourage you to submit a proposal for 2027 Building Leadership and Understanding events.

Call for workshop proposals

Do you have a great idea for a hands-on, youth-focused leadership session? We are now accepting proposals for 1-hour workshops at 2027 BLU events. Workshops should help youth in grades 6+ build leadership skills, connect with others, and explore the world around them.

We welcome proposals from:

• Extension staff
• Volunteers
• Youth leaders
• Faculty
• Community partners
• Youth co-presenters (especially encouraged!)

Workshops will be offered on Saturdays between Feb. 7-20, 2027. Proposal deadline: Friday, Nov. 13.

Whether your topic focuses on leadership development, communication, teamwork, civic engagement, career exploration, wellness, or another area of youth growth, we want to hear your ideas. Interactive sessions that actively engage participants are strongly encouraged.

Ready to share your expertise and inspire the next generation of leaders?

Submit your workshop proposal.

We look forward to reviewing your ideas and building another exciting year of BLU programming for Minnesota youth.

Meg Clark & Jacquie Lonning
On behalf of the civic engagement and leadership team

Watch for state fair checks

For educators and county support staff

In the next few weeks, various checks will be sent out to local 4-H programs and individual 4-H’ers for various State Fair related purposes. Please see below for what you and your 4-H’ers might expect to see.

Checks from the Minnesota State Fair to local 4-H programs:

-          Transportation/premium

o   Like the last few years, the State Fair was not able to offer premiums but could still provide some support back to counties. I hope that all are grateful that the MN State Fair was still able to support 4-H in this way.
It is up to each county to determine how to use/distribute this money. You can choose to divide it up and give out small premiums to the youth, you could use it to offset the cost of transportation (buses, truckers, etc.) or however you see fit. Know that there was no mention of premiums in the State Fair Premium Book again this year, so families should not be expecting a premium.

-          Milk money

o   Money from First District based on milk weights for 4-H’ers that milked dairy cattle and filled out the appropriate form at the State Fair.

Checks from the University of Minnesota to 4-H’ers:

-          Lamb lead

o   Youth that participated in Lamb Lead are receiving a $30 cash award. Top 5 in each division will receive additional money.

-          Llama-alpaca costume contest

o   Youth that participated in the Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest are receiving a $75 cash award. Top 2 in each division will receive additional money.

-          Public presentations

o   Youth that gave a public presentation are receiving a $30 cash award.

-          General project purple ribbon

o   Youth that received a purple ribbon on their general encampment project will receive a $25 cash award.

o   As you talk about these General Project Purple Ribbon awards, please make sure that you are referring to them as cash awards. They are not premiums, but an award that has donors that want to recognize the youth. If your county is interested in supporting these awards, we’d welcome your contributions to put towards next year’s awards (I can also email you the form if you’d like a paper version).

-          Sheep and goats

o   Youth that sent their sheep or goat to market will be receiving their payment. (Our understanding is that the rest of the market checks should have been mailed already.)

If you have questions about the various checks, please let me know..

Amber Greeley
Director of state and county fairs programs

Join Oct. 8 summer 2027 hiring webinar

For educators, campus staff, and program leaders

Learn about the 2027 hiring process for summer interns, coordinators, and seasonal staff during the Summer 2027 hiring webinar on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 10 to 11 a.m. This session will cover initial steps, important considerations for your hiring plans, the submission process (due Oct. 20), and what to expect afterwards. The recording will be made available for those unable to attend.

Join Zoom meeting.

Stephanie Grimes

YD hiring coordinator

New restrictions on external link sharing on Facebook may be coming

For everyone

Meta is testing new restrictions on external links in organic Facebook posts, which could affect how Minnesota 4-H Facebook pages drive traffic to websites. This article explains who may be affected, what the changes mean, and ways to adapt, including prioritizing important links and creating more native Facebook content. At this time accounts that are not receiving any warnings do not need to take any immediate action, but it is a good time to consider how your program page may adapt to these changes. One potential workaround could include using a Z link in an event promotional graphic - either as a standalone post or in a carousel, in which case the full Z link URL must also be in the alt text. For additional questions, feel free to reach out.

Anna Wagner Schliep

Senior communications specialist

October ESCC learn and connect: Extension development

For everyone

All staff are invited to join the Extension Staff Consultative Committee (ESCC) on Oct. 7, from 1 to 2 p.m., as Brad Starbuck, Extension’s director of development, will present. Brad will share how the Extension development team provides value to Extension, as well as highlight a few key projects currently underway, including the 4-H Building renovation.

Register.

Kayla Huhn

ESCC chair

Brain Day event for families!

For everyone

Invite your families to Brain Day at the University of Minnesota! The event is Saturday, Oct. 10 at Coffman Memorial Union. Brain Day is an interactive, engaging, and free event celebrating the brain. Brain Day will allow curious community members of all ages the chance to meet with real scientists while doing cool hands-on experiments and games. 4-H will be there with our neuroscience partners (Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain) manning a table, so we'd love to see our 4-H youth and families join the fun!

The event is free, but families should pre-register.

Jessica Russo

Curriculum and program development director