I am writing to tell you that my last day with Pinellas County 4-H Youth Development is April 30th. I am not leaving 4-H though! I am moving on to the national level to work for the National 4-H Council as the Manager of SET Professional Development. This is such an exciting opportunity for me and I look forward to the challenges and successes ahead. After almost 14 years here I have worked with so many amazing 4-H members and volunteers and I will miss you all. I will be staying in the area though, so I am sure I will see many of you around. I may even come back as a judge for events from time to time. Never in a million years did I dream as a 9 year old 4-H member in New Jersey that I would one day be a 4-H Agent and have such an amazing career. I have all of you to thank for making these years so special. Keep up all the great things you are doing and best of luck in the future!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
4-H Goes Tweet, Tweet!
Pinellas County 4-H is now on Twitter, so if you are already on Twitter please follow our tweets. For those of you not on Twitter, I encourage you to set up a free account by going to their website at www.twitter.com. If you are not familiar with Twitter, it is a social networking tool that allows family, friends, and organizations like 4-H to provide up-to-date information on what they are up to at any given moment. This information, called tweets, can be accessed via the web, through texting, and other venues. It is up to you to select how you want to receive your tweets. The Pinellas County 4-H Twitter will be used to keep you updated on upcoming deadlines, events, activities, and meetings. Messages sent out on Twitter are limited to 140 characters, which is just enough for a quick update. So, when you get on twitter search for ‘Pinellas4H’ to keep up with what is happening in Pinellas County 4-H Development.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Take the 4-H Give2Vote Challenge and Help Win $5000 for Florida 4-H
Now you have an exciting, new way to be a part of Florida 4-H’s success! During the month of April, join 4-H’s Give2Vote Challenge by texting CLOVER to 50555 to give $10 in support of 4-H in Florida. You can also take the Challenge by making a secure online donation to Florida 4-H at www.Florida4H.org.
When you give, you vote! Each $10 mobile gift or online donation counts as one “vote” towards Florida 4-H. The state with the most “votes” at the end of the Challenge receives an additional $5,000 thanks to Challenge sponsor, JCPenney. Every vote counts and your votes will help Florida 4-H claim the $5,000 bonus! Voting ends April 30th.
State donation designation determined by the area code of your mobile phone. If you are under 18, be sure to get a parent or guardian’s permission before participating.
Terms and Conditions: A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. You will also receive up to 1 message per day from 4-H Alerts. Message and Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of National 4-H Council by the mGive Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A. To unsubscribe text STOP to 50555, for help text HELP to 50555. Privacy policy available at http://mgive.com/PrivacyPolicy.aspx
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
4-H Legislature Overview
You are invited to attend an informational meeting for Florida 4-H Legislature.
Who: All Senior 4-H’ers that have completed at least one year of membership.
What: Florida 4-H Legislature (June 21 – June 25)
When: The overview meeting will be held on April 8, 2010, 6:30 p.m. at the beginning of the
Teen Council Meeting.
Where: Ochs 4-H Educational Center, 14644 113th Avenue N., Largo, FL 33774
Why: To learn more about Florida 4-H Legislature and prepare to attend one of the
most enriching, dynamic, and fun programs available.
The Florida 4-H Legislature provides an opportunity for teen 4-H members to:
- Have a “learn by doing” experience in state government each summer.
- Actually experience all three branches of Florida’s government: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
- Consider, pass, or veto Florida 4-H laws in a model legislative session at the Florida State Capitol.
- Serve as Florida 4-H senators, representatives, lobbyists, reporters, Lt. Governor or Governor during this 5-day event.
For more information on 4-H Legislature, go to: http://florida4h.org/events/leg.shtml.
If interested, please respond to Andrew at ayuan@pinellascounty.org or Melissa at msharp@pinellascounty.org.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
It's My Environment!
Show your appreciation for your environment by participating in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “It’s My Environment” Video Project. The EPA has created this video project in honor of Earth Day, a day to promote appreciation and awareness of Earth’s environment. Participation is easy. Just create a 10-15 second clip where someone off-screen hands you a sign saying “It’s My Environment” (see first link below for printable sign). Hold up the sign and say “It’s My Environment” while doing a small action to protect the environment. As soon as you’re done, pass on the sign to your left. To submit your video, just post a video response on youtube to the EPA’s promotional video (see links below). Check out the promotional video for some samples. The EPA will release a compilation of the clips on April 22nd, 2010 (Earth Day) where it’ll look like the sign is travelling from clip to clip, forming a human chain. Do your part to show how important the environment is to you!
For more information please visit the following links:
For rules & eligibility, “It’s My Environment” sign, and general info:
http://www.epa.gov/earthday/video/
How to create a youtube account:
http://www.youtube.com/create_account
How to submit a video response:
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=57931
EPA’s promotional video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4od4tOkz5Y
Monday, March 8, 2010
4-H Day at the Capitol - A Message from the 4-H State President
Hey Florida 4-H Members, Parents, Leaders, Staff, Alumni, and Friends!
On behalf of the Florida 4-H State Council we would like to invite you to join us at 4-H Day at the Capitol 2010! 4-H Day at the Capitol, an exciting event which allows participants to learn about government through the "Learning by Doing" approach that is fundamental to the 4-H Program, will be held on April 22nd in Tallahassee, FL! Participants attending this event will join other 4-H members and supporters as they promote the 4-H and IFAS Extension Programs to government officials and the public, as well as take part in exciting tours and workshops that teach youth the importance of taking an active role in government!
Throughout the day, first time participants can tour historic sites which will include the Old Capitol, New Capitol, Museum of Florida History, and the Union Bank Black Archives Display as they take part in "The Capitol 101!"
If you took part in 2009, we recommend you sign up for one of our new workshops which focus on advocacy and civic engagement, as well as how government affects topics ranging from marine science to agriculture. These new workshops include trips to local museums, Florida State University, an IMAX theatre, and exciting hands on activities!
All participants will also have opportunities to meet 4-H members from across the state, hear from guest speakers at a press conference, and meet with their legislators to share with them the impact 4-H has had on their life! We hope you will join us in Tallahassee for this exciting event, and together, help us accomplish this year's goal of bringing 1,000 people to the Capitol and turn Tallahassee "Green for a Day!"
As we work together to set the precedent for a new century of the Florida 4-H Program, 4-H Day at the Capitol 2010 will truly be a once in a lifetime experience. Make sure you are part of it!
Registration is now available for 4-H Day at the Capitol 2010! Forms, workshop descriptions, the 2010 participation guide, and other educational resources/curriculum can be downloaded from the Florida 4-H website at: <http://florida4h.org/events/Capitol_Day.shtml> http://florida4h.org/events/Capitol_Day.shtml.
These materials were designed to enhance your experience at the Capitol. To take part in the "Capitol 101" tour sessions (recommended for 1st time participants) the registration fee is $15. If you are signing up for the subject-related tours (recommended for returning participants) the registration fee is $20. Registration includes lunch, a t-shirt, and all of the tours and activities throughout your day in Tallahassee!
Thanks to support from the Florida 4-H Foundation, buses will once again be taking participants to this event! Buses will leave from Camp Cloverleaf, Camp Ocala, and the Pensacola area. Participants can sign-up to ride the bus on their registration forms for an additional $25! Registration must be submitted to your county office by their deadline, in order for it to be submitted to the State Office by April 2nd! Don't miss out on your chance to be part of 4-H history. Sign-up now for 4-H Day at the Capitol 2010! Once you've signed up, please spread the word about this event to your fellow 4-H members in your clubs, counties, and district! If you have any questions, feel free to let us know! Looking forward to seeing you at the Capitol on April 22nd!
Sincerely,
Sean Russell Florida 4-H State Council President
srussell92@comcast.net
Candice Drake 2010 4-H Day at the Capitol Chair
Rider4life529@aim.com
(Edited due to length.)
