by Julie Pigott Dillard | Jan 3, 2022
The Northwest District 4-H Teen Retreat is back and promises to be better than ever!
Planned FOR 4-Hers BY 4-Hers, the weekend long retreats features leadership building and fun workshops for 12-18 years old youth.
Mark your calendars for February 25-27, 2022, and register NOW in 4honline for the NWD 4-H District Teen Retreat at 4-H Camp Timpoochee.
Friday’s Schedule
6:00-7:15 pm – Check-in & pizza
7:15pm – Welcome & District Intros
8:00 pm – Campfire
Saturday’s Schedule
8:30am – Breakfast
9:15am – Group Pic
9:30-11:30am – Workshop Sessions
12:00pm – Lunch
1:00-2:45pm – FUNshop Sessions
3:00pm – Rec Time – 4-Hers vs Agents Kickball & Nine-Square
5:00pm – Service Project
6:00pm – Dinner
2019 Teen Retreat
7:00pm – District & State Events Reports
7:30pm – Dance, Games & Snacks
9:00pm – Music, Campfire & Smore’s
Sunday’s Schedule
7:00pm – Rise & Shine, pack-up
FUNshop Sessions – when you register, you’ll rank your top three choices from the list below:
- TikTok & Line Dancing
- Shooting Sports
- Drawing
- Grilling
- Cake Decorating
Packing List
2020 Teen Retreat Participants
- Sheets, blanket & pillow
- Towel, toiletries & shower shoes
- 2-3 changes of clothes & sleep clothes – be sure to check the weather and be prepared!
- Daily meds – Put all OTC and Rx meds in a large ziploc bag and give to your 4-H Agent.
- $ for camp store, snacks & drinks while traveling
Your 4-H Agent will coordinate county travel to and from the event, and you should check with them if you have specific questions. We can’t wait to see you at the 2022 NWD 4-H Teen Retreat!
by Julie Pigott Dillard | Jun 23, 2021
Hello, Northwest District 4-H family! My name is Julie Pigott Dillard, and I’m the County Extension Director and 4-H Agent in Washington County. Since 2007, I’ve worked with an amazing team of volunteers who have brought a wide range of expertise and projects to 4-Hers.
Serving as a 4-H volunteer is an incredible gift to the youth of our county, and I take my role in supporting Washington County 4-H volunteers seriously. I especially like to create and find resources that makes volunteering for 4-H easier. I want my volunteers to focus most of their efforts on working directly with youth.
When I was young, I hatched, raised, and exhibited chickens and participated in 4-H and FFA poultry judging. My 4-H position allows me to work with teachers who present the embryology project in their classrooms. We have a have a strong poultry exhibition and showmanship contest show at our annual Washington County Youth Fair that I teach youth how to prepare for each year. I also work with my Livestock 4-H Club volunteers so they can support their club members through their poultry projects. But what I enjoy most is seeing older or more experienced 4-Hers work with new showmen teaching them skills and tips to do their best at a show.
One of my other specialties has become the 4-H shotgun project. Several years ago, I realized this was an area where I could plug in and help my district. I started coordinating district-wide trainings in the shooting sports disciplines. Then, my oldest son found his niche in the shotgun project, so I started learning all I could about it. Now, I coordinate that project for the state and have created virtual matches and fall matches to give 4-Hers more opportunities for competition. I’ve also created support documents like youth record books and inventory and inspection records for volunteers. One accomplishment that has helped volunteers greatly is creating interactive, online modules to teach part 1 of the Level 1 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Certification.
I’m a University of Florida alumni with a BS in agricultural education and communication and an MS in Extension education. In May 2022, I’ll graduate from the Florida State University with a Doctorate in Education in Learning Design and Performance Technology. My husband, Nick, and I have two boys, Cole and Cass. Cole is a new 4-H alumni attending Jacksonville University in the fall and will be a member of their shotgun team. Cass plays percussion in concert band and is an officer and member of Sure Shots 4-H Club. As soon as I finish my degree, I’ll be back reading, kayaking, and gardening as much as possible!
by Julie Pigott Dillard | Mar 19, 2021
There’s no one size fits all approach to marketing your 4-H club or letting people know the good stuff that’s going on in 4-H. But, it just got a little easier. Social media can be an efficient way to communicate with 4-H families and also recognize the great things 4-Hers are doing! Like Facebook, you can now have multiple Instagram accounts. I just created an Instagram account for Washington County 4-H, so naturally, I want to make it work for my 4-H program. Here are some tips to make your Instagram page stand out.
Which Type of Account?– Instagram offers three different types of accounts: personal, creative, and business. For 4-H Clubs, the best bet is a Business account.
Think Visual Impact – Facebook is a text/visual platform, Twitter is a text only platform, and Instagram is a visual platform. So use Instagram to share images and videos with your audience. Choose a single image that is impactful, that tells a story, that showcases one thing. Build your post around a single person, an event, behind the scenes, re-post from your followers, motivate, or educational posts on how to do or make something.
Don’t Overshare – Be choosy about which photo you share on Instagram. You might upload an entire album to Facebook, but use Instagram to feature your most dynamic photo. Stay away from posting similar photos, and don’t post more than once a day.
Filters – When you upload your photo, you can enhance it using filters. You can also adjust brightness, contrast, structure, and warmth. Remember, you want that one photo to stand out and be impactful.
Build Your Audience – Let your club members, parents, and supporters know where to find you. Include links to your pages in all of your emails, texts, marketing materials, articles, etc.
Videos – You can also upload videos that are one minute or less in length.
Go Live – Here’s a great way to show what’s going on right now in your club. Share a 4-Her shooting skeet, showing livestock, taking a cake out of the oven, working on a sewing project or practicing a showmanship pattern.
Check out these resources to help you get the most out of Instagram. Be sure to review the UF policies on social media to protect youth privacy, or plan to attend our webinar March 18th at 6pm central/7pm eastern to learn policies, tips and tricks for using social media to enhance your club!
Resources:
by Julie Pigott Dillard | May 18, 2020
For years, kids and teens have enjoyed a week at 4-H Camp and have participated in day camps in their home counties. But this summer, those traditional activities have been put on hold.
4-H Agents in the Florida panhandle know that summer just isn’t summer without 4-H camps. So, they are bringing summer camp to you with new camps introduced each week through the end of July! Beginning May 18th, registration is open for these virtual summer camps:
- Range Ready Shotgun Camp
- Culinary Arts
- Tailgate Grilling
- Lead with 4-H – Civic Engagement and Community Leadership
- Graphic Design
- 4-H STEM Challenge – Roller Coaster Science
- Rabbits and Poultry
- From Seed to Food and Plant to Plate
- Having Sew Much Fun
- #Beekeeper
- W.O.L.F. Camp – Wildlife & Outdoors Leadership Focus
- And more…
4-H Summer Adventure Camps are open to youth ages 5-18 years old, and you don’t have to be a 4-H member to participate. They are also free of charge! Our website, pictured above, will give you a description of the camps, intended ages, and registration link. Click to view the camp description and registration page.
To register, you’ll enter your camper’s information, and choose your camps. Once your camper is registered, you’ll be contacted by email by a UF/IFAS Extension 4-H agent with a direct link to the camp page. All camps are formatted to work on computers, tablets, and smartphones.
For more information about 4-H in your county, find your local UF/IFAS Extension office.
by Julie Pigott Dillard | Nov 6, 2019
Participants cutting cheese curds at the 2019 Agri-Science Youth Summit, National 4-H Convention Center. Photo credit: Marie Arick
Are you interested in an in-depth exploration focused on agriculture, animal sciences, and wildlife biology? The National Youth Agri-Science Summit is an experience for teens in 9-12 grade where you’ll explore different agricultural aspects through hands-on workshops and activities. Held January 9-12, 2020, you’ll travel to the National 4-H Conference Center just outside of Washington, DC, for the event.
Ted McKinney, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs, US Department of Agriculture, will kick off the event. Also featured is a Career Fair panel that includes Park Rangers, Community Garden Specialists, Veterinarians, and various University Extension personnel. A small sample of session titles are:
- The Magic of Digestion
- Teens Teach Environmental Science
- Exploring Dairy Science Say Cheese
- Entomophagy: Food for the Future.
The experience wouldn’t be complete without being treated to trips into Washington DC – a trip to the Smithsonian and an evening tour of the National Mall.
This opportunity for teens in grades 9-12 will be held at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The youth participant cost begins at $610 per participant. Chaperone costs begin at $725. These costs cover all materials, activities, lodging, and meals. Other travel costs should also be considered. If you are interested in attending this event, contact your 4-H Agent.
