January - February 2026

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Albany & Schenectady County Youth Programs 

Hello 4-H’er!

Happy New Year to you! I hope you had a wonderful holiday celebration with family and friends! The New Year offers “a fresh start,” a time to reflect on all the things that happened over the past year, and a chance to look forward to beginning a new year with a new mindset. This is why many people make New Years resolutions to start out fresh, maybe do things a little differently and think about new goals they’d like to accomplish. It’s easy to lose sight of all the positive things that are going on when we hear about bad things that happen in our world. My hope is that we can all be bright lights shining in the world to overcome whatever negative thoughts and actions that might be trying to overshadow all the good that is happening in the world. What about you? Is there anything you’d like to do differently in the new year? We’d love to hear about it!! 

Please read on about some of the 4-H happenings coming up in the next few weeks! Our Clover Chefs series will be starting up again in January and will run through the spring, our 4-H Vet Science will run for four weeks in January and February, and the 4-H Winter Break series will take place in February again this year. And don’t forget the 4-H Model Horse show at the end of February. Lots to do when the weather outside is cold and frightful!!

Take care, be well, and stay warm!!!!!

~Barb

*** Please Note***

Registration for upcoming events (Clover Chefs, Vet Science and Winter Break Adventure) will be via the online Cornell system. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us!

Have a club report or information to be included in the

March/April Clover News? 

Please email Barb: bes13@cornell.edu

by Thursday, February 12th.

Achievement Night 2025

Albany County 4-Hers and their families recently gathered for Achievement Night where we celebrated their accomplishments in the 2024-2025 4-H year! We had such a great time seeing everyone and we are so proud of the year of learning, growth, and success that everyone had. After our ceremony, 4-Hers enjoyed make and take crafts and activities. An awesome night with our awesome 4-H community!

If you would like the photo of your child with their certificate, please email Grace at: ged49@cornell.edu.

Adopt-A-Family Shopping

Members of the 4-H teen group spent an evening shopping for gifts for our Adopt-a-family match through Albany County! We had a great time fulfilling the wish lists of one adult and four children, all made possible through the money earned by the teens in the milkshake booth at the Altamont Fair! 

Welcome

Hello everyone! My name is Mackenzie and I am so happy to be joining 4-H as the new STEAM Educator! Before 4-H, I was studying to get my master’s degree and working at the SUNY Oneonta Planetarium and AJ Read Science Discovery Center. I used my experience in art and science to create original and fun Planetarium shows with hand drawn illustrations and animations. I also got to design and paint a mural for a new exhibit all about astronomy! Before that I was an environmental educator at a nature center near Syracuse, NY where I’m from, and I am so excited to continue my journey in education here with Albany County.

In my free time I like to paint with watercolors and oil paints. I like to spend time outside hiking year-round and camping when the weather is nice. I spend a lot of time hanging out with my cat Michael. He is a black and white tuxedo-cat, almost 5 months old, and likes watching birds out the window and playing with his many toys. The members and families of 4-H I have already met have made me feel so welcome, and I look forward to meeting more!

Reminders

Upcoming Events

This is a hands-on 4-H cooking program open to all youth, ages 5-18. Youth gather to cook a meal and then share the meal together. Limited to 20 participants. 

Pre-registration is required:

https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/cloverchefs2026_201



Please contact Rachel S. with any questions at:

rcl227@cornell.edu | 518-765-3543

Join us for 2026 4-H Vet Science. Explore the fascinating careers available in the veterinary field with hands on activities, live animals and guest speakers. Youth 10 and up are encouraged to explore STEM topics in a fun hands-on way. We will be meeting on Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm January 22nd, January 29th, February 5th and February 12th at CCE Albany County, 24 Martin Road, Voorheesville, NY 12186.

Pre-registration is required:

https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/cceyouthvetscience_201

Please contact Rachel S. with any questions:

rcl227@cornell.edu | 518-765-3543

4-H Winter Break Adventure is Back!

February 17, 18, and 19, 2026 with Friday February 20th being held for a remake if we have a snow day. The program runs from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm for youth ages 5 and up at the CCE Albany County, Voorheesville. The cost is $50 per child, with additional children per family at a rate of $40 each. Activities will include food preparation, arts & crafts, science experiments, STEM, games, and more! Space is limited.



Pre-registration is required:

https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/winterbreakadventure2026_201

Questions? Please contact Grace at ged49@cornell.edu or 518-765-3547

Attention Teens!

Winter Teen Hangouts:

January: Ice Skating – Bethlehem YMCA Ice Rink. Tentatively Sunday, January 11th from 4:15 pm - 5:30 pm. Date will be confirmed when the rink schedule is released. Dress warm and meet at the rink for open skate as a group!

 February: Valentine card craft & donate. Tuesday, February 10th from 4:30 - 6:00 pm. We will make valentine cards to donate to a local senior citizen home to brighten their holiday!

Contact Grace to sign up: ged49@cornell.edu | 518-765-3547

4-H Horse Bowl Shenanigans

Are you interested in learning more about horses?

You might want to give 4-H Horse Bowl a try!

Horse Bowl is lots of fun and gives you a chance to “buzz in” to answer questions all about one of your favorite animals! And if you’re interested in being on a team to compete against other counties, you can join us on Saturday, March 21st for Regional Horse Bowl!

We will begin practice sessions on Wednesday, January 14th at 6:00 pm at CCE Albany County, Voorheesville. Come and join the fun, even if you don’t want to participate in the regional competition. We will meet every two weeks until it gets closer to the regional event and then practices will take place every Wednesday. We would love to have you!  Contact Barb for more information: bes13@cornell.edu or text at 518-577-0915.

More opportunities to study for Horse Bowl...

Equine Knowledge 4-H Study Group

Any Albany County 4-Hers interested in learning more about horses or building their knowledge in preparation for the upcoming Horse Bowl competitions are invited to attend the first of several Equine Knowledge 4-H Study Group Meets!  

Our first meeting will be on Sunday, January 4th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm at CCE Albany County, Voorheesville. At this initial meeting, we will determine the best dates and times available, and location to meet going forward.

Open to all ages, we will be reviewing a variety of materials, primarily the Horse Smarts books in preparation for the Horse Bowl, but the focus is fun and learning more about horses together.

Questions can be directed to Erin Bradt at erinb784@gmail.com We look forward to seeing you!

Calling all 4-H Horse Lovers!

Have we got an awesome event for you!

Albany County 4-H Model Horse Show

Saturday, February 21st | 9:30 am

CCE Albany County, Voorheesville

If you have model horses, toy horses or stuffed animals that you’d like to show,

we hope you join us!! Below is the link to the class list.

Please email Barb at bes13@cornell.edu or text at 518-577-0915 to sign up. Youth will receive ribbons for their participation. 

This will be lots of fun so we hope to see you on February 21st!!!

Model Horse Show Class List 2026

Club Updates

All Things Great and Small

10/19

The first meeting of the year took place on Sunday 10/19. During this meeting we discussed all the different topics that would make good projects throughout the year. We each wrote down our own list and separated them into two lists, one that we wanted to do most, and one that we will do if we have time.  

11/2

On Sunday, November 2nd, we had a meeting where we discussed veterinary science. In this meeting we talked about the different types of injections and how quickly they have an effect on the goat’s body. We practiced giving injections into apples coated in paper towels and saran wrap to model skin and muscle.  

11/16

The latest meeting, November 16th, we made jewelry to enter in the 2026 Altamont Fair. We each decided what kind of jewelry we wanted to make. Then we chose our beads and wire to make earrings, bracelets, or decorative pins. We discussed the different types of pliers and how they are used for different types of jewelry.  

12/14

The members of the All Things Great and Small 4-H group met at the Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 3 p.m. We made ornaments or decorations for the holidays. We used milkweed pods, pinecones, cat tails, along with some craft supplies not found in nature like glue, yarn, markers, and twine. After we finished making two ornaments each, we were quizzed by our leader, Kelley Doolin, on goat breeds. We finished up the meeting by talking about entering these projects into the fair and discussing what we will do next meeting.

Livestock Club

The Livestock Club met in December for a fun and hands-on Dairy Bowl activity. Members tested their knowledge of dairy cows and learned new facts about how cows grow, produce milk, and stay healthy. Youth also explored what dairy cattle eat every day by creating their own “Total Mixed Ration” (TMR) models. Using foods we eat, members represented the ingredients cows need, such as forages, grains, protein sources, minerals, and vitamins. They learned how a TMR blends all these pieces together, so every bite provides cows with a balanced diet. After building their models, members were able to enjoy their edible creations.

Upcoming Livestock Club Meetings

Wednesday, January 7th | 6:00 - 7:00 pm

Wednesday, February 4th | 6:00 - 7:00 pm

CCE Albany County, Voorheesville

Please RSVP to Amanda

518-765-3519 | ajt247@cornell.edu

Barbara Stevens | Association Program Director

Albany County

bes13@cornell.edu

 Grace Davis | 4-H Subject Educator

Albany County

ged49@cornell.edu

 Mackenzie Sadler | 4-H Subject Educator

Albany County

mas944@cornell.edu

Rachel Sakadolsky | 4-H Subject Educator

Albany County

rcl227@cornell.edu

Amanda Terhune | Local Ag Manager

Albany County

ajt247@cornell.edu

Teresa Tymchyn | Marketing/Communications

Albany County

tac28@cornell.edu