Our community often comes together to support Eaton County 4-H. The support of the individuals, businesses, groups and other organizations in our community is greatly appreciated. Navigating how to support Eaton County 4-H and the various groups can sometimes seem daunting, especially if there is a specific purpose for the support in mind. From the Eaton County 4-H Endowment and CrowdPower campaign to supporting 4-H clubs and associations, there are so many ways that our community will continue to support Eaton County 4-H.

The Support Eaton County 4-H website was created to spread awareness of the variety of ways that our community can support the program and make it easier to find groups to support. You can find more information on the site at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/eaton/eaton_county_4_h/support-eaton-county-4-h

Youth, parents, and volunteers - share your voice!

The 4-H Junior Livestock Association, 4-H Small Animal Association, and Eaton County Agricultural Society fair board invite 4-H and FFA youth, volunteers, parents, and community members to complete the following survey regarding the livestock and small animal sales and Eaton County Fair experience for those that exhibit animal projects.

You may take this survey by January 15 by visiting: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_agABzgMrDTYg7m6

Club administrative leaders are also receiving this survey to hand out during club meetings. Please only fill out the survey once per person (either via paper form or online).

Note: There is also a survey being sent to buyers from the livestock and small animal sales. This survey is being sent via email and mail to buyers from the 2019, 2020, and 2021 sales. If you were a buyer, please also fill that survey out!

The Eaton County 4-H Shooting Sports Club will be restarting soon for the 2022 season! If you plan to join this club, please attend one of the informational/sign-up meeting dates listed below. Please join the Eaton County 4-H Shooting Sports Facebook group to stay in touch for more information coming soon!

Next informational/sign-up meeting date:

Reminder: If you are joining the 4-H Shooting Sports club as a secondary club, make sure you also have the club and projects in your 4-H Online profile! Once your profile has been approved for the year, you can add the 4-H Shooting Sports club to your profile using the step by step instructions on page 12 of the 4-H Online 2.0 Family Guide (near the bottom of the page in the grey box, click the download file button) on the enrollment site at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/michigan_4_h_enrollment. If you have any problems with this step, please contact the Extension office.

Ever wonder the importance of self-expression? Just looking to experience a variety of ways to express yourself and your identity? Join the 4-H Self-Expression SPIN Club! Youth ages 9 and up in the greater Lansing area will explore self-expression through various art activities such as painting, writing, musical expression, poetry, photography, and so much more. This free club is held in partnership with the Salus Center, Lansing’s LGBTQIA+ community center, on Mondays, January 17 – February 21, from 5 – 6pm at the center. Register in 4-H Online at https://v2.4honline.com/#/user/sign-in by choosing Ingham County and “SPIN Club Self-Expression” from the club dropdown menu when you get to that screen. Need help with 4-H Online or not sure how to use the system? Contact Eric at dobbras1@msu.edu to RSVP and help sign you up!

All meetings will be in-person at the PMR (basement conference room at the Extension office building) and will offer a Zoom option to connect virtually to the meetings, unless otherwise indicated (subject to change with COVID-19 guidelines). If you would like a virtual connection option for these meetings, please use the Zoom registration link for each meeting to register. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with the connection information. If nobody is registered for the Zoom option by 5pm the day of the meeting, Zoom connection will not be set up.

Weather reminder: With the winter season, just a reminder that when Charlotte Public Schools are closed for weather-related reasons, countywide 4-H in-person meetings are also canceled. If this occurs, the board for the group meeting that day will determine whether to cancel the meeting altogether or move the meeting to Zoom and notification will be sent via 4-H Online to those enrolled in the project areas for the group and posted on the county Facebook page.

SAVE THE DATE! You’re ALL invited to attend the sixteenth annual celebration of MSU Extension and Michigan 4-H Youth Development at the Spartan Women’s basketball game, Sunday, February 27, 2022. Tickets not available yet, watch for more information at https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/msu-extension-day-at-the-breslin-featuring-michigan-4-h.

Ticket Price: FREE for MSU Extension 4-H youth and their families, 4-H volunteers and MSU Extension professionals and their families! Ticket sales will begin in the New Year. Look for additional information coming soon.

Time: Game time is TBD. As in year’s past, there will be games and activities on the concourse of the Breslin in advance of the game.

Exhibit your rabbits and cavies at the 2022 Michigan 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Show. This volunteer ran show offers a silent auction of quality rabbits, breed identification contest, educational poster contest as well as a photography contest. Vendors will be available to discuss all your project needs. For information and registration visit https://events.anr.msu.edu/2022_state_rabbit_and_cavy_show/

Starting in January, the Wild Spartans Series is back! Join 4-H staff as we take a look into life working with fisheries and wildlife! Follow along as we climb through bogs, peer into bear dens, mist net songbirds, snorkel for fish, or perhaps even tag deer. Meet natural resources professionals, learn about their field work, and the education and career path they've followed to get there. Monthly Sessions will be held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm EST starting in January. Each 30 minute session will feature 1-2 guest speakers. Youth will be encouraged to ask questions to learn more through a live Q&A with scientists. This free series is open to 4-H and non-4-H youth ages 12-19 years. Pre-registration is required: https://events.anr.msu.edu/wildspartans2022/ 

Join us for some fitness fun for your body and mind! Challenges start Jan. 10th and run through the end of the month! You must pre register for the free event at https://events.anr.msu.edu/4HFitnessFunGooseChaseGame/

There are prizes for the winners of the challenges! Any youth 13-19 can download the GooseChase app to their phone or tablet; younger youth, or youth without a phone or tablet can partner with an older sibling or parent. You do not need to be in 4-H to participate!

Ready to be out on your own? Learn some important skills to be successful as an adult. Our Adulting 101-Winter Series includes: Wealth Building, Workplace Professionalism, Taxes and Your Paycheck, and Food Safety. Bring questions and gain practical skills you can use in your everyday life. Webinars will be held on February 2, 9, 16, and 23 from 4:00-5:00 PM. EST.  Register at: https://bit.ly/adult101Feb

A few minutes with a needle and thread and you can be Iron Man! Your Dwarvish Cleric an come to life! Your favorite Anime character can leap off the screen right into your own mirror! If you love getting your geek and nerd on, join the 4-H Clovers Who Cosplay. Participants will learn from professional cosplayers what it takes to make a stellar costume that will fit in perfectly at your next trip to Comic-Con. Participants will learn sewing, prop making, hair and makeup skills, how to cosplay on a budget and find affordable materials, and also how to behave when in character so the experience is fun for everyone.

The fun begins February 5, 2022 at 2:00 pm and goes thru March 19, 2022.

Click the link to register!

It’s Back! Save the Date, Skillathon 2022, registration opens in January!

Test your knowledge and comprehension of animal science and management in 10 different Market Livestock Categories.

Contestants have two options to qualify for the State Championship.

First Qualifier – March 5, 2022

Second Qualifier – March 12, 2022

Age divisions*:

-Novice (8-11 years)

-Junior (12-14 years)

-Senior (15-19 years)

-Adult (20+)

* Youth contestants must be 8, but not yet 19, before January 1, 2022.

Join us to talk about childhood and COVID-19 vaccines with Dr. Gendernalik, Profesor of Family and Community Medicine at Michigan State University. Share your questions and receive live answers! Pre-register at https://msu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OmLLnpFtQZ-Z44mRq9Q6PQ and join via Zoom or join live on Facebook@MiStrongerFamily

For more information contact Carrie Shrier, shrier@msu.edu

These free online parenting workshops will provide guidance for parents of young children as they navigate the challenges, concerns, and joys of parenting. Participants may register for as few or as many workshops as they wish of the following dates and topics:

Registration: https://msu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gYeHtwokSDKUtD-Y7ynA0w

For more information contact Courtney Aldrich at aldric82@msu.edu

4-H Capitol Experience is an annual four-day conference that focuses on civic engagement and public policy. Up to 100 teens from around the state converge on Lansing, Michigan to experience state government in action and learn how they can influence policy issues.

Participants interact with legislators, state agency staff, lobbyists and other resource people to learn how policy is made. They will also learn about public access to information, campaign financing, ethics/conflicts of interest, government accountability to the public and lobbying disclosure.

The 2022 4-H Capitol Experience will take place March 20-23, in Okemos and downtown Lansing. Registration will be available in January, visit www.canr.msu.edu/4_h_

capitol_experience for more information.

As we begin the New Year, how can 4-H clubs resolve to improve in the year ahead? Here are ten suggestions from Michigan State University Extension to make the upcoming year a successful one.

Resolve that:

Adapted from "Resolve to have a great 4-H year" by Christine Heverly. For more information and additional resources, visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/resolve_to_have_a_great_4_h_year.

Are you planning to exhibit a beef or dairy steer at the 2022 Eaton County Fair? Don't miss the tag-in period that occurs during the month of February!

Tag-in information for 2022 will be available soon at: http://eatoncountyfair.com/pageserver/tag-in