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Our Marin County 4-H Leadership Workshop was a wonderful day of learning, connection, and inspiration! The event kicked off with a social hour where families gathered to enjoy a potluck, giving everyone the opportunity to connect. Our County Ambassadors took the lead throughout the event, presenting a PowerPoint highlighting the many leadership opportunities available within the Marin 4-H program and sharing their own experiences to encourage younger members to get involved.
They also facilitated engaging leadership and team-building activities that challenged participants to collaborate, communicate, and grow their confidence. This exceptional group of Ambassadors truly set the bar high through their dedication, professionalism, and enthusiasm. We hope our upcoming junior and senior members look to them as role models and feel inspired to continue making the best better through leadership and service in Marin 4-H.
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The West Marin Fair, held on May 16, was once again a wonderful celebration of youth, agriculture, and community! While smaller in size, this fair provides an incredible opportunity for 4-H members to exhibit their projects and animals, gain valuable experience, and build confidence before participating in larger county and state fairs. In addition to the exhibits, the fair featured an exciting archery competition for youth members and a delicious BBQ lunch fundraiser that helped support the Marin County 4-H program. These activities brought families and community members together for a fun-filled day while raising support for local 4-H youth.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who helped make this event so special, including the West Marin Rotary Club, the Gallagher family, the Taylor family, the Marin County Fair, and the many community members who generously gave their support. Your dedication helps create meaningful experiences for our youth and keeps this cherished tradition thriving. We look forward to another fantastic West Marin Fair next year!
| | Marin Irish Festival 2026 | | |
Another successful Irish Festival took place on May 16–17! Marin County 4-H was excited to host a booth featuring LEGOs and coloring while sharing information about the many opportunities available through 4-H. As always, it was a wonderful event filled with great community spirit and a fantastic atmosphere.
A special thank you to Caryl Hodges, 4-H members and their families for leading our 4-H booth and helping make the weekend such a success. We truly appreciate your dedication and look forward to participating again next year!
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Congratulations on your accomplishments at State Field Day!
A huge congratulations to our Marin County 4-H members who represented our county at this year's California 4-H State Field Day! Cici Silver-Sommer, Evelyn Richardson, Juliet Riester, and Keona Jackson showcased their hard work, dedication, and talents by participating in competitions at the state level.
State Field Day is an incredible opportunity for youth to share what they've learned, build confidence, connect with 4-H members from across California, and celebrate their achievements. We are so proud of each of you for stepping up, challenging yourselves, and representing Marin County with enthusiasm and excellence.
Congratulations on an amazing experience and thank you for being outstanding members for Marin County 4-H. Keep up the great work—we can't wait to see all you'll accomplish next!
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Western Weekend on June 6th-7th was another fantastic community event for Marin County 4-H! Our youth members proudly represented 4-H by decorating and participating in the annual parade with a decorated 4-H float.
A special congratulations goes to one of our Senior 4-H member, Eva Taylor, who represented our community as the Dairy Princess in the parade. After the parade, members manned a bake sale booth, with all proceeds benefiting the Marin County 4-H Scholarship Fund. In addition, our youth gained valuable leadership and service experience by helping clear plates for event attendees and inviting them to stop by the 4-H booth for a sweet treat.
Thank you to all of the members, volunteers, and families who helped make this event such a success—we always look forward to being part of this wonderful community tradition!
| | Overnight Summer Camp 2026 | | |
Our Marin County 4-H Summer Camp was held June 21–27, and it was another unforgettable week filled with fun, friendship, and adventure! Campers enjoyed a variety of exciting activities, including swimming in the nearby pond, playing ping pong, creating henna tattoos and lanyards, participating in outdoor games, and so much more. Throughout the week, youth built new friendships, developed leadership skills, and created memories that will last a lifetime.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our incredible chaperones and dedicated teen staff for their hard work, enthusiasm, and commitment to making camp such a meaningful experience for every camper. Your leadership and countless hours of planning and support made this week a tremendous success. We can't wait to do it all again next summer!
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The Marin County Fair held on July 1st to July 5th was another exciting opportunity for our 4-H members to showcase their animals, projects, and skills they have worked so hard to develop throughout the year. From livestock and still exhibits to creative projects, our youth proudly displayed the results of their dedication and perseverance. We are thrilled to share that many of our members earned 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons, a testament to their hard work and commitment.
The photos below highlight just a small snapshot of the outstanding entries from our talented 4-H members. Congratulations to everyone who participated in this year's fair! We are incredibly proud of all you have accomplished and look forward to seeing what you'll create and achieve in the year ahead.
| | Novato 4th of July Parade 2026 | | |
Marin County 4-H was proud to once again participate in the Novato 4th of July Parade! We had an outstanding turnout of 4-H members and families who came together to proudly represent our program along the impressive nine-block parade route, lined with hundreds of families and community members celebrating 4th of July and Americas 25oth birthday!
Events like this are a wonderful way to showcase our program, and connect with our community. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this year's parade another memorable success!
| | Marin Climate Connections Academy | | |
Marin County 4-H launched an exciting new Climate Connections Summer Day Camp July 13th-17th, a five-day program designed to inspire middle and high school youth through hands-on climate education. Campers explored environmental science through engaging activities, including water quality testing, soil science labs, a hike along the Indian Valley Preserve Waterfall Trail, a tour the local organic farm, and interactive renewable energy activities.
The week featured an outstanding lineup of guest speakers who led professional, hands-on workshops, giving youth the opportunity to learn from experts while exploring real-world environmental challenges and solutions. Combined with fun team-building activities and new friendships, the camp created an engaging and memorable experience that empowered participants to become thoughtful environmental stewards and leaders in their communities. We look forward to growing this exciting program in the years to come!
| | Sonoma County Fair August 7th-16th | |
Nicasio Country Fair
On Saturday, August 22nd, from 11 am to 3 pm, at the Nicasio ball field, please join us at the NICASIO COUNTRY FAIR!
Organized by the NVFD Ladies Auxiliary, this FREE community event will feature live music from the Long Tom Bluegrass Band, a BBQ, a dunk tank, baby goats, face painting, a fire truck to climb on, a cake and pie stand, children’s games with prizes, a fabulous silent auction, local vendors and non-profits. Come and enjoy the fun!
Proceeds will benefit the Nicasio Volunteer Fire Department.
This event has been generously sponsored by: MALT, Blue Dot Farm, Jerry & Don’s Yager Pump and Well, McPhail Fuel Co., Good Earth, Onward Internet and Fairfax Market. Special thanks to Heart in Hand Creative for the flyer design.
| | Save the Date: 4-H Open House Thursday September 10th | | |
Mark your calendars and join us for the Marin County 4-H Open House on Thursday, September 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Marin County 4-H Office, 1682 Novato Blvd., Novato, CA! This is a great opportunity for our 4-H families and volunteers showcase our program, highlight 4-H projects, and help welcome new families interested in joining our program.
We invite 4-H members to bring in projects and displays from last year to share with new and interested families. This is a wonderful way to highlight the variety of projects offered through Marin 4-H and inspire others to get involved!
This event is a chance to connect with families and help grow our program. Please RSVP below and join us for an evening of celebrating Marin County 4-H and welcoming the next generation of members!
Reach out to Kayla Gulick at kgulick@ucanr.edu if you have any questions.
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Save the Date: Volunteer Kickoff Dinner
Tuesday Sept. 22nd
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We hope you'll join us for our Marin County 4-H Volunteer Kickoff on Tuesday, September 22, at 6:00 p.m. This evening is designed to bring our volunteer community together as we kick off another exciting 4-H year.
Whether you're a new or returning volunteer, this is a great opportunity to complete several volunteer requirements in one place while receiving important program updates and training. We'll also cover a few key topics for the upcoming year, including:
Annual Project Plans
The new 4-H Grows Committee
Volunteer reminders and resources for the 2026–2027 program year
Dinner will be provided, so come hungry and ready for a fun, informative, and collaborative evening!
Let Kayla Gulick know if you can make it!
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Important Update on Website Accessibility & 4-H Communications
We want to keep our 4-H community informed about an important update regarding our website. Due to new accessibility requirements under California law, the UCCE website is currently undergoing significant updates to ensure compliance and improve access for all users.
As a result, some content on our website may be temporarily unavailable or not fully accessible while these improvements are in progress. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these changes and work toward a more inclusive and user-friendly experience.
In the meantime, the best way to stay up to date with all 4-H news, events, and opportunities is by subscribing to our monthly newsletter. We encourage you share the newsletter with others in our community so they can stay connected as well.
Thank you for your continued support as we make these important updates!
| | CA State 4-H Announcements | |
Project Plan Office Hours
Annual 4-H Project Plans for 2026–2027
As we prepare for the upcoming 4-H program year, we encourage all project leaders to begin developing and submitting their Annual 4-H Project Plans. Project plans are more than an administrative requirement. They are a valuable resource that helps create positive, organized, and engaging experiences for youth and families.
A well-developed project plan can help:
- Set clear expectations for members and families
- Communicate project goals, learning objectives, and activities
- Outline attendance, health, and safety expectations
- Provide structure and direction for project meetings
- Support age-appropriate, high-quality youth development experiences
- Improve communication and member engagement throughout the year
All project leaders should submit one Annual 4-H Project Plan for each project they intend to offer during the 2026–2027 program year. Project plans may be submitted now in preparation for the new program year.
To support volunteers and county staff, the Regional Program Coordinators and the Statewide Program Manager will host Project Plan Office Hours every Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., June 26 through August 28.
Please register to receive the Zoom link: https://bit.ly/project-plan-help
Whether you are creating a project plan for the first time, updating an existing plan, looking for ideas and resources, or have questions about project requirements, we encourage you to join us. These sessions are designed to provide guidance, answer questions, share resources, and help make the project planning process as easy and successful as possible.
We look forward to supporting another great year of 4-H programming!
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2026-2027 Annual Volunteer Courses
We're excited to announce that updated Volunteer courses for the 2026-2027 program year will be available starting July 1, 2026, at 8 a.m. These courses along with our other eLearning offerings and their unique enrollment keys are available on the Learning Center for California 4-H volunteers webpage.
We look forward to your continued dedication and involvement.
New Volunteer Course
If you're starting your first year as a University of California 4-H volunteer or returning after a break in service of one year or more, this course is for you. You'll learn the foundations of volunteering with University of California 4-H, including program orientation, volunteer expectations, University of California 4-H Core Values, and youth protection requirements. You'll also complete training on the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA) and the University of California 4-H 2-Deep Supervision Policy to help ensure safe, positive, and welcoming environments for all youth.
The course takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete and can be completed over multiple sessions.
Returning Volunteer Course
If you're beginning your second year or more of University of California 4-H volunteer service without a break in service of one year or more, this course is for you. It provides important updates on policies and best practices to keep you informed and up to date. The course covers the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA) requirements and the University of California 4-H Core Values, reinforcing our shared commitment to creating safe, positive, and welcoming environments for all youth.
The course takes approximately 35 minutes to complete and can be completed over multiple sessions.
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Don’t have any gear or swag?
Explore and find your favorite 4-H apparel, accessories, and 4-H essentials using this link: Shop 4-H
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New to 4-H and looking for 4-H hats and scarfs?
To explore the Leslie Carmen 4-H supplies, Inc. website click this link: https://www.4hsupplies.com
Note: 4-H uniform is simply a white button up shirt (short sleeve or long sleeve) not sold at Leslie Carman or Shop 4-H.
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Donors for the 2025-2026 Year!
Thank you for your continued support of our program and mission!
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West Marin Fund
Loren Poncia
Catherine Poncia
Thomas Smiley
Holly Handler Axtell
Lions Club
Fred Vaske
Bryan Kinney
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Straus Family Creamery
Marilyn Schulze
Jane Bacha
Peets Coffee
World Centric
Mary Pardon
Eric Marshall
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