Post Rock District 4-H Events

Volunteer Training for 4-H volunteers in Western Kansas is on Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This is a virtual meeting, so you can attend from the comfort of your home or with a watch party of fellow volunteers. All 4-H volunteers serving in Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, and Smith counties are encouraged to attend...club leaders, project leaders, parents, superintendents, council representatives, teen leaders, etc. Explore ideas and tools to help you empower youth to become BEYOND READY for making a local impact, preparing for career success, and achieving their dreams. Spark your passion. Build your skills. Understand the unique opportunity to make a difference as a Kansas 4-H Volunteer! The Zoom Link will be emailed to registered participants closer to the event. Register for the free training at bit.ly/4HVolunteerTraining2025.

• Jewell County - February 16, 3:00 p.m., Mankato Sale Barn
• Lincoln County - February 22, 10-11:00 a.m., Sylvan Sale Barn (Backup date is March 1)
• Mitchell County - February 12, 4-6:00 p.m., Solomon Valley Vet Hospital
• Osborne County - February 23, 4:00 p.m., Osborne Producers Sale Barn
• Smith County - February 22, 9-10:00 a.m., Smith Center Vet Clinic

Citizenship in Action is February 16 - 17. Post Rock District will provide a chaperone and
transportation to the experience. The purpose of the two-day Kansas 4-H personal development
event is for teens (13-18 years old by January 1) to learn how the state legislative process works
and how their voice and participation in decision-making can make a difference in their local
communities. The legislative visit will not only familiarize youth with the capitol building, but will
also show them how they can affect the legislative process. Registration is closed. Here is the event website.

Citizenship Washington Focus is June 18 - 28. Kansas 4-H will partner with Oklahoma 4-H for the 2025 CWF road trip across the USA to experience Philadelphia, Gettysburg, the Liberty Bell, a close-up view of political process through visits to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., and more! Details about the trip are published on the Kansas 4-H CWF event website. Registration will be available in February 2025 and spaces will be limited. If you are interested in this national 4-H experience, contact your 4-H Program Coordinator as soon as possible so we can discuss important details and support you through the application process.

Kansas 4-H Horse Panorama is February 22 - 23 at Rock Springs. It is a unique opportunity for youth ages 9-18 to increase their knowledge and test their skills in a contest environment. Youth can compete in Horse Bowl, Hippology, Public Speaking, Project Talks, Demonstrations, and a virtual contest in logo and ad design, photography, posters and PowerPoint presentations. First-time attendees will also have the opportunity to tour Rock Springs and visit the historic stables to meet the horses. Contest registration includes housing and meals at Rock Springs. Each youth must attend with an adult chaperone, who must also register. Early bird online registration is due by February 3. Find the details on the Kansas 4-H Horse Panorama event webpage.

The K-State Research and Extension Pesticide Safety and IPM Program is hosting its annual insect-themed art contest, open to all ages and skill levels in Kansas. This year, the theme is “By the Light of the Moon: Insects at Night.” The goal is to explore which insects are active or inactive at night and why, then create artwork that fits the contest theme. This would be great for 4-H members in the Visual Arts or Entomolgy projects! For contest rules and details, visit the KSU IPM website.

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The Interior Design & Architecture project has some updates for the Kansas State Fair - and
ultimately at your county fair. Kansas 4-H will be hosting a Zoom meeting for 4-H members
enrolled in the project on February 12 and March 12, both at 7:00 p.m. The meetings will cover
project details and explain what qualifies for the 4-H State entry. Links will be sent out by
email from Kansas 4-H to those enrolled in the project, be sure to check your inbox.

The K-State Junior Producer Days are one-day educational programs through which youth, parents, extension professionals, ag teachers, project leaders, and volunteers learn about the selection and management of youth livestock projects. A variety of sessions from selection to nutrition, reproduction, and showmanship are provided by faculty, staff, graduate students, former exhibitors, and guest speakers. All ages and skill levels are invited to attend! The 2025 K-State Junior Producer Days will be hosted at the Stanley Stout Center, north of the main campus in Manhattan near the animal science units.

The K-State Junior Producer Days are one-day educational programs through which youth, parents, extension professionals, ag teachers, project leaders, and volunteers learn about the selection and management of youth livestock projects. A variety of sessions from selection to nutrition, reproduction, and showmanship are provided by faculty, staff, graduate students, former exhibitors, and guest speakers. All ages and skill levels are invited to attend! The 2025 K-State Junior Producer Days will be hosted at the Stanley Stout Center, north of the main campus in Manhattan near the animal science units.

Clovia is a 4-H Cooperative Leadership House located near Kansas State University in Manhattan. Alpha of Clovia is looking to connect with girls with any 4-H, FFA, or leadership experience in general. Living at Clovia is a great opportunity as it is one of the only ways to live off campus freshman year at K-State. It provides girls with a community of caring friends, accountability and fun. Clovia Open House is on April 26, 2025. More information to come!

The Kansas State 4-H Horse Judging Contest will be held in conjunction with EquiFest of Kansas on Friday, March 21, at the Saline County Expo Center. 4-H members age 9-18 are invited to compete in the State 4-H Horse Judging Contest and the Open Horse Judging Contest. An open novice division is also available for youth age 7-18 sponsored by the KQHA. Complete information and rules are available at www.kansas4-h.org/events-activities/contests/horse-judging/index.html. Registration is due by March 7 at the EquiFest of Kansas website.

The K-State Invitational Meat Judging Contest is April 5 at KSU Weber Hall’s meat lab in Manhattan. The experience will include six classes, two set of questions, and retail ID. There will be an educational walk through after the contest. Registration will be online at judgingcard.com. Direct questions to Erin Beyer at erbeyer@ksu.edu.

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The Kansas Youth Range Camp at White Memorial Camp in Council Grove, Kansas, offers high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors a unique opportunity to learn about rangeland management. Camp topics include range plant identification, plant growth, stocking rates, livestock nutrition, and wildlife management. The camp will take place June 10-13, 2025, with a cost of $300. Contact your local Conservation District for scholarship opportunities. To register, go to: www.kglc.org/range-youth-camp-registration.cfm.

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If you are seeking opportunities related to livestock projects - like spring shows and other contests - the KSU Youth Livestock Program website provides a listing of many opportunities. It certainly
doesn’t contain every learning and competition opportunity, yet it is a great reference point as you plan for spring and summer. Visit https://www.asi.k-state.edu/extension/youth-programs/events/.

Post Rock District and River Valley District are teaming up with Cloud County Community College to offer a drive-in personal development experience for teens. NCK LEAD will take place on Saturday, March 29 at CCCC in Concordia. Participants will engage with collegiate professionals to gain information to assist with making post-high school decisions. We are excited that the 2025 experience will include hands-on workshops exploring careers through CCCC’s new Technical Education and Innovation Center. There will also be opportunities for teens to boost their leadership skills and have fun with 4-H friends from the region. Save the date and watch for more details in the coming weeks!

Get ready to showcase your communication skills at the 4-H Day events. 4-H Day is a great opportunity for Post Rock District 4-H members to develop and showcase their communication skills! The 2025 Post Rock District 4-H Day Guide will help determine what contests to participate in, and it includes the contest rules and other events details. Review the guide and register at www.postrock.k-state.edu/4-h/events/4-hday/.

• 4-H Day #1: Beloit United Methodist Church on Saturday, February 8. Communication contests start at 8:00 a.m. Registration deadline is January 30.
• 4-H Day #2: Osborne Jr./Sr. High School on Monday, March 3. Communication contests start at 4:30 p.m. Registration deadline is February 19.
• Virtual: It is strongly encouraged to compete at a 4-H Day in-person event. If your schedule does not allow, there are some contests that are available for virtual entry. Review the Virtual Entry Expectations for details. Registration deadline is February 19.

New in 2025, we are expanding the judging contests that are part of 4-H Day into a Judging Extravaganza! Judging Extravaganza is a come-and-go experience. There is no pre-registration required for these contests. An optional team competition of four members will be available. Study guides for each judging contest will be available mid-January at www.postrock.k-state.edu/4-h/events/judging-extravaganza/. Judging Extravaganza is a great district-level activity for your achievement pin applications. The contests have been strategically planned to also compliment your project records. As an example, a life skills contest benefits all youth and can be specifically noted on any project record. An animal science related contest can be noted on any livestock or pet record. Be sure to ask your 4-H Program Coordinator for tips about listing these experiences on your project record reports!

All are invited to attend Open House at Rock Springs Ranch on April 13 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Come and tour the property, meet the staff and learn all about the fun at Kansas 4-H Camp at Rock Springs Ranch. Registration and details are available at https://rockspringsranch.org/events/open-house.

More information to come later.

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Indoor shooting sports practices are scheduled. Youth must be 8 years or older by January 1 and
properly enrolled in the project discipline to participate. Post Rock District does not provide fire
arms; however, you can attend your first practice without one and your instructor will assist with
determining what will be appropriate for the youth to have a quality project experience.
The Archery, BB Gun, and Air Rifle practices will take place at the Jewell County Fairgrounds in Mankato on January 12, 19, 26, and February 2, 16, and 23. To sign-up to attend practice, contact Tonia at tiunderw@ksu.edu or 785-378-3174.

• Archery: Stede Underwood, certified Kansas 4-H instructor, will facilitate the practices. He will run 2 groups this winter. Beginners practice will start at 2:00 p.m. More experienced archers (aka: youth that have been to a qualifier before) will practice at 3:00 p.m.
• BB Gun and Air Rifle: Jeff Cady, certified Kansas 4-H instructor, will facilitate the practices. Practice will start at 4:00 p.m.

We are excited to share that Jeff Cady, certified Kansas 4-H instructor, is planning to facilitate practices for the 4-H Shooting Sports - Small Bore Rifle discipline in 2025! Be watching for more information about spring practices. Jeff encourages youth to participate in the BB and Air Rifle practices this winter to get ready for this spring opportunity! Contact Tonia at tiunderw@ksu.edu or 785-378-3174 if you are interested in this discipline.

There will be an in-person YQCA training after 4-H Day in Beloit on February 8. Blaire Todd, Livestock Production Agent, will be leading this training. Email questions to blairet@ksu.edu. Participants need to sign-up in advance. To do so, members need to log into their YQCA account, go to “enrolled training”, and select the course labeled “Beloit 4-H Day Training”. Members will be able to enroll and pay for the course online. Participants also need to take a pre-test online before attending the in-person training! YQCA is a livestock quality assurance program that covers food safety, animal well-being, and character development. It is a great learning experience for youth involved in any livestock project! Learn more at our Post Rock District’s YQCA webpage.