Post Rock District 4-H Events

Calling 4-H members to create a JOIN 4-H VIDEO! Creating engaging videos to encourage others to join 4-H can be a fun and impactful way to spread the word! You can focus on skills gained, friendships made, and opportunities you have had throughout your 4-H journey. Post Rock District would like to use these videos during the month of October as we kick-off the new year and priority enrollment period. Videos can be created individually, as a family, with a few friends, or as a club project. Please keep videos under 2-minutes long. We request videos to be created and submitted by September 18. You can email them to Tonia Underwood at tiunderw@ksu.edu or text them to her at 785-282-8131. You can also bring them to your local Extension Office to be downloaded.

Post Rock District will host 4-H Quiz Bowl on January 11 in Mankato. While a quiz bowl is semi-competitive, the experience is designed to be a fun, educational opportunity for 4-H members. New in 2025, we are going to extend an invite to neighboring extension unit 4-H members to participate - making this a fun regional event. Save the date!

You are invited to join the Post Rock District’s Spirit Week Party!

You are challenged to celebrate 4-H with each theme day.
There are endless ways to show your 4-H spirit!
~Talk to a friend at school.

~Discuss the theme at supper time.

~Text about the theme to a loved one.

~Feature the theme on your social media.

~Call a friend you'd like to encourage join 4-H and use the theme to highlight why 4-H is amazing.

Want to be featured with Post Rock District 4-H? Text Tonia at 785-282-8131 or email tiunderw@ksu.edu by 9:30 a.m. on each theme day. If you submit a highlight related to the theme, you can be featured through Post Rock District email outreach to current membership and on the Post Rock District's 4-H Facebook page. You can submit earlier than day-of for each theme. Late submissions will be featured other times throughout October. Remember to follow the Kansas 4-H Code of Conduct with your features.

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48 Hours of 4-H is a community service challenge for all members in Kansas 4-H! The challenge takes place October 12-13, as an exciting end to the National 4-H Week. 48 Hours of 4-H is an opportunity for 4-H members and supporters to engage in a concentrated period of community service and project work. It’s a chance to make a big impact and showcase the dedication and teamwork of the 4-H community.

You can complete a service project as a member, family, group, or as a 4-H club project. We know schedules are busy, so any community service project taking place around National 4-H Week or during the month of October can qualify for the 48 Hours of 4-H Service Challenge! Remember to make it an official 48 Hours of 4-H Service Project by registering your project with Kansas 4-H on the challenge website.

Share a picture and summary of your project with your 4-H Program Coordinator so we can help celebrate your commitment to live out the 4-H pledge. Sending a news release to the local newspaper is also a great way to share your club’s local impact.

Each county will be hosting an Achievement Celebration this fall to kick off the new 4-H year and celebrate the successes of last year. This is a wonderful opportunity to invite new members to start making 4-H friends and memories. Check your county’s newsletter page in September and October for dates and details as 4-H Councils plan the celebrations!

Jewell County - November 3

Lincoln County - November 3

Mitchell County - October 20

Osbornce County - October 13

Smith County - November 23

Alpha of Clovia is excited to invite high school girls involved in 4-H to their fall Hospitality Weekend on November 9 and 10. This event, held right off the Manhattan campus of Kansas State University, offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about the cooperative Leadership House, meet new friends, and explore the values of Clovia. Register online at Clovia Hospitality Weekend or contact them directly at alphaofclovia@gmail.com.

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. More information will be coming soon.

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. More information will be coming soon.

The 25th annual Kansas Youth Leadership Forum is November 23-24 at Rock Springs 4-H Center. The experience is for 4-H members who are 14-18 years old before January 1, 2025. KYLF will feature leadership workshops, State 4-H Council elections, and many opportunities to have fun and make friends from across the state. Post Rock District will provide a chaperone and transportation to and from KYLF. Find cost, schedule, and other details on the Kansas 4-H event website. Register online by October 15!

Kansas Volunteer Leaders Forum will take place concurrently with KYLF. This event is for adult volunteers. It’s a great platform for sharing ideas, gaining new skills, and strengthening the network of 4-H volunteers across the state. Registration and details are on the Kansas 4-H event website.

The Kansas Youth Virtual Entrepreneurship Challenge is a state-wide virtual business pitch competition with categories for elementary, middle, and high school students. Participants pitch a business idea in a 3-5 minute video for a chance to win cash prizes! Competition opened September 1 and submissions are due October 26. Winners will be announced in November.

• Register at www.campdestinationinnovation.com/kyvec for additional competition details, including example videos from previous winners.
• Please email campdiwichita@gmail.com directly with any questions.

Youth 7-18 years of age are asked to join Kansas 4-H for an exciting afternoon packed with interactive, hands-on activities designed to help you build a Strong Mind, Active Heart, Helping Hands, and Healthy Lifestyles. All participants, youth and adults, will need to register and indicate if they will be coming for lunch. The cost will be $3 per person. This is a state-level 4-H event when completing your pin applications!

• October 26 in Hays (held after 4-H Shutterbugs) is the Northwest 4-H region’s event.
• Registration is due October 15. Register at https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6tHQrM4iZhs6Pki.

National 4-H week is October 6-12, 2024. There will be celebrations taking place nationwide and we can’t wait to see how everyone in Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, and Smith County join the fun! 4-H clubs, 4-H families, and 4-H members can use National 4-H Week as a platform to showcase activities, recruit new members, say thank you to sponsors, and spread the word about the value of 4-H in fostering leadership, encouraging community service, developing friendships, and offering hands-on learning.

Do you have any specific plans for celebrating or promoting 4-H week? Let your local Extension Office know! If you share a photo and spotlight article about your activities, we are happy to give you a shout out on Post Rock District’s 4-H Facebook page. This is a great way for your officer team to share the great news about 4-H. Don’t forget to share with your local newspaper!

Post Rock District’s 4-H Leadership Training will take place Saturday, November 2 in Smith Center at American Lutheran Church (415 W New York Street). Training will begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude by Noon. If you are an officer (or if you’d like to build your skill set to serve as an officer in the future) this is a great interactive training to come participate in! There will also be an opportunity to learn about member achievement awards, project records, 4-H presentations, and more. All ages and experience levels of youth are welcome! This year, we’ll be learning in a full-group setting so you’ll gain information and skills in a wide variety of areas. You’ll benefit from a chance to bond with your 4-H club members and have a chance to make new friends from across the District. Adults are welcome to observe the fun so you can support your 4-H young leaders throughout the year. It is free to attend, but please register by October 24 at https://bit.ly/PRD4HOfficerTraining.

Post Rock District will host two 4-H Day events in 2025 to provide youth with an opportunity to showcase skills in public speaking, music, dance, and other talents. We plan on expanding the judging contests offered to have a same-day experience of a Judging Extravaganza along with each 4-H Day. Save the dates of Saturday, February 8 in Beloit and Monday, March 3 in Osborne.

Shutterbug events are state-level 4-H photography workshops led by the Kansas State 4-H Photography Action Team. All participants, youth and adults, will need to register and indicate if they will be staying for lunch. The cost will be $3 per person. Bring your smart phone or camera. Limited DSLR cameras also available for checkout - bring your own SD card so you can take photos home with you. For more information and dates check out www.kansas4-h.org/events-activities/conferences-events/photography/index.html.

• Shutterbug at Hays on October 26 (held in conjunction with the regional Live Well, Lead Well Workshop, but it is not required to attend both).
• Register by October 15 at https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6tHQrM4iZhs6Pki.