4-H Youth Development

Memorial Award Applications

• Althea Goewey Community Service Achievement Memorial Award
  Application deadline is October 15.
  • This award is in memory of Althea Goewey, a former 4-H club leader, literacy volunteer, rescue squad volunteer and church volunteer. 4-H leaders, members and clubs are asked to nominate 4-H members deserving of this award. 4-H'ers may nominate themselves.
  • To be eligible: 1) Must have been enrolled in 4-H in Wyoming County during current project year, or the last year eligible for 4-H and must have graduated from High School. 2) Must have been involved in community service projects. 3) Must have high standards and be earnestly trying to better themselves for themselves, their family and their community. 4) Must be planning to furthur their education by attending a college, trade school or apprenticeship program. 5) Must not have received this award before. Award Amount: $200.
    
• Christopher Todd Dairy Achievement Memorial Award
  Application deadline is October 15.
  • (In Dairy Area) This Dairy Achievement Award is being presented in memory of Chris Todd, a former 4-H dairy member in Wyoming County. The purpose of this award is to give public recognition annually to a 4-H'er who does outstanding 4-H work in the dairy area. If you feel you know someone who qualifies for this award, please fill out the nomination form.
  • To be eligible, nominees must: 1) be enrolled in Wyoming County 4-H. 2) have been a 4-H member for at least 2 years. 3) be enrolled and active in the 4-H Dairy Program. 4) have demonstrated good sportsmanship in all phases of daily living. 5) not have received this award in previous years. The award consists of a $50 savings bond and a plague.
• Erika Todd Equine Achievement Memorial Award
  
  • This award is in memory of Erika Todd, a former Wyoming County 4-H horse & dairy program member. Presented annually, it recognizes a 4-H member that fully participates and excels in the 4-H equine program. The award consists of a $50 savings bond and a plaque that will be presented at the 4-H Recognition Night.
    
  • Eligibility: Must currently be active within the Wyoming County 4-H Horse Program Must participate in multiple levels of activities throughout the 4-H Horse Program (examples: county, regional & state level educational and/or riding events) Must be in at least junior year in high school A member is only eligible to receive this award once Any eligible member or 4-H club leader may submit a nomination.
    
• Harold Meyers Memorial Dairy Sportsmanship Awards
  Nominations will be accepted through 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday of Fair Week.
  • The annual Harold Meyers Memorial Dairy Sportsmanship Awards will be presented at the conclusion of the Thursday Dairy Show at the Wyoming County Fair.
  • These awards are presented to one junior, who receives a heifer show halter, and one senior, who receives a cow show halter. Applications are also available through the 4-H Office, at the Showing and Fitting Clinic, and at the fair. Winners will be chosen based on their willingness to exhibit good sportsmanship, regardless of the outcome of the competition. Please take the time to nominate a deserving 4-H member for this honor!
    
• Patricia J. Swartz Memorial Award
  Application deadline is October 15.
  • (In Sheep Area) This award is in memory of Patricia J. Swartz of Attica, who was involved for many years with the Wyoming County Sheep program. She was the leader of the Young Shepherds 4-H club and served for many years as the Superintendent of the sheep department at the Wyoming County Fair. Pat's caring and giving ways touched the lives of many youth and adults in the area.
  • To be eligible: 1) Must have participated in the 4-H Sheep program for the last five years, including showing sheep at the fair. 2) Must be at least in his/her Junior Year in High School. 3) Must not have received this award before. Award Amount: $100.

Scholarship, Grant and Award Opportunities

FFA Scholarship Guidebook 2011

- SORTED BY DEADLINE DATE -

County Medals Award

• Deadline is in September/October
• Ages: 14-19

Each year at Achievement Night, county medals are awarded to deserving 4-H members. This year, the 4-H staff is asking the leader of each 4-H club to nominate a member(s) of their club to be considered to receive a medal. Independent members may be nominated by parents. It is recommended that older 4-H members, 14-19 years of age be nominated. The final decision is made by the 4-H staff and announced during Achievement Night.

County medals are awarded in Achievement, Agriculture, Art, Beef, Citizenship, Clothing, Conservation, Dairy, Demonstrations, Dog Care, Food & Nutrition, Fashion Revue, Gardening, Goat, Health, Home Environment, Knitting & Crocheting, Leadership, Needlework, Poultry, Public Speaking, Rabbit, Sheep, Horse, Swine, Tractor, Vegetables, Wildlife, and Wood Science.

Nomination forms are due at the Wyoming County 4-H Office are due at the end of September/early October. See the September Leader Letter for more details and exact deadline.

NDHIA Scholarship Program

• Deadline: September/October

Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of scholastic achievements and leadership in school and community activities. Scholarships are awarded to incoming and continuing students at technical, two-year and four-year institutions.

Eligibility is defined as a family member or employee of a herd on DHI test, or a family member of an employee, or employee of a DHI affiliate. The DHI affiliate for the herd or affiliate employee must be a member of National DHIA. (National DHIA affiliate members are listed below.) All scholarships are $750. Previous National DHIA scholarship recipients are NOT eligible. Applicants must be full-time students.

http://www.dhia.org/scholarship.asp

Beef Industry Scholarship

• Deadline is in September/October (check web site for exact date)
• For graduating high school seniors or college undergraduates

The Beef Industry Scholarship is a collaborative effort of the National Cattlemens Foundation (NCF) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). Twenty $1500 scholarships will be awarded to youths pursuing careers in the beef industry.  All graduating high school seniors or college undergraduates involved in the beef industry are eligible to apply.  Applicants DO NOT need to be NCBA members.

Full details of this year’s program can be found on the NCF web site: www.nationalcattlemensfoundation.org/scholarship.aspx or stop by the 4-H Office for a copy of this year’s scholarship application.

ESRI GIS Grant Program Available for 4-H Clubs

• Application Period: October 1-December 1, 2010

The goal of this program is to foster and support the integration of geographic information system (GIS) applications in U.S. 4-H clubs. Esri has created the 2011 Esri GIS Grant Program for U.S. 4-H in cooperation with National 4-H Headquarters within the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)/U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support its geospatial outreach, education, and community involvement efforts.

The 2011 Esri GIS Grant Program for U.S. 4-H is one aspect of a multifaceted 4-H initiative being developed by Esri in cooperation with National 4-H Headquarters within NIFA/USDA that will help its members expand their current programs including the National 4-H GIS/GPS Technology Team and the National 4-H Science, Engineering and Technology (4-H SET) mission mandate. See http://4-H.org.

Eligible Applicants: 4-H uses a variety of delivery modes to reach youth. Although the term club is used throughout this document, for this program, it means a 4-H community or in-school club, 4-H after-school program, 4-H special interest group, 4-H school enrichment group, 4-H camp, or similar 4-H unit that meets together regularly for 4-H youth development program delivery, has been recognized as an authorized 4-H group within a state's 4-H program, and has a list of enrolled youth members and approved adult volunteer 4-H leaders or 4-H agents on file.

• Getting Started with GIS and GPS Grant
  This 2011 Esri GIS Grant Program for U.S. 4-H is for 4-H clubs not already familiar with GPS or GIS technologies that want to begin introducing spatial literacy to youth at a basic level.
• ArcGIS Grant
  This 2011 Esri GIS Grant Program for U.S. 4-H is for 4-H clubs with adults and youth members comfortable with technology who are now ready to learn and do more with ArcGIS software and GPS technology. The grant now includes software and curriculum that was previously included in the two separate Introduction to GIS and Intermediate GIS grants.

Angels in Action Awards

• Deadline is October 1st
• Ages: 8-18

Georgia-Pacific’s Angels in Action Awards Program will recognize children who are involved in exemplary community service projects in age categories 8-15 years old and 16-18 years old. One outstanding awardee will receive $15,000 for “Program of the Year.” Two grand-prize winners (one from each age category) will receive $10,000, and ten finalists (five from each age category) will receive $1,000.

To nominate someone you know to be an Angel in Action, visit http://angelsoft.com

The Harris Wofford Awards

• Deadline: October
• Ages: 5-25

The Harris Wofford Awards, presented by Youth Service America and proudly sponsored by State Farm Companies Foundation, were established in 2002 to honor former Senator Harris Wofford, one of our nation's greatest public servants and long-time board member of Youth Service America. Following Wofford's goal of "making service and service-learning the common expectation and the common experience of every young person on America," the awards recognize extraordinary achievements in five categories: Youth, Organizations, Media, Online Campaigns, and Public Officials.

If you would like to nominate a youth, between the ages of 5-25, that has participated in a YSA program before please take this eligibility quiz to start the process.

For more information, visit www.ysa.org/awards or email woffordawards@ysa.org.

Do Something Brick Awards

• Deadline: October
• Ages: 8-25

The Do Something BRICK Awards honors six outstanding leaders age 18 and under and three outstanding leaders age 19-25 who develop projects to improve their community. Winners in “18 yrs. & under” category receive a $5,000 scholarship and a $5,000 grant; winners in the “19-25” category each receive a $10,000 grant. Online application only:

• http://www.dosomething.org/awards/brick/apply/
  

President's Environmental Youth Awards

• Deadline is December 31 of each year.
• Ages: K-12 grade

Since 1971, EPA has sponsored the President’s Environmental Youth Awards. The program recognizes young people across America for projects which demonstrate their commitment to the environment. Young people in all 50 states and the U.S. territories are invited to participate in the program. Projects submitted in the past have covered a wide range of subject areas including recycling programs in schools and communities; construction of nature preserves; major tree planting programs; videos, skits, and newsletters created by students that focused on environmental issues; and environmental science projects.

To be eligible to compete, a student or students, sponsored by an adult, must submit to their local EPA regional office evidence of a completed project as defined in the President’s Environmental Youth Award application, as well as a completed application.

How to apply: Guidelines are available at EPA’s PEYA website at http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/peya/index.html. You can also learn more about past award-winning projects by visiting the EPA website.

International Young Eco-Hero Awards

• Deadline:  January (see website for exact date)
• Ages: 8-16

Calling all Young Eco-Heroes for this annual Action For Nature juried contest. Cash prizes and other gifts are awarded to young people, 8 to 16 years of age, who have initiated and achieved outstanding environmental success, and whose efforts will inspire others. Guidelines and application form available on the website: http://www.actionfornature.org. Nominations encouraged.

Community Hero Awards

• Deadline:  February (see website for exact date)

Do you know someone who inspires you by giving of themselves to help others? Honor your volunteers by nominating them for the 2007 Community Hero Awards. $8,000 will be awarded to volunteer organizations, plus $2,000 in scholarships to deserving youth! The Community Hero Awards, sponsored by Univera Healthcare and the United Ways of Western New York, will be presented at a breakfast ceremony on April 17, 2007 at the Buffalo Convention Center. Nomination forms and responses to the ‘Criteria Questions’ are due by Wednesday, February 14, 2007.

To receive a copy of the application, stop by the 4-H Office or download an application at www.uwbec.org

EPA Our Planet, Our Stuff, Our Choice Video Competition

• Deadline:  February (see website for exact date)
• Ages: 13 and older

The U.S. EPA is sponsoring this video competition to raise awareness of the connection between the environment and the stuff people use, consume, recycle, and throw away. Anyone 13 and older can participate with the chance to win up to $2500 for videos that will inspire community involvement, spread information, and lead to action.

Intel Schools of Distinction Awards

• Deadline:  February (see website for exact date)

The awards program is open to K-12 accredited U.S. schools that are publicly funded and/or nonprofit. To be considered, schools must develop an environment and curricula that meet or exceed benchmarks put forth by national mathematics and science content standards with at least three years of results data.

NYS 4-H Opportunity Scholarship Program

• Deadline:  February 15

The NYS 4-H Foundation and generous sponsors are pleased to provide scholarships to members for their accomplishments as a result of 4-H experiences, and to support future educational goals. The New York State 4-H Opportunity Scholarship application is available on the Foundation’s web site at http://www.nys4hfoundation.org/programs/foundation-programs/opportunity-scholarship-program/. 

Applications must be typed, complete, and postmarked NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 15th. Notification of scholarship awards will be made in June at the Career Exploration Conference. Applicants will be eligible to receive only one 4-H Opportunity Scholarship per year. Both high school seniors and students currently enrolled in college who have been involved with 4-H, are encouraged to apply.  This past year the NYS 4-H Foundation awarded $10,000 in scholarship funds to 10 outstanding young people from across NYS.

For further information, contact Roxanne at the 4-H Office or visit the Foundation’s web site.

National FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program

• Deadline:  February 15

Each year the National FFA Organization awards more than $2 million in scholarships to members. There are many types of scholarships to fit the many types of FFA members.
Scholarships are given for a wide variety of experiences, career goals and higher education plans. Different awards may be used at colleges, universities and post secondary agricultural programs.
The scholarships are sponsored by numerous agricultural businesses through the National FFA Foundation, and new scholarships are added every year.

Attention Students!
Over $2 million in scholarships is available for YOU through the National FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program! All you have to do is have is the right combination. Sure, grades are important, but the FFA combination takes into account the whole you! Your community service. Your FFA involvement. Your leadership skills. Your SAE. Talk with your FFA advisor and download the application.

Look for the current year's applications in the Fall/Winter on the web site.

Cargill Community Scholarship Program

• Deadline:  Applications are due Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 5 p.m EST. Recipients will be announced in May.
• WHO: High-school seniors living in communities near Cargill operations
• WHAT: 350 one-time scholarships of $1,000 and a $200 grant to each recipient's high-school library
• HOW: Guidelines and application are available on any computer with Internet access at: https://scholarshipapp.ffa.org/OnlineApps/Welcome.aspx

DEKALB Ag Youth Scholarship

• Deadline:  February 22, 2011
• Amount: $2,500
• Number of scholarships available: 10
• How to apply: Apply and submit application on the National FFA Organization's website
• Eligibility: Available to both high school and collegiate students who are pursuing agricultural-related degrees and demonstrate strong leadership skills and community involvement. FFA membership is not required to be eligible for the scholarship program.
  
  

Monsanto Commitment to Agriculture Scholarship

• Deadline:  February 22, 2011
• Amount: $1,500
• Number of scholarships available: 100
• How to apply: Apply and submit application on the National FFA Organization's website
• Eligibility: Must be a high school senior from a farm family with above-average academic record, and plan to enroll as a full-time student in an agriculture-related academic major at an accredited school. FFA membership is not required to be eligible for the scholarship program.

Holstein Calf Scholarship

• Deadline:  February 20
• Ages: 12-15 as of Jan 1st

The New York Holstein Association, Inc. is sponsoring a Calf Scholarship. The purpose of the Calf Scholarship Award is to select a youth who is worthy of the award - a fine pedigreed calf with the potential to develop into a future brood cow. The program offers such a calf to a youth who has demonstrated the interest and ability to develop the calf to her fullest potential and who will grow through the project.

Contact the 4-H office for an application or visit the NY Holstein Association’s web site at http://www.nyholsteins.com.

Scholarships and Educational Programs for Equine and Agriculture Industries:

• Horsemen Up to $6000 per year; Deadline 2/28/11
  Available to children of horse farm and back stretch employees.
• Thoroughbred Up to $6000 per year; Deadline 2/28/11
  Available to students from any background wishing to pursue a career in the equine or agriculture industry.
• Ashado Up to $6000 per year; Deadline 2/28/11
  Scholarship recipient is chosen from the female Thoroughbred Scholarship applicants, and represents the best of all female applicants. Apply online! Fleet Indian Scholarship for New York Students Up to $5000 per year; Deadline 2/28/11Available to New York residents attending a college or university in the state of New York wishing to pursue a career in the Thoroughbred industry.
• John Deere Scholarship $5000; Deadline 2/28/11
  Provides $5000 for a student pursuing a career in an agricultural-related industry.

Visit http://www.raceforeducation/scholarships/ for further information regarding the above scholarships.

Careers In Agriculture Scholarship

• Applications Due February 1, 2011

The Careers in Agriculture scholarship program sponsored by Agriliance and the CROPLAN GENETICS ® brand annually awards $1,000 scholarships to 20 high school seniors interested in agriculture-related studies.

Candidates should:

• Be a high school senior planning to enroll in a two- or four-year agriculture-related curriculum in the fall following high school graduation;
• Demonstrate leadership and academic performance;
• Write an essay describing why he or she is interested in an agricultural career.

Applications are available at the Agriliance website: http://www.agrisolutionsinfo.com/News/ECMD2-0025967.aspx or at the Wyoming County 4-H Office.

Christopher Columbus Awards Challenges Teams Of Middle School Students To Solve Community Problems Using Science And Technology

• Deadline is in March (check web site for exact date)

The Christopher Columbus Awards is a free program which challenges middle school students to explore opportunities for positive change in their communities. Teams of up to four students and a coach identify a community issue and use the scientific process to solve it. Finalist teams win an all-expense-paid trip to Walt Disney World® where they compete for gold medals and U.S. Savings Bonds.

The award program attracts over 15,000 ‘everyday’ students from all across the U.S., and appeals to educators who are increasingly looking to develop critical thinking skills in students while meeting State and Federal standards. The program:

• is a cross-curricular activity that helps meet both NCLB and State standards
• helps address the performance gap in U.S. science education by encouraging critical thinking skills in all students
• encourages community service
  

Deadline and How to Enter
The Christopher Columbus Awards is free to enter. For more information and competition guidelines, call 1-800-291-6020 or visit www.christophercolumbusawards.com. Coaches may be teachers, parents, community leaders or mentors. Teams do not need to be affiliated with a school to enter.

Who Wins?
One of the past winning teams was a group of students from West Branch, Iowa, who felt there was an environmental hazard caused by used oil filters being disposed of in household trash. They developed an awareness campaign to educate the public about the dangers of placing used oil filters in landfills. Past winners have also included a group of Native American girls who built a study hall out of straw on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana; and a group of students from Pennsylvania who developed a handheld grocery scanner that quickly deciphers food labels to detect whether the item contains allergens such as dyes or nuts. Many teams have gone on to develop patents on their ideas. Some entrants have decided to major in science in college as a result of becoming involved in the program.

NYS Association of Agricultural Fairs and NYS Showpeople's Association Annual Scholarship Program

• Deadline is in April

The NYSAAF awards college scholarships to those students who apply and have good grades in high school or college, have good leadership and citizenship skills and come recommended by their local fair committees. Those students interested in receiving one of the $1000 scholarships can find the application on the web site.

International Children's Painting Competition

• Deadline:  April 15
• Ages: 6-14

The United Nations Environment Programme's International Children's Painting Competition invites young people (ages 6-14) to submit their paintings on the theme to the relevant UNEP Regional Office. This year's theme is Biodiversity: Connecting with Nature. The competition encourages children from all parts of the world to focus on particular environmental issues and how these issues affect their communities. Regional winners will be announced on World Environment Day in June. The regional first prize winners will each receive a cash prize and a trip for themselves and an accompanying adult to the Tunza International Children's Conference in Aichi, Japan.

The DeNise Scholarship Fund

• Deadline:  April 15

The late Mr. and Mrs. Howard DeNise, longtime agriculturist and Grange members in Western New York have established the DeNise Scholarship Fund, with the New York State Grange as the administrator. This scholarship is intended to serve those who are interested in the pursuit of a career in the agricultural industry and strong emphasis in awarding these scholarships is also placed on the need of the applicant. A scholarship may be used in any recognized accredited institution or higher learning.

Applications must be returned to the New York State Grange, 100 Grange Place, Cortland, NY 13045 no later than April 15th. Call the 4-H office for an application at (585) 786-2251.

Listed is the criteria for the scholarship:

• Both 2-year associate degree and 4 year baccalaureate degree programs may be pursued.
• Public and private institutions may be attended within or outside of New York State.
• Applicant must be a resident of New York State.
• Scholarship assistance is available to undergraduate students only.
• Course of study must entail a major within the field of agriculture.
  

“Be Aware of NY Agriculture” Contest

• Deadline is in April (See December/January 4-H News for exact date)
• For pre-school to 6th grade youth

Essays, Artwork & Poetry with an Agricultural Theme. Winning entries will be exhibited at the Youth Building at the Great New York State Fair.

The “Be Aware of New York Agriculture” Contest is a great way to expose youth to agriculture, the food system and to meet the NYS Learning Standards in classrooms. Youth can learn more about where their food comes from and why it is important that they understand and appreciate agriculture in New York State. The contest is divided by grade level categories and statewide winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 2 honorable mentions) are selected for each grade level. Pre-school through 3rd grade students produce art projects, while 4th and 5th graders write poems and essays. 6th graders make full-size posters with an agriculture theme.

Contact the 4-H Office for an entry form.

Sponsored by: New York Ag in the Classroom, New York Farm Bureau, and the New York Farm Bureau Foundation for Agricultural Education, Inc.

• 1st place individual for each grade level is awarded a $50 U.S. Savings Bond.
• 1st place classroom and school receive agriculture-related books and/or videos
• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd winners receive T-shirts.
• All awardees (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mentions) receive Certificates of Recognition
  

Investing in Farm Credit East's Future Scholarship Program

• Deadline is in April

Farm Credit East is looking for students who demonstrate exceptional achievement as future agricultural leaders. They make their decisions based on your essay, experience, course of study and extracurricular activities.

• Eligibility:
  • Students having a permanent address within Farm Credit East's territory and pursuing post high school study leading to or enhancing a career in production agriculture, forestry or commercial fishing. (An associate’s, bachelor’s or graduate degree qualifies as post high school education.)
  • Up to four scholarships may be awarded to applicants pursuing adult education, such as an executive program or agricultural leadership program.
  • Future agricultural leaders. That is, students who have stepped up to make a difference in agriculture or who are developing their leadership skills.

New NEEF Environmental Education Award

• Nomination Deadline in June

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) announces the creation of the Richard C. Bartlett Environmental Education Award to honor an outstanding educator who has successfully integrated environmental education into his or her daily education programs. The winner will be awarded $5,000 for his or her continued work in environmental education.

Nomination Criteria:

• The nominee must be a 5th-12th grade teacher in the United States at a public, private or home school.
• The nomination can come from anyone involved with the teacher (parents of students, administrators, fellow teachers, students, etc)Self-nominations will be accepted.
• Nominated teachers must have at least five years teaching experience.
• The nomination will be considered complete with the requested information on the next page and two letters of support.

Jo-Ann Fabrics $50,000 Cash For College

• Deadline: June 15

• For high school students ages 14-19
• Make your own prom outfit, including an accessory, with fabric & other products from Jo-Ann.
• Prize Details:
  • Grand $50,000
  • 2nd- $5,000
  • 3rd-$2,500
• Winning entries' judged on workmanship, originality and level of detail
• Click here to go to Jo-Ann Fabrics' website to download an entry form

Genesee Promise

• Deadline: mid-June

Genesee Promise Plus is a special program designed specifically for students who are graduating from a high school located within the GLOW region, or Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties in New York State. Under Genesee Promise Plus, every GLOW area high school graduate will receive a scholarship covering the cost of tuition for one or two summer courses offered by Genesee Community College at any of its seven campus locations in Albion, Arcade, Batavia, Dansville, Lima, Medina, and Warsaw.

New York State Junior Dairy Leader Program

• Application Deadline is in July
• Ages: 16-19

The “Junior DAIRY LEADER” program is intended to reach youth between the ages of 16-19 who have interest in exploring careers in the dairy industry and would like to gain hands on experience. It is sponsored by Pro-Dairy, Cornell University - Animal Science, the Agway Foundation and the 4-H Foundation.

The program will consist of a series of workshops that focus on specific facets of the dairy industry. Other opportunities include:

• Representing New York State at National 4-H Dairy Conference - Madison, Wisconsin
• On-Farm Production Analysis
• Resume Development for Internship
• Presentations Using Computer Technology
• Northern New York - Vermont Agricultural Tour
• Wisconsin Agriculture Tour
• Regional Seminars

The "Junior DAIRY LEADER" program exposes participants to progressive and profitable agricultural businesses and will prepare them for employment as managers, technicians, and other agri-service and professional careers.

Contact the 4-H Office for application materials.

Photography Contest

• Deadline is in July

Cash Prizes Offered for Inspirational Photographs - In partnership with the Albert I. Pierce Foundation, NAAEE has established a photography contest in conjunction with the upcoming NAAEE annual conference at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on November 14-17, 2007. NAAEE seeks photos that will inspire people to achieve environmental excellence. Entries may reflect anything that connects to the environment. The winning photos will show how the visual arts can create a kinesthetic and emotional connection to the Earth. The photography contest is one element of a larger effort by NAAEE to re-invigorate the use of arts and culture in the EE field.

National Outstanding Young Farmers Program

• Application Deadline is August 1st

Today's farmer is an entrepreneur in a complex agribusiness. He or she must understand all aspects of farming, including technology, farm implements, and other equipment used in today's operations. He or she must also comprehend the complexities of producing the high volume and quality crops or livestock demanded by consumers worldwide, while not running afoul of expanding environmental regulations.

The purpose of the Outstanding Young Farmers program is to bring about a greater interest in the farmer, to foster better urban-rural relations through the understanding of the farmers' problems, to develop an appreciation of their contributions and achievements, and to inform the agribusiness community of the growing urban awareness of farmers' importance and impact on the American economy.

As the farmer's business has changed, so has his or her involvement in the community. Today's farmer has become an active citizen, participating in everything from local and state government to civic groups and charitable organizations. It is not only fitting that farmers be honored for their contributions and achievements—it is essential. This award has been established to recognize outstanding achievements in agriculture as well as community involvement.

• View Brochure For More Details
• Download Nomination Form

You can also visit the "The United States Junior Chamber Jaycees" website for more informaton.

President’s Volunteer Service Award

• For All Ages
• Keep a record of service on their website

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is a Presidential recognition program for Americans of all ages who contribute a significant amount of time to volunteer service. The Award is given to individuals, families, and groups that have demonstrated outstanding volunteer service and civic participation over the course of a 12-month period. The awards are delivered through a variety of local, state, and national organizations that are registered as “certifying organizations.” By registering your organization, you will help the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation to recognize the outstanding volunteer service of individuals, families, and groups, and thereby encourage others to join the national volunteer service movement.

To learn more about the President’s Volunteer Service Award and to register as a certifying organization, please visit: http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov

National 4-H Council Grants

• Grants are awarded to 4-H/Extension groups only and are not available to individuals or other organization not implementing programs in collaboration with 4-H.

The Grants Management Team of National 4-H Council offers grants for youth in local communities, in counties, and on the state level. These grants provide opportunities for young people and adults to take action on issues critical to their lives, their families, and their communities. Youth and adults work in partnership in the design of the project, the proposal writing process, the implementation, and the evaluation of funded projects.

To join the National 4-H Council Grants announcement listserve go to: http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/GrantsProgram.aspx

Genesee Community College Scholarships