Wisconsin 4-H Leader Recognized at National Conference

Donna Menart, Associate State Program Director for the Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development Program, UW-Extension, was honored with the Air Force Recruiting Salute Award at the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents 61st annual conference, held recently in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lt. Colonel Cameron Gilbert, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, presented the award to Menart. The award, sponsored by the Air Force Recruiting Service, is presented to one association member nationally each year. The award recognizes the individual who has created a positive Extension image through his/her leadership and citizenship as it relates to the development of the 4-H program. Menart is the first person from Wisconsin to receive the national award.

Menart, of Howards Grove, was nominated for the award by the Wisconsin Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals. Each state is limited to one nominee.
With more than 33 years of professional contributions to the Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development program, Menart has been serving on the Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development Staff since 1994. She previously served as a Sheboygan County 4-H Youth Development Agent for 20 years, and the Sheboygan County UW-Extension Office Chair for 8 years.

The Air Force Recruiting Salute award selection is based on professional accomplishments, professional involvement, and personal community contributions. In preparing award nomination materials, Menart was described by a colleague as a "professional, visionary leader and catalyst for change. She strives to enable staff, volunteers, and community partners to rise to their fullest potential." Other colleagues described her as an educator, facilitator, collaborator, administrator, guide, mentor, teacher, and supporter. Her programs and administrative work have been described as creative, innovative, and cutting edge.

Menart was previously recognized with the UW-Extension Award for Excellence; Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards from the National and Wisconsin Associations of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals; and the State Administrative Leadership and Distinguished Service Awards from the Wisconsin Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Extension Professionals' Organization.

Walworth County Fair

The Walworth County Fair was held in Elkhorn during Labor Day Weekend. The fair is one of the longest running fairs in the state. Its history dates back to 1850. With agriculture displays, a midway, dozens of food outlets, headlining music acts, horse harness racing, educational booths and much more, the Walworth Fair is one of the biggest around and is a great place to spend the long weekend. And it was our last stop on this year's sampling tour of 4-H youth activities at Wisconsin fairs.

Armed with a camera, we set out in search of the fine work done by 4-H youth throughout Walworth County this year.

Click the link below to find a collection of photos from the fair. Also, feel free to click the photos for a larger view. Thanks again for taking the virtual fair tour with us this summer!

Agriculture projects are a big part of the Walworth County Fair. Barns filled with youth projects line the fairgrounds. We visited the fair on Sunday, Sept. 2. Since the judging of animal projects had wrapped up earlier in the fair, the last couple of days are an opportunity for the proud youth to share their projects with the visiting public.

Displays in all of the booth shared the results of earlier judging, as well as educational information about the various animal breeds.



Throughout the barns, youth tended to their animals -- feeding them, cleaning them and sharing their projects with interested visitors.






Elsewhere, 4-H youth relaxed with their animals ...

... found some innocent mischief like these boys who rigged a toy spider in the rafters to spook unsuspecting fairgoers ...

... or took some time to socialize and enjoy the fair with their fellow 4-H club members.

In the Youth Activity Barn, each 4-H club throughout the county created a banner to showcase their own individual talents and attributes.

In the poultry barn, 4-H Youth merged their animal projects with the arts to create poultry photography projects.

Some even integrated parts of their poultry projects into their photos.

The Youth Exhibit Building was the home of a 4-H booth where volunteers from Walworth County clubs shared information with fairgoers and sold 4-H-related items and raffle tickets for a beautiful quilt to raise funds for area 4-H.

Throughout the building, an array of fantastic projects was displayed. The projects ranged from mechanical...

...to arts and crafts...

... to a large collection of hand-made rockets ...

... photography ...

... art ...

and home-made delicacies.

The building was also the home to some impressive home-grown agriculture products. With the fair's late-summer dates, youth are able to show most of their harvested projects at full maturity. This included a bounty of pumpkins and gourds ...

... cabbages and lettuces ...

... large stalks of corn that stretched to the ceiling ...

... their shucked brethren ...

... and some of the largest sunflowers we have ever seen!

These were just a few of the many impacts that 4-H youth and volunteers had on the Walworth County Fair. And, fine work like this is being done by 4-Hers in all of Wisconsin's 72 counties. Take some time to seek out positive work like this in your own communities!

Wisconsin State Fair

The Wisconsin State Fair has wrapped up its 2007 run, but we wanted to give everyone across the state an opportunity to see some of the fine work that was on display by 4-H youth throughout the fair grounds in West Allis.

With as large of an event as the fair is, and with so many different activities being spotlighted, there were new things to be seen on each day of the fair. The photos you'll see here are just a snapshot of one day's worth of 4-H activities at the fair.

Click the link below to find a collection of photos from the fair. Also, feel free to click the photos for a larger view. And make sure you stop back at the blog in coming weeks for two more virtual fair visits from the state!

Throughout the run of the fair, different animal breeds and classes were showcased, giving all of the participants in both junior and open classes an opportunity to show their work. The junior dairy program at the Wisconsin State Fair is actually the largest in the United States. 4-H members from dairy programs across the state brought their animals into the coliseum for judging.




A 4-H member introduced his animal to a group of interested fairgoers in one of the many animal barns on the fair grounds.


In addition to showing their animals in the barns, each county youth dairy project created an informational display about their project and the importance of dairy animals in Wisconsin. Below, fairgoers perused the Polk County information.


Unlike many of the state's county fairs, where animal projects are the mainstay, the State Fair provides a wealth of opportunities for 4-H members from around the state to show off their arts and communications projects in various performance settings.

Below, the Orange Mills 4-H Club from Juneau County, donning intricate costumes depicting the months of the year, performed their drama project, "Children of the Calendar."






In the Ag Oasis, a full wall was covered with banners depicting the 4-H programs in all of Wisconsin's 72 counties.




The Fulton 4-H Club from Rock County wore bright matching tie-dye t-shirts to perform their musical drama project, "Cars."






With members culled from across Wisconsin, the State Drama Company performed in various locations throughout the fair's run. The group of aspiring thespians received hearty laughs from the audience at one of their shows in the Ag Oasis.








In the corridors of the Expo Hall, displays were filled with art, craft, woodworking and other projects that were designed and created by Wisconsin youth. The brightly colored projects caused many fairgoers to stop and admire the handiwork of these talented youth.






Members of the 4-H State Art Team had a booth where they displayed their artistic talents through free face painting for kids at the fair.


And, more clubs from around Wisconsin performed on the Youth Exchange Stage. A group from Dodge County performed a truncated version of a classic tale in "The Wizard of Oz, More or Less."


The Cousins Amphitheater was just one of the spots that fair revelers could find the Wisconsin 4-H Showcase Singers performing during the fair. With well-choreographed steps, catchy tunes and amazing voices, the group of singers from all around the state wowed audiences with an impressive stage show.











And, these were just a few of the many impacts that 4-H youth and volunteers had on the Wisconsin State Fair. Keep your eyes on this blog for more great 4-H stories in the weeks ahead!

Racine County Fair

It's the season for fairs throughout the state of Wisconsin. Alongside all of the rides, food and attractions, these fairs also offer an opportunity to find some of the impressive work that is done by 4-H youth throughout the year.

Each fair provides an opportunity for youth to showcase their talents in a variety of project areas. To spread the Wisconsin fairs' showcasing ability a bit farther on the World Wide Web, we visited the Racine County Fair on July 27 to get a taste of the 4-H impact in that community.

Click the link below to find a collection of photos from the fair. Also, feel free to click the photos for a larger view. And make sure you stop back at the blog in coming weeks for two more virtual fair visits from the state!




For the fair, 4-H volunteers crafted a series of beautiful potted plant presentations like these that were used to decorate the fairgrounds. The planters also doubled as a fund raiser, as they were sold during a silent auction with proceeds benefiting Racine County 4-H.


The 4-H call booth is also a great fund raiser. Staffed by 4-H youth volunteers, the booth makes public address announcements ranging from vendor advertisements to goofy personal messages for a small charge.


4-H club members groom their goats in preparation for judging.








In the above photos, members of the Racine County 4-H goat project show the Norwegian Dwarf goats they have raised in hopes of receiving favorable placement and comments from the judge.


There was a large selection of diverse project types on display at the fair, ranging from gorgeous quilts ...


... to enormous onions ...


... to an impressive selection of homemade baskets ...


... to a display stand full of musical compositions ...


... to a large selection of various textile and clothing projects. And, this is just a small sampling of the projects that each displayed hard work and a strong level of learning through doing.


In the horse barn, the members of the Burlington North Stars club crafted all of their barn decorations by hand as a club project. The tack boxes were all cut and painted by hand and the stall signs and curtains were hand-crafted and -decorated.








Outside of the barn in the ring, members of the Racine 4-H Horse Project put on a dressage riding demonstration for a group of interested onlookers.


For many years, the Yorkville 4-H club has run this dining stand as an annual fund raiser. In addition to having the most affordable and delicious fare at the fair, the stand offers an opportunity for 4-H youth volunteers to ...


... take orders from the buying public ...


... and prepare the orders to the customers satisfaction. Oh, and as an insider's note for next year's fair, the Yorkville 4-H dining stand also has a fine selection of delectable homemade pies for dessert!


In the new poultry and rabbit barn, a poultry judge explains the form of a properly raised chicken to a group of 4-H members.


This 4-H'er shows off the duck that she raised to an interested fair-goer.


A member of the Norway 4-H introduces Rock, one of two Mini-Rex rabbits that she raised and entered in the fair.


Iron, another rabbit in the competition proudly shows off his 4-H affiliation.


These were just a few of the many impacts that 4-H youth and volunteers had on the Racine County Fair. And, fine work like this is being done by 4-Hers in all of Wisconsin's 72 counties. Keep your eyes on this blog for more great 4-H stories in the weeks ahead!

Wisconsin 4-H leader returns from prestigious White House Internship

For Door County resident and UW-Madison sophomore Ashley Viste, a lifelong passion for photography combined with extensive leadership experience with 4-H resulted in an opportunity to work for a semester at the White House.

Viste recently returned to Wisconsin after more than four months living in Washington D.C and working as a White House intern. While in the nation’s capital, Viste worked in the White House photo office, a position she says she was well-prepared for after years of participation Wisconsin’s 4-H photography and leadership programs.

“Photography was always my major project in 4-H,” Viste says. “In fact, it was the first project that I signed up for when I joined 4-H.”

“A lot of my 4-H experiences helped me in preparation for this internship,” she says. “From arts leadership programs to arts camp, I have had the opportunity to learn about and teach photography skills to others. All of those experiences helped me to grow as both a photographer and a leader.”

As a White House intern in the photo office, Viste’s main task was to help in the distribution of photos and to track where official photos were released. She also had the opportunity to assist editors and photographers in putting together photo projects and was assigned to projects directly involving the First Lady’s office and the White House Senior Staff.

Each intern’s workload is determined by their own personal experiences and Viste says she was thrilled to be given responsibilities above the normal intern duties, including writing photo captions, crafting photo essays for the White House Web site (The photos on this page were taken by Viste and are part of a Spring 2007 White House photo essay) and even being given the chance to photograph two assignments while shadowing White House photographers.

“I was definitely surprised by the amount of responsibility I was given,” Viste says. “The internship could have been like any office job, but I made sure I worked as hard as possible to be able to make the most out of the very short time I had there.

“I was able to learn a lot about photography and the impact images have on our society,” she says. “Photos are a direct way to record history and that is what the photo office does every day.”

In addition to their assigned duties, White House interns are given the opportunity on a regular basis to attend a speakers’ series that feature White House staff members from a variety of professional backgrounds.

Each spring, summer and fall, the White House chooses just 100 interns from colleges and universities across the United States to help in staffing and support for its 24 administrative offices. Viste said she began the process in early fall 2006 for the spring 2007 semester at the prompting of one of her 4-H mentors.

“Outside of photography,” Viste says, “I had a chance to connect with a lot of different people from diverse backgrounds and learned lessons in leadership, being self-sufficient, and being independent..”

And while the political science and environmental studies student continued her education in Washington, leadership roles are not a new experience for Viste. In addition to being a volunteer 4-H leader, she is also a member of the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Board of Directors.

Success for Washington County rocketry group

The Washington County 4-H rocketry group recently competed in the Team America Rocketry Challenge in Arlington, Va. Competing against a field of 100 other teams, which were mostly school-based programs, the Washington County team finished in an impressive 15th place. In the contest, teams are challenged to fly a hand-made rocket as close as possible to 850 feet in altitude and 45 seconds in duration. All the while, the rocket needs to carry a payload of a raw egg that needs to return to the ground unbroken for the flight to count.

In addition to their high ranking, the team was the highest ranking 4-H team in the field. Also, they gained the opportunity to create and enter a proposal of their own into the NASA Student Launch Initiative.

After the contest, team members had the opportunity to meet United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is pictured above at left signing the team’s rocket. Team members also met Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin. You can see Aldrin and all of the 4-H participants in the contest at right.

To learn more about the event, visit the contest’s home page.

To read more about the team's experience in a June 2 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article, click here.

4-H helps racewalker achieve her goals...

Le'erin Voss
Waukesha County
4-H project: Racewalking

"Racewalking has taken me places that I have never dreamed. The low-impact, highly aerobic sport and 4-H project taught me discipline. My first year as an 8th grader, I went to the Jr. Olympics and won a medal qualifying first from state and then regionals. I took 7th place nationally. Each year I improved my placing and eventually qualified for Jr. Nationals and even competed in the Nike and Scholastic Indoor meets. Last year was a real highlight where I earned my first gold medal at the Junior Olympics and won a place on Team USA to compete in the World Cup in La Coruna, Spain. This year, I have competed in the Pan Am Cup qualifier and went to Balneario Camboriu, Brazil in mid-April.

People often ask how I got started in the sport and I am proud to tell them it was a 4-H project. I have spoken about the sport at other 4-H clubs and walking clinics and tell people how great I think the sport is. I also was the keynote speaker at the Waukesha County Leader's banquet because along with racewalking, I feel 4-H has had a great impact on my life.

Now, I am a freshman in college and am on UW-Parkside's cross country and track teams. I also do racewalking there, too. My dream is to someday go to the Olympics."