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Volume 8, Number 21 June 11, 2004
Reminders:
  • June 22-25: State 4-H Conference, CSU campus
  • June 26-July 3: Citizenship-Washington Focus, Washington, D.C.
  • July 5: University holiday, offices closed
 Enclosures: None

Help Needed

State 4-H Fashion Revue - Ann Hall will be retiring her position as State 4-H Fashion Revue Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent as of 2005. Kaye Kasza will assume the senior leadership role for this event. If you are interested in becoming actively involved with the management of this event, this is your opportunity! Ann and Kaye ask that you plan to be present all day Saturday, Aug. 21, at Hoag Hall on the Colorado State University - Pueblo campus to shadow them to get a better understanding of the program.

Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents are under contract with State Fair, thus they will receive an allowance to help cover meals, lodging, etc., plus round trip mileage for one trip to Pueblo. Because the new person won't be under contract this year, financial support will be available to cover costs for the day.

State 4-H Clothing Committee - The State 4-H Clothing Committee is an active group of Extension agents and volunteers who provide support to the 4-H clothing program. Committee members help write curriculum, review new materials for potential use, provide leader and judges training, as well as curriculum workshops for members and leaders. They normally meet four- to six-times a year, depending upon the need, in the Denver area.

Please contact me (970.491.7883 or cummings@coop.ext.colostate.edu) or any committee member: Sharon Blackham (Yuma), Lulu Marie Hatheway (Adams), Gisele Jefferson (Washington), Julia Hurdelbrink (Adams) or Louise Welsby (Pueblo) if you are interested in joining this committee. - Sue Cummings

2004 Colorado State Fair 4-H Packets

For your information, the 2004 Colorado State Fair packets that include 4-H contest information have been mailed to each county in this week's Friday mail. Please make sure you receive your copy.

Please call me at 970.491.1144 if you have any questions. - Susan Cuckler

Army, 4-H Join Forces to Support Youth

Through Operation: Military Kids (OMK), 4-H youth and military youth can work side-by-side to build community support networks for their military families. At the national level, youth from the National 4-H Youth Directions Council (N4-HYDC), and their counterparts on the Army Teen Panel (ATP), have been working together to create and promote OMK.

OMK includes outreach strategies and youth programs that were piloted March through May 2004 in Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, North Carolina and Washington. Now, Extension 4-H programs in all 50 states can replicate selected programs. More information in Update next week. - Jan Carroll

Youth Fund Update

The 8th Annual Paul Hoshiko Jr., Memorial Golf Tournament held on June 4 at Pelican Lakes Golf and Country Club was a great success. A most grateful thank you to all of the volunteers and players. You have helped the Colorado 4-H Youth Fund keep up with program obligations. There were 220 players registered, and everyone had a good day to play, with the exception of a "little" wind during lunch. At this point we do not have final numbers, but we hope to share that information with you next week. We really just want to say Thank You!, to all of the volunteers, 4-H members and staff that helped make this tournament a huge success. We look forward to an even bigger and better tournament in 2005! If you have suggestions or ideas to make this event even better, please contact the Youth Fund office (970.491.1537) at your convenience. We would also welcome several new members to this committee. - Colleen Flack

New Study: 15 Million Youth Need Afterschool Programs

Our nation is failing to give its children safe, supervised activities during the often-dangerous afternoon hours. The most in-depth study ever to explore how America's children spend their afternoons finds that 14.3 million kindergarten through 12th graders take care of themselves after the school day ends, including almost four million middle school students in grades six to eight.

America After 3 PM: A Household Survey on Afterschool in America finds that just 6.5 million children are in afterschool programs - but the parents of another 15.3 million children say their children would participate if an afterschool program were available.

America After 3 PM finds the need is especially high for middle school children. Just six percent of middle schoolers are in afterschool programs; another 34 percent are unsupervised in the afternoons.

Other Findings

America After 3 PM, which includes a first look at state data, found:

  • Only 11 percent of the nation's youth are in afterschool programs. Twenty-five percent care for themselves in the afternoons.
     
  • African American and Hispanic youth spend more time unsupervised than other children.

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  • Demand for afterschool programs is much higher for African American and Hispanic families. Fifty-three percent of African American parents and 44 percent of Hispanic parents say they would enroll their children in an afterschool program, if a program were available. Twenty-three percent of Caucasian parents say the same.

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  • Ninety-one percent of parents of children in afterschool programs are extremely or somewhat satisfied with those programs.

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  • Public schools are the largest provider of afterschool programs. YMCAs, religious groups, Boys & Girls Clubs and private schools round out the top five providers.

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  • On average, families spend $22 per week for afterschool programs.

    • More at www.afterschoolalliance.org/america_3pm.cfm. - Jan Carroll
    Updated Friday, March 11, 2005. Error processing SSI file