• Aug. 21 - Sept. 5: Colorado State Fair, Pueblo
• Sept. 6: University holiday, offices closed
• Sept. 14: 4-H Youth Fund Board meeting

• Revised 2004 Fall shooting sports workshop registration form

2004 Colorado State Fair Teen Clerks and Adult Volunteers

We need adult volunteers and teen clerks committed to work at the 2004 Colorado State Fair. As of July 6, we have two adult volunteers and 43 teen clerks signed up to work. We will need at least 60 teen clerks and as many adult volunteers as possible in order to succeed in assisting 4-H judges and superintendents.

The application, health form, rules, information and adult volunteer forms are all in the 2004 State Fair packet which was sent to each county in the June 18 Friday mail.

Please begin your recruitment immediately and mail all applications to: Susan Cuckler, Extension, State 4-H Office, 134 Aylesworth Hall NW, Fort Collins, CO 80523-4050 or fax them to 970.491.5108. — Susan Cuckler

Revised 2004 Fall 4-H Shooting Sports Workshop Registration

Attached is an Adobe Acrobat file with the registration form for the revised 2004 Fall 4-H shooting sports workshops. Please let your county leaders and volunteers know about this opportunity to become state certified to teach shooting sports to 4-H youth.

Please begin your recruitment immediately and mail all registration forms to me at the following address: Extension, State 4-H Office, 134 Aylesworth Hall NW, Fort Collins, CO 80523-4050 or fax them to 970.491.5108. Thank you! — Susan Cuckler

National Philanthropy Day Nominations Due

The 17th annual National Philanthropy Day in Colorado will be celebrated on Friday, Nov. 12, 2004 at the Renaissance Denver Hotel. This special day honors philanthropic and volunteer contributions in Colorado. Award categories are broad and encompass many areas. Awards are available to individuals, foundations, businesses/corporations and organizations that meet the criteria listed in the award categories. Youth and youth group award winners are each presented a $1,500 award; the individual youth is provided a scholarship, and the award goes to the group to further their community work. Completed nominations must be postmarked or electronically submitted by July 16, 2004. For more information, please visit the following web address: www.npdcolorado.org or contact the Awards Committee Co-Chair, Cheryl Bezio-Gorham at 303.832.5710, 800.333.6554 or cbgorham@canpo.org. — Katy Kohnen

Release of Kids Count Report a National Wake-Up Call

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has just released the 2004 edition of Kids Count, an annual report measuring the educational, social, economic, and physical status of children in the United States. The report found that eight of its 10 indicators of child well-being have improved nationally, including teen births, percent of children in poverty, and rates of teen deaths and suicides. These improvements correspond to a six-year period of economic growth and the expansion of public programs across the country.

At the same time, the report found alarming rates of disconnected adolescents and young adults. Nearly one in six of America's youth – up 19 percent since 2000 – are facing adulthood unprepared, unsupported, and dispirited. A subset of this group make up the most at-risk young people in our country, and are likely to be:

• teens in foster care,
• youth involved in the juvenile justice system,
• teens who have children of their own, or
• youth who never finished high school.

As the numbers of disconnected youth in our country continues to grow, it's even more imperative that adults become more intentional about the types of communities and opportunities they create for young people. It's up to all of us to turn this national trend around. Writes Douglas Nelson, president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, "We need to recognize that these young people belong to all of us, and that it is in all of our interests to better support their transition to the future."

To receive a free copy of the Kids Count report, call ACY at 303.832.1587 or 1.888.KID.7871, or e-mail kirsten@buildassets.org. A statewide assessment, Kids Count in Colorado!, will be released in July by the Colorado Children's Campaign. — Katy Kohnen

Lights on Afterschool!

Lights on Afterschool! will be held on Oct. 14, 2004. Plan now to join the Afterschool Alliance and afterschool programs across the country in rallying community support for afterschool programs. This is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool. It is intended to demonstrate how afterschool programs keep kids safe, help working families and improve students' academic achievement. — Jan Carroll