Thurston County 4-H News

Sydney Williams, Extension Assistant, sydney.williams@unl.edu

Bobbie Hingst, Office Manager, bhingst2@unl.edu

Email: thurston-county@unl.edu
Website: thurston.unl.edu
Location: 415 Main Street, P.O. Box 665, Pender, NE 68787
Phone: 402-385-6041
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLExtensionThurston/
Twitter: @UNLThurstonCty

OCTOBER

4-10 National 4-H Week

12 Office Closed – Columbus Day

21 D-T Fair Board Meeting at D-T Fairgrounds; 7:00 PM

NOVEMBER

9 4-H Council Meeting; 6:30 PM

11 Office Closed – Veteran’s Day

16 Thurston Extension Board Meeting

18 D-T Fair Board Meeting at Pender Fire Hall; 7:00 PM

26-27 Office Closed – Thanksgiving Holiday

DECEMBER

4 Thurston Achievement Applications Due

16 D-T Fair Board Meeting at Pender Fire Hall; 7:00 PM

24 Office Closed – Christmas Eve

25 Office Closed – Christmas Day

This is an awesome opportunity for our older Dakota or Thurston County 4-H members!!

4-H Ambassador Eligibility:

• Youth 14-18 years of age (age on January 1st).

• Youth will serve a two year term (can reapply for another term).

• Enrolled as a 4-H member (Dakota or Thurston).

• Must be an active member for at least two years prior to application.

Applications are due to the Nebraska Extension Office in Dakota County by Wednesday, October 15, 2026.

Click here to download a copy of the application Dakota Thurston County 4-H Ambassador, application or contact your nearest Extension office for the application.

Celebrate Your 4-H Year!

It’s time to Reflect, Review, & Reward all you’ve accomplished in 4-H this year! Achievement Applications are a great way to share your favorite experiences, growth, and accomplishments while being recognized for your hard work. Complete your age-appropriate application and County Award Sheet, then email them to sydney.williams@unl.edu or jhansen6@unl.edu.

📅 Applications are due Friday, December 4, 2026.

Links to Application Forms:
• Clover Kid (5–7) - Optional - https://go.unl.edu/ckachapp26

• Junior Novice (8–12) - for first year members - https://go.unl.edu/novicejrapp26

• Junior (8–12) - https://go.unl.edu/jrachapp26

• Senior (13–18) - https://go.unl.edu/srachapp26

• County Awards Sheet - EVERYONE MUST fill this out - Pick up to 3 County awards and 2 Additional awards - https://go.unl.edu/awardsheet26

Questions? Contact Sydney or Jennifer. We can’t wait to hear your 4-H story!

Join the Remind app and the Thurston County 4-H group to receive important 4-H reminders and notifications delivered right to your phone. Stay up to date on upcoming events, deadlines, workshops, fair information, schedule changes, and more—so you never miss an important update! Achievement and Premium Report information will coming out next month so please be checking for that information.

If you are not getting any messages, please contact our office at 402-385-6041 to let us know, thank you.

Thurston County Extension Staff

Every 4-H fair experience is a chance for youth to put their skills into action. Whether volunteering, exhibiting, showing, or leading, 4-H'ers are demonstrating the confidence, responsibility, and real-world skills at the fair that prepare them to be Beyond Ready for work and life.

Upload ONE favorite photo of yourself, or a favorite 4-H'er, participating in a fair experience that shows those real-world skills in action, or share a favorite fair experience in the guestbook at http://go.unl.edu/ne4hfairseasonphotos!

A statewide fair 4-H photo gallery will be created to share during the Nebraska State Fair, celebrating how the impact of the Nebraska 4-H program goes beyond the ribbon, reaching youth in every county across the state.

• Monday, October 5 - Wear green and show your 4-H State spirit! ! A simple way for youth, professionals, volunteers, alumni and supporters across the country to celebrate their 4-H programs! Wear a green hat, clothing, face paint — anything green goes. Let’s paint the nation GREEN on Monday, October 5th! And share your ‘Go Green’ moment on social and tag National 4-H, Nebraska 4-H, and use #4HBeyondReady #National4HWeek.
• Thursday, October 8 - Help shing a light on all mentors, educators, and volunteers who are making positive impact on young people’s lives in 4-H. Share who you’re thankful for and celebrate how they are making a difference on Thursday, October 8! Share your ’Thankful’ story on social, tag others in your 4-H community, tag National 4-H, and use #4HBeyondReady #National4HWeek.

For more information go to this site: https://4-h.org/resources/professionals/marketing-resources/4-h-week-toolkit

From September 30 – October 31, 2026, Casey’s and 4-H are joining forces to strengthen the communities they call home. With more than 2,900 stores across the Midwest and South, and more than 2.5 million active 4-H’ers in those areas, this partnership is helping more young people become Beyond Ready to lead and give back – locally and beyond.

You can help support 4-H at Casey’s in two easy ways:
- September 30 - October 11: round up your in-store purchase to donate to 4-H.
- September 30 – October 31: add a donation in any order made online or in the Casey’s app.

Every donation benefits local 4-H programs.

Calling all 4-H volunteers, parents and caregivers and any adult who wants to help 4-H youth be ready for life and work in their future!

You're invited to join us for one of our upcoming Volunteer Road Show events:

• November 1 – Virtual

• November 2 – Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center

• November 8 - Neligh

• November 17 - Virtual

• November 19 - Lexington

You'll discover new opportunities for your members, network with other volunteers, and build your skills working with youth. Session topics include:

• Artificial Intelligence for 4-H Volunteers: Tools to Work Smarter, Not Harder

• Telling the 4-H Story

• Project Training: Healthy Lifestyles

• Beyond Ready 4-H Clubs

• Fairbook Feedback

In-person session registration fee is $15. Virtual sessions registration fee is $10.
Learn more and register at 4h.unl.edu/volunteer-road-show.
#BeyondReady #NE4H

It’s that time of year again and we’ll be hosting the 20th annual Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium (NYBLS) here at the Animal Science Complex on November 6-8, 2026. More details about the symposium, the 2025 recap video and the application link can be found at go.unl.edu/nybls. Please note the application deadline of October 1st. Please contact araymond2@unl.edu with any questions that you have.

Please SAVE THE DATE!

The West Point FFA Alumni & Supporters will be hosting Turn the Card Livestock Judging Classic on Saturday, January 2, 2027, in Fremont at Christensen Field. More details to come in the upcoming months!

The application period is now open for the scholarships offered by the Nebraska Chapter of the Soil & Water Conservation Society, through its two foundations: the University of Nebraska-SWCS Foundation and the Nebraska Soil & Water Conservation Foundation.

Applications will be accepted through October 31st, 2026, will be reviewed by a committee of SWCS members, and all applicants will be notified around the 1st of December.

The application form containing specific details is found at Scholarship Application - Nebraska SWCS Chapter (https://nebraskaswcs.org/scholarship-application.html)

High school seniors interested in UNL are encouraged to apply for free through November 1st! Use go.unl.edu/apply with the code HUSKER to access the application.

High school juniors and seniors interested in Nebraska are encouraged to visit campus on a Red Letter Day! This experience includes a campus tour with a student guide, academic appointments, lunch, financial aid and housing sessions, and clubs and organizations browsing fair. Register at go.unl.edu/visit

Your Husker Journey Starts Here!

High school juniors interested in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln are invited to experience campus, explore their interests, and get a head start on the journey to becoming a Husker!

Junior Jumpstart gives you an inside look at life at Nebraska, including:

· A campus tour led by a student guide

· Two academic sessions to explore your interests

· Tips and advice for making the most of your senior year

· Lunch in the dining center and a taste of campus life

Come see where your next chapter could begin, meet fellow future Huskers, and get ready to Go Big Red!