Tarrant 4-H

Howdy!

It's already February! Please read this letter carefully for details and deadlines. Good luck to all of our youth participating in the Tarrant County Junior Livestock and Project Show!

Sincerely,

Miss Kate

kate.marshall@ag.tamu.edu

Kate Marshall, CEA 4-H Youth Development, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

kate.marshall@ag.tamu.edu

Jordan Peldyak, EA 4-H Youth Development, Prairie View Cooperative Extension Program

Jordan.Peldyak@ag.tamu.edu

Sanci Hall, EA 4-H Youth Development, Prairie View Cooperative Extension Program

sanci.hall@ag.tamu.edu

Andrea Amador, 4-H Administrative Assistant

andrea.amador@agnet.tamu.edu

Traveling to the Tarrant County AgriLife Extension Office:

The entrance to our building is on the West side facing our surface parking lot and Burnett St., it is not on Taylor St. The surface parking lot entrance is on West 2nd Street (Parking will be validated for those participating/staying at an event. Please bring the ticket up with you and we will provide a sticker barcode that scans to get you out free of charge). You will enter the building on the 2nd floor and then take the elevators to the 5th floor where our office is located.

Email: tarrant4-h@ag.tamu.edu
Website: https://tarrant-tx.tamu.edu/
Location: 200 Taylor Street suite 500, Fort Worth, TX, USA
Phone: 817-884-1291
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TarrantCounty4H

Please keep this link handy! This is the 2025-26 Tarrant County 4-H Calendar. County & District Event dates are listed. Please let us know if you have any questions!

Dear 4-H Members and Families,

The Tarrant County 4-H Photography contest is now open until Monday March 2nd. This year you can enter a maximum of 1 photo per category in your age group. Please use the link below or the QR code on the flyer to see the categories descriptions and to enter your photos.

Seniors with first place photos in each category will qualify to enter the state 4-H photography contest. If you have any questions, please contact the Tarrant County Extension Office.

4-H Photo Contest Google Form

This tournament is open to Registered 4-H members. We are offering 34 slots for twenty yards and 24 slots for ten yards each shooting time. If the time is not available, all slots are filled. Register here.

Shoot times starts at 10 am and 2 pm, please arrive for check-in a minimum of 1 hour before your respected shooting time.

The classes we will be offering are as follows:

• Barebow (Longbow, Recurve)
• Recurve (Equipped with a sight or other aids)
• Genesis (NASP)
• Compound Aided
• Compound Unaided

All classes will be finalized by the registration deadline of February 7th.

Registration Fee: $40 per person per shoot if registered via PayPal to Azle 4-H, prior to February 7th, 2026. Late registration payments will be accepted at Check-In for $50 (cash only).

We will conduct this tournament under TFAA rules.

• Cub (8-11 years old, 10 yards): Genesis, Barebow, Recurve, Compound Aided/Unaided
• Youth (12-14 years old, 20 yards): Barebow, Recurve, Compound Aided/Unaided
• Young Adult (15-18 years old, 20 yards): Barebow, Recurve, Compound Aided/Unaided

Award ceremony on Sunday. Awards will be mailed if not present.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Azle 4-H Archery Coaches at azlearchery@gmail.com

Coaches bring your bow archers are allowed to enter coaches to compete in the coaches shoot off. Held at the end of each shoot time $2.00 (Cash only) for each coach nomination entry fee. Winner takes home a plaque and bragging rights. Nominations and entry fees for coaches will be accepted at the shoot and are SEPERATE from archer entry fees.

Dear 4-H'ers - Please note due to some circumstances beyond our control the date for County Awards Interviews will be the 5th Monday of June in 2026. Please mark Monday, June 29, 2026 on your calendars. This is for county awards that require an interview.

We are trying something new this year. CYC will meet the same months that the Adult Leaders Association meets. Our schedule for 2025-26 is listed below. Our incoming officers have some BIG things being planned.

All 4-H members are welcome to attend! Be sure to join us at our January meeting! We'll be talking about leadership. The Adult Leaders are hosting a session on the new Record Book changes. Update this will be held VIRTUALLY. Check your email for the link.

County Youth Council is a great way to interact with other 4-H'ers from all over the county and build your leadership skills!

• March 23, 2026 (CYC will be hosting a 4-H Ambassador Panel)
• May 18, 2026 (CYC will be hosting County Officer Elections)

The 2025-2026 Texas 4-H Record Book Family Guide is now available. You will notice a few changes to the record book format for this coming year.

Notable Changes:

• Replaced the 4-H Story with Narratives:
• About Me Narrative (All Ages)
• College & Career Exploration Narrative (Intermediate & Senior Only)
• Essay Prompt Narrative which changes annually (Senior Only)
• Added “My Year in Photos” section
• This page is separate from the written narratives and forms.
• Section I – Projects
• All project information will be noted in this section (page limits have increased slightly)
• Encouraged to include at least 4 projects with their main project (to reflect the record book category they are competing in) being the first entry
• However, when judging, one should note QUALITY of the project experience vs QUANTITY
• A young person with 3 active projects may have a lot more of true project experience than those with 6 projects
• Removed Section IV – Other 4-H Projects (added into Section I)
• Forms can reflect all years in 4-H, not just current and previous 3 years
• This was a change because a 4-H member for example may have won a Major Livestock Show in elementary school and that is still considered one of their highest achievements even in High School
• This also mirrors the requirements of the Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarship which allows all years of 4-H involvement
• Section V – Non 4-H Activities should still focus on more recent years since is to demonstrate your involvement outside of 4-H in more real-time
• Removed Animal Agriculture Category and replaced with Open/Self-Directed
• All record books should be typed. Handwritten books should not be submitted. We understand it may be harder for younger kids to type; therefore, an adult can take their written presentation and type into the format. This is a move towards the potential future of the submissions being in an online format only.
• DISCONTINUED ZSuites. We are exploring alternative online platforms for the future years.

Link to updated Texas 4-H Record Book information: https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/recordbooks/

The Tarrant County 4-H Roundup Contests are scheduled for Thursday, March 12th, 2026. We will schedule appointments for youth to come into the office starting at 4:00 p.m. that day. This will include:

• Public Speaking
• Educational Presentations
• Fashion Show
• Fashion Storyboard (*This is a virtual contest, please see the details in the post below)

To participate, please use this link. Links to contest information is also included below. These are the District Contest memos, but are the same rules/guidelines that we follow for the county contest.

**We've had a history of inclement weather the day of county roundup, if that is the case again, we will have youth submit presentations virtually.

Make plans to enter the Fashion Storyboard Contest!

Design Brief – Style Gone Country

• Celebrate the spirit of country living through fashion and interior design that honors tradition while embracing creativity. Whether inspired by rustic textures, Western flair, farm-to-fashion sustainability, or the beauty of rural life, show how your design reflects the values, grit, and charm of life gone country. From denim to décor, let your story ride tall in the saddle.

Please submit your digital board to Miss Kate & register on 4-H Online by March 11th. For complete details please check out the contest memo.

You’re invited! Registration is open for Lockheed Martin’s Code Quest and CYBERQUEST® competitions, free, team-based events that invite high school students to apply technical skills in a fast-paced, problem-solving environment.

💻Code Quest, an annual computer programming competition, takes place on Saturday, February 28, 2026. In this event, teams work together to solve problems by using Java, Python, C#, and/or C++ programming to complete the “quest”.

Registration is open through February 5 or until a site reaches capacity, whichever comes first.
New this year: select sites are open to middle school participation.

🛡️CYBERQUEST, set for Saturday, March 28, 2026, is a cybersecurity competition using a Capture the Flag format with topics including reverse engineering, web exploits, full OS hacks, forensics, open-source intelligence, cryptography, and cybersecurity awareness.
Registration is open through March 3 or until a site reaches capacity, whichever comes first.

Across both competitions, students work collaboratively, think critically under time constraints, and experience how classroom concepts translate to real-world challenges. Participation may also lead to eligibility for virtual, paid high school internships.

Coaches are responsible for registering teams using the same registration link for both competitions. Coaches should review the official competition rules as well as any site-specific rules before registering.

➡️Register here: https://registration.lmcodequestacademy.com/

Thank you for supporting hands-on STEM opportunities for your students.

Best,
The Quest Competitions Support Team

Mark your calendars for June 1-4, 2026. There are multiple opportunities to engage in workshops, invitational contests and MUCH more! Get all of the details here and be watching for hotel room blocks to be released soon.

Due to increased participation and demand, we will be expanding our Junior Master Photographer trainings next fall. We will continue to host JMP 1 and 2 in Dallas during September and December. In addition, we are adding a second training location (both workshops on one weekend) in Kerrville

November 7-8, 2026. So, mark your calendars for these dates and locations:

• Dallas JMP 1 – September 26, 2026
• Kerrville JMP 1/2 – November 7-8, 2026
• Dallas JMP 2 – December 5, 2026

For information on the steps required to become a JMP or Ambassador, please refer to this document. This expansion will also help us increase our JMP and Ambassador ranks, further enabling us to help grow the photography program. Registration for these workshops will take place after the start of the new 4-H year. More details will be shared in the summer.

• This is for all Seniors who will graduate in the Spring!
• The application will open November 1st and close February 15th!
• The updated resources & guidelines will be found here: Types of Scholarships - Texas 4-H Foundation (texas4hfoundation.org)
• The portal can also be accessed at the above link.
• Interviews will take place in College Station April 24 -26, 2026.

Please visit with Miss Kate to learn more about this scholarship. Award amounts vary from $5,000 to $30,000!

Here are some handy links for our Club Managers and Adult Leaders!

• Tarrant County 4-H Calendar: https://secure.smore.com/n/jx6ak
• Texas 4-H Management (Complete Listing of 4-H Resources and Official Logos): 4-H Management - Texas 4-H (tamu.edu)

• Texas 4-H Curriculum and Resources: Curriculum and Resources - Texas 4-H (tamu.edu)

• Tarrant County AgriLife Extension 4-H Webpage: Tarrant County 4-H – Making the Best Better | Teaching, Research, Extension, and Service (agrilife.org)
• Club Manager Forms (Sign-in Sheets) link