Dodge County 4-H Blast
October 5th, 2026
IN THIS ISSUE
- 4-H Calendar
- National 4-H Week
- Achievement Celebration
- Future Fair Challenge
- 4-H Online
- 4-H & Casey's Promotion
- 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Update Session
- Turn the Card Livestock Judging
- Fundamentals of Feeding the Cow
- PASE
- Ambassadors
- 4-H Council
*Items in BOLD are new items*
4-H Calendar
*LOCAL (DODGE COUNTY) EVENTS IN BOLD
September 30-October 31 - 4-H & Casey's Promotion
October 4-10 - National 4-H Week
❗October 5 - Go Green & Show Your 4-H Spirit!!!❗
October 8 - Thankful Thursday (Share who you are thankful for!)
October 17 - 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor UPDATE Session @ Ashland Gun Club, 9am-12pm
- Register Deadline: October 7
❗October 30 - Achievement Celebration Applications & Scholarships DEADLINE❗
November 15 - Achievement Celebration, 5:00pm
December 16 - Ambassador Fulfillment of Duties Forms DUE @ 4:30pm
🎉 2026 Dodge County 4-H Achievement Celebration
The time is near! We’re excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our Dodge County 4-H members at the 2026 Dodge County 4-H Achievement Celebration!
📅 November 15, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM
📍 Mohr Auditorium (Scribner, NE)
Theme: America's 250th
To RSVP --> https://go.unl.edu/achievementcelebration
ALL applications are due by October 30, 2026!
🏆Achievement Applications
The 2026 4-H Annual Achievement Applications can be found here.
🍂Fall Scholarships
Fall 2026 Scholarships that are required to be submitted with Achievement Applications can be found here.
💎 Diamond Clover Program
The Diamond Clover Program is designed to encourage 4-H youth to participate in a variety of projects and activities while developing valuable skills that will prepare them for success in the future.
Learn more about the Diamond Clover Program and find the application to apply here.
💚 Nebraska 4-H Gives Back
The Nebraska 4-H Gives Back Program provides an opportunity for an individual 4-H member or a team of 4-H'ers to make a meaningful contribution to their community.
This award recognizes the positive impact 4-H youth make in their communities while celebrating the spirit of service-learning, an important part of the 4-H experience.
Find more information about the Nebraska 4-H Gives Back Program and how to apply here.
We can’t wait to celebrate all of the hard work, growth, leadership, and accomplishments of our Dodge County 4-H members! 🎉🍀
In celebration of National Farm to School Month, The Dodge County Fair Board is excited to invite your students to participate in our Future Fair Challenge!
The challenge begins October 1, 2026 and submissions will be collected on November 6, 2026.
Submission forms and complete challenge information can be found on the Dodge County Fair website: https://go.unl.edu/dodgecountyfair
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. The NE 4-H Foundation received the revenue dollars from national cause marketing promotions organized by National 4-H Council. The funding is used for a variety of statewide opportunities that benefit 4-H'ers from all NE counties.
The time has come to provide an update for all Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructors who received their training in 2020. Over the years there have been curriculum changes, updates, and additions, in addition to revisions in the Nebraska 4-H policies.
📆When: October 17th
Early Bird Registration Deadline: October 7th
- Early Bird Registration: $45 for the session
- Late Registration: $65.00
- Fee includes program materials and lunch for the Update session.
- Registration Fee must be paid for by October 12.
This Update Session is for adult or apprentice 4-H volunteer instructors who have previously attended a 4-H instructor training workshop in 2020. This is an update for existing instructors, NOT a training for new instructors. You MUST be a currently enrolled Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports volunteer leader in your county to attend.
Certifications are valid for 6 years. So, if your last certification in a specific discipline (i.e., shotgun) was in 2020, you will need to attend an update session of your choice in that specific discipline before the end of this year (2026) to maintain your active discipline certification status.
A Shotgun or Archery discipline update will be offered during the morning session. Check-in is at 8:30am and the program starts at 9am. Lunch is provided at noon.
Nebraska Extension in Dodge County
Mary Spath - Office Manager: mspath2@unl.edu
4-H
Kelly Schole - 4-H Extension Educator: kschole2@unl.edu
Shane Ahrens - 4-H Assistant: shane.ahrens@unl.edu
Macy Flesher - 4-H Administrative Assistant: mflesher3@unl.edu
Early Childhood
Lisa Poppe - Extension Educator: lpoppe2@unl.edu
Nutrition Education Program
Shelley Thayer - Assistant Extension Educator: mthayer6@unl.edu
Statewide Rural Health
Beth Nacke - Extension Educator: bnacke2@unl.edu
Water & Cropping Systems
Mailson Freire de Oliveira - Extension Educator: mfreiredeoliveira2@unl.edu
Horticulture
Ian Peterson - Extension Educator: ipeterson4@unl.edu
Email: dodge-county@unl.edu
Website: http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/dodge/
Location: 1206 West 23rd Street, Fremont, NE, United States
Phone: 402.727.2775
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/362826330737240/?ref=bookmarks