March Newsletter
2026
💬4-H Communication Contest - April 6th
The Burt County 4-H Communication Contest is set for Monday, April 6th at 6:00 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Tekamah.
🗓 Pre-registration is due by NOON on April 6th.
We have plenty of opportunities for you to share your interests, talents, and voice — and Clover Kids (ages 5–7) are welcome in every division! 🌱
⭐ A 4-H related topic is encouraged and required for State Contest qualification, but is not mandatory at the county level.
✨ Division Options:
- Prepared Speech — Inform or entertain with a speech you’ve prepared and practiced (remember: beginning, middle, and end!).
- PSA (Public Service Announcement) — 60 seconds on any topic. 2026 Theme: “Ready Today, Leading tomorrow.”
- Impromptu Speech — Receive a topic and get 15 minutes to prepare your speech that night.
- Presentation — A hands-on demonstration explaining a topic of your choice.
- Video Communication — Create a short video (think reel) about anything!
This is your chance to build confidence, develop communication skills, and showcase your creativity. We can’t wait to hear what you have to share!
Learn more: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/burt/contests-events/
4-H Rocketry Class (4/11)
Join Dixon County Extension for their upcoming 4-H Rocketry Class on April 11 from 10am to 12pm at the Haskell Ag Lab! The class costs $15 per rocket kit and registration will close on April 6. The rockets will be launched that day and participants will be able to watch. The Heartland Organization of Rocketry launch larger rockets as well.
It's a great opportunity to get a 4-H started early and to learn more about rocketry.
Ages: Open for all youth between ages 5 & up
When: Saturday, April 11, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Where: Dixon County Extension Office-Haskell Ag Lab (57905 866 Road, Concord, NE 68728)
Cost: $15 per person (payable to UNL at the door)
Registration Deadline: April 6 (rocket supplies will be provided for pre-registered participants)
Registration link: https://go.unl.edu/rockets2026
Food is limited in the area. Please bring sack lunches.
Please contact the Nebraska Extension Office in Dakota County at 402-987-2140 or email Angela at aabts2@unl.edu for more information.
Youth in Action Applications Are Now Open (DUE 4/13)
The 4‑H Youth in Action (YIA) program celebrates young people who are creating real change in their communities. This national program amplifies the stories and leadership of 4‑H youth, showcasing how 4‑H has shaped their lives and equipped them to impact others.
Four Award Winners will receive a(n):
1 - $5,000 scholarship for higher education, paid directly to the institution, including two‑year and four‑year colleges, trade schools, or other advanced learning opportunities.
2 - Year of professional and media development, training, networking, and national opportunities to serve as a spokesperson and thought leader.
3 - All expenses paid trips for each award winner and a chaperone to attend national events.
4 - Official reference letter from a National 4‑H Council leader for educational or career purposes.
If you know a young person whose work deserves recognition, encourage them to apply today and share their story with a national audience! Applicants must be a 4-H member or recent alum of any type of 4-H program in the U.S. They must also be between the ages of 14-19.
Applications are open now through April 13, 2026, at 11:59pm PST.
More details at: https://4-h.org/programs/4-h-youth-in-action-program
Volunteer Virtual Training: 4-H Judges Training (4/13)
This session is open to any county or state fair judge, volunteer or parent interested in learning more about judging exhibits in these departments.
Register to receive virtual connection at https://go.unl.edu/2026judgestraining. Training will be recorded and will be available here: https://4h.unl.edu/resources/judges/
🎓Senior Scholarships - Due April 1
https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/burt/continuing-education/
Burt County 4-H Seniors in High School! Tis the season of scholarship applications. Good luck!
- Burt County 4-H Council Scholarship - Due April 1st
- Burt County Cattlemen's Association Scholarship - Due April 1st
- East Oaks 4-H Club, Jacob Johnson Memorial Scholarship - Due April 1st
- Phillip Hennig Memorial Scholarship - Due April 1st
- Burt County Pheasants Forever Scholarship - Due April 1st
2026 Spring Red Letter Days
Experience what life is like as a student at Nebraska. During Red Letter Day, you'll tour campus with a current student, eat lunch in a dining center, learn about student engagement opportunities and resources for success and delve into your career path during academic sessions. You'll also tour one of our residence halls and learn more about on-campus housing.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact the Nebraska Office of Admissions at 402-472-2023. Because Red Letter Days fill up quickly, we encourage you to reserve your spot early.
Your pre-registration will allow us to prepare for your visit, ensuring the best possible campus experience.
Program Fee: $5 per person. Program fees are nonrefundable.
Note: School groups cannot be accommodated at Red Letter Day. View group visit opportunities.
These are the dates of the days:
- April 10
- May 1
Visit these websites to get started: https://admissions.unl.edu/events/on-campus/red-letter-days/ or https://admissions.unl.edu/visit/
🌟 4‑H Awards Sponsors Needed! 🌟
We are currently seeking sponsors for 20 different 4‑H awards that we give out each year. If you know of someone or a business that would be interested please have them reach out to the office. 🏅 Award Areas Needing Sponsors:
• Fashion Show
• Textile, Quilts, & Apparel
• Welding
• Horse
• Rabbit
• Dairy Goat
💲 Award values range from $10–$50.
Burt County Photography Theme: "Wagons"
To go with the fair theme of “Load the Wagon” this year’s Burt County Photography Theme is “Wagons.” Take as much creative liberty with this as you’d like, everything from a covered wagons, to wagon wheels, to toy wagons. Make this theme your own! Remember, this exhibit is open to any Burt County 4-H member – you don’t have to be enrolled in the Photography 4-H project.
Young Nebraska Scientists Summer Camp
Each summer 100+ youths attend YNS camps, which include hands-on science experiences and recreation opportunities at college campuses throughout Nebraska. YNS camp fees include meals and lodging for residential camps; day camps are also available. Early application deadline is May 1 for YNS camps. Need-based scholarships are readily available.
More details at: https://yns.nebraska.edu
Calibraska Summer Program
The 2026 Calibraska Summer Program Registration is Open! True to the ‘Cali-braska’ name, this initiative brings specialized arts offerings from the California industries to Nebraska communities where access is limited to technology, cultural or arts institutions, professional mentorship and resources to the creative industries.
Summer programs are open for youth ages 5 years and up. Each class, camp, or workshop is taught by experienced teaching artists and professionals from the West Coast ‘scene’. This includes zooming them in or bringing them out to teach in person on the Calibraska ‘tour.’
For more information on the classes, registration, or to donate, visit https://www.calibraska.org or contact Calibraska at info@calibraska.org or call (Nebraska) 308-631-5704, (California) 661-670-8663.
UNL Big Red Camps - June 7-12, 2026
Big Red Summer Academic Camps are residential career exploration camps held at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. By participating in a camp, youth live on and explore the Nebraska campus, meet students from across the country, investigate an interest or potential career, and have lots of fun making new friends. (This is not a commuter camp). During the week-long camps, students will work with university faculty to explore the topic of their particular camp, like engineering, digital media, or food systems. After spending several fun-filled days on campus, families are invited to attend a capstone presentation where students showcase their achievements.
Big Red Summer Academic Camps are open to students going into grades 9-12 during the 2026-2027 school year. Housing and food are provided. Space is limited, and camps will fill on a first-come, first-serve basis. To ensure the optimal co-hort learning experience, each camp sets a maximum registration. A waitlist option will be available.
Please see Camp Sessions for a list of camps offered, descriptions, capacity, costs, and scholarship opportunities.
2026 Dates & Deadlines
- Registration Opens - Tuesday, February 10, at 8:00 a.m. CT; for the rest, go to the above camp sessions
- Early Bird Tuition Rate Deadline - Friday, April 17
- Regulation Tuition Rate Deadline - Friday, May 1
- Late Tuition Rate and Final Registration Deadline - Friday, May 22
- Health Form Submission Deadline - Friday, May 22
- Big Red Camps - June 7-12, 2026
2026 Nebraska 4-H Summer Camp season
Youth are invited to join us and Big Gumdrop Outdoors as we explore the world around us through our Exploring Ecosystems theme.
During the 2026 Exploring Ecosystems season, campers will explore Nebraska’s natural world, discover how ecosystems connect, and learn how they can help care for the environment - all while having fun at camp!
The Nebraska State 4-H Camp is offering both day camps and overnight camp opportunities. Camp will return to Chadron for a 5 day overnight session (June 15-19) for youth ages 8–14. Day camps will be held in Grand Island (June 30) and Lincoln (July 22) for youth ages 8–12 providing a great introduction to the camp experience.
Registration is now OPEN! More information on sessions, dates, scholarships, and the link to register can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/nebraska-4-h-summer-camp/.
Chick Care Basics Webinar
· Chick nutrition and starter feeds
· Brooder setup and housing considerations
· Temperature and ventilation management
· Biosecurity best practices to protect flock health
This webinar to be held on April 6 from noon to 1 p.m. CT. The webinar is free, but advance registration is required. To register, visit https://go.unl.edu/chickcare.
NEW: Aksarben DNA & Nominations SEPERATE
NEW: Exhibitors that want to show an animal for the NSF and Aksarben Stock Show (AKSS) will be required to submit two separate DNA envelopes and online nominations. AKSS exhibitors will be ordering and purchasing their DNA envelopes through the AKSS website https://www.aksarbenstockshow.com/. The DNA process and online nomination process will be SEPERATE between Aksarben & 4-H livestock shows.
🐎Horse Stampede (4/25-4/26)
2026 Horse Stampede Registration is open!
The Nebraska 4-H Horse Stampede offers a variety of 4-H horse contests that do not require live animals, including public speaking, demonstration, quiz bowl, art, horse judging, hippology, and photography contests. The 4-H Horse Stampede will be held at the UNL Animal Science Complex in Lincoln April 25-26, 2026 (date changed). Registration is due April 15, 2026. Entries for 2026 utilize 4‑H Online. Login to your 4‑H Online account and click on the events tab, then select the 2026 Horse Stampede event. Or utilize the following link to register (be sure to utilize the same email account used when enrolling in 4‑H): https://nehorsestampede2026.4honline.com/#/public/ins_11/evt_1d6
Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI) - Application: April 15
The 55th annual Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI) will be held July 6-10, 2026, on UNL’s East Campus.
Applications are now available to students who are currently high school juniors and seniors on our website at: www.nda.nebraska.gov/nayi
As always, applications will be due on April 15th.
https://www.facebook.com/Nebraska.Department.Agriculture
https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaAgYouthInstitute
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals - YQCA
YQCA is available as an online or face-to-face program for youth everywhere in the United States. We will be using the same website as last year (even with all of it’s glitches) https://yqcaprogram.org/.
Requirements:
Online – 3 modules @ $12 total (to receive full certification you must complete 3)
OR Face-2-Face training @ $3 total
- April 19: Oakland (Animal Wellness Day, Fairgrounds)
- June 3: Tekamah (Catch All, Courthouse)
- June 3: Oakland (Argo, Fairgrounds
OR Test Out for Intermediate @ $36 or Senior @ $48
Any tradition 4-H member (8-18) in your family that is enrolled in a beef, goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep and/or swine project must be certified to show at county and state fair! The deadline for completion to be eligible to show at the Burt County Fair is June 15th! If you have questions please contact us!
Here are some assistances for completing the process. https://yqcaprogram.org/local/youth_parents.php
- Remember, we learned last year that you have to register for the course. And then take a post-course survey before you can access your certificate (which is the part we need).
Colfax County Livestock Judging Contest
The Colfax County Livestock Judging Contest will be held on Saturday, April 18th at the Colfax County Fairgrounds in Leigh. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the contest beginning at 9:00 a.m.
We hope you will join us for a practice contest prior to the PASE Livestock Judging competition in May!
Pitzer 4-H Horse Judging Clinic & Contest
📝Register for the Pitzer 4-H Horse Judging Clinic & Contest held at Pitzer Ranch outside of Ericson, Nebraska. The clinic and contest will focus on riding classes in 2026. Register individuals at https://go.unl.edu/pitzer. You will also have the option to enter the team contest at event check-in. Registration is $10 per person.
🐴Event Details - Wednesday, June 3, 2026
- 8:30AM Check-In & Team Registration
- 9:00AM Welcome & Orientation
- 9:15AM Clinic - Riding Classes
- Lunch - Available for Purchase on Grounds
- Following Lunch - Contest - Riding Classes
🎈Divisions
- Juniors - Ages 8-11 by January 1
- Seniors - Ages 12-18 by January 1
- Adults - 19+ by January 1
Heartland Triple Crown Livestock Judging Series! (June 17-19)
Get ready for an unforgettable three-day livestock judging experience! The Heartland Triple Crown Livestock Judging Series is coming June 17–19, 2026, bringing together youth from across the region for competition, learning, and celebration as the Great Plains Judging Circuit wraps up its season. This three-day event is open to all states.
Whether you're a seasoned judge or new to the arena, this is the perfect opportunity to sharpen your skills, meet fellow competitors, and close out the circuit in style.
📅 June 17–19, 2026
📍 Columbus • Bladen • Nelson, Nebraska
🔗 Registration details available at: https://go.unl.edu/lj26
Join us for three exciting days of livestock evaluation, learning, and community. We can’t wait to see you there! More details to come for each day.
📣 Hippology Practice - Virtual 🏇
You asked for them, and we delivered! Ready to put your horse science knowledge to the test? Extension Horses has developed three practice contests with Advanced and Introductory Levels to best serve ALL skill levels.
These interactive contests include:
- Slides
- Stations
- Exams
- Scenarios (team problems)
...all in a virtual Hippology-style format!
While awards aren’t provided, you can review your scores, track your progress, and earn a certificate of completion when you score 80% or higher on each section.
Practice as many times as you want during your access period and build confidence before contest day!
Pricing for 90 days unlimited access:
• $20 Individual
• $75 Team (up to 5 seats, designed for 1 coach and 4 team members)
Perfect for teams, coaches, classrooms, and individuals preparing for competition OR simply testing your horse science knowledge.
Enroll today and start learning all about horses: https://catalog.extension.org/catalog?pagename=Hippology
Any questions regarding this opportunity, please reach out to Kathy Anderson kanderson1@unl.edu.
4-H Livestock Achievement Program
The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition by recognizing youth striving to improve in their livestock project knowledge and leadership.
The program recognizes Members of Excellence across all 4-H livestock project areas, including: beef, sheep, meat goat, swine, dairy cattle, dairy goat, rabbit, and poultry.
The livestock achievement program consists of two levels that require 4-H members to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate and project-related educational, leadership and citizenship accomplishments.
Youth completing the application, plan & report, and the project record for their designated species receive member of excellence distinction for their project area. Applications are due June 15, but why wait? Visit 4h.unl.edu/livestock-achievement to get started.
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Don’t wait for the next newsletter to stay informed! We share the most recent updates, upcoming events, and new opportunities on our local Facebook page as soon as we receive them. Follow us there to stay up‑to‑date between newsletters.
Get Reminders!
Please sign up for REMIND!! We want to have a quick, easy, instant way to contact you all! If you would like to receive text reminders, text @burtco4h to the number 81010. Or go to this link https://www.remind.com/join/burtco4h. Hopefully this way we all don’t forget the fun 4-H things happening!
