Post Rock District 4-H Events

Applications are due for the 2025 K-State Animal Science Leadership Academy. The goal of this academy will be to further develop young leaders within the livestock industry and prepare them for a successful future in this field. The four-day experience for selected teens is hosted by the K-State Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. In 2025 the program will be held June 11-14. Applications must be postmarked by April 15. Find all the details at the KASLA event website.

Stede Underwood, certified instructor, is planning to organize a 4-H Archery Qualifier at Glen Elder State Park on July 27. Save the date. Details will be emailed to members enrolled in the archery project as they become available. You have to qualify for State Archery at a local qualifier. You can attend a qualifier anywhere in Kansas, and it is allowed to attend as many as you want to register for. The state will post qualifer dates and registration information at www.kansas4-h.org/projects/natural-resources/shooting-sports/shooting-sports-events/local-qualifiers.html.

Citizenship Washington Focus is June 18 - 28. Kansas 4-H will partner with Oklahoma 4-H for the 2025 CWF road trip across the USA to experience Philadelphia, Gettysburg, the Liberty Bell, a close-up view of political process through visits to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., and more! Details about the trip are published on the Kansas 4-H CWF event website. Registration will be available in February 2025 and spaces will be limited. If you are interested in this national 4-H experience, contact your 4-H Program Coordinator as soon as possible so we can discuss important details and support you through the application process.

Discovery Days will be June 4 - 6 at the K-State Campus in Manhattan. This exciting event is for youth ages 13-18 years old. Post Rock District will provide a Staff chaperone and transportation to and from Discovery Days. At Discovery Days, youth learn new ideas, techniques, and skills they can use personally and in their 4-H clubs or groups and communities. Register by May 5, space is limited. Sign up early to have the best choice of sessions. Find the schedule, sessions and online registration link at the Kansas 4-H Discovery Days Website. After registering, you will need to pay your local 4-H Council your registration fee.

The state Kansas 4-H Entomology Workshop will be held Friday and Saturday, June 27-28 in El Dorado. The workshop includes collection and photo trips, pinning class, identification class, and pollinator garden community y service activity. One parent/adult guardian from each family must register and attend the workshop with children. Registration closes May 26. Register online at Kansas 4-H event website.

The state Kansas 4-H Geology Field Trip is scheduled for June 13-15. It will feature North Central Kansas, with Concordia serving as the experience’s headquarters. Several different stops are planned on the Field Trip. 4-H members are encouraged to participate in judging and quiz bowl. You must register all those who plan to attend including sibling ages 0-18 and all adults. Registration deadline is May 16. Register online at Kansas 4-H event website.

The Kansas 4-H Horticulture Judging Contest is on August 16, on the K-State Manhattan campus. For more information and study materials go to the Kansas 4-H event website. If you plan to participate, reach out to Cassie Thiessen, Post Rock District’s Horticulture Extension Agent, for support. Call 785-738-3597 or email her at cthiessen@ksu.edu.

The Kansas 4-H Wheat Expo will be August 7 at the South Hutchinson Community Building. Youth participants have the opportunity to take part in hands-on judging opportunities including a Crop ID contest, exhibiting wheat related projects for foods, photography, and wheat variety plot educational displays. For more information visit the Kansas 4-H event website. For study materials and support, contact Sandra Wick Post Rock District’s Crop Production Extension Agent. Call 785-282-6823 or email her at swick@ksu.edu.

The Kansas Youth Range Camp at White Memorial Camp in Council Grove, Kansas, offers high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors a unique opportunity to learn about rangeland management. Camp topics include range plant identification, plant growth, stocking rates, livestock nutrition, and wildlife management. The camp will take place June 10-13, 2025, with a cost of $300. Contact your local Conservation District for scholarship opportunities. To register, go to: www.kglc.org/range-youth-camp-registration.cfm.

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Every summer, K-State hosts summer programs that spark curiosity and fuel inspiration! The experiences are designed to educate and support youth in a variety of academic, athletic, creative, and extracurricular endeavors. Participants have the opportunity to further their education and skills while experiencing life at K-State. Check out the amazing opportunities at www.k-state.edu/summer/camps/... a few are listed below!

• Vet Med ROCKS Summer Camp, July 28/29/30
• Musical Theatre Camp, July 6-12
• Health Professions Exploration Program, June 8-13/22-27
• Champions Livestock Judging Camps, June 2-4 and June 9-11
• Farm to Fashion Camp, July 7-10
• Feeding Your Future Summer Camp, July 22-26
• GROW Summer Workshop, June
• Youth Horse Judging Camps, TBD

Experience the power of K-State Salina when you attend any of their hands-on, interactive summer camps. Topics range from unmanned aircraft systems to robotics to aviation! K-State Aerospace and Technology summer programs are for K-12 students. Explore the opportunities and registration details at www.salina.k-state.edu/academics/youth-programs/summer/.

If you are seeking opportunities related to livestock projects - like spring shows and other contests - the KSU Youth Livestock Program website provides a listing of many opportunities. It certainly doesn’t contain every learning and competition opportunity, yet it is a great reference point as you plan for spring and summer. Visit https://www.asi.k-state.edu/extension/youth-programs/events/.

The North Central Kansas Livestock Circuit is not affiliated to K-State Research and Extension or Kansas 4-H, but it provides many showing opportunities in our region. Follow their Facebook page for information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ncklc.

Critter Day Camp will take place at the Mankato City Park, June 4 from 8:00 a.m. to Noon. All youth entering Kindergarten to 3rd Grade in the fall are welcome! Come explore interests and practice team work; be inspired to think critically and creatively; and have fun! Register and pay the $5.00 fee (due to Post Rock District) to secure your spot by May 19 at https://bit.ly/2025CritterDayCamp (follow QR code). Space is limited. This camp is hosted by Jewell County 4-H Council.

Stars and Stripes Day Camp will take place June 5 in Osborne at the Scout Cabin from 8:00 a.m. to Noon. All youth entering 1st -4th Grade in the fall are welcome! Youth will participate in fun games, get creative with crafts, practice team work, and have fun! Register and pay the $5.00 fee (due to Post Rock District) to secure your spot by May 19 at https://bit.ly/2025StarsStripesDayCamp (follow QR code). Space is limited. This camp is hosted by Osborne County 4-H Council.

Spring Project Meetings: Post Rock District Dog Project Leader, Kelli Burrus, will be leading dog project meetings at the Osborne County Fairgrounds on spring Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m. Dates are May 4, 18; and June 1. No prior experience or knowledge is required to attend, just a desire for you and your dog to have fun while learning. Kelli understands everyone is busy so come to the meetings you are available to attend. It is important to be registered in 4-H Online in the dog project, so please call your local extension office to make sure you are in the project. To help with preparations, please RSVP interest in participating by emailing Kim Naber at kimn@ksu.edu.

Fair Dog Show: The 2025 Post Rock District 4-H Dog Show has been set for the morning of Saturday, June 14. The reason for setting the date in June is that it provides a date in advance of the Post Rock District county fairs to avoid 4-H scheduling conflicts. This is the official dog show for all county fairs. Due to the uniqueness of this project, we do not have a dog show at each county fair; instead, we do the dog project as a district-wide show.

Mock Dog Show: To help dog project members prepare for the dog show, there will be a mock show on June 13 in Osborne. More details will be shared as the date gets closer.

The National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program (NSTMOP) is designed for 14- and 15-year-olds seeking employment in projection agriculture. Core content areas focused on during the one-day training include safety basics, agricultural hazards, tractors, connecting and using implements, materials handling, and more! Students are certified after successfully passing a knowledge test at the training and doing both an operating skills test and a driving test administered by their employer.

The cost to participate is $15 due to your local Extension office. Prior to the course, each participant must pick up a manual and complete a pre-test before attending the training event. For questions, contact Blaire Todd at blairet@ksu.edu or 785-738-3597. The flyer is on the Post Rock District website. Register online at https://bit.ly/tractorsafety2025. The registration deadline is one week before the date you plan to attend. Training dates in the region include: May 10th - Washington at Bruna Implement Company; and May 22th - Solomon at KanEquip, Inc.

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Fort Hays State University’s Science and Mathematics Education Institute (SMEI) is hosting a variety of summer camps in June for rising 2-8 graders. Camp themes relate to weather, energy, robotics, and more! Find camp details and registration information at www.fhsu.edu/smei/camps/.

• Osborne County - May 4, 4:00 p.m., Osborne County Fairgrounds

Kansas 4-H Shutterbug events are photography workshops put on across the state, and are a perfect opportunity to develop new camera skills, hone your creative talents and try new photography techniques. Workshops are typically scheduled as a morning session and concentrate on a variety of aspects of composition. Sessions focus on topics including Portfolio, Camera Features, Panning, Close-ups, Aperture Settings & Kaleidoscopes/Reflections. Save the date and watch the Kansas 4-H event website for event flyers and registration details as they become available. If you have an interest in an event, let your local office know so we can help keep you connected with details.

• May 3: Shutterbugs at the Botanica Gardens, Wichita
• Fall 2025: Shutterbugs in Manhattan and Hays