Author Archives: Tom Tate

NAE4-HA Attendees Map Their 4-H History

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The following story is from the November 2015 issue of the 4-H History Preservation Newsletter

4-H educators nominated new locations for the National 4-H History Map at the recent National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) meeting in Portland, Oregon. Visitors to the 4-H History Preservation Program Exhibit viewed the 119 locations currently posted to the Map , and those 4-H educators nominated new locations for the National 4-H History Map at the recent National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) meeting in Portland, Oregon. Visitors to the 4-H History Preservation Program Exhibit viewed the 119 locations currently posted to the Map , and those who wanted to add a site filled out a form and put a green pin into that location on the paper map. On return home, 4-H educators will work with youth and adults to round up old photos, clippings, related web sites, that will make their historical 4-H location more interesting to the internet users of the 4-H History Map, as they travel across the United States.

4-H_Map_Pinning

These nominations are the first steps in the process of getting countless historically significant 4-H sites documented on the growing, internet-based atlas of 4-H history. Forty-four 4-H educators from 27 states (AZ, CO, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TX, WV, and WY) committed to grow a history mapping effort in their state and will get youth  and adults involved in identifying historically significant 4-H locations in their communities.

These new state 4-H Map teams will identify locations to be nominated, reviewed, approved, and loaded into the interactive National 4-H History Map. Reviewers and approvers will follow up with the nominators to get more complete information, such as photo/video/text, on the points of interest (POI) before the sites will be posted to the 4-H History Map..

It’s easy to join in this effort. Putting up a US or state map at a 4-H event attended by 4-H teens, volunteers, staff, and alumni, who know 4-H sites that should be documented, is a very effective way of recruiting new suggestions for your area to take a rightful place on this 4-H History Map. In Portland, it was important to have attendants that were excited about the project so that they could build interest and collect contact information from those who express interest in getting involved.

Maryland and Texas have committed to events in November to increase the number of locations and points of interest documented on the Map.

  • Dwayne Murphey, Maryland State 4-H History Map leader, has an event planned for the Maryland Teen and Volunteer Forum in Ocean City. They’ll use the same props (foam poster board, US Map, with pins to indicate locations) which proved effective at NAE4-HA.
  • Dr. Tamra McGaughy, 4-H Educator in Dallas County, TX, will be working with the state 4-H office to further the project. She stated, “This will be an awesome opportunity for 4-H youth to learn.

Think about sites/locations/points of interest that could be nominated from your community, county or state. Also help in the search for old photos/video/texts that will enhance the value of the points of interest which you propose to be documented.

Every month, new sites/locations will be added to the “smart phone accessible version” of the map, for  use by 4-H families traveling across the U. S. So join the effort to get members, leaders and alumni to participate. It is your 4-H history!

4-H_Map_Project
Try out the online version of the 4-H History Map at http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History_Map

For more information on the 4-H History Map project contact Tom Tate at tateace@aol.com or Jason Rine at Jason.Rine@mail.wvu.edu

 

Please help us preserve 4-H History . . .


Mobile 4-H History Map Shared with Huge International Audience

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The following story is from the August 2015 issue of the 4-H History Preservation Newsletter



4-H_GSM_Youth

4-H youth geospatial map-makers shared their 4-H History map with thousands of professional cartographers from around the world.


In July 4-H Youth and adult leaders from seven states shared their new 4-H History map with thousands of professional map-makers from around the world.

The new 4-H project was launched during the Esri International Conference in San Diego July 18-22. The 2015 National 4-H Geospatial Leadership Team of youth and adult leaders exhibited their map to 16,000 attendees from 120 countries at the San Diego convention. Team members from CA, IA, MT, NC, NY, MD, and TN, showed attendees how 4-H families will be using mobile technology to discover and visit historically significant locations where national, state and local milestones in 4-H history took place.


Esri_Map_20150813To see what the conference attendees saw you can visit http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History_Map


Several of the professional map-makers visiting the 4-H Youth Community Mapping exhibit were former 4-H’ers and were highly interested to see which 4-Hhistorical items might be posted in the states where they were members or where they live now.

Zooming in on California, National 4-H History Map users saw a Ferris Wheel near San  Francisco. When they clicked on it, they uncovered the 100 year history of 4-H and the Alameda County fair. There, they found a youth-produced film made in 2014, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of 4-H and the Alameda County Fair, both of which were
viewable through the Map. A former Indiana 4-H’er spotted a symbol of an interesting person in 4-H history appearing in the middle of his state; it was the location where the first  Saturday morning 4-H TV show was hosted by a young media host, David Letterman, who went on to  be a famous national network TV star.

A former 4-H’er from South Carolina found a historical marker noting the importance of US Congressman Asbury Francis Lever, whose national legislation in 1914 provided national resources through Cooperative Extension to support 4-H Youth Development for years to come.


A former 4-H’er from Wyoming noted that there were no historical 4-H sites in Wyoming. He was quick to say, “I want to nominate my favorite 4-H memory to the map, as soon as I get home.” Massachusetts visitors found a variety of 4-H campgrounds and fair grounds that triggered thoughts of many memorable 4-H sites they would like to re-visit.

During the Fall of 2015 and into the future, thousands of 4-H clubs will nominate interesting national, state and local 4-H historical people, places and events for documentation on the National 4-H History Map. We encourage you to look at your local area and county and see which, if any, 4-H History sites have already been nominated. If your county has no historical 4-H location yet posted, please let us know, so we can help you get started.

4-H Alumni attending the Esri International Mapping Conference last month were encouraged to map their 4-H History.

4-H Alumni attending the Esri International Mapping Conference
last month were encouraged to map their 4-H History.


For more information, please contact:
Tom Tate TateAce@aol.com
 
Jason Rine Jason.Rine@mail.wvu.edu

Teen Filmmakers Exhibit and Learn at 2015 FilmFest 4-H – article plus photo

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The following story is from the July 2015 issue of the 4-H History Preservation Newsletter

This national 4-H film festival, in its 5th year, and the new “Map Your 4-H History, described above,” are examples of “Contemporary 4-H History:” programs which are now creating 4-H history.

Director/actor role plays “getting into the moment” with attendees at FilmFest 4-H last month in St. Louis.

Director/actor role plays “getting into the moment” with attendees
at FilmFest 4-H last month in St. Louis.

Teenage filmmakers from 14 states exhibited 24 youth-produced films at this year’s FilmFest 4-H in St. Louis, June 14-17. Teens and leaders participated in the educational programs at the festival which included viewing on an actual theater screen and discussing the teen-produced films and joining in a series of workshops conducted by film industry professionals.

Among the many highlights:

  • Special pre-release screenings of “Bat Kid” and “Marshall the Miracle Dog;”
  • Director Jay Kanzler and Actors Bill Chott,Cyndi Willenbock and the star ‘Marshall the Miracle Dog’ demonstrated taking the film from conception to the screen;
  • Erica Ibsen, 4-H alum from Montana shared her experience of working as an actress in Hollywood;
  • Patrick Voss of VFX Productions and his team showed participants what they do with creature creation and sculpture to digital animation to create special effects for movies and television;
  • Jeff Lewis, makeup artist and six-time Emmy nominee put youth into the role of the makeup artist; and
  • Trish Seifried, animal trainer, taught youth how to prepare their own dog or cat for a starring role.

The 24 films were pre-selected by judges to be viewed at the festival in five categories: Narrative, 4-H Promotional, Animation, “Voices of 4-H History,” and Documentary. The top three in each category were recognized during the program along with a vote for the audience favorite.

According to Tom Tate, the History Team’s representative at the festival, “2015 FilmFest 4-H prepared future leaders to communicate more effectively in changing times.” An attending adult said “From my perspective as a mom and as a 4-H advisor, this was the best 4-H event that I have ever attended, in 10 years as a 4-H’er myself and 20 years as an advisor — inspirational, encouraging yet realistic, empowering, and just plain cool. Getting to see “Bat Kid” and “Marshall the Miracle Dog” before nearly everyone else was so neat!” And a youth participant joined in with “The amount of information you learn from the guests and the privilege of screening new films is wonderful. What can I say? Even if you don’t think you are interested in film making, if you go they will reel you in.”

The two top place films from the “Voices of 4-H History” category were selected for viewing at this year’s festival:

  • Emmy Beck-Aden, (OH), “Generations Coming Together;” and
  • Brian Sailors and Kristen Khlifi, (GA), “Interview with Doris Belcher.”

The National 4-H History Preservation Program provides sponsorship to FilmFest 4-H as part of its “Voices of 4-H History” initiative. For more information, visit

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/voices/

1890 Land-Grant Institutions to Document 4-H Youth Development History

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elegates discuss nutrition and rural health at the first Regional 4-H Camp in 1948.

Delegates discuss nutrition and rural health at the first Regional 4-H Camp in 1948.

2015 marks the 125th year of the passage of the Morrell Act of 1890, which established U.S. Congressional authority for the 1890 Land Grant Institutions of Higher Education. Youth development has been an important part of the 1890 mission since the very beginning. 1890 leaders have called for a special effort to document the rich history of the youth development programs and accomplishments based at the 1890 institutions.

 On April 29, 2015, L. Washington Lyons, Executive Administrator of the 1890 Extension Administrators, convened the first conference call of staff from 1890 4-H institutions in Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. This initial call began the multimonth effort to design, develop and implement a multi-media collection of 1890 institution-based educational resources and activities to be incorporated into the National 4-H History Preservation program, to serve as the foundation for future Youth Development programs in all land-grant schools.

 Initially, the 1890 Youth Development History Team will explore a wide variety of information sources to tell the 1890 youth development history. They have identified potential sources of files and records from:

  • Out-reach offices at the 1890 campuses and field offices where it is systematically organized by the library system on each campus;
  • Private collections of former 1890 staff, volunteers and supporters; and
  • In the memories of the former 1890 staff and clientele.

 The vision for the next year is to design several approaches that capture the significant history of the 1890 youth development story, and organize it for sharing in a variety of ways, including publications, online archives and multi-media presentations. Initial ideas call for the story to identify important milestones and pioneers highlighting the needs, efforts and progress, across the past, present and future of 1890 youth development.

Dr. L. Washington Lyons encourages this effort to reach out to all who can help contribute information and assistance to the celebration of 125 years of progress of 1890 youth development.

 The 1890 Youth Development History design team meets again on May 21, 2015.

Please direct your interest in helping with this important work to L. Washington Lyons, at Lwlyons@ncat.edu

“Map Your 4-H History” Goes Public –
Seeking your input on locations in your county/state

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Ever wonder about . . .

  • Where the first 4-H club or camp in your county or state was located?
  • What communities in your state are home to celebrities who were 4-H members?
  • Which 4-H Camps in your state served as Prisoner-Of-War camps during a world war?
  • If elected officials in your state or national government were members of 4-H in your state?

 On April 28, 2015, “Map Your 4-H History” went live: an internet-based national atlas of sites that are historically significant to 4-H families. To take a look at how the new National 4-H History Map will operate, click on or paste the following web address into your web browser:

 http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History_Map

 We hope that every 4-H club will ask the question, “Do we have a historically significant site in our county or state that should be nominated for the National 4-H Map/Atlas?” All 4-H members, staff, volunteers, alumni and supporters are encouraged to nominate locations that are significant to the 4-H history of your county, state or the nation.

 What type of sites are we looking for to be nominated for the National 4-H Map? Some of our pilot test team members who have helped develop the National 4-H Map project, suggested the following sites – among others – as being historically significant:

  • ! 4-H history museums
  • ! 4-H camps
  • ! 4-H fair grounds
  • ! locations of the first 4-H club in your state
  • ! the longest continuous 4-H club in your state;
  • ! the first club of its type in your state; and
  • ! famous 4-H alumni in your county or state. the first club of its type in your state; and
  • ! famous 4-H alumni in your county or state.

 As you consider nominating a site, ask yourself, “Would a 4-H family traveling through our area find the site or location interesting to visit?” The National 4-H History Map will be viewable on mobile devices used by 4-H families as they travel the country. Equally important, the Map visually documents historically significant people, places or events – all pieces of the rich 4-H history – for all to see.

To view the publicly-accessible 4-H Map, click on or paste the following web address into your web browser:
http://arcg.is/1QBM4qf

History_Map

To nominate a site for the 4-H History Map, click on or paste the following web address into your web browser: http://arcg.is/1bvGogV

 Each month, nominated sites will be reviewed, and approved sites will become publicly-viewable on the 4-H History Map/Atlas. We encourage you to get involved in nominating historically significant sites from your county/state.

Put YOUR 4-H History on the Map!

Filmfest 4-H Brings Imagination To Life

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FilmFest-2015Active learning can change dreams to success stories, and teens from across the country will soon gather at “FilmFest 4-H” to do just that. Those who enjoy acting, filmmaking, and stagecraft will learn techniques from a unique group of professionals that they are unlikely to find anywhere else. “FilmFest presenters are all involved in different parts of the film industry,” said Bradd Anderson, a Youth Development Specialist with Missouri 4-H, which produces the national film festival with the Missouri Film Office. “If you’re a creative person between the ages of eleven and eighteen, it’s a chance to meet the professionals and learn how to do amazing things on a teenager’s budget.”

 The fifth annual “FilmFest 4-H” takes place June 14- 17, in St. Louis, Missouri. Workshops include such topics as prop creation, life as a working actor in Hollywood, improvisation techniques, production success, and much more. Previous years presenters have included the editor of the ABC television series Nashville, a makeup artist from the Star Trek series, an Emmy-winning photojournalist, the extras casting director from Hannah Montana: The Movie, cinematographers working with National Geographic and the Outdoor Channel, and many others.

 Participants also have the opportunity to “take a meeting” with the presenters, visiting one-on-one to ask questions and received personalized advice. Equally exciting is the chance to connect with new friends from across the country, who share their technical and artistic interests. “FilmFest 4-H” also features screenings of films made by teen filmmakers, many of whom attend the event. Categories for films this year are Narrative, Animation, Documentary, Promotional and “Voices of 4-H History.” Prizes are awarded to the top films in each category, and the deadline for submissions is May 15, 2015. The 4-H History Preservation Team is again sponsoring the “Voices of 4-H History” Category.

 The costs to attend FilmFest 4-H include an all access pass ($119) for each teen and one chaperone, and a hotel room ($119/night at the conference rate). Finally, lunches are provided on Monday and Tuesday as part of the event, but participants are on their own for breakfasts and dinners.

 For complete information on “FilmFest 4-H,” please visit  http://4h.missouri.edu/filmfest

4-H and PBS in Montana Cooperate on History Project

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In 2011, Montana 4-H began the process of celebrating its 2012 Centennial. The Montana team developed a Centennial Guide for the counties, including a 4-H Heritage Family program. Each county prepared a Centennial Display documenting their county’s 4-H History, and the displays traveled to several statewide events during the yearlong celebration.

Montana 4-H worked with Montana PBS to produce a television documentary: “4-H — Six Montana Stories.” Youth completed applications to be considered to take part in the project; six youth and their families were selected, who were followed through a 4-H year and also captured footage themselves. View the documentary online at: http://watch.montanapbs.org/video/2260061763/

The premier took place at Montana 4-H Congress. In addition, “Heritage Project,” an excellent heritage project book, was developed providing dozens of great suggestions for successful youth 4-H history projects.

Teen Filmmakers Exhibit and Learn at 2014 FilmFest 4-H

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Teenage filmmakers from nine states exhibited 40 youth-produced films at the 2014 FilmFest 4-H in st. Louis, August 3-6. Sixty teens and leaders participated in the educational programs at the festival. Activities included viewing and discussing the teen-produced films and participating in a series of workshops conducted by film industry professionals. The topics included design, writing, casting, filming, lighting, sound, stunts, makeup, costuming, animation, control room operation, and remote satellite transmission.

Among the many highlights:

  • Emily Hagins, youngest Hollywood film director and writer, shared her Hollywood-based filmmaking insights from an unprecedented youth perspective.
  • Film producer and editor, Russ Weston, winner of fur Emmy and six Telly awards, conducted workshops for the youth in the remote satellite truck and control room on how remote productions get to our television screens; and
  • A visit to the nationally acclaimed “CoolFire Studios” in st. Louis where participants visited with professional directors, animation artists, sound producers and film producers as they worked in their studios.

Twenty-nine films were pre-selected by judges to be viewed in five categories: Documentary, Narrative, 4-H Promotional, Animation, and “Voices of 4-H History.” The top three in each category were recognized during the program along with a vote for the audience favorite. According to Tom Tate, the National 4-H History Preservation Team’s representative at the festival, “2014 FilmFest 4-H prepared future leaders to communicate more effectively in changing times.”

Five films from the “Voices of 4-H History” category were selected for viewing at this year’s festival. The three top place finishers in the category were:

  • Clay Ferguson (San Leandro, CA), “100 Year Anniversary: 4-H and the Alameda County Fair”
  • Eric Glaze (Waynesville, OH), “A Centennial of Extension with Dr. D. Howard Doster”
  • Kelsey Hibl and Brittany Berger (Dickenson, ND), “Voices of Stark County 4-H.”

The National 4-H History Preservation program provides sponsorship to FilmFest 4-H as part of its “Voices of 4-H History” initiative. For more information visit:

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/Voices/

West Virginia Gets Grant for Voices of 4-H History

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The West Virginia Voices of 4-H history team reports that they have received a grant and have been working during July and August to begin implementation of a youth filming project that will be done this fall. The project will take place with several county 4-H teen leader groups being trained to conduct oral history interviews with some “WV volunteers and Extension staff” who were leaders in West Virginia 4-H.

Youth Busy Producing Films for 4-H FilmFest 2014

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All across the country, teams of 4-H FilmFest_Logo_Smallyouth are working to produce films for presentation at 4-H FilmFest 2014 in St. Louis. “Voices of 4-H History” will be one of the categories that youth produced films will be competing in this August. Films submitted by July 1, 014 will be judged for exhibition during the FilmFest, August 3-6, 2014.

To view the youth produced films from the 2013 FilmFest, go to “Screening Room” at

http://4h.missouri.edu/go/events/filmfest/results2013.htm