Author Archives: Tom Tate

1890 4-H History Initiative Started

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On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, Dr. Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, and L. Washington Lyons, Administrator of the 1890 Association, met with staff at the National 4-H Council to review the rich history of the 1890 Land Grant Institutions.One of the outcomes of these discussions was the need to document and share the rich 1890 history using 21st century media.

Foster_Lyons

In the coming months, the 4-H History Preservation team and the 1890 leadership will explore joint activities for getting 4-H youth involved in helping 1890 4-H alumni to document the Extension and 4-H memories.Continued discussion with Georgia 1890 4-H leader, Woodie Hughes, and others will design efforts where 4-H youth will produce some multi-media products that will document 1890 4-H History.

Multi-County 4-H History Clubs Working Together in Maryland

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On Monday, February 10, 2014, adult leaders from Prince Georges and Montgomery counties of Maryland met to share their 4-H History club plans for 2014. They had a very productive meeting and completed action planning sheets for the year. Five leaders are representing the two counties.

The leaders are currently putting together a statement to share with the youth clubs and agreed to make the announcement to the counties’ 4-H volunteer and club leaders who will attend the upcoming Leaders’ meeting scheduled for late February. It was decided to encourage a “Voices of 4-H History” project, and to challenge each club to have their 4-H’ers design, script and produce 15-30 minute videos of their work for the project. A follow-up planning committee meeting is scheduled in early March. The submitted films and film concepts, will be reviewed by the adult/youth planning committee, who will then decide how to proceed from there. The team plans to submit some films to national FilmFest 4-H in June. Several adult leaders know and are recruiting individuals that have expressed interest in working with the young film producers and are willing to critique, edit and help with production.

“Voices of 4-H History” will be a major Feature of Filmfest 4-H 2014

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FilmFest_Logo_SmallMissouri is pleased to announce that FilmFest 4-H, the national 4-H film festival, has been GREENLIGHTED for 2014! This year’s FilmFest will take place at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac in St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis is home to countless film productions, one of the nation’s top zoos, amazing museums, and of course the world famous Gateway Arch.

Now is the time to get started! The Film Submission form has been posted, and films will be accepted until July 1, 2014. As with last year, there is a 10-minute time limit on films, so that we can screen as many as possible in the most interesting ways. We continue to request that filmmakers avoid scenes that involve youth pointing guns at each other! This will help us give your films the widest possible exposure through 4-H channels, without creating unnecessary complications.

This year’s confirmed categories are:

  • Narrative
  • Animation
  • Documentary
  • 4-H Promotional
  • “Voices of 4-H History”

This special event connects young filmmaking enthusiasts with film industry professionals and with other youth who share those same interests. Like any national film festival, FilmFest 4-H is a “commuter event.” Festival-goers are free to make the arrangements for travel, lodging, and meals that best fit their needs. Your $129 “All access Pass” is your ticket to the entire event. This includes film screenings, field trips, festivities, meetings, exciting workshops with film industry professionals, and other special opportunities. Registration will be online at the FilmFest 4-H website in the weeks ahead. For more information about the event click on: http://is.gd/9Aeb92.

Youth filmmakers from across the nation will present the products of their film making labor on August 3, 2014, in St. Louis. In 2013, youth filmmakers from more than a dozen states exhibited 38 films that they had produced. Finalists’ films from the 2013 FilmFest 4-H can be seen at: http://4h.missouri.edu/go/events/filmfest/2013/films/ror-wy.htm/.

During 2014, the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Smith-Lever Act, we are hopeful that youth film makers will assist Cooperative Extension in celebrating this centennial by helping capture 4-H history in their state and counties. Youth filmmakers that complete their productions in time to submit them prior to the July 1 judging deadline, will be considered for FilmFest 2014. Films not submitted by July 1, will be considered for FilmFest 2015.

We hope that 4-H alumni, staff, volunteers, club leaders and supporters will reach out, get involved and encourage 4-H’ers to start up “Voices of 4-H History” media projects for sharing at FilmFest 2014.

Youth Produced Multi-Media Projects to be Featured at National 4-H Film Festival in 2014

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During 2013, seven pilot test states (California, Connecticut, Missouri, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia) developed and tested a variety of methods for documenting the memories of 4-H members, staff, volunteers and supporters. Products developed ranged from poster and banner exhibits at fairs, libraries, and museums to videos and films that were exhibited at film festivals and cable and commercial television networks. A process for youth produced media was developed to guide training of teams of youth and adults through the process of recruiting, interviewing, producing and editing media, for use in increasing public awareness of the 100 years of 4-H and Extension History, to help celebrate the passage of the Smith-Lever Act through the Congress of the United States in 1914.

In January of 2014, the National 4-H Film Festival will invite youth produced videos/films to be submitted for viewing and judging during the Summer of 2014. Many of those films will be selected to be posted to the National 4-H History Film archives, and exhibited widely to improve public awareness of 4-H and Extension programs.

To learn more about getting involved in this effort, please visit the “Voices of 4-H History website at: http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/Voices or email: Info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

Tom Tate

Voices of 4-H History Moves Forward in Hawaii

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Hawaii 4-H leader Joan Chong shared that Hawaii 4-H has two Youth-Adult partnership teams (one from Maui and the other from Kona) that came together the first weekend of November for a training. “We are working on going to other islands/sites to do more training,” Chong said. “The youth are excited to take on this project. Hopefully we’ll have some videos soon.”

For more information about the “Voices of 4-H History” project promoting audio/video interviews, visit the website: http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/Voices

Tom Tate

Clover Cinema Club to Produce Voices of 4-H History Films for Virginia

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The Clover Cinema Club, based in Prince George, Virginia, has formed a team of 4-H youth filmmakers who will be traveling to the southeast, southwest, and northern Virginia to interview former 4-H members, leaders and supporters about their 4-H memories. The young film makers will travel to the various regions during the Thanksgiving and Holiday seasons to film interviews. The Clover Cinema Club hopes to complete their formatting and editing early in 2014. Versions of the film are being considered for local, regional and national sharing. Adult 4-H leader Herman Maclin says the youth hope that their films will encourage former and new audiences to get involved in 4-H.

Tom Tate

Missouri Recruits Additional Counties for History interviews

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During the last week of October, Missouri 4-H agents are introducing the Voices of 4-H History Process introduced at the Galaxy Conference in September. At a statewide conference in Missouri, Voices of 4-H History pilot counties will share their lessons learned with county extension staff throughout the state. Velynda Cameron, 4-H lead for three counties, said interest in growing 4-H History Clubs has been requested by county 4-H leaders statewide. Sharing our new Voices of 4-H History process, will enable new county efforts to get started in early 2014.

Tom Tate