Pottawatomie County 4-H

09/10/2025

The results are in! Today the Extension Staff (plus 2 State Ambassadors - Grace Hobbs & Mason Luka) took 176 county exhibits to the state fair. 16 exhibits got 1st place; 25 exhibits took 2nd place; 12 placed 3rd. Tough competition at the state level and Pottawatomie County did amazing. Exhibitors can call the office to get their official placings, or better yet ... go check them out at the State Fair Grounds starting this Friday!!

09/09/2025

FOUND!! Thank you everyone - the exhibit was located.

We have a misplaced exhibit from fair last week. Please look through your fair items to see if it got mixed up with your county fair treasures. If so, it can be returned to the extension office. This artist exhibitor would appreciate its return!!

09/08/2025

Pottawatomie County OSU Extension and 4-H are collecting diapers for Legacy Parenting Center in Shawnee. Starting next week, you can drop off diapers at the extension office September 15th through September 21st from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

We appreciate all of your support for our community!💚

09/02/2025

Competition can be a healthy force in our lives, but it is not all about winning. If winning becomes our sole focus, it can negatively impact our health and our relationships. When the pressure to win takes over, competition can become unhealthy and can cause:

· High anxiety and stress, by having too much pressure put on you by yourself or by an adult in your life

· Burnout, making you lose the passion you once had for the activity.

· A feeling that you need to be mean to others or even cheat to get ahead.

This mindset can create an "inner bully" that makes you doubt your abilities and hard work.

Healthy Competition is different because it is about personal growth, not only winning. This type of competition can help increase motivation to learn new skills, teach you how to accept valuable feedback, improve your self-esteem and confidence, and develop a sense of purpose and achievement that goes beyond a trophy.

In 4-H, we value healthy competition because it's a powerful tool for personal development. It’s about challenging yourself while respecting others and staying true to your values. That's what builds character and leads to real fulfillment.

https://forms.office.com/r/C3zRifASNQ

08/27/2025

Congratulations to Maddison and Tori for winning the Voters Choice Award at the United Way Chili Cookoff!! 🌶🍽🍀

GOOD JOB GIRLS! 💚

08/19/2025

🍀Come out and support our state winning 4-H Food Showdown team by buying tickets and voting for them at the United Way of Eastern Frontier Country on Tuesday, August 26, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center’s Safety Center. They are kicking off campaign season with the 3rd annual Kickoff Cookoff. 🍀

A $10 ticket will get you in the door to enjoy over 20 local chilis with all the fixins while secret judges taste test for Most Unique, Most Spicy, Perfect for Babies, and the Judge’s Favorite.

The last chili category is Voter’s Choice, so bring cash, because $1 is 1 vote!
$25 registration fee and a crockpot to participate as a Chili Chef, and register soon, as there are only 24 spots available! 🌶

Click the link below to buy lunch tickets ahead of time or to register!
https://www.unitedwayefc.org/chili-cookoff/

08/14/2025

A huge THANK YOU to the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation for providing financial assistance through the 4-H Enhancement Grant to purchase the Ricochet: An Extreme Leadership Development Adventure curriculum supplies! 🎯

This engaging program is designed for middle and high school youth to build leadership skills in five key areas: leadership knowledge, leadership attitude, communication, decision-making, and stress management using hands-on, interactive activities.

Because of this support, we were able to share Ricochet across the SE District and in Pottawatomie County with:
✅ 9 educators in May
✅ 20 SE District Action Team members in June
✅ 46 Leadership LEAP attendees in July

Your generosity is helping us empower the next generation of leaders across Oklahoma! 💚🍀

From Pottawatomie County, we had 5 SEDAT members, including: Ashlynn Vaught, Andrew Collins, Calleigh Hoffman, Mason Luka, and Madison Maddox. SEDAT members helped lead workshop rotations at LEAP. 4-H members attending LEAP included Beckett Kelley, Ember Luna, and Reagann Nickell.

08/14/2025

08/13/2025

🍀Come out and support our state winning 4-H Food Showdown team by buying tickets and voting for them at the United Way of Eastern Frontier Country on Tuesday, August 26, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center’s Safety Center. They are kicking off campaign season with the 3rd annual Kickoff Cookoff. 🍀

A $10 ticket will get you in the door to enjoy over 20 local chilis with all the fixins while secret judges taste test for Most Unique, Most Spicy, Perfect for Babies, and the Judge’s Favorite.

The last chili category is Voter’s Choice, so bring cash, because $1 is 1 vote!
$25 registration fee and a crockpot to participate as a Chili Chef, and register soon, as there are only 24 spots available!🌶

Click the link below to buy lunch tickets ahead of time or to register!
https://www.unitedwayefc.org/chili-cookoff/

08/12/2025

Check out our most recent Clover Connection Newsletter. https://conta.cc/416db7X

08/11/2025

📚✏️ School is back in session! Let’s work together to keep our students, teachers, and communities safe this year.

Check out these back-to-school safety tips from the American Red Cross and National Safety Council to help everyone start the year on the right foot. 🚸🛑

Sources:
🔗 American Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2023/ten-safety-tips-to-follow-as-students-head-back-to-school.html?srsltid=AfmBOooRKbwJ3ldabMblovEMd1VTf2yYqSt70cvtDv0GOul8yrfQVBhZ
🔗 National Safety Council: School Safety: https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/school-safety/school-safety-home?srsltid=AfmBOorpcYeLtx8mSr3RwoXCay-yLZ8TGOuJ2h474TxJfxZ7Rjw70DoD

08/09/2025

Entries for the 2025 EYO at the Oklahoma State Fair are now OPEN! Complete your entries online by Friday, August 22, 2025, to avoid late fees.

*Entries made from August 23 - September 10 will be charged a $175 late fee. Entries made after September 11 will be charged a $225 late fee.*

Get your entries submitted, view the full schedule, and more here: https://okyouthexpo.com/show-information/eyo/