4-H Staff Information | 4-H Youth Development

4-H Capitol Experience: 4-H Staff Information

Recruitment and Promotional Materials

The following promotional materials may be used by 4-H staff to recruit teens and adult participant-chaperones:

Youth and adult participant-chaperone application form including Media Release and Medical Treatment Authorization Form
Letter to schools/counselors using the Michigan benchmarks to explain what participants will be learning at Capitol Experience
Public service announcements: 30 second and 15 second
Capitol Experience event graphic suitable for:
- Web:
  Color jpg format with text
- Print:
  Color jpg format with text
  Black and White jpg format with text
Recruitment brochure
Recruitment flyer and ads
Fundraising letter templates for staff to fill-in and send to local businesses and organizations to raise scholarship funds for local Capitol Experience participants.

Staff are encouraged to copy the promotional materials and the application and distribute them to high school teens who may be interested. Think about recruiting both current 4-H members and those interested in learning more about public policy.

Additional Thoughts On Who Should Attend

High school students and adult participant-chaperons who are interested in gaining skills and knowledge to develop their leadership, citizenship and community service skills and apply what is learned in their communities should apply. Prior government experience is not necessary. Participants will be on the go almost nonstop throughout this event; therefore, participant commitment, enthusiasm and strong interpersonal skills are an absolute necessity. In addition, students will have to miss three days of school. Consider recruiting past and future Citizenship Washington Focus or past Wonders of Washington participants; Michigan Youth Conservation Corps members; individuals interested in the Junior Citizenship Planner program and other young people who are interested in making a difference in their community.

Adult participants will help chaperon while being full-time participants in the event. They are also encouraged to assist teens with activities both before and after the event.

Cost

Registration cost includes all meals, lodging and material fees. Counties will be billed for all conference costs for those selected to attend, following the event and in accordance with the cancellation policy below. Counties are urged to secure local support for participant scholarships. Rate: $300 Adults and current 4-H Members; $310 Non-4-H Members

Cancellation Policy

The cancellation policy for those participants selected by the State 4-H Office to attend, is as follows:

Counties will be billed a $25 handling fee for cancellations received by February 3, 2012.
Counties will be billed for all conference costs for cancellations received after February 3, 2012. (Same sex substitutions are acceptable up to the start of the event.)

Application Information

Applications must be received by the State 4-H Office by February 10, 2012. County staff can register participants online after December 1 by going to the Capitol Experience Registration website.

The "Media Release and Medical Treatment Authorization" and the "Code of Conduct" forms are both within the Application. These two forms must be printed, signed (in all of the appropriate places) and mailed to the State 4-H Office by February 10, 2012. See "Dates to Remember" for more deadline information.

Please be sure that the correct districts and legislators are listed correctly on each application. In February, teens and chaperons will be asked to write to their Michigan Representative and senators to encourage them to attend the legislative breakfast and indicating their interest in meeting them at the event. More information will be sent to the participants after they are selected.

Pre-Conference Activities

Participants are asked to complete a pre-conference activity to learn about citizenship at the local level. Examples of pre-service activities include attending a local government meeting, interviewing the director or staff member of a non-profit organization and researching a local issue.

Post-Conference Activities, News Releases & Photographs

At the end of the conference, participants are charged with returning to their county 4-H program to get involved with local public policy issues. Types of activities could be giving an educational presentation on the experience to 4-H clubs, researching a local issue and presenting it to the county commissioners, city councils or township boards or participating in a service project. After the event, please work with your county delegation to carry out a local project.

A post-event news release and county delegation photograph of participants and their legislator(s) will be sent to counties for distribution to local media immediately following the event.

Participant Selection Process

Participants who have attended in previous years will be considered if space is available. Space is limited to 100 teen and adult chaperon-participants. Selection is based on:

Regional representation of the state
Fully completed applications
Short answer question

Steering Committee

4-H Capitol Experience is carried out by a steering committee comprised of 4-H members, staff and volunteers. The 4-H Capitol Experience Steering Committee will be present throughout the event to facilitate activities and provide support for participants. Counties need to submit an application form for steering committee members from your county. At the end of the conference, participants are asked to indicate their interest in being on the next year’s steering committee.

Dates to Remember and Responsibilities to Ensure a Successful Program

Important Dates	To Do
October 2011 to February 2012	Promotional materials and application available on the Web
December 2011	Online registration begins
February 3, 2012	Registration forms and payment are due to the local county MSU Extension, 4-H Youth Development office.
February 10, 2012	All applications need to be submitted online on or before this date. Complete (with appropriate signatures) the Media Release and Medical Treatment Authorization and the Code of Conduct Forms (included in the application packet and mail directly to: Gloria Ellerhorst, 4-H Youth Development 160 Agriculture Hall, MSU East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
February 20 to March 10, 2012	Hold a pre-conference orientation for the county delegation to cover all the details of the trip, including: behavior expectations, transportation, location, money, meals, accommodations, chaperons, program content and pre-conference activities.
Cancellations:	Counties will be billed a $25 handling fee for cancellations received by February 3, 2012. Counties will be billed for all conference costs for cancellations received after February 3, 2012. (Same sex substitutions are acceptable up to the start of the event.)
March 18 to 21, 2012	4-H Capitol Experience conference
Following the Conference	Counties will be billed for their selected participants, according to the cancellation policy listed above.
April to December	Complete post-conference activities.

Contact

For more information on how to get involved as a youth or volunteer, contact your county MSU Extension office or:

Betsy Knox, Capitol Experience Coordinator
4-H Youth Development, MSU Extension
160 Agriculture Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1039

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Phone: 517-432-7603

4-H Youth Development | Agriculture Hall | 446 W. Circle Drive Room 160 | East Lansing, MI, 48824 | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)