Projects

Oak Town 4-H 2022-2023 Projects

 Rabbits, Beginning- Leaders Casey Walvoord, Jolene La, In-Person meetings, Ages 5+
Have you wanted to learn what it takes to care for and own a rabbit? The Oak Town 4-H Rabbit Project discusses rabbit breeds, how to choose a rabbit for your family, rabbit care, rabbit health, and rabbit showing and showmanship with the goal of being able to display your knowledge at fair via posters or rabbit competitions.
You do not need to own a rabbit to be in the project!
Dates/Times TBD

Dog Care & Obedience: Leader Erich Vogel/Jolene La. Virtual meetings Yearlong. Ages 5+
Learn about basic dog care and dog obedience. Owning a dog is not necessary
Dates/Times TBD

 Environmental Stewardship/Hiking: Leader, Kirsten Daul/Erich Vogel, Ages 5+
Learn about environmental science through hikes around the East Bay. Possible outdoor hikes and activities: Sausal Creek Watershed, Sausal Creek Nursery, Lake Merritt Nature Center, Tilden Nature Center and Little farm, Redwood Park, End-of-Year overnight at Lake Chabot or Tilden. Other outdoor activities and hikes dependent on interest and age level.

Fall Beginning Cooking: Leader Jolene La/Allie DiLauro.Ages 9+.
​For 2-3 hours each month for 4 sessions (September - December), learn about various dishes, prepare, and sample your creations. Topics will include: Kitchen prep, How to read and follow a recipe, How to plan and prepare a full meal
Potential dishes: Pancakes from scratch, cheese quesadillas with homemade flour tortillas, roasted vegetables.

Fall Harvesting: Leader Barbara Butko/Yasha Spong, Sept-Nov Ages 7+
Learn about needs of community and resources that can help. Harvest local fruit/vegies from local backyards. Learn about saving seeds for the next planting
Sundays,  harvesting in-person, 3-4:30pm

Ice Cream Making: Leader George Butko/Barbara Butko. 5-6 meetings in the fall (October-November). Learn about the various frozen desserts, how to make them and how to use various types of ice cream makers. 
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Introduction to 4-H: Leader: Barbara Butko
Learn some general information about 4-H and sample some of the highlighted projects featured in Oak Town 4-H. Strongly encouraged for new members 7-12 (5/6 with parent)

Junior/Teen Leadership: Leader: Barbara Butko Ages, 11-14
Plan and run the Oak Town 4-H “Introduction to 4-H Project”. Help decide which projects we should highlight. Decide which project YOU want to showcase. YOUR ideas for meetings will direct this project. Commitment: Initial leader team planning and ending review sessions, likely on Zoom. Sign up to lead and help at two Intro to 4-H Project Meetings

Mini-Gardens: Leader Barbara Butko/ Holley Mortenson, Ages  7+ (5-6 y/o with parent)
Learn to create succulent mini-gardens that fulfill the plants needs, are attractive and long lived.
Sundays, January-February, 3-4:30pm

Photography: Leaders George and Barbara Butko,  Yearlong, Ages 9+
Photo Composition/Editing and Critiquing. May be a combo of in-person field trips and shooting opportunities and Zoom reviews and reflections. Meetings TBD
 
Poultry/Backyard Chickens: Leader Erich Vogel/ Yasha Spong Yearlong, Ages 5+
Learn about owning and caring for backyard chickens
Meeting info TBD
 

Sewing/Fiber Arts : Leaders Erica Gomes/Kelly Midha, Fiber arts/sewing: basic hand and machine sewing; fiber craft skills
Monthly, late Sunday mornings

Spring Baking: Leaders Jolene La/ Allie DiLauro Ages 9+. For 2-3 hours each month for 4 sessions (February through May), learn how baking differs from cooking, prepare, bake, and sample your creations. Topics will include:How to read and follow a baking recipe and use different methods (folding vs mixing, etc). Importance of measurements vs weights in bakingPotential dishes:  a cake with homemade frosting, a pie, cookies, a simple bread, and even homemade butter.
Meeting Info TBD
Spring Vegetable Gardens: Leader Barbara Butko/Yasha Spong, March-May, Ages 7+
Learn about crops to plant in the spring for early summer gardens. Enter your home-grown vegetables in the County Fair
Sundays, March-May. 
 
Teen Group Determined Project: Arts & Crafts, Cooking, Games and More. Leaders: Barbara Butko/Holley Mortenson Ages 13+
Teens only project! Cooking, Crafts, Fun and More!
Join us for Social and creative activities, Group Determined- Join us at the first meeting to decide what we do & co-plan! YOUR ideas for meetings will direct this project.
Our meetings will be in-person, tentatively first Friday evenings, 6:30-8:30 pm, October through May, Skipping January. Join us for at least 3 meetings to get project credit.. Meeting ideas can include anything from group cooking projects (Pizza?), Art or Arts & Crafts, Photography Fashion Photo Shoot, …pretty much anything that can be done in about 2 hours in a home setting.

​A spreadsheet of the Oak Town 4-H Project offerings is also available. 
 

Members choose one of more project areas to focus on each club year. The projects are led by adult and teen leaders. Projects meet may meet once monthly or more frequently for a short duration, 
  • Planned work in an area of interest to the 4-H member
  • Guided by a 4-H adult volunteer Project Leaders and Teen Leaders
  • Aimed at planned objectives that can be attained and measured
  • Meet for a minimum of 6 hours , some may meet much more
  • Summarized by some form of record keeping
Just about any interest can be turned into a project with the help of an adult volunteer Project Leader. County-wide projects are also available and include State Exchange (exchanging homes with 4-H members from another state for two weeks during the summer), Square Dancing, Rising Stars (for kids 11-14 who want to DO stuff) and a County Teen Projects specifically for youth members 13+.

Meetings

The entire Oak Town 4-H Club membership meets once a month with Community Club Meetings from September through June. For the 2022-2023 4-H Program Year we will be meeting in-person at Dimond Recreation Center or Park. These meetings are run by elected youth officers. At the meetings members receive information about upcoming events, and may watch and give presentations, participate in community service, play group games or listen to guest speakers.

Meeting Minutes

Other Activities

In addition to Club and Project Meetings, members have the opportunity to participate in many other club, county, state and national events as allowed by current health restrictions or meeting virtually. As conditions deem it appropriate, youth are encouraged to attend community service events, field days (day long events focused on a project area), conferences, presentation days, awards ceremonies, skit night, skate night, Alameda County Fair, and sleep-away camp. There are many leadership opportunities for youth on the local club, county, state, and national level.