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By Kay Dahlke Special to Conley Media CEDARBURG — Hand in hand with any county fair is the steeped involvement of 4-H youths, which has over 6 million kids involved nationwide, with a very strong presence in Ozaukee County. Through the years, Sue Dowe, Ozaukee County 4-H Leader Board president, has been very involved with the group, from coordinat- ing activities and oversee- ing board membership, to subcommittees and scholar- ship activities. "4-H involvement builds citizenship and communi- cation skills and promotes volunteering in the commu- nity," Dowe said of the ben- efits to members. "It's about building up the 'whole person' in a fun way." Dowe also stresses that 4-H membership is not just a farm experience. One of the programs involves STEM, which stands for science, technology, engi- neering and math. "A former Miss America was a speaker at a recent 4-H conference. She is very involved in nuclear energy and spoke to the audience in support of 4-H at the conference," Dowe said. An integral part of 4-H is fundraising. Dowe provides marketing for The Haunt, a "scary-good haunted event" that takes place annually in October. "The Haunt provides scholarships for the youth involved. We award $5,000 annually," Dowe said. "The youth apply, we interview them and split the awards among the applicants. It's very rewarding for the young people." She also oversees the annual Pinewood Derby and Project Bunny, held annually at Circle B. The clubs also raise funds through lemonade stands at Cedarburg's festivals, the truck and tractor pulls, fair-time parking and food stands during the county fair. "It's so rewarding," Dowe said. "My husband and I are former 4-Hers. Seeing the program evolve is incredible; it's a fun way of learning." Judging of Ozaukee County Fair Youth projects takes place on the following days: • Wednesday: Swine • Thursday: Beef, Sheep, E x p l o r i n g / C l o v e r b u d s , Photography, Computer/ Technology, Robotics, Wood- working, Electricity, Me- chanical Projects, Flying Drones, Clothing, Knitting & Crocheting, Family & Child Development • Friday: Dairy, Goat, Horse & Pony, Poultry & Poultry Products, Horseless Horse, Animal & Vet Sci- ence, Cats, Plant & Soil Science, Horticulture, Flow- ers & Houseplants, Natural Science, Theatre Arts/ Clowing, Cultural Arts, Theatre Arts/Clowning, Cultural Arts, Foods & Nutrition, Food Preserva- tion, Cake Decorating and Candy Making, Home Furnishings, Demonstra- t i o n s / C o m m u n i c a t i o n s ( D iv i s i o n - D - Au c t i o n e e r- ing), Youth Leadership/Self Determined and Health & Citizenship • Saturday: Rabbit, Dog (Show & Educational) OZAUKEE COUNTY FAIR CONLEY MEDIA 12 JULY 2023 4-H – A fun way of learning Photo courtesy of Ozaukee County 4-H Rebecca Dowe won first place for this dress she made for a 4-H clothing competition. Photo courtesy of Ozaukee County 4-H This poster shows the many international opportunities available through the 4-H Youth Exchange program. Photo courtesy of Ozaukee County 4-H This project won a national 4-H ribbon. File photo Performer ChaCha (Regina Wollrabe) came to Wiscon- sin from Portland, Ore., to learn about midwest county fairs.

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