American Farm Bureau Federation Youth Leadership Program
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is excited to offer a unique national opportunity for 4-H, FFA and Jr. MANRRS members on January 11, 2026! From January 9–14, 2026, AFBF will host its 107th Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. As part of this event, a special Youth Leadership Program will be held on Sunday, January 11th, exclusively for youth members of our partnering youth agricultural organizations.
This one-of-a-kind experience will allow students to:
• Connect with farmers and ranchers as well as industry leaders from across the country
• Network with other youth leaders, learn together and build valuable leadership skills
• Attend the Empowering Young Leaders reception with AFBF President Zippy Duvall
Don’t miss this chance to learn, grow, and be inspired alongside other future leaders of agriculture!
2026 AFBF Annual Convention Information
1. Location: Anaheim Convention Center: 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, California 92802.
2. Student Supervision: This is a self-guided experience with key learning opportunities along the way. Students aged 17 or younger must be supervised by a chaperone at ALL TIMES.
3. Special Program: This special program for 4-H, FFA & Jr. MANRRS members will only take place on Sunday, January 11th. Registration includes Convention activities on Saturday, January 10th and Monday, January 12th, but organized youth programming will only take place on Sunday.
4. Schedule: A draft schedule can be found online, and the final schedule will be sent to registrants with additional details prior to the event. Please note that the start and end times will not change. You can begin planning your transportation to and from the event.
Registration Information
Please work with your program leader, secure an adult chaperone, and register for this experience through AFBF’s Convention registration system.
Visit fb.org/2026-youth-leadership-program to view the agenda, find the registration link and get up-to-date information.
More details at: https://annualconvention.fb.org/youthleadershipprogram
2026 Aviation Art Contest
Young artists are invited to take their creativity to new heights through the 2026 International Aviation Art Contest, themed “Fly to Save Lives.” Nebraska youth ages 6–17 are invited to enter by January 16, 2026.
Planes, helicopters, drones, and even hot-air balloons can do amazing things. They deliver food and medicine, help in emergencies, fight wildfires, rescue people in need, and even transport blood and medical supplies to save lives. Flight connects people, brings communities together, and sparks new ideas. Using crayons, paint, or pencils, show us your vision of the 2026 theme: “Fly to Save Lives.” How can flight make the world safer and better? The sky is not the limit — it’s where hope begins!
Nebraska winners in three age categories — Junior (6–9), Intermediate (10–13), and Senior (14–17) — will earn cash prizes sponsored by the Nebraska Aviation Council and advance to the national competition in Washington D.C. At the national level, the top three entries in each age category are selected to represent the U.S. in the international round and receive cash prizes sponsored by the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) and the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). Those winners then move on to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) international competition, which typically includes 20–40 participating countries.
More information about the 2026 International Aviation Art Contest can be found at https://dot.nebraska.gov/aeronautics/art-contest.
More details at: https://dot.nebraska.gov/aeronautics/art-contest
2026 Nebraska Young Artist Awards
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts is seeking applications for the 29th annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards. The deadline for applications in all categories is January 4, 2026.
The awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska who are talented in visual art, dance, music, theater, and film and emerging media arts (which includes film, 3D models, interactive art, sound design and video games). These students exemplify the pinnacles of creativity in one of the fine and performing arts.
For the areas of music, dance, theater and film/emerging media arts, students must submit an online application, which includes uploading a sample of their work and a letter of recommendation from a teacher. Full instructions are available at https://go.unl.edu/nyaa.
Visual art students must submit an online application and include a photo of their work for judging. The winning students will have their work displayed in the School of Art, Art History and Design’s MEDICI Gallery. Details are available at https://go.unl.edu/nyaa.
All winning students will be invited to a special recognition day March 25. Honored students and their parents will tour the arts facilities, attend classes, meet faculty and college students, have lunch and participate in an awards ceremony.
Students selected to participate in the Nebraska Young Artist Awards will also be asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents.
For more information, contact Chris Watson, director of recruitment for the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, at 402-472-0897 or chris.watson@unl.edu.
More details at: https://go.unl.edu/nyaa
4-H Workshops
Communication & Expressive Arts
If your interest area is public speaking, relationships, understanding other cultures, photography or visual arts, workshops with this subject matter will interest you.
Consumer & Family Science
Environmental Education & Earth Sciences
You love the outdoors and want to take care of the planet, trees or bugs are your thing. What about shooting sports?
Healthy Living
You love to cook, want to learn more about preserving food or just improve your lifestyle and your safety.
Leadership, Citizenship & Personal Development
Do you have what it takes to be a good citizen? What about your leadership skills or becoming an entrepreneur?
NDA OPENS APPLICATION PROCESS FOR 2025 NEBRASKA AG YOUTH INSTITUTE
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has opened the application process for high school juniors and seniors interested in attending the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI). NAYI is one of Nebraska’s biggest agriculture youth outreach events. The five-day program brings together students to network with ag leaders, learn more about the industry, and discover careers available in agriculture. NDA helps sponsor and coordinate NAYI every year. This year’s theme is “Agriculture: It's in our Genes.”
Plant Science
You have a green thumb or want to, you love your veggies and flowers! How about field crops, or grasslands?
GRO Big Red Virtual Learning Series, hosted by Nebraska Extension HLES Team. https://hles.unl.edu/lawn-garden/gro-big-red/
Innovative Youth Corn Challenge for 4-H and FFA Members - We are delighted to announce the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge, a prestigious contest open to 4-H members (aged 8 and older as of January 1st) and FFA members (in-school members). This competition is designed to guide participants through a comprehensive exploration of all facets of corn production, including aspects related to agricultural careers associated with corn production.
For detailed guidelines and participation information, please refer to the https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/cornchallenge webpage or contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.
Science, Engineering & Technology
You geek out over, science. You love rockets, computers, electricity, GPS, robotics, welding or woodworking
Young Nebraska Scientists Camps - Young Nebraska Scientists, conducted by Nebraska EPSCoR with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, offers camps for middle and high school students throughout the state. The program focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math topics and is a great way for teens to sample a career or campus, meet friends and mentors, and find their future.
Camp fees include meals and lodging, except day camps. National Science Foundation funding helps keep camp fees low, plus need-based scholarships are readily available. Faculty from Nebraska colleges and universities are camp session leaders, and camp staff include university students. Learn more and apply now online. Email yns@nebraska.edu with any questions.
More details at: https://yns.nebraska.edu/camps
Raikes School Computer Science Summer Camp - The Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is now accepting applications for a summer learning opportunity for high school students. As someone connected to young people in Nebraska and beyond, we wanted to share this opportunity with you to pass on to any student you think may be interested.
The Raikes School is hosting its ninth year of “Innovate: The Raikes School Way,” led by Executive Director of the Raikes School, Dr. Steve Cooper. The summer camp was highlighted by Forbes in 2019 and continues to provide high-quality computer science education to interested students! Interested students can find more details and complete the application at https://raikes.unl.edu/summer-camp.
If you have any questions about the camp, contact Theresa Arneal at tluensmann2@unl.edu.
More details at: https://raikes.unl.edu/summer-camp
State 4-H Camps
The 2025 What’s the Buzz? season of the Nebraska State 4-H Camp will share the importance of pollinators in Nebraska- why they’re important, how they impact agriculture, and what youth can do in their own communities to support the various native pollinators we have in Nebraska. From bees and butterflies to hummingbirds and bats- it’s going to be a week full of learning and fun!
The Nebraska State 4-H Camp is returning to Chadron and Burwell for summer camp 2025! Youth new to camping can attend a shorter camp session designed to let them experience all the best parts of summer camp in a 3 day/2 night session. Choose from one of two 5 day/4 night sessions for youth 10-14 years old and returning this year is the Leaders in Training camp for high school youth 15-17 years old! Campers will focus on developing leadership skills with an opportunity to put those skills into practice by volunteering at one of our other camp sessions!
Registration is now OPEN! More information on sessions, dates, and the link to register can be found at 4h.unl.edu/camp
Small & Large Animal Workshops & Clinics
Livestock Information Series
The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Information Series is a resource for 4-H members, leaders, and parents to gain knowledge in various livestock-related topic areas. Each session, a new topic is covered with experts joining to share their experience and expertise. Extended learning opportunities and supporting documents are also available for each topic.
Livestock Achievement Program
The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects, including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition, by recognizing youth striving to improve their livestock project knowledge and leadership.
Camps and workshop are added as information is provided, check back regularly.
Horse Camps and Clinics
Equine Education
HALTER
Welcome to the Horse Adult Leader Training and Educational Resource (HALTER) Program! This progressive series of lessons is designed for adult volunteers working with youth in the horse industry to provide equine science information, student activities, and techniques to foster positive youth development. These courses can be taken in any order, based on your background knowledge or areas of interest.
Once you have successfully completed each level, and their associated requirements, you will receive a certificate of completion. The fee for a 12 month subscription for this course is $25 or $75 if you purchase all 4 HALTER courses. And from now until December 31, 2025 each course is 50% off when you use code HolidaySpecial.
Registration
Horsemanship Advancement
Level testing requirements for Dakota County 4-H
Level 1 Written, Level 1 Riding, Level 1 Demonstration must be completed by youth 4-H age 12 years as of January 1st. Level 1 requirements must by done and record submitted to Extension Office by pre-fair entry (mid-July)
If Level 1 requirement is not done youth will not be able to participate in the county fair.
Written Level 1 test will be administered by either a certified Level 1 or 2 horse leader or by the local Extension Office. Testing appointments will be required by the Extension Office. Level 1 or 2 Riding, and Level 1 or 2 Demonstration to be administered by certified Horse leader.
Information about what will be covered on this test can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/horse/advancement
The youth participants being tested must be enrolled in the 4‑H horse project. During testing of each level, youth must also use a horse that has been properly identified on the 4‑H Light Horse Identification Record and Owners Affidavit. 4‑H'ers must own, lease, or manage the horse being used. Youth must have access to the horse and provide care and management as described in the Nebraska 4‑H Horse Show and Judging Guide. 4‑H members may use any of their project horses. However, a single horse must be used for the entire skills test of each level.
Level Testing
Watch for camps, clinics and more
As camps, clinics and horse related activities are scheduled, check back for updated opportunities!
