Polk County 4-H

06/03/2026

Lace up, grab your crew, and get ready for a 5K packed with fun and friends! 🏃‍➡️🍀

Registration now open! https://ow.ly/7sAU50Z2oZJ

06/03/2026

Help us welcome our incredible summer interns! 🍀😃🌻

Our new 4-H interns Keira Olson and Maria Santos-Gamez will spend the summer teaching youth programs, day camps and helping at the Polk County Fair.

Ray Rosencrants, our first-ever Polk County Master Gardener intern, will be working on the newsletter, helping with volunteer administration and planning a special event at Easterseals.

If you see Ray, Kiera or Maria this summer, please tell them hello!

Learn more about them: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/polk/three-interns-join-polk-county-office-summer

06/02/2026

There's still time to register for this "explosive" opportunity....don't delay!

🖌️💥 An ART EXPLOSION is coming to Polk county this summer!! 💥🖌️

Explore all areas of art and creativity at the Art Explosion Day Camp June 5th from 8:30 - 11:30am at our office! 🧑‍🎨

Campers will bring home art projects from this day of exploring the elements of design, art principles, and different forms of creativity for $25. For kids up to Fourth Grade.

Register today! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMUoVBAwTPim6a1iS7OXfa7P_OSQa53v89TtNgPqexsk_2wA/viewform?usp=header

06/01/2026

Polk County Cattle Exhibitors, today is the last day to sign up for the fitting clinic!

🐮 Ready to level up your cattle fitting skills before fair season?

Join the Polk County Fair Board Cattle Department for a hands-on Cattle Fitting Clinic on:

📅 Saturday, June 13
⏰ 8:00 AM – Noon
📍 Jasper County Fairgrounds Pavilion

We’ll kick things off with a live fitting demo, then you’ll have the chance to practice fitting your own animal with guidance, tips, and feedback from experienced fitters!

✅ Bring 1 animal per family (or come observe — no animal required!)
✅ Bring your chute, blower, clippers, products, and generator if available

🎟 Registration is REQUIRED by June 1:
https://forms.gle/23xNJHTu79trLx1R8

Whether you’re brand new or looking to sharpen your skills before the fair, this is a great opportunity to learn, practice, and get show-ring ready! 💥🐂

Tag your show crew and make plans to attend! 👇

05/22/2026

We're having a STEM Summer! 👩‍🔬

STEM for Kids Camp🧬🧪
June 29 | 8:30-11:30 am
$45
K-3rd
https://ow.ly/cakz50YRlbU
Join Polk County 4-H for a hands-on STEM camp! Youth will have the opportunity to spend the morning learning about a variety of topics related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math and leave with the projects they create.

⚽ STEM Soccer Camps ⚽
-June 12 | 8:30-11:30 am
$40
K- 2nd Grades
-June 26 | 9:00 a.m -3:00 p.m.
$54
3rd- 5th Grades
https://ow.ly/IwcN50YRlbV
4-H Soccer integrates STEM in Soccer concepts blending Engineering Design Process through engaging hand-on problem solving learning activities. STEM in Soccer explores air molecules in soccer balls, heart rate and intensity with physical activity, and calculating the probability of penalty kicks utilizing collected data.

05/18/2026

🖌️💥 An ART EXPLOSION is coming to Polk county this summer!! 💥🖌️

Explore all areas of art and creativity at the Art Explosion Day Camp June 5th from 8:30 - 11:30am at our office! 🧑‍🎨
Campers will bring home art projects from this day of exploring the elements of design, art principles, and different forms of creativity for $25.

Register today! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMUoVBAwTPim6a1iS7OXfa7P_OSQa53v89TtNgPqexsk_2wA/viewform?usp=header

05/13/2026

Polk County Council visited our stretch of Hwy 69, north of Ankeny (mile marker 99-100) for annual ditch clean up last week! 🥤🌍🦺

The group collected over 20 bags of trash from the ditch along the the road!!! Way to go, County Council members!! 😃

05/11/2026

May 15 is quickly approaching!! Have you registered and turned everything that is due?
-Livestock ID’s Due in 4-H Online
-Last Day to Enroll in 4-H
-Polk County Fair King/Queen & Prince/Princess Applications Due
-Clover Dash 5K Scholarship Applications Due

❓ Questions❓
Marci Vinsand
515-957-5770
[email protected]
or
Megan Freel
515-957-5763
[email protected]

05/08/2026

Check out this incredible Polk County 4-H member!! 🍀

▪️Iowa 4-H Youth Advances to White House National Finals in the Presidential AI Challenge▪️

Two Iowa students, including an Iowa 4-H member, are headed to Washington, D.C., after earning national recognition in one of the county’s most prestigious and competitive artificial intelligence competitions.

Srihari Kumaresan, Polk County 4-H member, and his teammate, David Shi, from Johnston, have been named East Central Regional winners in the Presidential AI Challenge. The pair will represent Iowa at the National Finals this June, where finalists will compete and be recognized during events coordinated with the White House.

Their project, Intelligent Municipal Finance, was selected from more than 2,500 submissions nationwide. The Presidential AI Challenge drew more than 20,000 student participants representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and eight U.S. military base schools overseas.

🗣️ “Honestly, we had no idea this was coming,” said Shi. “We worked on our project for months, going back and forth on the research, redoing parts we thought were finished and practicing the presentation more times than we can count. When we found out we won regionals and were going to nationals, it took a second to even sink in.”

They said the project was meaningful because it was grounded in real examples affecting Iowa communities.

“This project matters to us because it’s not theoretical. These are real Iowa towns losing real money that could be used to pay for schools, fire departments and community programs,” Kumaresan said. “Knowing that all those hours actually added up to something is a feeling that’s hard to put into words.”

Congratulations to Srihari and David! 🍀🎉

Read more ➡️ https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/iowa-4-h-youth-advances-white-house-national-finals-presidential-ai-challenge