Starting Something New
For the past few years, I have been looking to bring something new into the 4-H program at state. Last year, i switched from teaching web design and GIS technology to teaching photography at all major 4-H conferences at the state level. While I was at the Technology Team Orientation at Lake Tahoe, I came up with a wonderful idea to have a photography contest to the 2010 State Field Day. With the team supporting my idea, I had only three weeks to put the details together before information needed to go out into the public.
After working on the major details and rules and online registration forms, the information spread out through the state. At that time, I wasn't too sure that we would get that many entries, so I made it possible to have 4-H youth enter up to 5 photographs into the contest. A few months went by, and registration entries were slowly coming in. While the deadline came closer, I had tons of questions about having the photographs be mailed in to a location, and I had to turn them away. There would be no way for us to have tons of photographs mailed to us. Lets just say some people, mainly in southern California wasn't too happy about this news.
The week of the registration deadline, I had 168 photographs entered into the contest, which was a big surprise to me since I was only expecting around 100. Within that 7 day period, hundreds of photographs were entered into the contest, and by the time I deactivated the online registration at 11:59 pm on May 7, I had 518 photographs entered into the contest. 143 youth from all over the state had entered. Right away, I began stressing out, and had a mad rush to order more awards and to find more judges.
It feels good that I have this large amount of photographs entered. I just really hope things will go well on the day of the contest. I have never ran a contest like this before, and with this overwhelming amount of photos, it will be one huge learning experience for me. Luckily for me, I have great teammates on the tech team who will give their full support on that day, and a few State 4-H Ambassadors as well.
Right now, im super stressed out because this week is finals, and I have my cousin Amanda in town, who leaves for Afghanistan for 11 months this Saturday, and have this contest to pull together. This will get stressful, but I know in the end everything will work out. I hope. If this is successful, then I know that I will feel good that I have brought a great new opportunity to the state 4-H Program. I have received hundreds of e-mails from people just thanking me for give the youth this new great opportunity. Its times like these that make be feel proud to have continued on as a leader, and to be able to give back what 4-H has giving me.
Lets hope everything turns out. I shall write a blog about the actual day next month when I return from Yosemite.
After working on the major details and rules and online registration forms, the information spread out through the state. At that time, I wasn't too sure that we would get that many entries, so I made it possible to have 4-H youth enter up to 5 photographs into the contest. A few months went by, and registration entries were slowly coming in. While the deadline came closer, I had tons of questions about having the photographs be mailed in to a location, and I had to turn them away. There would be no way for us to have tons of photographs mailed to us. Lets just say some people, mainly in southern California wasn't too happy about this news.
The week of the registration deadline, I had 168 photographs entered into the contest, which was a big surprise to me since I was only expecting around 100. Within that 7 day period, hundreds of photographs were entered into the contest, and by the time I deactivated the online registration at 11:59 pm on May 7, I had 518 photographs entered into the contest. 143 youth from all over the state had entered. Right away, I began stressing out, and had a mad rush to order more awards and to find more judges.
It feels good that I have this large amount of photographs entered. I just really hope things will go well on the day of the contest. I have never ran a contest like this before, and with this overwhelming amount of photos, it will be one huge learning experience for me. Luckily for me, I have great teammates on the tech team who will give their full support on that day, and a few State 4-H Ambassadors as well.
Right now, im super stressed out because this week is finals, and I have my cousin Amanda in town, who leaves for Afghanistan for 11 months this Saturday, and have this contest to pull together. This will get stressful, but I know in the end everything will work out. I hope. If this is successful, then I know that I will feel good that I have brought a great new opportunity to the state 4-H Program. I have received hundreds of e-mails from people just thanking me for give the youth this new great opportunity. Its times like these that make be feel proud to have continued on as a leader, and to be able to give back what 4-H has giving me.
Lets hope everything turns out. I shall write a blog about the actual day next month when I return from Yosemite.
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