4-H project record books Created by: Crystal Starkes, 4-H Agent Composed by: Jackie L. Helton

Let’s break the ice Write down three topics you are interested in and why? If you could set a goal for each topic, what would it be and how could you accomplish it? Pair up & Share Talk it Out

What are project record books? Curriculum Books are 4-H books which contain knowledge about a subject Project Record books are sheets that are completed that tell what you learned and did from your curriculum book. However, you can create a project record book without a curriculum book. It’s all about goal setting & tracking it! Curriculum Books or Guides come in many subjects. For example: Electricity, Horse, Leadership, Robotics, Sewing, and many more.

Why do 4-hers do project record books? Learn life skills through the project record books: Communication Skills Decision Making Skills Categorizing & Organizing Data Analyzing & Utilizing Information Sharing Information with Others Civic Responsibilities in the Community

What do you do with the curriculum book? Use the book to learn about the subject Expand your knowledge. Learn more about the subject using other sources. Choose an activity that you would like to do that involves using knowledge you have learned. Complete the activity. Document what you did and learned using the proper project record sheets

Project Record Sheets Project Record Sheets and Project Record Book competition are divided into 5 age categories: Cloverbud (5-8 years old) 9-10 Years Old 11-12 Years Old 13-15 Years Old 16-18 Years Old Please note that Cloverbud books are not submitted to district for competition. Next Year, the age categories will change to: Cloverbud (5-7), 8-10, 11-12, 13-15, 16-18.

Project Record Categories Animal Science Citizenship & Civic Education Communication & Expressive Arts Consumer & Family Science Environmental & Earth Education Healthy Lifestyles Personal Development & Leadership Plant Science Science Technology

Project Record Contents Personal Information and 4-H & Youth My 4-H Story 4-H Project Focus Leadership/Citizenship/Community Service Awards and Recognition 4-H Photos and Supporting Materials 4-H Goal Setting for the Next Year ** This information varies for 13-15 & 16-18 Years Old**

Personal information and 4-H & You Share information about yourself How long you’ve been in 4-H? 4-H & You is all about reflection. It helps you create your 4-H story.

My 4-H Story Write a story about yourself, your family, and your friends. Include what you did in 4-H this year. Answer the questions on the template. Be sure to write at least one paragraph on each project you completed. If you aren’t sure what to write, use the other sections to help you reflect on what you did this year and would like to do next year. Let your creativity help you tell your 4-H story in a unique way. Be sure to pay attention to spelling and grammar

4-H Project focus I learned that the 4-H Pledge and was chosen to lead during the 4-H meeting. I learned how to focus a camera I submitted two photos into the Creative Arts Competition and won a blue ribbon September 15, 2015 July 10, 2015 September 26, 2015

Leadership/citizenship/ community service Why do you think 4-H wants to know about your leadership, citizenship, and community service activities? 4-H is all about creating future leaders. The perfect ingredients to a great leader is someone with leadership skills, who understands civic engagement, and serves in their community. What do I write if I have none of these experiences? I’m sure you do, but you have to think about it. If you did it outside of 4-H, but somehow 4-H helped you prepare for it then you can include it as well.

Leadership/citizenship/ community service: examples Leadership: hold office, serve on committees, lead an activity, learned about leadership Community Service: volunteered at the Exceptional Children’s Party, hosted a food drive, wrote letters to soldiers Civic Engagement/Citizenship: went to parents to the polls, go to a county commissioners or town council meeting, recited the 4-H pledge, learned about the different officer positions

Awards and recognition List all awards, honors, recognitions you have received including contests, trips, certificates, etc. from all levels – National, Regional, State, District, County, or Club You may include Non-4-H Awards and Recognition also

**Don’t use original photos, only copies** Express Yourself This section is slightly different for each age group. Stick to your page limited. Suggested items for inclusion are: Captioned and Scrapbook Pictures Poems that you have written related to your project A collage of pictures that you have cut out of magazines A videotape/You Tube video of you (2 minutes only) **Don’t use original photos, only copies**

Activity Express Yourself

4-h goal setting Key to Goal Setting is to make sure they are SMART goals (action focus, results driven, and timetable) List what you would like to do next 4-H year (2019). Use these goals to help you next year for your project record book Include, but are not limited to the following: events or activities (county, district, state); projects you plan to complete; ways you plan to help others in your community; offices you would like to hold or activities you plan to lead; ways you plan to share 4-H with others, etc. You may also include personal goals Give approximate dates for goals to be accomplished

4-h goal setting examples I want to learn how to grow and maintain vegetables in the raised bed I want to submit artwork into the Creative Arts Competition I want to give a 4-H presentation at NC 4-H Congress I want to grow my own salad in my garden By December By September By July By August

Putting the bow on Once you have completed your project, you may want to rewrite it so that everything is neat Place your project record in a pocket folder Write your “Name, Age Category, County/District, and Category” on the top right corner of your folder. Christy Clover 9-10 Union/South Central Consumer & Family Science

Things to know about project records Only two project records per 4-H member can be submitted for district competition. You may not make improvements to a project record once it is turned in to the 4-H Office. You can be named a district gold medal winner in a category only once for each age category. Incomplete project records are not accepted for competition

Dates to Remember Project Records are due to 4-H Office by the First Friday in January following New Years. The project records will be judged for county winners. County winners will be awarded at Achievement Night and move on to district competition/

Project Record Recognition Prizes are given to county winners. Everyone that completes a project record will earn scholarship dollars. District awards are given for each age group. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded. Gold winners receive deemed awards as posted in the 4-H Awards Handbook at http://www.nc4h.org/publications/forms/index.php.

Questions? Contact Crystal Starkes, 4-H agent, 704-283-3735for questions