Dawes County 4-H

Achievement

Application2019

Outline

Background

State vs. Dawes County

Moving Forward

Clover Kid

Senior & Junior Achievement Applications

Senior Application

Front Page

Example Application

Submission

Resources

Background Nebraska 4-H recognizes and awards individuals and groups for outstanding

achievements and contributions to their community, club, and their own personal development. Recognition and awards are available throughout all levels and programs of 4-H.

Why is filling out the Achievement Application important?

Recordkeeping is a life skill. Many things in life require recordkeeping (finances, medical, schedule, future jobs, and etc.)

Keeping your 4-H records helps you in the future. Especially reflecting on your past leadership and volunteer experience.

Examples;

Appling for scholarships when you are a senior

Filling out resumes for future careers

Tessa referenced her career portfolio to remember her past 4-H experiences and accomplishments when applying for the Dawes County 4-H Extension Assistant (In fact, Tessa has her past career portfolios in her office )

You might recognize when someone says “Career Portfolio,” but now an “Achievement Application” has been introduced.

The state has shifted the application from micro reporting -> list making -> narrative about experience.

The state added this application for multiple reasons: simpler application, more like scholarship applications, quicker judging process, and more.

State verses Dawes County

Nebraska

“Achievement Applications” only will be used to compete for state wide awards.

Two versions of the application will be available for seniors (ages 15-18) and juniors (ages 8-14).

Due date for state submission is January 15. Only youth ages 15-18 as of Jan. 1 can submit to state. (Youth must submit to county and district before state)

“Career Portfolios” will remain an option for county awards if the county decides.

Dawes County

The 4-H Council decided in April 2019 to only accept the new “Achievement Application” for Dawes County awards.

The 4-H Council decided to bring back the “Project Records” that were previously required in years past. They 4-H Council revamped the old project records to be one page.

Dawes County also requires an application form for the front to help with determining awards.

Remember this is the first year of this change, as the Dawes 4-H Council and staff hear feedback, we will work together to make the application and award process the best it can be!

Dawes County Moving Forward

Deadline

All Dawes county applications are due by September 18, 2019 at 4:30.

Application

Dawes 4-H Application Form (Required front page)

Achievement Application (Either Senior or Junior app)

Dawes Project Records (one for each project area)

Awards

Awards will be announced and given at the annual 4-H Achievement Banquet on

October 20, 2019 at 1:00 pm in Crawford.

Each application will be judged individually to determine if youth will received 1-3

pins.

The applications will be divided into 3 age divisions (senior, intermediate, & junior)

where an “Outstanding Achievement Application” will be picked for each age division.

The Outstanding Achievement Application winners will get to pick from the champion

prizes.

Clover Kids will get recognized as well. They will receive a prize at the banquet.

Clover Kid

Clover Kid record book is a two page document asking about what they took

to fair, short story about what they learned and did, etc. Youth can add up to

2 pages of photos or draw pictures if they wish.

Clover Kids will receive recognition and a prize at the annual achievement

banquet for completing a record book.

Senior & Junior Achievement Applications Items for response:

4-H Experiences

Leadership Experiences

Community Involvement/Service Learning Experiences

Career Spark

Please use headings to separate your responses. Creativity is encouraged, use bullet lists, photos, infographics, etc. to help tell your 4-H story.

The items bulleted within the application are suggestions of what might help us understand your involvement and learning. They are not required or mandated.

Junior Achievement

Application

(ages 8-14)

Senior Achievement Application (ages 15-18)

Total Number of Pages Allotted for My

Experience

3 pages 4 pages

4-H Experiences Part 2: Identify

program experiences that were

highlights

3 program experiences 3 program experiences

State Wide Awards Sections None Congress and Conference= Representing NE 4-H

Scholarship = NE 4-H Foundation Scholarship

Deadline September 18, 2019 County Deadline = September 18, 2019

State Deadline = January 15 submitted via email

Senior Application (ages 15-18)

Since Dawes County has low participation in seniors that go on to the state

level or national level, reach out to Tessa and she will work with you

directly if you wish to apply for state and national level.

Front pageDawes 4-H Application Form

State About Me Application Form

Do NOT fill out the state form unless you plan on going on to state. State does their awards different

than we do in Dawes County. The information is also a duplication.

Example

Over the next couple slides, Tessa has provided an Achievement Application

example.

Keep in mind the example are only suggestions to spark youth’s creativity.

The example is not complete. It only provides initial ideas.

Tessa’s Example Achievement Application

4-H Experiences

Part 1Describe your collective 4-H experience.

Indicate the depth and breadth of your

4-H experience.

Identify the number of years in the

program.

Identify program experiences in which

you engaged.

What skills have you learned as a result

of being a part of the 4-H program?

What have you learned about yourself

as a result of being a part of 4-H?

Part 2Describe your 4-H experience within the last 4-H year.

What was your level of involvement?

Identify 3 program experiences that you would consider a “highlight” of your year.

Describe these experiences. What did you do? What was involved? Who was a part of this experience? Why did you want to participate? What was accomplished through this experience? What was your favorite part of the experience? What did you learn?

How will this past year influence your future (i.e., 4-H experience, classroom experience, career, etc.)?

Example 4-H Experiences:

Clothing & TextilesI have been sewing since I first started 4-H. Sewing has taught me different things

every year. This year I sewed a “little black dress.” I think every girl should have one.

I also bought a dress for a summer wedding. It was challenging to work with different

fabrics this year……… One of my most memorable accomplishments in the Clothing

and Textiles project was being chosen as the champion sewing for you project, overall

champion senior clothing construction, and state fair model representative form

Lincoln county…………

Here is a chart of all the ribbons I earned in my Clothing & Textiles projects in 2019:

Project Ribbon

Shopping in Style Purple – County

Blue - State

Sewing for You Purple – County

Champion Project- County

Champion Modeler – County

Champion Overall Senior Clothing Construction

Blue – State Modeling

Example 4-H Experiences:

Clothing & Textiles Continued

Champion Sewing for You

Smiling with my sewing leader and the

sewing machine I won!

Pictured with the display case

that featured all of my items!

Example 4-H Experiences:

Swine The majority of my projects are static, but I am very busy with my pigs! My

family has been raising pigs for a couple years now. My family and I get to

learn together about raising and showing pigs since my dad was raised on a

cattle ranch and my mom on a dairy farm. My favorite part of the swine

project is seeing my hard work pay off at the county fair. Completing my

production hog record book taught me how my market gilt, Daisy Mae was 57%

lean and had an average daily gain of 1.57 and 1.67 lbs.…………

Project Ribbon

Market Swine 1 Purple and 2 Blues

Breeding Gilt Purple

Showmanship Purple

Pen of Three Blue

Swine Herdsmanship My club “Hershey Ag Men’ won

Production Hog Record Book Champion

Senior Swine

Showmanship

Example 4-H Experiences:

Citizenship (Community Service)

Infographic

For many years, my club would clean up after the 4th of July Rodeo in Sutherland.

We would walk around the grounds and pick up any trash. Some of our funniest

moments that we would share would be what kind of items we found! Even though it

was gross, it was a fun event for our club because we got to walk around with our

friends and laugh. Although we didn’t enjoy cleaning up the trash, the experience will

influence…..

I was one of the 30 youth to participate in the Citizenship Washington Focus Trip.

This trip was a blast and I will remember it forever! I got to see the Arch in St. Louis,

Times Square in New York, Northern Lights in Canada, multiple monuments in

Washington D.C., and so much more! It was an outstanding opportunity to learn about

history across the United States, grow as a 4-H’er, make friends, and gain new

experiences…

Leadership Experiences

Part 1

Describe your 4-H leadership experiences that have helped build your leadership skills.

What type of leadership was it?

For example: Roles (Club President), Activities (4-H Lend a Hand Day), Experiences (Being a Junior Ambassador for my county).

When did these experiences occur?

Identify your part in the experiences:

Duties you completed

Responsibilities you fulfilled

Skills you utilized

What did you learn about leadership through these experiences?

Part 2Describe your Non 4-H leadership experiences

that have helped build your leadership skills.

What type of leadership was it?

For example: Roles (Youth Choir Jr.

Director), Activities (Warrior Football

Camp), and Experiences (Student

Council Member).

When did these experiences occur?

Identify your part in the experiences:

Duties you completed

Responsibilities you fulfilled

Skills you utilized

What did you learn about leadership

through these experiences?

Example Leadership Experiences

• 4-H: This is my third year of being president of my 4-H club. I presided over the 11

meetings. I have improved my speaking and leadership skills……

Over the summer, I helped with two club project days where members got to complete

multiple projects and take them home. I led the one of a kind ceramic tiles station. I

learned that you have to limit kids on how much product they use or else it will be all

gone before every kid gets a chance………

In June, several older 4-H’ers and I got to help the 4-H office with a Clover Kid

Workshop. I helped with the t-shirt station. I even got to tell the Clover Kids about

primary colors. I learned that……

• School: I served as the student council president for both junior high and high school.

I led meetings semi-weekly and helped organize homecoming events and food drive. I

learned about… I currently serve as the Future Business Leaders of America Vice

President. I helped with…… I learned that…

• Community: This is my fourth year being an assistant dance teacher at the studio I

dance at. I assist with memorizing the dance, teaching if main instructor is gone, and

controlling the dancers behavior…..

Community Involvement/Service

Learning Experiences

Describe two times you were involved in volunteer service to others and/or the

community through 4-H or other opportunities.

List the type of involvement

When did the experiences occur?

What were duties, responsibilities, and skills you used to be successful?

What did you learn in each of your experiences?

Example Community Involvement/Service

Learning Experiences• Finland 4-H’ers

• My family, along with 3 other families, served as host families for 4-H’ers from

Finland in the summer of 2019. We were responsible for…. The 4-H’ers from

Finland taught me that…..

• Make-A-Wish Foundation

• I volunteered to provide an Hawaiian experience for a young man with down

syndrome before he headed to Hawaii, his wish granted by Make-A-Wish. I asked a

couple girls to work with me to choreograph a hula dance. We performed in

Applebee’s. I learned….Dancing in Applebee’s

Several of my club

members with

Finland 4-H’ers

Career Spark

Describe how your 4-H experiences have sparked your interest in a future career

field.

Spark = interests and passions young people have that light a fire in their lives and

express the essence of who they are and what they offer to the world (Search

Institute)

What motivates their curiosity

Example Career Spark

I am currently in 4th grade and this is only my second year of 4-H. I have a

long time until college, but sewing has sparked my interest. I have continued

to learn new skills with each project I complete. Here is a list of things I am

doing to follow my spark:

• Signed up for a sewing

camp in my town.

• Volunteer at the local quilt

shop to help with the

younger sewing camps.

• Picking out my sewing

projects for 2020 so I can

get started right away!

Example Static Project Record

Example Animal Project Record

Submission

Deadline for Dawes County is September 18th

It encouraged you submit your application with record covers but it is not

required

You may submit your application online or in person.

*If you submit online, make sure you submit all required pieces.

Questions?Call the Extension Office at (308)432-3373 or email tessa.reece@unl.edu

Tessa is available for one-on-one appointments. There is also a

informational workshop on September 5th at 6:00 pm.

Resources

The documents and information for Dawes County can be found at;

https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/dawes-county-award-

applications/

August and September 4-H newsletter

Extension Office

More information for the state can be found at;

https://4h.unl.edu/achievement-application