Project Completion Requirements

The requirements for completing a project vary somewhat across 4-H units. Check with your 4-H educator for specific requirements. In most county/city programs a project or unit completion consists of the following four steps:

Completing the project record
Giving a visual presentation at a club meeting or some other project related communications activity
Exhibiting at a fair or other public event
Submitting the project record to the club leader or county/city office for evaluation

The following requirements are applicable in most 4-H units.

Project Manual and Record Ordering, reading and doing the work outlined in the project manual (also known as a project book) are the first steps in completing a project. As you learned in a previous lesson, most project manuals used in Maryland are supplied by CCS4-H Source Book. Contact your 4-H educator if you need assistance in obtaining project manuals for your members. Most project manuals are designed for two or three years of use. It is not necessary to purchase another copy of the same project manual in subsequent years. Most projects are organized in three or four levels with separate project manuals for each level. A project helper guide is also usually available to aid adults working with the members. At the beginning of the 4-H year, the member is making plans for what they hope to accomplish in his or her project. The member should be challenged to do enough work for the task to be meaningful while keeping the goals reasonable, obtainable and age appropriate. The project manual guides the 4-H member as he or she increases their knowledge and skills. The member will be prompted to make plans, answer questions, sometimes solve problems or identify items by making the appropriate entries in the project manual. Completion of the written report may serve as the project record for that manual or the 4-H program may require completion of The Project Record (4-H 510). This is a four-page form used to report the specifics of the project such as skills learned, tasks completed, visual presentations, exhibits, service, activities, costs, income and awards.

Communications Practiced Within the project record the 4-Her will document practicing of a communications skill related to the project. This could include a demonstration, illustrated talk, public speech or oral reasons for an animal science project. Communicating about something you know is one of the most important skills a 4-H member can learn. Giving a project demonstration at a club meeting is an excellent way to learn or polish speaking skills. Think of a project demonstration as advanced "Show and Tell". How to make cookies is a typical demonstration topic for a younger 4-Her with a food project. In this case, the member would probably talk about preparation (washing hands, reading the recipe, measuring the necessary ingredients, etc.), mixing the ingredients and forming the cookies, followed by the time and temperature required for baking. Some of the steps the 4-Her would actually do in front of the audience. Other more time consuming steps or things like the recipe are shown on a simple poster. At the end of the presentation, which typically lasts for five to ten minutes, the 4-Her summarizes, asks for questions, and thanks the other members for their attention. Recipes are often distributed for the audience to try at home. Some projects, such as large animals, do not always lend themselves to demonstrations. Rather than bringing a horse to the meeting to demonstrate hoof care, a 4-Her might use posters, a computer generated presentation and other visual aids to share their knowledge with other members. This speaking method is generally known as an illustrated talk and serves the same purpose as a demonstration. Giving oral reasons and participating in public speaking are other communication activities that can also be used to complete a project.

Exhibit Most projects result in some sort of finished product that can be exhibited in a local, county or state fair or other public event. A project exhibit documents by evaluating or showing what the 4-Her has actually learned in the project. Most project manuals provide suggestions for fair exhibits and most fairs have classes specifically designed for 4-H projects. Classes vary greatly from fair to fair so it is very important to know the requirements of each class and to follow them exactly. If the class specifies four red tomatoes without stems, don't enter three or five tomatoes, green tomatoes or tomatoes with stems. Most fairs publish a premium book weeks or months in advance of the fair that list the rules for each class. Know the rules and follow them exactly!Submit the Record to the Local 4-H Office

Cooperative Curriculum System publications may be ordered directly. Many project manuals are also available from the 4-H Mall.

The final step is for the local club leader to review the 4-H project record documenting what the 4-Her has planned, learned, exhibited, and communicated. Sometimes the record includes service and leadership opportunities associated with the project. Usually the leader signs the project record indicating the 4-Her has met the requirements for project completion. The leader may submit a club packet of all completed projects to the local 4-H Office for further evaluation and recognition.

The preceding section describes the most basic form of 4-H project record keeping. Project completion requirements vary among 4-H Units. Check with your 4-H Educator for information specific to your 4-H Unit.

Volunteer Quick Reference

Learning Check

Project completion requirements vary among 4-H Units. Please check with your 4-H Educator for specific requirements. How do the project completion requirements of your 4-H Unit differ from those discussed in this lesson?

Public speaking is one of the most important skills a 4-Her can learn. Giving a project demonstration or visual presentation at a club meeting is a great way to get started. How does your club make time for every member to give a presentation on every project?

Most 4-H projects result in a finished project suitable for exhibit in a county or state fair or other public event. Fair class rules vary greatly among fairs so it is very important to know the rules and to follow them exactly. What does your club do to help members know, understand and follow fair class rules?

Online Learning Community

Please share your thoughts and questions about project completion requirements with other online learners by posting a message to the Learn By Doing Discussion Forum in response to a Learning Check question or one of your own. You must post a message to complete this lesson. (Password: 4-H Vol)

If you have questions or comments you'd rather not post, share them with Dan by sending a message to dtabler@umd.edu .

After posting a message, click on Record Books and Resumes to move to the last lesson.

For more information, contact Dan Tabler, Volunteer Coordinator

Last updated: 03/13/2009