In Kansas, the 4-H year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. Project learning begins early in the 4-H year as youth begin learning about Foods and Nutrition, begin the next level of their Entomology collection, or begin thinking about their livestock for the coming year.
Several opportunities to showcase that project learning occur throughout the year. 4-H Club Days are a chance to practice communication skills and are one of the first events for youth to share about an area of interest as this occurs in February and March. County fair is about three-fourths of the way through the year and advanced learning is showcased with feedback from judges as an important part of the process.
Two of the big pieces of the 4-H year occur in September! Many 4-H members can qualify for participation at the Kansas State Fair by receiving a top placing at the county fair. We don’t have consultative judging at this level but it is an incredible opportunity for those youth to see their project exhibit displayed and evaluated with 4-H members from across the state! We have 57 4-H members who have qualified to take one or more entries to the Kansas State Fair and that doesn’t include any animals! When I was a 4-H member, we lived too far from the State Fair to see my exhibits on display so I encourage all of our 4-H members and their friends and family to make a trip and be sure it includes some time in Centennial Hall!
The other very important part of project learning that is in the works right now are the completion of Project Record books! While few of us love record-keeping, it is an important life skill and the Kansas 4-H Project Record provides steps for youth to learn and improve in this process. The youngest 4-H members complete sentences with plenty of direction to learn the basics of record-keeping. As they get a little older, the intermediate version includes less specifics but still guidance on how to complete financial records, note project learning opportunities, and examples of project-related community service. For our senior 4-H members, this also includes a cover letter, a resume related to their project learning, and if it qualifies for competition at the state level, a video presentation. All of these are important skills for our youth to learn and wrap up a year of project learning.
Michelle Beran is the 4-H and Youth Development Agent for the Cottonwood District, Barton County office. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth and Development related questions, email her at mberan@ksu.edu or call 620-793-1910.
