Michigan State University Extension

4-H Youth Development

 

 

Michigan 4-H Youth Development

Michigan 4-H Recognition Program

Awards & RecognitionMichigan 4-H Youth Development provides a variety of recognition opportunities for young people and adults. Check out the listing below and see which of these opportunities are currently being utilized in your county.

Youth Recognition

Project Medals

Michigan 4-H Youth Development provides over 20 different project medals to counties (at no cost) for use in their county awards program. The Michigan 4-H order form for project medals can be found at http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/awards/AwardsOrderForm.pdf. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print this PDF (Portable Document Format) file. If you don't already have the Acrobat Reader, you can download it from the Adobe site at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html. Medals that are not supplied by the State 4-H Office can be ordered from the National 4-H Supply Service. Prices and pictures of all available medals are also available in the 4-H Source Book.

Each county establishes criteria for selection of recipients for these awards. We suggest counties give project medals to outstanding members aged 11 to 13. Members 13 and over are encouraged to participate in the State 4-H Awards Program.

Michigan 4-H Key Club Award

The 4-H Key Club Award is intended to be the top county 4-H honor. Selection of award winners is made on the county level. To be eligible for the Key Club Award, a 4-H member must:

  • Be 15 years old by the beginning of the project year (September 1).
  • Have completed three calendar years of club work as of January 1 of the current year.
  • Have completed 4-H projects in at least two project areas.
  • Have completed a teen leadership project.
  • Have participated in three regional or state 4-H events.
  • Be recommended by his or her 4-H leader.

To download a copy of the "Application for Michigan 4-H Key Club Award" (available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format), double click on the following link:
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/awards/MI4HKeyClubApp.pdf

County offices may order Key Club awards on the same form as project medals. This form can be found in Adobe Acrobat PDF format at:
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/awards/AwardsOrderForm.pdf

State 4-H Awards Program

The Michigan State 4-H Awards Program is an opportunity for 4-H'ers aged 13 and up, with three or more years of experience in 4-H, to meet new friends, gain leadership skills, increase their interviewing skills, improve their writing skills, build their self-esteem and compete for recognition in more than 30 different project areas.

The Michigan State 4-H Awards Program includes county-, regional- and state-level competition. Awards program participants submit completed individual or group awards application forms to their county MSU Extension staff by March 1, 2010. The applications are evaluated on the county level and submitted for regional competition. Regional winners are selected by early April. Regional winners can compete for state-level honors in one project area.

To open and save the Michigan State 4-H Awards Program forms and documents (available in MS Word format), click on the following links:

State winners are selected during the 4-H Awards Assembly, held at MSU during 4-H Exploration Days in June. Selection is based on the awards application and an interview. Winners are announced at the 4-H Awards Celebration, which is held on Thursday night of 4-H Exploration Days.

Regional winners in the Michigan 4-H Awards Program receive certificates of accomplishment. State winners receive $100 cash awards and plaques. The State 4-H Awards Program is a great way to meet others from across the state who are active in the same 4-H projects. Encourage your 4-H’ers to participate in the future!

4-H Mark of Excellence Award

The “4-H Mark of Excellence Award” is a recognition opportunity designed for 11- and 12-year-olds. This essay contest recognizes county representatives during the 4-H Awards Celebration at 4-H Exploration Days.

Each participant writes an essay (see the "Mark of Excellence Information Sheet" for the theme). Counties select their representatives and submit names and essays to the State 4-H Awards Committee for inclusion in the program. Contact your county MSU Extension office for contest guidelines. This is a great way to recognize some of your outstanding young 4-H’ers.

To open and save the following 4-H Mark of Excellence forms and documents (available in MS Word format), click on the following links:

Volunteer Recognition

Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards

The Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards have been created to highlight the important work of 4-H volunteers across the state. Volunteers are, undeniably, the "heart and soul" of 4-H, and in an age when time is at a premium,  the Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence  Award serves as an opportunity to acknowledge our volunteers' unwavering dedication to Michigan 4-H Youth Development. These awards honor outstanding volunteers for their dedication to youth. There are two categories for nominations:

  • The Lifetime Volunteer Award is presented to a 4-H volunteer with more than ten years of service.
  • The Volunteer of the Year Award is presented to a 4-H volunteer with ten years of service or less.

These awards are patterned after the national 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards. Currently, Michigan 4-H does not have an organized system for providing state, regional or national recognition to its volunteers.  Instituting this award in Michigan provides us with this opportunity and assist in the identification and selection of individuals to be nominated for the national Lifetime Volunteer Award and Volunteer of the Year Award.

Each year, counties are invited to nominate two outstanding individual volunteers, one in each of two categories. A state winner and runner up will be selected in each category. Recipients of the Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer Recognition Awards will be chosen from nominees submitted by county 4-H offices.  Each year the recipients of the Michigan 4-H Lifetime Volunteer Award and the 4-H Volunteer of the Year Award will be submitted for regional and national recognition honors. Recipients of each award will be presented with a plaque and asked to designate a 4-H program, club or activity to be the recipient of a $400 monetary award in their name. Awardees will also have their name engraved on the Salute to Excellence Perpetual Plaques to be located at Kettunen Center in Tustin Michigan.

Michigan Farm Bureau 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award

Michigan Farm Bureau 4-H Excellence in Agriculture AwardThe Michigan Farm Bureau 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes outstanding achievements of Michigan 4-H volunteers or groups that have exhibited excellence in 4-H youth education and leadership development in the areas of 4-H beef cattle; dairy cattle; goats; horses; horticulture, crops and soils; poultry; rabbits; sheep; swine; and veterinary science. Honorees choose where their $1,000 recognition award will go to advance Michigan 4-H youth development programming in agriculture. Currently one (1) award is available for 2009. Visit the Michigan 4-H Foundation web site for the application materials.

The deadline for application is August 1, 2009. Applications may be submitted to:
4-H Youth Development, attn. Jacob DeDecker
Michigan State University
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039

More About Awards and Recognition

  • Michigan 4-H Recognition Handbook
    This 20-page Michigan 4-H publication (available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format), includes ideas and tools for recognizing volunteers.

Training & Events

For upcoming training and events in this area, check the 4-H Volunteer Workshops web site, the MSU Extension Calendar and the 4-H Exploration Days web site.

Contact Information

For more information on how to get involved as a youth or volunteer, contact your county MSU Extension office or:

Jacob DeDecker, Ph.D., 4-H Program Leader
4-H Youth Development
Michigan State University
160 Agriculture Hall

East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
USA

Phone: 517-432-7604
Fax: 517-355-6748
Email: dedecke4@msu.edu


Copyright © 1999 - 2010 Michigan State University
Last Updated: January 7, 2010
Last Reviewed:January 6, 2010