Michigan 4-H Youth Development: Awards & Recognition


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4-H Youth Development Michigan State University 160 Agriculture Hall East Lansing, MI 48824-1039 USA Phone: 517-432-7575 Fax: 517-355-6748 Email: msue4h@msu.edu Disclaimer & Indicia

Michigan 4-H Youth Development

Michigan 4-H Recognition Program

Michigan 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. 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 4-H Mark of Excellence forms and documents (available in Microsoft Word format), click on the following links:

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