HELPING YOU SELECT A 4-H PROJECT

PAGE LINKS:
Considerations in selecting a 4-H project
Setting project goals
Guidelines that relate to all projects
Find out what you can learn and do in your projects
Do You Need Help
When is the project over?

CONSIDERATIONS IN SELECTING A 4-H PROJECT

• Select a project you like.
• Select a project that can be completed.
• Consider the money it will take. Can parents/guardians help?
• Consider the space and equipment that you have at home.
• Consider the time the project will take.
• Consider parental support for the project.
• Be aware of the opportunities for growth in this project
• A 4-H project should be fun, serve a purpose, and be worth the effort.
• Select only the number of projects you can complete.

Items available to help you learn about your project:

• 4-H project promotional brochures
• Project training workshops
• Tours
• Exhibits
• Contests—judging, visual presentation and 4-H recordbooks
• Reputable Web sites

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SETTING PROJECT GOALS

When you write down your goals and plans, you have already made a step toward reaching those goals. Your written goals will help you keep track of where you are going and how you are going to get there. Write your goals and plans for each project. Use the Member Achievement Plan (M.A.P.) or a method that works for your family.

Your project goals should include the following:

• Knowledge goals - things you want to learn.
• Skill goals - things you want to raise, make and/or do.
• Leadership goals - things you want to do and to teach others.
• Community Service goals - things you want to do for others.

As you get older or become more advanced in your project(s), you will want to set goals in the following areas:

• Energy goals - how your project relates to energy and ways to save our natural resources.
• Economic goals - what you will do to save and make money.
• Experiment and research goals - studies and experiments you can conduct in your project.
• Career goals - studies and interviews.
• Other goals - workshops or contests you plan to participate in through your project.

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GUIDELINES THAT RELATE TO ALL PROJECTS

• Make a set of project goals (refer to Member Achievement Plan—MAP).
• Complete certain goals each month—most project work is done at home.
• Keep a record of goals completed.
• Exhibit project work.
• Enter a contest at the local and county levels.
• Attend workshops on your particular project.
• Attend 4-H meetings regularly.
• Complete 4-H MAP and/or recordbook each year.
• Develop leadership by teaching other interested persons something about your project.
• Carry out community service activities related to your 4-H project.
• Continue to study and broaden project knowledge and skills.

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FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN LEARN AND DO IN YOUR PROJECTS

Knowledge - things to do and resources to use in developing knowledge of your project.

• Read the 4-H Clover.
• Surf the Web for reputable, non-biased sources.
• Read library books related to projects.
• Read magazines or journals.
• Purchase literature related to projects.
• Secure owner’s manual.
• Attend workshops related to your project.
• Interview someone who is knowledgeable about your project.
• Tour places related to the project.
• Develop a research paper related to project.
• Subscribe to magazines.
• Go on field trips to study project.
• Study careers related to your project.
• Study catalogs.
• Take correspondence course related to project.
• Study history related to your project.
• Summer workshops through local community colleges or community education programs.

Skills - the doing part of 4-H in which you develop your skills to their potential.

• Make several things related to your project.
• Raise and properly care for something related to your project.
• Repair things related to your project.
• Make a list of skills related to your project and practice them.
• Use computer skills to find related credible web sites or maintain records of your own project on the computer.

Safety - part of almost every 4-H project.

• Purchase safety equipment.
• Make a safety plan (locating safety hazards).
• Participate in a safety clinic.
• Make a study of accidents related to your project.
• Study state and national safety laws related to your project.
• Use warning signs where necessary.
• Secure a safe place to work. Follow all safety recommendations.

Leadership - also a part of every 4-H project. It is your duty as a 4-H member to develop leadership skills.

• Present and display in schools and your community to promote your project.
• Assist individual members with their projects.
• Conduct interviews.
• Help plan and conduct workshops about your project.
• Serve as chair of your project group.
• Teach groups about project work.
• Organize a 4-H project club.
• Conduct project contests in the local 4-H club.
• Assist volunteer leader with project.
• Set up a project tour for your club.
• Assist with county contests.
• Serve as a project leader for your club.
• Recruit new club members into your project.
• Write an article for your local newspaper.
• Serve as a group leader during a workshop or tour.
• Assist with county exhibit days - register exhibits in your project.
• Secure a county donor for your 4-H project.
• Teach disabled children about your project.
• Write and give speeches about your project.
• Develop a business related to your project.
• Serve on a committee related to your project.
• Write news articles about your project.
• Make exhibits that tell other people about your project.
• Appear on TV and/or radio and talk about your project.
• Write an information sheet about your project and use it as a handout during workshops.
• Develop a slide set or video about a certain part of the project.
• Serve as a teen or junior leader

Citizenship and Community Service - part of every project, or Citizenship can be a project by itself. Each 4-H member should incorporate several activities or experiences of citizenship and community service in each project they
enroll in. These experiences can be done as an organized group/club or as an individual. Discuss ways you can work in your community to promote a part of your project through associations and private businesses.

• Make the public aware of the economic importance.
  Write your state and national legislators about issues related to your project.
• Give something related to your project to shut-ins.
• Secure pen pals who are interested in the project.
• Discuss project issues with local officials.
• Write project donors, thanking them for their support.
• Sell a product from your project and use the money for some worthy cause.
• Assist friends and neighbors with work related to your project.
  Make speeches about the importance of your project to the economy, society or school.
• Provide transportation for others to a project workshop.
• Organize a campaign to improve something related to your project.
• Conduct a radio program on your project, making the community aware of an issue.
• During National 4-H Week, do some type of project promotion.
• Take pictures of other 4-H’ers project exhibits, and use the pictures for publicity.
• Report to the proper authority things that you see in your project that are dangerous to people of the community.
• Do volunteer work related to your main project.
• Serve on a county or community committee that is related to the project.
• Loan something that you have related to your project.

Environmental Stewardship

• Study how your project relates to conserving our natural resources.
• Share stewardship information with others in your project area.

Economics

• Study consumer reports about your project.
• Watch television. Listen to the radio for economic news related to the project.
• Conduct your own price study.
• Make a study of how to cut cost and maintain quality.
• Compare cost of project materials to cost of buying a finished project.

Experiments

• Develop your own design.
• Compare the outcome of more than one item, using different ingredients.
• Invent something that is useful in your project.
• Conduct experiments related to your project.

Careers

• Study careers related to your project.
• Tour businesses related to your project and volunteer at a local business.
• Attend seminars about careers.
• Interview people in different careers related to the project.
• Write several colleges and universities concerning careers related to the project.
• Start your own personal business related to your project.
• Find entrepreneurial ideas and resources on the Web.
• Talk to an economic development leader or visit the nearest small business development center.

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DO YOU NEED HELP?

Secure help from the following:

• Your 4-H club manager
• Your 4-H club project leader
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service staff
• Retired senior citizens in your community
• Professional people with careers related to your project
• Businesses related to your project
• School teacher, principle, or counselor.

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WHEN IS THE PROJECT OVER?

When you have met the goals you set at the beginning of the year, and when a Member Achievement Plan has been submitted to the 4-H project leader, club manager, or county Extension office, you have finished your project.

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Page last updated: August 24, 2007