The Nebraska 4-H Achievement Application is a standard application form used for the selection of county and state award winners, including Nebraska delegates to National 4-H Congress and National 4-H Conference, as well as Nebraska 4-H Foundation scholarship award recipients.
Two versions of the application are available:
- Junior Achievement Application for ages 8-14 (county-only)
- Senior Achievement Application for ages 15-18 (state-eligible)
What is the 4-H Achievement Application
- It is a record of a 4-H member's 4-H career.
- It includes a listing of a 4-H member's personal growth and leadership experiences related to the knowledge learned, skills gained and community service/volunteer activities experienced through 4-H
- Developing Award Applications
- Documenting 4-H Experiences
- Recording Development of Life Skills
- Applying for National 4-H Youth Congress
- Applying for National 4-H Conference
- Completing Scholarship Applications
- Applying for College Entrance
- Building Resumes
- Applying for Jobs
How the Nebraska 4-H Achievement Application Relates to the Four H's
The Nebraska 4-H Achievement Application documents the growth of the 4-H'er through each of the Four H's as follows:
| HEAD | HEART |
|---|---|
|
Goal setting |
Relating to Others |
| HANDS | HEALTH |
|---|---|
| Giving through community service and volunteerism Working together Being a responsible citizen |
Living with healthy lifestyle choices Being self disciplined Showing good character Building Self esteem |
Character is Important in Documenting Accomplishments
4-H'ers gain skills and attitudes they can use for the rest of their lives. These include leadership, communication, character building, decision making, self-confidence and more. 4-H provides a number of competitive avenues for members, among the several types of learning experiences available to members. The program focus remains on the initial learning component and completion of the project. However, many young people grow through the more intense evaluation of accomplishment which competition provides.
It is with learning goals in mind that we encourage those entering the 4-H recognition and incentives process(es). Documenting past activity through record keeping is an important skill used many different ways and times. Business people use it to determine costs for manufacturing. Accountants need it to determine profit or loss. Consumers use record keeping when shopping. Livestock producers keep records on their stock, for production, pedigrees, or management.
Record Keepers Need to:
Be honest and accurate in reporting with numbers and productivity (activities).
Provide proper documentation of all phases (steps), costs (numbers), output (their part) in reports of production.
An important part of the entire 4-H program is developing strong character traits. Character is built upon many qualities including; caring, citizenship, responsibility, respect, fairness and trustworthiness. They are important components of the 4-H program. There are several ways to apply character to the Nebraska 4-H Achievement Application process. Members need to observe the following principles of character as they document their accomplishments:
Citizenship is a responsibility we all possess, regardless of personal background. All of us can improve our club, community, country, and world to make them a better place. Promoting good citizenship is commended and valued as relevant information in the Nebraska 4-H Achievement Application.
Caring and Citizenship are intertwined through community service by 4-H'ers. Many activities in nursing homes or hospitals, with certain groups of people, or for the good of the environment can be reported.
Responsibility is a he/she is responsible by doing what they said they would do and always doing their best. Responsibility means carrying through on the goals that were set, and then reporting both success and shortcomings as a result of learning experiences through 4-H work.
Respect for those who review the application, that is complete, and assembled in the manner directed by the guidelines. Respect for deadlines, rules and guidelines shows respect for one's self as well as all volunteers and participants, other club members and the program in general.
Fairness is important in all settings, especially those involving competition. Some may mistakenly become focused on the external prize in competition, instead of the internal learning and personal growth of the experience. This can even cause someone to feel a need to exaggerate facts or include irrelevant information in materials submitted for review. Goals consistent with 4-H ideals focus on realistic achievement.
Trustworthiness is exemplified through the signatures provided. All who sign are declaring their trust in the 4-H'er, and confirming that the information provided is a true and accurate sharing of the 4-H'er's accomplishments. They are all stating that the Nebraska 4-H Achievement Application reflects the progress, growth, satisfaction (and sometimes frustration or disappointment) of the 4-H'er. The members acknowledge their trustworthiness with their signature, providing an important final step to the project!