General Instructions: STEM
Labeling: The name and county of each 4-H member should appear separately on the back of each board, poster or article and on the front cover of the notebooks so the owner of the exhibit may be identified if the entry tag is separated from the exhibit.
Demonstration Boards: Demonstration boards should include an overall title for the display, plus other necessary labeling.
Posters: Posters in this department can be any size up to 28 inches by 22 inches when ready for display. Example: trifold poster boards are not 28 inches by 22 inches when fully open for display.
Display Boards: Several classes require a display board which should be a height of 24: inches and not to exceed 1/4-inch thickness. A height of 24 7/8 inches is acceptable to allow for the saw kerf (width) if two 24-inch boards are cut from one end of a four-foot by eight-foot sheet of plywood. Nothing should be mounted within 3/4 inch of the top or bottom of the board. (Example: Woodworking & Electricity.)
- Fabricated boards such as plywood, composition board, or particle-type lumber may be used for demonstrations displays.
- Demonstration boards should be sanded and finished to improve their appearance. The finish on a demonstration board will be judged as a woodworking exhibit.
- Demonstration boards should include an overall title for the display, plus other necessary labeling.
Reports: Reports should be written using the scientific method whenever possible:
- Hypothesis
- Research
- Experiment
- Measure
- Report or Redefine
All reports should be computer generated and enclosed in a clear plastic cover. The reports should be attached securely to the display.
General Rules: Please refer to the General Rules for the policy regarding firearms, items with a blade, and other related items. Please refer to the General Rules for the policy regarding use of copywritten images.
Team Entries: To qualify for entry at the Nebraska State Fair for any team exhibit, the exhibit and all supporting information must clearly be the work of a team instead of an individual, and must have at least 50% of all team members enrolled in 4-H. Additionally, all enrolled 4-H members on the team should complete and attach an entry tag to the materials. A supplemental page documenting the individual contributions to the project should be included. The entry will be judged as a team, with all team members receiving the same ribbon placing.
State Fair: State Fair qualified videos, presentations and other electronic exhibits should be submitted to https://go.unl.edu/2025nesfset by August 15th, 2025. Videos can be uploaded to a video streaming application and exhibitors MUST provide a hard copy QR code for viewing. 4-H members are encouraged to test their codes or links on several devices to check for appropriate permissions for public viewing.
Outside Projects: If the project (i.e. picnic tables, wishing wells, swings, chairs, bridges, doghouses, etc.) is designed to be used outside, it will be displayed outside at State Fair. All outside projects MUST have entry tag and supporting information placed in a protective bag to prevent damage from weather events such as rain and be ATTACHED to projects with string, zip ties, etc.
Division 880
*Class H880001 Poster Create a poster communicating a GPS theme such as How GPS or GIS works, Careers that use GPS or GIS, How to use GPS, What is GIS, GPS or GIS in Agriculture, Precision Agriculture, or a geospatial topic of interest.
*Class H880002 4-H Favorite Places or Historical Site Poster The 4-H member identifies a favorite place or historical site (including grave sites) in Nebraska. Exhibit should include latitude and longitude, digital picture, and local area map. Poster size should not exceed 22 inches x 28 inches.
*Class H880003 GPS Notebook Keep a log of at least five places visited using a GPS enabled device. At least one site should be from a community other than where you live. For each site, record the latitude, longitude and elevation. Also include a description of the site, a paragraph explaining what was interesting about the site or finding it. Photos of each site and/or cache are optional but encouraged.
*Class H880004 Geocache Assemble a themed geocache (physical geocache is REQUIRED with exhibit). Each geocache should be a water-tight container. It should include a logbook and pencil for finders to log their visits and may include a small trinket, geo-coins, etc. for the finders to trade. Documentation should include a title, teaser description and the geographic coordinates of intended placement. The entry may include a photograph of the cache in its intended hiding place. Register the site at www.geocaching.com following the Nebraska State Fair.
*Class H880005 Agriculture Precision Mapping 4-H members will assemble an 8.5 inch x 11 inch three- ring notebook that will include a minimum of two digital copies of various data layers that can be used in precision agriculture to identify spatial patterns and/or correlations (printed copies of websites where applications can be purchased is acceptable). A report of how the analysis of the various data will be used to make a management decision.
*Class H880006 4-H History Map/Preserve 4-H History Nominate a Point of Interest for the 4-H History Map Project. Include copy of submitted form in folder or notebook. To nominate a site for the 4-H history map please go to http://arcg.is/1bvGogV. For more information about 4-H history go to http://4hhistorypreservation.com/history_map/. For a step-by-step video on nominating a point, please go to this link: http://tinyurl.com/nominate4h. Write a brief description of the historical significance of 4-H place or person. (a minimum of one paragraph)
*Class H880007 GIS Thematic Map Using any GIS software, create a thematic map. Thematic maps can utilize any subject of interest to the 4-H members. Example map would be Amelia Earhart’s or Sir Francis Drake’s voyage, population density maps, water usage maps or 4-H project in Nebraska. Create GIS Map using data from books and/or internet. Use reliable date, (U.S. Center or U.S. Census Bureau, etc.) Map any size from 8.5 inches x 11 inches up to 36 inches x 24 inches, which should include Title, Base Map, Neat Line, North Arrow, and Legend. Identify the source of your information on the back of the map.
*Class H880008 Virtual Geocache Keep a log of at least five places visited using a virtual geocache platform. At least one site should be from a community other than where you live. For each site, record the latitude, longitude, and elevation. Also include a description of the site, a paragraph explaining what was interesting about the site or finding it. Photos of each site and/or cache are optional but highly encouraged.