Each year, a 4-H member enrolls in at least one project. Members participating for the first time may be encouraged to take on only one or two projects. As members gain experience, the size or depth of the project may increase or additional projects may be selected.
Project leaders set the meeting frequency, some project groups meet once a week, while others might meet once or twice a month. The purpose of these meetings is to guide the members in gaining knowledge, attitudes, skills, and habits needed to complete their project, while building a sense of belonging in their project, club, and 4-H community.
A 4-H project is:
- Planned work in an area of interest to the 4-H member.
- Guided by an 4-H adult project leader
- Aimed at planned objectives that can be attained and measured
- Summarized by some form of record keeping
- A minimum of six hours of project instruction
Read more about what might be offered in each project by reviewing the 4-H Project Sheets.
Project Planning Tools to help you provide a great experience for 4-Hers
Project Planning Guide (Word Version)
Project Plan Kit & Checklist (Word Version)
Countywide Projects
Countywide Projects are hosted by a specific 4-H Club but open to all 4-H members, regardless of their primary 4-H Club.
To sign up for a Open County Projects, contact the project leader, complete Cross Club Information and Request Form , and enroll online by adding the club and project in which the open project is located.
Project Proficiencies
These are "checklists" of things that you should learn in the course of a project. Youth are allowed to complete project proficiencies each 4-H year and they will receive pins for them in the fall of the following year. They must be turned in to your club leader in time to all be sent to the 4-H Office by September 1 - check with your club leader for more details. Late proficiencies will be held for award the following year.
PROJECT PROFICIENCY INSTRUCTIONS
Archery1 Archery2 Archery3
Arts and crafts1 Arts and crafts2 Arts and crafts3
Avian Science1 Avian Science2 Avian Science3
Beef1 Beef2 Beef3
Cake Decorating1 Cake Decorating2
Camping and Hiking1 Camping and Hiking2 Camping and Hiking3
Cavy1 Cavy2 Cavy3
Ceramics1
citizenship1 citizenship2 citizenship3
Clothing and Textiles1 Clothing and Textiles2 Clothing and Textiles3
Computers 1 Computers 2 Computers 3
Dairy Cattle1 Dairy Cattle2 Dairy Cattle3
Dairy Goat1 Dairy Goat2 Dairy Goat3
Dogs1 Dogs2 Dogs3
Fishing1 Fishing2 Fishing3
Floral design1 Floral design2
Food Preservation1 Food Preservation2 Food Preservation3
Food&Nutrition1 Food&Nutrition2 Food&Nutrition3 Food&Nutrition4 Food&Nutrition5
Gardening1 Gardening2 Gardening3
Home environment1 Home environment2 Home environment3
Horseman1 Horseman2 Horseman3
leadership1 leadership2 leadership3
Leathercraft1
Marine biology 1 Marine biology 2 Marine biology 3
Meat Goat 1 Meat Goat 2 Meat Goat 3
Photography1 Photography2 Photography3
Polymer Clay1
Poultry1 Poultry2 Poultry3
pygmy goats1 pygmy goats2 pygmy goats3
Rabbits1 Rabbits2 Rabbits3
scrapbooking1 scrapbooking2 scrapbooking3
Sheep1 Sheep2 Sheep3
Shooting Sports1 Shooting Sports2 Shooting Sports3
shotgun1 shotgun2 shotgun3
Small Engines
Swine1 Swine2 Swine3
Vetscience
Welding
Wildlife 1 Wildlife 2
Wood Carving - 1 Wood Carving - 2
Woodworking1