1. 4-H Project Work This is 4-H oklahoma 4-h volunteer development
Instructor Preparation – Allow 6-8 hours of preparation for 1 hour of instruction.
Review all materials thoroughly. Do any additional research or preparation to make yourself comfortable with the materials or to give it your personal touch.
Determine what new project will be introduced to the volunteers with this “core” subject matter.
Prepare the 4-H Piggybacking cards for an activity or have an activity from new curriculum being introduced.
Provide sample curriculum or links for the new project area.
Teaching Outline
Unit 1: 4-H Project Work
Red Taxi - 4-H ...The Big Picture
PowerPoint Presentations
This is 4-H Jeopardy
This is 4-H Jeopardy - Questions and Answers
Activities
4-H Project Work_Activity Sheet
4-H Project Work _Activity Sheet - Answers
Piggybacking Card Game
Instructions 4H.VOL.136_Piggyback Card Game
Cards
4-H 101 Lessons
Lesson 8_Knowing and using 4-H Curricula
Handouts
4H.VOL.109_Planning A key to a Successful 4-H Experience_2014
4H.VOL.110_Goal Setting A key to a Successful 4-H Experience_2014
4H.VOL.111_Developing 4-H Project Work_2014
Newsletter Support Materials
4-H Creed for Members
4-H Creed for Volunteers
4-H Parents Pledge
4-H Philosophy
Blue Ribbon Kid: Moral to the Story
Families Role in 4-H
Gateway to the 4-H Member
Get the Most Out of 4-H
My Role as a Parent or Guardian
Selecting a 4-H Project
So You're a 4-H Parent_Guardian
Stay Informed
This I Believe
Self Study Series
4HVOL201D_4-H Projects-The Gateway to the Member
Answers_Unit 1 4H.VOL.201D

2. 4-H Project Work Gateway to the member “Learn by Doing”
Tool for developing capable adults
Teaches desirable habits and attitudes
Learning to help one’s self, which leads to helping others
A 4-H project is the gateway to the 4-H member. The child can enter our world through the gate or we can enter their world through the gate.
Through project work members “Learn by Doing.” The 4-H project is a tool for helping boys and girls develop into more capable adults by teaching them how to set goals, make decisions, follow through with commitments, do evaluations and report their work.
4-H members learn desirable habits and character traits through 4-H project work. Projects focus on helping members learn to help themselves, which leads to learning to help others. Good work habits are also developed by encouraging members to have pride in doing a job well and completing the task at hand.
Encouragement from volunteers, peers and family members teaches 4-H’ers that it is important to stay committed even when things don’t go as planned.
The purpose of a 4-H project is to create a blue ribbon child – not a blue ribbon project.

3. The Purpose of 4-H Projects
Life Skills Development
Learning to Learn
Goal Setting
Planning/Organizing
Self-responsibility
Communication
Teamwork and Cooperation
Record Keeping
“Create a blue ribbon child
not a blue ribbon project.”
Handout Volunteer Development Series 4H.VOL.111 – Developing 4-H Project Work
Projects are real life experiences that help 4-H’ers learn to make sound decisions based on information they seek and learn. The child is learning to learn through their project – asking questions, finding the answer and applying the information. These decisions help members feel responsible for their own actions and give them personal satisfaction.
A goal is a simple statement of what one wants to do or learn. Goals can be long-term or short-term. Most importantly is that they are realistic - something the 4-Her can actually do with the time and resources available. Goals only become reality when the person making or setting the goal takes action.
4-H teach youth to Plan the Work and Work the Plan. In the process they are learning to accept responsibility and be accountable for their behavior and obligations. Youth are learning life is full of choices, decisions and consequences.
Communications skills are gained as members learn to work with others. They share ideas, needs, learn to compromise and accept differences. 4-H teaches teamwork or that together everyone achieves more.
By teaching youth to put goals in writing, to record their progress and to evaluate what they learn in the process we are teaching them record keeping.
For information on how to effectively plan and set goals refer to 4-H Volunteer Development Series- 109 "Planning" and 110 "Goal Setting."

4. Goals and Objectives of the 4-H Project
Develop Skills
Learn by Doing
Gain Knowledge
Accept Responsibility
Create Ownership
Explore Careers
Provide a Sense of Accomplishment and Achievement
Create Family and Community Ties
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotle
4-H projects should develop skills that challenge the young person to develop new or become more proficient in existing skills. Project work is no different than being an athlete - you only get better with repetition, practice and seeking guidance and receiving feedback on how to improve.
Only through direct interaction with the project does the child learn. Parents and adults should only guide. Let the child make decisions. They learn from their successes and most importantly their failures. A caring adult will encourage them to process the experience – What would you different if you could do it over? What don’t you like about it? Our objective is for the child to gain knowledge by learning how to learn.
Members taught to follow through with their goals and to complete projects will be very marketable to employers. Don’t do it for them, they need to learn to manage their time and resources.
Instill a sense of ownership and a sense of a accomplishment from completing a task or goal.
Being involved in a club or project group creates family and community ties, as well as long term relationships.

5. How to Select a 4-H Project
Interests, needs and capabilities of the member
Opportunity for sufficient challenge and growth
Family situation
Availability of adequate financing
Availability of equipment and space
Availability of leadership for the project
4-H volunteers who are actively involved in counseling new members and their families in selecting projects have a greater opportunity to teach about the 4-H program, as well as having quality time to get acquainted with the family.
There are key points to successful project selection.
Determine the interests, needs and capabilities of the member not the family or parent. It is easier to motive a young people when it is something of interest.
Ask…Is the child going to be challenged to grow and learn? Is the child going to grow from the experience because it is new?
The project should be appropriate for residence, space and resources. A child living in the city who loves horses can easily be enrolled in the horse project without physically having a horse. There are lots of things they can do while learning about horses - speeches, demonstrations, breeds, judging, physiology, etc.
No project is important enough that it puts a financial burden on a family.
A child enrolled in wood science needs access to equipment and tools. Just as a child enrolled in an animal science project should have easy access to feeding, housing and working the animal to truly have an educational experience that develops life skills.
Does the family have access to resource people who can provide guidance? Is there a potential project leader? Sometimes young people tend to listen to other adults more than their own parents.

6. Quality is not an act, it is a habit.
4-H Project provides an opportunity for…
Developing Subject Matter Skills
Life Skills Development
Participation
Developing Communication Skills
Keeping Records
Sharing Ideas
Productive Leisure Time
Recognition
Quality is not an act, it is a habit.
Aristotle
4-H projects provide an opportunity for :
Learning subject matter, mastering skills and exploring related projects.
Learning life skills such as learning to learn, responsibility, and decision making.
Being part of a group, developing relationships, sharing ideas and learning to communicate needs and feelings verbally and non-verbally.
Learning to set goals, recording how time and resources are used, what was made/grown/produced and most importantly what was learned and how it will be applied to making life better.
Learning to use time wisely and productively, as well as the importance to take time to relax.
Receiving feedback from caring adults who respect young people and their efforts. Recognition does not just refer to prizes and ribbons.

7. Sample of 4-H Projects Health and Fitness Electric Energy
Foods Science
Leisure Education
Companion Animals
Entomology
Sport Fishing
Expressive Arts
Change this slide to reflect project enrollment in your county or to suggest project(s) with potential or opportunities. Include projects families are not enrolling in because they don’t know what it is or can mean.
Sample 4-H Projects include:
Health and Fitness
Electric Energy
Foods Science
Leisure Education
Companion Animals
Entomology
Sport Fishing
Expressive Arts

8. Parent’s Role in 4-H Project Work
Aide in selecting, financing and managing
Guide and support work without doing it the work
Encourage follow-through and completion
Give praise and encouragement
Assist in gathering tools and supplies
Encourage record keeping
Key - Assist volunteers and parents in understanding their role and the need for their support in the child’s project work.
4-H is a family affair, not an extension of an adults childhood. There are lots of opportunities for adult involvement in leadership and programming at the club and county level.
Parents should:
Aide in selecting, financing and managing
Guide and support work without doing it the work
Encourage follow-through and completion
Give praise and encouragement
Assist in gathering tools and supplies
Encourage record keeping

9. Parent’s Role continued…
Provide support and transportation
Assist organizational, project and activity leaders
Become a project or activity leader
Serve on committees to plan and implement club activities or project meetings
Become a certified 4-H volunteer
Provide support and transportation
Assist organizational, project and activity leaders
Become a project or activity leader
Serve on committees to plan and implement club activities or project meetings
Become a certified 4-H volunteer

10. 4-H Parents Pledge
I pledge my Head to give my child the information I can, to help him/her see things clearly and to make wise decisions.
I pledge my Heart to encourage and support my child no matter whether he/she has success or disappointments.
I pledge my Hands to help my child’s club; if I cannot be a leader, I can help in many equally important ways.
I pledge my Health to keep my child strong and well for a better world through 4-H, for my child’s club, our community, our country and our world.
Georgia 4-H, 1982

11. Piggybacking – Card Game
Piggybacking 4-H Projects
Activity
Piggybacking – Card Game
4-H members need to be encouraged to explore a variety of projects and participate in a diverse set of experiences. Volunteer participation in this game will encourage and challenge adults to think of the extra ordinary relationships, in turn helping them counsel new families in project explanation and selection.
Participation teaches how projects relate and how learning about one subject can lead to the interest and exploration of another subject, both essential to getting the most out of the 4-H experience H project exploration is essential to career exploration and the development of 4-H members.
4H.VOL.136 Piggybacking Card Game
Game play encourages the following life skills development: Critical Thinking, Wise Use of Resources, Learning to Learn, Communications, Cooperation, Responsible Citizenship and Teamwork.
The game was developed for both adult and youth education players play a game similar to Concentration.
Objective of the game is to gain an understanding of:
The diversity of 4-H projects available to members
How projects interrelate to one another
How to expand ones exploration of the 4-H project experience.

12. Introduce a New Project Area
Introduce a “new” project and curriculum.
Activity
4H101 – Lesson 8: Knowing and Using 4-H Curricula or
Select and lead an activity from new curriculum.