National 4-H Congress

Applying to Congress

4-H members are responsible for completing and preparing their Senior Portfolio, which serves as the application to be a Hawai’i National 4-H Congress delegate. Youth who are selected are required to participate in a Giving Back project to support the 4-H program in Hawaii.

Members should be sure to pay attention to the formatting and requirements of each section. Overall, the organization of the portfolio should be well-organized and the overall appearance neat and clean. Correct punctuation, spelling and grammar should be used. The front page needs to include all signatures.

  • Project Summary – The member should describe a picture that shows a high level of activity and project involvement. The summary should clearly explain what was learned in the project with discussion of specific knowledge and skills gained. There should be a clear demonstration of growth appropriate for grade and years in 4-H.
  • Other 4-H Activities – The member’s activities show strong participation in the 4-H program as a whole. The member effectively demonstrates involvement in 4-H opportunities outside of 4-H club level. This section should only feature 4-H activities and include full details.
  • 4-H Leadership – The member gives a clear picture of the responsibilities and duties for each of their 4-H (only) leadership roles. The story shows a growth of responsibility.
  • 4-H Citizenship – This section lists only 4-H community service activities and provides details that give a clear picture of what was accomplished and how the member was involved in each activity.
  • Activities Outside 4-H – The member lists significant non-4-H experiences in school, community, sports, church or other organizations such as leadership, community service, awards and recognition.
  • 4-H Photos – The member should only include photos that show their growth in project, leadership, service and activities through 4-H involvement. Photos are dated with detailed captions.
  • 4-H Reflection – The member reflects and communicates how they’ve practiced each four different H’s by making connections between activities/projects and area focus.
  • Resume & Letters – The member must include a completed resume and two signed letters of recommendation.
  • 4-H Story – The story shows personal growth and development in 4-H and highlights leadership and community service experiences. The story should gives details to demonstrate how 4-H has influenced the member’s life and impacted others.

Formatting and Page Requirements are listed in the portfolio instructions.

Submission Deadline

Members must submit their completed application packets to their county Extension Office by the due date established by their county. Counties then forward the application packets to the state 4-H office on or before May 15 of each year.

National 4-H Congress Selection Procedure and Criteria

The Committee meets in May to review all applications for Congress. Finalists are selected based on their scored rubrics. These finalists are then subject to a personal interview with the committee judges.

  • As selected delegates to National 4-H Congress members agree to return to 4-H program leadership roles in their county and state.

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