Cornell Cooperative Extension

Dutchess County

4-H Member Resources

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2020 Dutchess County 4-H Calendar

(Updated 2.14.2020)

February 2020: 4-H Essentials & Opportunities


4-H Record Books

4-H Record Book Clip Art

Why are Project Record Books Important?

By keeping a project record book, 4-H members will learn, practice, and share the following skills:

How to make plans for action, and how to decide how well they did (self-evaluation);

Record keeping and organization to use now and in the future;

To communicate and summarize information;

Responsibility by completing a task; and

To evaluate information that will market personal skills through future resumes and application forms.

EVERY RECORD BOOK WILL HAVE TWO PARTS.

  1. The 4-H member’s specific project/interest area(s) (Project Pages)
  2. A section everyone will complete regardless of project area(s) (Core Pages)

What are the “Project Pages”?

These are the pages designed by the species or interest area advisories that help to track and report on the project(s) 4-H members work on throughout the year. If 4-H members belong to multiple clubs, they will need to complete the project pages that are relevant to each club.

What are the “Core Pages”?

These pages are for 4-H members to track and report on more general things that they do in 4-H like public presentations, community service and other fun 4-H activities. There are three levels to choose from that vary in difficulty. Each member will choose the level that is appropriate for their abilities and complete one copy of the core pages for their record book.

Level 1: The easiest level and is aimed at younger 4-H’ers (5-7 years old)

Level 2: This level is more challenging than Level 1 (8-12 year olds)

Level 3: This is the most challenging level and is aimed at the older, more experienced 4-H’ers.(Youth ages 13 and up)

Note: 4-Her’s who feel the level for their age group is too easy or too difficult, may choose a different level with permission from their club leader.

What each 4-H Record Book MUST contain:

Every 4-H record book should include completed project pages for each club a 4-H member belongs to and one copy of the completed core pages from the appropriate level.

How to enhance a 4-H Record Book:

A record book can be enhanced by…

  • Using correct grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary according to 4-H’ers level and abilities
  • Including pictures with dated captions and credit for the photographer
  • Including original artwork
  • Inserting certificates, evaluation rubrics and other project achievements

Presentation for a 4-H Record Book:

4-H record books should be presented in the following way:

  • 3-hole punched and bound into a folder or binder of appropriate size
    • 4-H Member First and Last name and all Club Names clearly labeled or printed on teh front of the folder or binder
  • Required pages including:
    • Cover Page
    • Table of Contents
    • Personal Development Pages
    • Project Pages
    • Neat, clean, and numbered pages
  • Additional materials (like certificates or rubrics) in sheet protectors

Cover Pages

Core Record Book Pages

Project Record Book Pages

Public Presentations

4-H Public Presentations is a program in which youth learn to create a presentation and develop the skills needed to present it before an audience. They learn about the research process and the steps needed to organize information into an interesting and creative presentation.

Youth learn about the varied purposes of presentations and how to tailor their presentations appropriately to fit their intentions. Beginners are encouraged to select simple topics with which they are extremely comfortable, so that the presentation process is the focus of their learning without the stress of learning about an unfamiliar topic.

As youth progress and grow each year, they are challenged to try one of the more difficult types of presentations, to use more advanced technology in their presentations where appropriate, and to venture into unfamiliar topics or presentation styles.

Public Presentations

Harvest Food Festival

Spring Food Festival

Last updated January 7, 2026

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