Sauk County 4-H Projects
Want to discover all of the project areas that Sauk County 4-H has to offer? If so, this is your guide . . . Sauk County Project Selection Guide
A 4-H project is an area that you want to learn more about during the year. There are projects on just about any topic you would like to study and explore, from art to woodworking, from computers to rabbits, from clothing to small engines.
Project vs. Exhibit…Many people in 4-H tend to use the words Project and Exhibit interchangeably. However, they are two VERY different things.
- A 4-H project is an area that you want to learn more about during the year. There are projects on just about any topic you would like to explore, from art to woodworking, from computers to rabbits, from clothing to small engines, from aerospace to horses. If you are interested in learning more about something, there is probably a 4-H project to help you!
- An exhibit is an item that you have made during your 4-H project learning that you take to the County Fair. You will receive feedback from a judge on your exhibit.
When you are enrolling in 4-H you are enrolling in a project, NOT selecting your fair exhibit.
How to Select 4-H Projects
4-H members…First, make a list of the things you like to do or want to learn more about. Talk over your list with your parents, leaders and friends. They may recognize some special things you are good at that you don’t even realize you do well. Then compare your list with the projects described in this guide. Ask yourself if you have the equipment, money and time to do the projects that sound interesting.
In the Sauk County 4-H Project Selection Guide you will see that most of the project areas are listed with three different levels. These levels are based on the curriculum or project materials that are used to support learning in that project area. Youth in Sauk County will NOT enroll in Youth Leadership 1, or 2 or 3, they will just enroll in Youth Leadership. The Levels that are listed refer to the curriculum that is used to support your project learning. This guide will help you know which curriculum book you should order. The 4-H program is set up to be a skill development program. Youth will enroll in a project area, Youth should spend 2-3 years working with that one project book per project area, until youth have mastered the skills from that area, as is reflected from completion of the project book for each unit for that project area. They will then move onto using the next level of project book for the next 2-3 years. Again, the different levels listed in the Sauk County 4-H Project Selection Guide help youth understand what they will learn as they progress through learning while using the project materials.
You may also notice under the curriculum or project books that there are grades listed. That is the grade level at which that project book was designed for. However if you are in 6th grade and this is your first year in a project area, you should still start with the first project book. You may get through the material in the book faster than 2-3 years, but there is information that is important for you to know before you move onto the 2nd project book.
If there are not any curriculum or project books listed underneath a project area you are interested in, please contact the UWEX office. Meg is working on finding project materials to support all of the project areas listed in this project selection guide.
Where to find the Project Curriculum and Materials
Each 4-H youth member is eligible to receive one project book per year. Club leaders have a Curriculum Selection Form. Each 4-H member is asked to select their top 3 project book choices and record them on the Curriculum Selection Form. Curriculum selection forms are due to the Sauk County Extension office by December 1. Every effort will be made to have youth receive their top priority project book. However, orders will be filled on a first come/first served basis.
Most of the project curriculum and materials can be ordered online at: www.4-Hmall.org, unless there is another ordering source listed by the materials. Please note that these materials are all protected with copy write and therefore cannot be photocopied. Remember that youth will use one project book for about 2-3 years. Each project book costs around $5.00.
