Alabama 4-H

Achievement Awards

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A 4-H member sitting at a sewing machine.

2026 Achievement Awards

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Application Deadline: Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Date of Interview: Friday, June 26, 2026

A 4-H Ambassador standing at a podium with others in the background. This program identifies outstanding Alabama 4-H members who have excelled in one of the nine achievement areas of Alabama 4-H:

  • Animal Project—Production, Large Animal (beef, dairy, swine)
  • Animal Project—Production, Small Animal (sheep, goats, poultry, meat rabbits)
  • Animal Project—Companion Animal (dog, rabbit, cat)
  • Equine Science
  • Communications (public speaking, judging teams, photography)
  • Foods and Nutrition/Family and Consumer Science
  • Leadership/Citizenship
  • Natural Resources (environmental science, SAFE, wildlife, forestry, plants and soils)
  • At Large Achievement

Participants’ applications must be received by May 26, 2026, and of sufficient quality to merit an invitation to the achievement interviews. Applications will be judged by a screening committee of Extension professionals. Senior Level I and Senior Level II participants who are granted an interview will be contacted no later than June 5, 2026.

Senior Level I participants must be 14 or 15 years old on January 1, 2026. Winners will receive a trip to Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference (or another trip related to that project) and an Alabama state trophy.

Senior Level II participants must be 16 to 18 years old on January 1, 2026. Winners will receive a trip to National 4-H Congress (or another trip related to that project) and an Alabama state trophy.

Those submitting applications are required to be interviewed, if an invitation is extended to them. Interviews will be held June 26, 2026, at the Alabama 4-H Center. Awards will be presented during Competitive Event Day on Friday, June 26, 2026.

Note

If a 4-H member was selected as a 4-H Achievement Winner in previous years and remains in the same age group (Senior Level I or Senior Level II), he or she cannot submit an application in the area that he or she won. The 4-H member may enter another area. This application must be significantly different from the previous application. If a 4-H member has moved from Senior Level I to Senior Level II, he or she may enter the same area with additional documentation and revisions to the application.

Senior Achievement Application Requirements

  • Applicants must be at least 14 years old by January 1 of the starting term year.
  • The 2025 Senior Achievement application must be received in its entirety by May 26, 2026, through 4HOnline. The following pieces are part of that application process:
    • 4HOnline Application
    • 4-H Story
    • 4-H Achievement Resumé
    • Creative Documentation
    • One Letter of Reference

My 4-H Story Guidelines

(Submitted through 4HOnline)

Written Format: Use 12-point Arial or Times New Roman and 1-inch margins. The maximum story length is 2,000 words. Check your spelling and grammar.

  • Part I—Introduction: Introduce yourself. Include your age, interests, and when and why you joined 4-H.
  • Part II—4-H Project Achievement: A good 4-H story talks about triumphs and setbacks, the challenges, opportunities, and obstacles you experienced with your 4-H project and how you overcame them. The focus should not be on prizes that you have won, but on how your work has affected you as a person.
  • Part III—Leadership Achievement: Your 4-H story should give evidence of leadership, growth in the project and in 4-H, degree of involvement, cooperation, honesty, responsibility, and good judgment. Describe how 4-H helped you become a leader. Describe how you have helped others become leaders.
  • Part IV—Service Achievement: Your 4-H story should give evidence of helping others in the community and what 4-H has taught you about the importance of serving others.
  • Part V—Mastery Achievement: Your 4-H story should highlight the positive impact your 4-H project had on your knowledge, skills, and views.

My 4-H Achievement Resumé

A back of a 4-H member looking into a cattle pen and resting his arm on the gate.(Submitted through 4HOnline)

Having a resume prepared is important for college, scholarships, and job applications. Starting with the most current year and going back to the beginning of your 4-H career, build your resume by listing the activity and corresponding dates to indicate your 4-H work. The resume must include the headers found below. Once your resume is complete, save it as a PDF and upload into 4HOnline.

  • 4-H Project Achievement & Awards (Any accomplishments or activities in your 4-H Project area. For example, animal science, natural resources, or foods and nutrition)
  • 4-H Leadership & Educational Accomplishments (Offices, Committees, Youth Council, 4-H Workshop Presentations, etc)
  • 4-H Service Accomplishments and Activities (community service opportunities)
  • Non 4-H Leadership Accomplishments, Activities, and Awards

Creative Documentation

Each applicant must provide additional creative documentation related to his or her project area. Two options are available. You may choose one:

  1. A 3-minute video recording. Email recording to maxwesj@auburn.edu.
  2. A 3-minute, self-playing Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. Email presentation to maxwesj@auburn.edu.

One Letter of Reference

(Submitted through 4HOnline)

A good letter of reference supports your achievements, skills, and service within the project area. They cannot be from family members. The letter must be from the 4-H Extension agent, county Extension director, or 4-H agent assistant.

Scoring of Alabama 4-H Achievement Applications

  • Alabama 4-H Application and Portfolio will be scored 300 points.
  • Applications must score 225 points to receive an invitation for an interview.

The scoring sheet for the Alabama 4-H Achievement Applications.

4-H Animal Science Record: Youth entering animal project need to complete the animal science record information.

Alabama 4-H Achievement Interviews will be scored 100 points. The Senior Achievement application and portfolio score will be added to your interview score, which makes a possible total score of 400.

Judges for the interview process will be provided the application package along with your application score sheet. The interview process will take about 30 minutes per person, but will include a 5-minute presentation by the 4-H member. The other 25 minutes will be provided for judges to review the application, ask questions, and discuss the interviews with the other judges.

Tie-breaker: There will be no ties in the application scoring or the interviews. However, ties will be possible when the total scores are added. The tie-breaking committee will be made up of Joy Scott, leadership and citizenship specialist; and a 4-H Ambassador who is not an applicant in the achievement area concerned.

 

Questions concerning the Alabama 4-H Achievement Awards Program must be submitted in writing by May 28 to Joy Scott.

Visit www.alabama4h.com for more information.

 

Joy Scott, Extension Specialist, 4-H and Youth Development, Auburn University; Amy Burgess, County Extension Coordinator; and Kimberly Good, 4-H Extension Agent, Auburn University

Revised April 2026, Achievement Awards, 4HYD-2138

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