Project Achievement
What Is Project Achievement?
4-H Project Achievement is a public speaking and presentation competition where youth share what they’ve learned about a topic they’re passionate about. Participants research a subject, prepare a presentation, and present it to judges and an audience. There are over 50 project areas to choose from, allowing every student to share about a topic of interest!
Project Achievement helps 4-H’ers build numerous life skills, including public speaking, research and organization, critical thinking, time management, leadership, and self-confidence. Whether you’re speaking to a classroom, applying for a job, or leading in your community, the skills learned in 4-H Project Achievement set you apart. Project Achievement is a cornerstone of Georgia 4-H and one of the most rewarding 4-H experiences!
How Project Achievement Works
Your grade level determines how Project Achievement works and what steps you’ll take to prepare and compete.
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Cloverleaf (4th-6th grades)
For Cloverleaf 4-H’ers (4th–6th grades), Project Achievement begins at the county level with a county-wide essay contest. Students submit their essays to the 4-H Office in December, where they are organized by topic area. The top four essays in each topic area are selected to advance to District Project Achievement. At the district level, students transform their essays into speeches and add a visual presentation using either posters or a slideshow, with props encouraged to make the presentation engaging. Speeches at this level are 4–6 minutes long. District Project Achievement takes place in March in a surrounding county, where Cloverleafs compete with other 4-H’ers from across the area. The event also includes an evening of pizza, recreation, and an awards ceremony.
Click for additional resources, including complete competition guidelines, project areas, and scorecards.?
Junior (7th-8th grades) & Seniors (9th-12th grades)
For Junior (7th–8th grade) and Senior (9th–12th grade) 4-H’ers, Project Achievement adds a record-keeping component called a portfolio in addition to the speech and presentation. The portfolio serves as a written record of the 4-H’er’s project work over the past 12 months. It contains multiple sections of information, along with pictures, and helps youth develop valuable skills for completing resumes, college applications, and scholarship submissions.
?Presentations at this level are also longer: Juniors present for 8–10 minutes, while Seniors present for 10–12 minutes. Competition for Juniors and Seniors takes place over a weekend in February at Rock Eagle 4-H Center, where students compete with peers from all counties in the district. In addition to the competition, the weekend includes recreational opportunities and fellowship with other 4-H members.
For additional resources, including complete competition guidelines, project areas, and scorecards, click ?and .??
State Congress
State 4-H Congress is the next step for Senior 4-H’ers who place first at District Project Achievement. This event is the state-level competition where participants compete for state honors and the title of Master 4-H’er in their project area. State Congress is held each July in Atlanta and offers a week of competition, leadership activities, and recognition alongside the top 4-H members from across Georgia.
For more information about State Congress, click .?