National 4-H Congress
ID
388-031 (4H-867NP)
For over 80 years, National 4-H Congress has served as the premiere educational and recognition event for senior4-H members. It is held each year in Atlanta, Georgia, in late November or early December. National 4-H Congressoffers participants an exciting opportunity to explore careers, engage in a variety of quality learning experiences,and have great fun by getting to know other 4-H members from across the country.Outstanding 4-H members will be selected to represent Virginia at National 4-H Congress. Candidates for selection must be current-year senior 4-H members who are able to demonstrate outstanding achievement as a 4-H memberin the areas of leadership, citizenship, and personal development.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Virginia 4-H values the life skills that members develop through personal record keeping. The 4-H portfolio, which replaced the 4-H Achievement Record, will serve as the foundation for a 4-H member’s application to participate in National 4-H Congress. The formal process includes two steps, which are intended to provide the 4-H member learning exercises that reflect an employment application and interview procedure:
- The submission of a written personal resume and
- An interview and a presentation of a personal portfolio.
Personal Resume:
The personal resume is intended to give the 4-H member the opportunity to succinctly communicate his or her participation in the 4-H program, as well as to demonstrate service and involvement outside of 4-H. The 4-H mem-ber should utilize the portfolio as the source of the information for the resume and should creatively organize the resume to demonstrate outstanding achievement.
The resume, which should be accompanied by a candidate’s letter stating why he or she wishes to represent Virginia at National 4-H Congress, must include (but need not be limited to) the following information:
I. Personal: Name, address, telephone number, and birthdate.
II. Education: Chronological list of the schools attended and diplomas and honors/recognition received.
III. 4-H Participation: List of club membership(s), projects, conferences, camps, and special activities(demonstrations, talks, judging events in which the member participated). Include dates of each project/activity and, when appropriate, what was gained from participation.
IV. 4-H Citizenship/Leadership: List significant leadership and citizenship/community service experi-ences carried out as a 4-H member. Activities that should be included are: offices held at the club, county, district, or state level; activities or events for which the member provided leadership; and any 4-H community service projects. Be sure to include dates, the role played, and what was accomplished.
V. Leadership, Citizenship, Scholarship Outside 4-H: List, in chronological order, other significant citizenship or leadership experiences had outside of 4-H such as school, church, or other organization. Again, includedate, the role played, and what was accomplished.
VI. Letters of Reference: Attach three letters of reference from individuals who can attest to the member’s personal attributes. One must be either a 4-H agent or a 4-H adult volunteer leader.
Resumes must be submitted in SUBMITTABLE by June 1.
https://va4h.submittable.com/submit/194330/national-4-h-congress-applications
Application Review:
The State 4-H Program Leader will appoint an application review committee, which will evaluate personal resumes on the following weighted criteria:
| Growth through 4-H participation: | 25 percent |
| Growth through 4-H leadership/citizenship: | 50 percent |
| Growth through leadership, citizenship, and scholarship outside 4-H: | 10 percent |
| Letters of Reference: | 5 percent |
| Organization and presentation: | 10 percent |
Interview Selection:
Finalists will be interviewed the week of State 4-H Congress. The interview process will afford the candidates the opportunity to gain additional presentation skills and orally communicate their 4-H experiences. Candidates will be encouraged to creatively utilize the resources they have included in their 4-H portfolio to enhance their presentations.
The interview teams will include: the State 4-H Program Leader and representatives from VAE4-HA, VA4-HAVL, the State 4-H Cabinet, and the Virginia 4-H Foundation.
Timeline:
| June 1 | Personal Resumes Due at the State 4-H Office |
| June | Resumes Reviewed |
| June 8 | Finalists Announced |
| June | Virtual Interviews Conducted |
| June 27 | Announcement of Virginia delegation |
| Late November/early December | National 4-H Congress |
Submission Instructions:
All resumes should be submitted in SUBMITTABLE by June 1.
https://va4h.submittable.com/submit/194330/national-4-h-congress-applications
Do not mail resumes, letters of recommendation or portfolios directly to the State 4-H Office. If you are selected for a National Congress Interview, you will be contacted with further instructions.
Virginia Cooperative Extension materials are available for public use, reprint, or citation without further permission, provided the use includes credit to the author and to Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University.
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments. Its programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or any other basis protected by law.
Publication Date
May 6, 2021
