Senior 4-H Portfolio Guidelines

Preparation of this portfolio is the responsibility of the 4-H'er and not the Extension Office.

The Portfolio may be handwritten or typed. It should contain a one page cover letter, two pages of 4-H accomplishments, and two pages of supporting material. The certification page complete with proper signatures must be included as the last page. All pages of the portfolio should contain information on one side only of 8 ½ x 11 inch paper. The back side of all pages must be blank.

The cover letter and two accomplishment pages should maintain a minimum of one-half inch margins on all four sides. Paper should be white with black ink or type. No art work pictures, or clip art are allowed on these pages. Computer generated bullets may be used to highlight information.

The cover letter is a tool of introduction. There are no rules to its content. The letter should be addressed "Dear Project Judge" and signed by the 4-H'er. The cover letter can address any information or time. It may also address future goals.

The two-page outline of accomplishments is a presentation of a 4-H'ers work over the last twelve months. The year begins with January 1 and ends December 31.

The portfolio is equally judged on project work (50%) and other activities (50%). Judges give specific points based on the following:Work in Main Project (20%), Sharing & Helping in Main Project (30%), Other Leadership Activities (20%), Other Citizenship & Community Service(20%), and Other Activities (10%). These values are assessed using the cover letter, accomplishment pages as well as the supporting material.

Main Project Sharing and Helping Experiences    30%
Includes activities where the 4-H'er shared the information learned in the main project  area or helped someone else in that area.  Sharing activities include (but are not limited to) demonstrations, exhibits, talks, and news articles written.  Helping activities include such activities as leading a project club, teaching a class, assisting another 4-H'er in the project, or working on a community service project.

Other Leadership and Teen Leadership Activities     20%
These are activities not related to the main project in which the 4-H'er had a leadership role.  Activities may include (but are not limited to) offices held, committees served on, serving as a teen leader for an activity or assisting a fellow 4-H'er.

Other Community Service and Citizenship Activities   20%
Again, these activities are not related to the main project.  Community service and citizenship activities should include (but are not limited to) activities where a 4-H'er as an individual or part of a group provides a service or completes a project for the betterment of the community.  Examples include work with the elderly, beautification projects, assisting the disabled or youth at risk.

Other Activities         10%
These activities are those not listed elsewhere in the portfolio. Participation in county, district, region or state events, judging teams not related to the main project and awards and recognition may be included.  A 4-H'er may include activities (learning, sharing, & helping) in a second 4-H program.  Information about school, community or church activities or any other activities that have not been listed elsewhere may also be included.

Each section of the Senior Portfolio scorecard is rated on a scale of 1 to 10.  The rating guide for this point assessment is:

1     to 2 points        Needs Improvement
3     to 5 points        Average
6     to 8 points        Good
8.25 to 10 points    Excellent

Using the point values given and the above percentages the final score will be determined. The portfolio score will be 50% of the 4-H'ers final score.

At district competition, judges will evaluate the information written in the portfolio only. At state competition, the portfolio will be evaluated in a discussion session with the judges. In addition to reading the written information, the judges will have the opportunity to discuss the activities with the 4-H'ers. The purpose of the discussion is to clarify details and support the information cited. The 4-H'er is not judged in the portfolio session on oral presentation skills or subject matter knowledge.

	Return to 4-H Senior Project Achievement Main Page
	Return to 4-H Guidebook Main Page
	Return to Main Georgia 4-H Webpage