Competition Categories
4-H AREAS OF COMPETITION
Central District Contests
Extemporaneous Speaking Contest Guide
Extemporaneous Speaking Score Sheet
Presentation Categories:
Animal Science – Dairy/Livestock/Poultry/Horse/Camelid/Domestic Food or Fiber Animal
*state winner for horse(and qualifying event for Southern Regional and Eastern National) is awarded at EquiSmartz, but horse presentations CAN compete at Congress; Horse Team presentations are allowed at Central District Contests
Examples: How to Groom a Horse, Dairy Free Stall Barn Design, How to Shear an Alpaca
Animal Science – Pet
Examples: Geckos, dogs, cats, exotic animals
Careers, Entrepreneurship, & Economic Education
Examples: How to Start Your Own Business, Careers that Interest Me, How to Budget Money
Citizenship and Leadership
Examples: The History of the Constitution, How to Be a Good Citizen in My School, Parliamentary Procedure
Food Demonstration (includes food preparation)
Examples: How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies, How to Preserve Garden Vegetables
Food Knowledge
Examples: How to Prevent Foodborne Illness, Cooking Methods for Beef, Gluten Free Recipes
Home, Family & Personal Management
Examples: How to Prepare Meals on a Budget, Furniture Upholstery, How to Manage Your Time More Efficiently
Natural Resources & Environmental Education –
Examples: Forestry, Wildlife, Conservation, Fisheries, Recycling
Nutrition, Health, and/or Fitness
Examples: How to Prepare to Run a 5K, Proper Tooth Care and Hygiene, Vitamins and Minerals
Outdoor Adventure, Sports & Recreation
Examples: Fishing, Hunting, Trapping, How to Dribble a Basketball, Safety Gear for Rock Climbing
Communications & Performing Arts
Examples: ballet, knowledge presentations about instruments (How to Care for your Violin), HAM radio, How to Give a Presentation
Plants, Soils, & Entomology
Examples: The Importance of the Honey Bee, Establishing a Community Garden, Amending Soil to Grow Fruit Trees, How to Grow a Plant from a Seed, Understanding Invasive Plant Species
Shooting Education
Examples: Understanding Shooting Disciplines, Precision and Accuracy for Hitting the Target, Safety Whistle Commands on the Archery Line
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM Topics)
Examples: Minecraft, Coding, Web Page Design, Gravity, The Importance of the Triangle in Designing Structures, How to Use a 3D Printer, How to Create Effective PowerPoint Presentations
Visual & Creative & Constructive Arts
Examples: Tie Dye, Friendship Bracelets, How to Make Paper, Duct Tape Art, How to Compose a Photo, Architecture Styles, How to Use a DSLR camera
Science Fair Categories:
NEW – Participants may enter as an individual or a team of up to 4 people
Biological Sciences
Includes projects that involve living things or once living things; examples of projects in this category are studies of plant growth, cell structure, molds, preservatives, growth and development
Environmental Sciences/Ecology
Includes projects that involve the environment and the relationships of living things to each other and/or to the environment; examples of projects in this category are studies of organisms in their habitat, relationships between various organisms, and studies on how people’s actions affect the environment
Physical Sciences
Includes projects involving non-living things; math, computer, and engineering projects are included in this category; other topics in this category are aerodynamics, probability, crystal growth, evaporation, solar power, electrical circuits
Earth Sciences
Includes projects involving the earth and physical phenomena; examples for projects in this category are weather, astronomy, rocks/minerals, and water
Behavioral/Social/Health Sciences
Includes projects related to health, psychology, or consumer/product testing; examples would be perception studies, aptitude and attitude surveys, product comparisons, and various exercise studies
Chemical Sciences
Includes the composition of matter and laws governing it – physical chemistry, organic chemistry (other than biochemistry), inorganic chemistry; includes projects testing temperatures, solutions, household cleaners and detergents
STF Categories:
· Combination
· Dance
· Drama
· Instrumental
· Variety
· Vocal
CAREER DEVELOPMENT (Resume and Cover Letter)
Resume and Cover Letter Contest Guide
Additional Resources: Virginia Tech Career Planning Guide
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography Contest Guidelines
Photography Contest Score Sheet
GAME CHANGINEER VIDEO GAME DESIGN CONTEST
Design your game using the Game Changineer program.
Game Changineer Video Game Score Sheet
"WHAT 4-H MEANS TO ME" POSTER CONTEST
4-H Poster Contest Score Sheet
Notes:
· Participants have a responsibility to review the posted rules, resource documents, and score sheets
· A list of sample topics is provided for additional information only. Participants are not limited on subjects, but do have to fit into one of the above categories. Contestants should be prepared to show judges the connection/correlation to the category area.
· State contests will use the rules, score sheets, etc. posted only on the competitions web page listed above, regardless of how qualifying county and district contests are run. Local units and districts are encouraged to adopt and abide by the state rules out of fairness to youth participants. For contests in which there is a national event, contestants should check the national rules for any differences at that level of competition.
· At 4-H Congress, the Share-the-Fun contests have limits on the number of acts each unit can send. Each unit may send one act per Share-the-Fun category. In addition, there is a maximum of four (4) youth per act for Share-the-Fun.
· State medal winners (1st place in a category) cannot compete in that category again and should not repurpose their act in order to try to fit into another category in another year.
· All Congress competitors must have participated in a qualifying event whether at the unit or district level, depending on local situation. All units and districts are encouraged to hold contests prior to Congress.
· 4-H Congress (and therefore state level competition at Congress) participation is limited to senior age 4-H youth, those ages 14-19 as of September 30 of the 4-H year. Mixed-age acts that competed at the unit or district level will be ineligible at the state level. (Example: four young people in a Share-the-Fun act where at least one is age 13 or less would not qualify)
· At Central District Contests and 4-H Congress, youth may participate in only one face-to-face contest, even if he/she qualified in more than one contest at previous levels of competition.
