About 4-H Exhibit Projects

What are 4-H Projects?

4-H'ers learn more about a subject matter they choose to study through completing hands-on activities, called projects. The St. Joseph County 4-H program offers more than 60 projects for area youth. To enroll in a project, members must sign up for them at the time of enrolling in 4-H. There is no limit to the number of projects youth can sign up for.

How to Complete Projects

Each project has a manual that guides the youth through the learning process as well as a set of guidelines that helps them meet the project requirements. Each project has a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level, allowing youth to build on their knowledge each year and continue to challenge their skills. Our adult volunteers and staff who are knowledgeable on a particular subject will often provide workshops to allow youth to learn about that topic in a social environment.

Exhibiting Projects

Youth may exhibit and display their completed projects at the annual St. Joseph County Fair to show the community what they have learned. Most projects, except those noted below, are also eligible to advance to the Indiana State Fair.

scroll-down-arrow.png

Questions?

Contact the St Joseph County 4-H office:

574-235-9605

 

St Joseph County 4-H Project Options

Animal Science Projects

  • Animal Education: Learn about livestock and pets and showcase what you learned by creating a display, poster, or notebook.
    • Beef
    • Cat
    • Dairy Cattle
    • Dog
    • Goat 
    • Horse & Pony
    • Llama
    • Poultry
    • Rabbit
    • Sheep
    • Swine
  • Aquatic Science***: Learn about aquatic animals by caring for and exhibiting a tank, or displaying a poster related to the field or study of aquatic science.
  • Horseless Horse***: This project is designed for 4-Hers who have a desire and love for horses but are unable to have a horse of their own. 
  • Small Animals***: This project provides a fun and hands-on learning experience which develops both small animal subject skills and life skills under the direction of caring adult volunteers.

Communication & Expressive Arts Projects

  • Arts & Crafts
    • Ceramics (Hand-Formed): Learn different hand-building techniques for working with clay.
    • Christmas Tree Ornament: Make a Christmas ornament constructed of natural materials from our county that symbolizes St. Joseph County's culture, heritage, or fun things to do locally.
    • Decorations For All Seasons: Learn to use your creative talents and imagination for all occasions: anniversaries, weddings, bridal showers, patriotic days, religious celebrations, public occasions, home festivities, and other seasonal celebrations!
    • Fabric Painting: Learn to decorate and/or embellish your clothes or other fabric items.
    • Gift Wrapping: Learn to creatively wrap gifts and self-make bows.
    • Greenware: Greenware is an unfired clay object which was cast (poured) from a mold which has been purchased. Learn to clean, paint and/or glaze a piece, using varied techniques.
    • Jewelry Making: Learn to create personal adornment with materials such as, but not limited to: metals, glass, and clay.
    • Latch Hook: Learn to make a latch hook article. Latch hook is a craft in which short segments of yarn are looped through a canvas to make rugs, pillows, and wall hangings.
    • Leathercraft: Learn the techniques to work with leather for burning, suede, and tooling.
    • Metalcraft: Metalcraft is the process of modeling in metal (light gauge aluminum or copper). Learn the techniques for tin punch and tooling.
    • Miscellaneous Craft: Learn a craft that does not fit the criteria for any other 4-H project. Be creative, neat, and original!
    • Recycled Articles: An article(s) that has been redone to represent another function or made like new.
    • Scarecrow: Build a scarecrow that can be used for garden, field, or decorative purposes.
    • Scrapbook: Learn various scrapbook techniques for preserving memories, photographs, and memorabilia, including documentation.
  • Cake Decorating: Learn the skills to decorate a cake with different tools and ingredients.
  • Communications: Show off your abilities in public speaking, presentations, demonstrations, and creative writing.
  • Collections***: Showcase your skills and passions through things you collect.
  • Consumer Clothing: Learn about clothing selection, outfit planning, taking care of clothes, and personal grooming.
  • Cupcake Decorating***: Develop cupcake decorating skills, promote creativity, and contribute to family celebrations!
  • Home Environment: Learn about home design, decoration, and taking care of the things in your home.
  • Fine Arts: Express your creativity through oils, charcoal, pastels, pencil, ink, acrylics, or watercolor.
  • Models:
    • Model Craft: Create small-scale models, such as planes, cars, trains, and more.
    • Model Diorama***: Assemble a plastic model and display it on a case with scenery
    • Model Railroad***: Create a small-scale model of a train
  • Needle Craft: Express your creativity through knitting, embroidery, crocheting, needlepoint, and more.
  • Performing Arts: Performing arts activities allow youth to express their creative side while gaining valuable life skills and confidence in themselves through dance, music and drama in 4-H performing arts.
  • Photography: Learn how to take quality photos using anything from a professional camera to your smart phone.
  • Sewing & Fashion Revue: Learn how to sew wearable and non-wearable items, then take to the runway to showcase what you made.

Engineering & Technological Science Projects

  • Aerospace: Learn about flight, model rockets, drones and more.
  • Computer Science: Learn all about computers - how they work and programs to exploring connections and managing networks.
  • Construction & Architectural Replica: Create replicas using building blocks, Lego's, erector sets, or other materials.
  • Electric: Learn about circuits, breakers, wiring techniques and more.
  • Small Engine: Learn about the engines in smaller machines and all of the knowledge needed to build and fix them.
  • Tractor Safety: Learn the principles of engine operation, hydraulic systems, electrical systems, safe operation skills. 
    • Tractor Safety and Operator Skills: Learn about the principles of engine operation, hydraulic systems, electrical systems, safe operation skills of tractors.
    • Lawn and Garden Tractor Safety and Operator Skills: Learn about the principles of engine operation, hydraulic systems, electrical systems, safe operation skills of lawn and garden tractors.
    • Zero-Turn Mower Safety and Operator Skills: Learn about the principles of engine operation,
      hydraulic systems, electrical systems, safe operation skills of zer-turn mowers.
  • Welding***: Learn the fundamentals of electric arc welding and oxy-acetylene welding.
  • Woodworking: Learn about the skills and knowledge required to construct anything out of wood.

Healthy Living Projects

  • Bicycle: Learn about bicycle maintenance, operation, safety, and more.
  • Child Development: Learn about how children learn at different ages.
  • Finance*: This project introduces 4-H members to finance terms and promotes financial literacy.
  • Foods: Learn about smart food purchasing, food science, food preparation, and more.
    • Baked
    • Preserved
    • Consumer Dairy***
    • Grilling***
    • Microwave Foods***
  • Health: Learn about many parts of our health like first aid, hygiene, nutrition, physical fitness, and more.
  • Shooting Sports: Learn about the safe operation of firearms.
  • Sportfishing: Learn about fish, fishing, and the habitats that fish live in like lakes and streams.

Leadership & Citizenship Projects

  • Cultivate Meat Hunger Club***: Youth in this project will help raise funds that support our local 4-H program and help to feed the hungry in our county.
  • Genealogy: Learn about your heritage, ancestors, and find out where your family lived, traveled, and more.
  • Jr. Leaders: Develop skills in the areas of civic engagement, leadership, entrepreneurship and more through a variety of hands-on experiences throughout the year.
  • Meat Hunger: From Farm to Backpack***: Incorporates 4-H members in the fundraising process for Meat Hunger to secure enough money to purchase 4-H-raised meat that would otherwise be purchased for resale.

Plant & Environmental Science Projects

  • Beekeeping: Learn about beekeeping, honey, plants that attract bees, the equipment a beekeeper needs, and more.
  • Crops***: Grow and keep records of alfalfa, other hays, corn, soybeans, or wheat crops.
  • Entomology: Learn how to collect, preserve, and identify insects, and about their relationship with humans.
  • Fire Science***: Learn about local firefighters and the importance of their work.
  • Floriculture: Learn how to grow healthy plants like flowers and turn them into beautiful arrangements.
  • Forestry: Learn how to identify trees, the benefits of trees, the importance of our woodlands, and more.
  • Garden: Learn about planning a vegetable garden, planting, fertilizing, harvesting, and more.
  • Geology: Learn about the Earth's crust, Indiana rocks and minerals, fossils, and more.
  • Soil & Water Science: Learn about soil and water quality, how they interact, and how we can protect and preserve them.
  • Strawberry***: Learn to plant and renovate strawberry patches.
  • Weather & Climate Science: Learn about what causes weather, why we have different climates on Earth, and more.
  • Weed Identification***: Learn about various weeds in your local area.
  • Wildlife: Learn how to identify wildlife, their habitats, how they interact with other wildlife and humans, and more.

Other

  • Memory Achievement Book***: Learn to keep records of 4-H club work in an organized way that will assist in preparing an Achievement Record Book.
  • Team Sports***: Participate in a sport and display a poster about what sport you participated in.

 

***Indicates a county-only project. County-only projects are project categories that St. Joseph County 4-H members have asked to add because they have an interest in something that is not offered across the state. These projects are judged at the St. Joseph County Fair but are not eligible to advance to judging at the Indiana State Fair.