1. Gather Materials

Gather all of your 4-H project materials, a listing of the projects you signed up for, exhibit folders or note cards from fair exhibits, pictures, clippings, feed records or expense records, etc.

2. Decide which Projects to Include

Determine which projects you want to complete a detailed record keeping system. You do not have to do a Record Keeping System on every project you signed up for. Things to consider when selecting projects to keep a detailed record keeping system on might be:

  • Which is/are your favorite project(s)?  Are there one or more projects you are really interested in?
  • What 4-H awards will you apply for?  You will want to keep records for those projects as they are a required piece of the 4-H award application.
  • Perhaps one of your projects is something you might be interested in as a future career (example: continuing in Swine, Photography, Child Development, etc because you might   want to go to college to study that area further).

3. Decide on a System

Once you have determined which project(s) you are going to complete a detailed Record Keeping System on, then determine which type of Record Keeping System you are going to do:

  • Paper Forms:  Experienced Project Record (tan) (recommended form as it best asks for information that will also be needed to apply for county 4-H awards).  Basic Project Record Forms and  Advanced Project Record Forms are also available.
  • Portfolio Record Keeping Or
  • Video or Cassette Record Keeping Or
  • Design your own system (may be computer, etc.)

Forms are available at the downloadable links and from the Extension Office.  We also have publications with suggestions for effectively using other record keeping systems. If you are completing a portfolio, ask for publication 4H0097B. For a video or audio tape record keeping system, ask the extension office for publication 4H0097A.

4. Time to get started...

  1. Complete the Overall Participation Summary (also in Word format).  You may complete summary information on this one form for each year OR you may complete a new Yearly 4-H Summary each year.

  2. Complete your 4-H Project Record Form(s) or the Record Keeping System you selected.  Be sure to also record financial information on your projects (example: Swine, Home Improvement, etc).  All projects (including Family & Consumer Sciences and Sciences and Arts) must contain some form of financial record.  This information can be recorded on the Experienced 4-H Project Record.  Financial forms for livestock can be found at www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/Agriculture/recordkeeping.htm

  3. Additional items you may included in your Record Keeping System information: your fair exhibit write-up, pictures, news clippings, certificates, etc., as they tell the story of your experience in the project area. You may record ribbon placings received for exhibition; however the actual ribbon should be stored in a separate location from your 4-H record keeping system.

    Once you have completed your 4-H Summary and Record Keeping System, you will want to put it in something to hold the information together.  This might be a three-ring binder notebook, a file system, a portfolio folder, in a video or cassette case, or it might be on a computer disc, etc.  A 4-H Members Record insert for a binder notebook is available at the Extension Office.

    If you have more than one year in the project area, you might want to divide the Record Keeping System by years, making it easier to find information, etc.

    If you have more than one year in the project area, you might want to divide the Record Keeping System by years or projects, making it easier to find information, etc.

  4. Once your complete your record keeping system, evaluate your work using the 4-H Record Keeping Self-Evaluation.  Pronto! You are done! Now you are on your way to using a skill (Record Keeping) you will use the rest of your life.

Mary; Meridith 8/29/2007