Navigating the 4-H Fair Maze

Mitchell Hoyer

Program Specialist

Iowa 4-H Youth Development Iowa 4-H YouthFEST, November 2014

Welcome

• Today’s Topics

– Roll Call

– Leader Presentation

– Member Activity

– Resources for 4-H staff

Navigating the 4-H Fair Maze

The Path Narrows

Where’s the trail?

Warning!

• Don’t let this happen to your 4-H members!

Educate, Evaluate,

Encourage

What project?

• What are interests?

• What does the member want:

– To do

– To learn

• Are there specific requirements?

– Ex: livestock, fashion revue

Planning / Selection Help

• Create Your Own 4-H Project (4H 696)

• Create Your Own 4-H Project Leader

Guide (4H 696 LDR)

What to do now?

• Focus on:

– Project Goals

– Project Activities

– Regular progress

– Encourage sharing

– Might start thinking about exhibits

Purpose of 4-H Exhibits

• Receive feedback

• Sense of accomplishment

• Expand future goals

• Share learning

Question

• If my goal is to learn to measure ingredients properly, how could I demonstrate this with a fair exhibit?

• Make a product (cookies, muffins)

• Make a poster showing how to measure

• Prepare “mistakes”, then make display showing the difference

Helping Youth Learn

• Strengthening Goal-Centered Learning in the

Exhibit Experience (for 4-H’ers) 4H 203c

• Strengthening Goal-Centered Learning in the

Exhibit Experience (for Adults) 4H 203

What exhibit class?

• Simple process

• First question – What is the exhibit

goal?

• Then can ask:

– Why did you make this exhibit?

– How do you want the exhibit to be

evaluated?

• Enter in exhibit class most closely

related to the goal!

Why we judge

• Encourage youth

• 4-H’ers more important than exhibits

• Ribbons fade, learning lasts a lifetime

Three Questions

• What did you plan to learn or do? (What was your exhibit goal(s)?)

• What steps did you take to learn or do this? (How did you go about working toward your goal(s))?

• What were the most important things you learned (as you worked toward your goal(s))?

3 Questions

How much is enough?

• Summary is good

• Longer not always better

• Sufficient to provide need information

• Easy to find important information

• Judges do not want to read a novel!

• Include 4-H component

• Examples

Exhibit Goals

• Establish purpose of exhibit

• Educational context for evaluation

• Determined by 4-H member

• Develop decision making

The Judging Experience

• Build rapport

• Gather information

• Encourage self-evaluation

• Provide educational feedback

• Encourage future learning

Evaluation Criteria

• Learning Involved

• Workmanship & Techniques

– Product

– Idea

• General Appearance & Design

Questions that encourage

talking

• How – did you decide…..

• Why – did you choose to…..

• Tell me – about…..

• What if – you had changed…..

Evaluate

• Balance goals with standards

• Use all three criteria

– Learning involved

– Workmanship and techniques

– General appearance and design

• Determine ribbon rating based on

information and exhibit as presented

Evaluate

• Judge is one opinion about exhibit

• Be honest and fair

• Teachable moment

• Explain evaluation criteria

• Help member understand why a ribbon

was awarded

Good Questions

• Is there anything else you’d like to tell me

about your exhibit that we haven’t

discussed?

• If you were a judge, what ribbon would you

give your exhibit?

Encourage

• Recognize accomplishments

• Provide positive, constructive feedback

• Encourage project expansion

• Appreciate their efforts

• Friendly judging style

• 4-H’ers learn from your actions

Ribbons

• Blue – meets ALL standards well

• Red – meets some standards well, could

use improvement on others

• White – needs improvement on many

standards; missing critical information

• Purple – if awarded, exhibit exceeds all

standards

Help Members Learn

• What did you enjoy?

• How did you feel?

• What did the judge say: – You did well

– Suggested improvements

– Ideas for next year

• What would you do different?

• Focus on the member – not the ribbon – Reinforce what they did well

Kansas 4-H says…

• Participation in county fairs is an opportunity and

privilege for 4-H members.

• If they choose to participate, they are in effect

asking for an adult to give his or her opinion

regarding the quality of their exhibit or

participation.

• Having asked for this opinion, they should

accept it gracefully and learn from it.

Preparing for Judging

• Practice – With leaders

– Older members as mentors

• “Achievement” shows

• Review “3 questions”

• Know exhibit class descriptions – Special class requirements

– Size and / or safety

• Know county rules & procedures

Preparing for Judging

• New members and families – Do they know:

• What to have ready?

• What will happen?

• Rules & regulations?

• Where to go?

• County Fair judging day – Assign helper if needed

– Extra supplies

– Have a smile

Exhibit Evaluation Resources

• Evaluating 4-H Exhibits notebook

• Previous training outlines

• 4-H Project Materials

• Project objectives

• Horticulture DVD

• Food & Nutrition video

• Self study

• Extension staff

• Judges

Internet Resources

• Evaluating Exhibits handbook

– http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/statefair/eehandb

ook

• General Judges Info

– http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/page/iowa-4-h-

judges

• State Fair website

– http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/statefair

Thanks for all you do!

• Discussion/Questions?