Eligibility Requirements 

• Applicants must be active, enrolled 4-H members in good standing within their county and have participated in 4-H in Kentucky for at least one year. 

• Applicants must have at least 6-hours of 4-H involvement within their county 4-H program for the year they are applying. 

• Applicants must meet the age requirements for the Achievement level they are applying for. 

• Youth who have turned 19 but were active, enrolled 4-H members in the previous program year are eligible to apply. 

• All information in the application must be accurate and truthfully represent the 4-H member's involvement and experiences. If the application is found to be falsified, it will be disqualified. 

   

If you are of at least 9 years old 4-H Age and have participated in 4-H for at least one year, you should consider completing the Achievement Form.  Points are built during your entire 4-H Career, ages 9-18 (4-H age). 

The awards build year after year for Clover Levels I, Clover Level II, Clover Level III, Bronze Award, Silver Award, Gold Award and Emerald Award. So it is important to start as soon as you're eligible. The Achievement Program helps build recognition for state and national events and can be very beneficial towards future scholarship opportunities. 

The Achievement Program has 7 levels. Each year the youth participates in 4-H their recorded activity is judged on a point system that accumulates toward the next level. Once started, the same application should be updated every year and resubmitted. 

A program year runs from September 1 - August 31. 

*4-H members applying for Gold or Emerald Achievement levels are eligible to be considered for the Program Area Champion recognition.
This honor celebrates youth who demonstrate:

• Strong knowledge and achievement in a specific program area
• A clear spark or passion for that program area
• A commitment to giving back through service or leadership within that program area

To be considered for Program Area Champion, simply check the box on the first page of the Achievement Application. 

Foundation Provided Pin and Patch: Every level will receive a pin and patch provided by the Foundation. 
County Recognition: Every level will receive a certificate and recognition at the annul Boone County Achievement Banquet. 

Bronze Level Award: One-third registration fee paid for Teen Summit OR Teen Conference
Silver Level Award: Two-third registration fee paid for Teen Conference; Invitation to attend National 4-H Congress, including a partial scholarship to support participation
Gold Level Award*: Back-pack; Registration fee paid for Teen Conference; Eligible to apply to attend National 4-H Conference; Interviews will be held in the fall following the announcement of recipients; four youth will be selected to attend.
Emerald Level Award*: Trophy; $1000 Scholarship; Cultural Immersion Experience

*Program Area Champion: If Selected as a Program Area Champion, the 4-Her May Gain Access To:

• Career exposure opportunities in their program area
• Involvement in planning groups or committees where their voice matters
• Media and marketing opportunities related to their program area
• Additional progressive experiences at the state and possibly national level
  
   

• Applicants may record all qualifying entries from ages 9-18 years old.
• Cloverbud activities are not eligible and should not be included in the application.
• Applications should report on 4-H-specific programs, projects, events, and activities unless otherwise noted.
• Application entries should cover activities up to the end of the program year on August 31st. Any involvement from September 1st onward in the program year the application is being submitted should not be included. (Currently we are accepting applications for activities that occurred between September 1, 2024 - August 31, 2025)
• Applicants must meet the age requirements for the Achievement level they are applying for. (4-H age is determined by January 1 of the program year, i.e. how old you were by January 1, 2025 determines your 4-H age for the current application). 
   

Clover Levels

• Video, essay, drawing, poem, or picture collage, with the entry type chosen by the county agent
  • Video Requirements:
    2-3 minutes long
    Create by the 4-H member
    Uploaded to YouTube
    Posted by application deadline and remain accessible
  • Drawing, Poem, Picture Collage Requirements:
    Limited to one page
    Poems must be at least 5 lines long. 
    If using a font, please use 11- or 12-point Times New Roman or Arial. 
    Picture collages can be created either digitally or by hand. Include a PDF document with your application that showcases your picture collage.
     

Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald Levels

• Essay. Choose one or more prompts from the Common App website
  4-Her should use their 4-H experience to answer the prompt(s) they selected
  • Between 250-500 words
    Use 11- or 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font 
    
     

For Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald applications a headshot is required* to be included. Some things to consider for a good photo: 

• When possible, natural lighting on a cloudy day is ideal
• Make sure the background in clean and simple
• Photo should include head and shoulders or be from the waist up
• For physical applications, paperclip a 4x6" printed image
• For digital applications, include in your email as an attachment with your full name and year included in the file name. 

See below for excellent examples

:       

Create a 2-3 minute video addressing the following prompt: 4-H equips youth with essential life skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging through hands-on learning. Provide an example of a skill 4-H has taught you that will benefit your future career.

• Requirements:
  • Created by the 4-H member
  • Recorded with a smartphone or simple device (no special equipment or editing)
  • Uploaded to YouTube (Only YouTube links will be accepted.)
  • Accessible via YouTube link by the application deadline  
     

Gold applicants who meet the application requirements will participate in a virtual interview via Zoom with at least two judges, who will ask questions.

All interview questions will center on the 4-H program, the member's participation, and their personal journey.

For Gold applicants, the total score will be equally divided between the application score and the interview score, with each contributing 50%.

Virtual Interviews: Saturday, January 31, 2026
 

Virtual Interview – May 
All Emerald Level applicants participate in a virtual interview which will focus on the youth's 4-H journey, experiences, lessons learned, and future aspirations.

From the virtual interview, 50-60% of applicants will be selected to continue to the next step, an In-Person Interview. 

In-Person Interview
This will be a progressive interview that assess how well applicants can think on their feet and communicate effectively. It will consist of three rooms:

1. Civic/Community Involvement
2. 4-H Involvement
3. Scenario-Based Questions

This portion of the interview process will emphasize the applicants critical thinking and communication skills rather than their 4-H journey and accomplishments. 

Call-Back Interviews 
After the in-person interviews, a select number of candidates will be invited to call-back interviews. This part of the process will continue to focus on communication skills and critical thinking. 

Final Selection
The top four candidates will be selected from the Call-Back Interviews. Those who achieved Emerald Level will be announced at the Achievement Assembly during Teen Conference.

 

• APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE COUNTY 4-H AGENT NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2025 by 4:30 PM.
  • Applications are reviewed by the county agent, they may contact you with changes that need to be made before the state deadline.
• Bronze, Silver, and Gold Achievement applications and their requirements are due to the state 4-H office by December 15.
  • Area grouping agent representatives will submit their area's applications to the state office. Instructions on how to submit applications are provided to area grouping representatives each September.
• Bronze, Silver, and Gold applications will be judged on January 15-16, 2026.
• Gold interviews will take place on January 31, 2026.
• Clover Levels 1-3, Bronze, Silver, and Gold recipients will be announced in March.
• Gold recipients will have the option to apply for the Emerald level. 
  Emerald applications are due to the state office by April 15.
  • Area grouping agent representatives will submit their area's applications to the state office.
• Emerald virtual interviews will be conducted in May, and in-person interviews will take place in June (on the first day of the 4-H Teen Conference in Lexington).
• Bronze, Silver, and Gold recipients will be recognized at the Achievement Assembly during 4-H Teen Conference. Emerald winners will be announced at the Achievement Assembly during the 4-H Teen Conference.