The Congressional Award: Help Your 4-H'ers Earn Congress' Highest Award

Abstract

The Congressional Award is the highest honor the United States Congress presents to America’s civilian youth. It is an individual challenge open to all teens– regardless of background, ability, or GPA. Participants earn bronze, silver, and gold medals by setting goals and devoting hundreds of hours to four program areas: Community Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and an Expedition/Exploration trip. Learn about the details of this program, how it has been incorporated into county programs, and how you can best help your 4-H’ers earn this award.

Description

The poster will contain information regarding the requirements of the Congressional Award; the four program areas; current participation data from Arkansas 4-H&#39;ers; examples of how the program has been implemented differently in counties; impact statements from youth. <br/><br/>For example, to receive the gold medal a minimum of two years must be spent earning 400 hours of community service, 200 hours on a personal development project, 200 hours on a physical fitness goal, and planning and executing a five-day overnight trip.<br/><br/>Program Areas:<br/>Community Service--Serving without compensation, Activities must benefit greater community at-large (public organizations, non-partisan, non-religious). Examples: collecting and distributing books to youth and organizations, mentoring younger children, handling lawncare for elderly neighbors, delivering food to families with food insecurity, visiting nursing homes, donating baked goods for fundraisers, delivering meals to homebound individuals, and helping families prepare for disasters. <br/><br/>Personal Development--Pursue a new activity or advance ability in an existing interest; Consider your 4-H project and activities done within your 4-H project. Example: Improve sketching and design skills across different mediums; Explore different computer software programs by learning the basics of computer programming; Learn to play piano at an intermediate level<br/><br/>Physical Fitness--Include current fitness level and determine where you’d like to advance. Example: Decrease 5k time from 10:00/mile to 9:00/mile by implementing interval running and strength training in to my fitness routine.<br/><br/>Expedition/Exploration--Discover the great outdoors; Experience culture, history, humanity. Every Exploration/Expedition is reviewed for Planning, Immersion, and Challenge. Examples: Canoe trip, camping, shadow a person with a physical impairment, live the life of a ranch hand, explore a historical area or culture, spend a week living with a family from a different background than you.

Poster Outcomes

Viewers will learn the requirements for each level of a Congressional Award, increase their ability to assist 4-H’ers in completing the Congressional Award requirements, and improve their ability to promote and explain the Congressional Award program to youth and families.

Implications For 4-H Youth Development

The Congressional Award program provides youth the opportunity to develop and practice skills in goal-setting, perseverence, planning, reflection, and reporting. Youth work alongside an adult mentor to set SMART goals in community service, personal development, and physical fitness. Youth also gain incredible first-hand knowledge and practical skills by taking responsibility for planning and implementing a multi-day/night outdoors expedition or cultural exploration. The Congressional Award uniquely merges 4-H projects, community service, leadership, and physical fitness into one impactful program. <br/><br/>When asked what he gained by participating in the Congressional Award to earn his gold medal, Joshua S. said, “I have developed the dedication and discipline to not only establish goals, but to record the results, and see them to completion. It has given me confidence and perseverance to serve as a team player through community service and commitment to others.” He also noted that, “Besides practical skills, I have learned patience from my experiences and perseverance. When not achieving success on the first attempt, I would have to keep pressing on, addressing new ideas, and critically thinking through various solutions. Patience is pinnacle.” <br/><br/>Arkansas&#39; first gold medalist, Madison M., said, “By participating in the Congressional Award Program, I have learned the importance of record keeping and goal setting. Through goal setting, I see that no matter how large the end result may be, one can work at it for a given period of time and achieve anything you set your mind to. Most importantly, I have learned that there are opportunities every day to serve others in my community.”<br/><br/>This program can be implemented in any county/parish across the country. There is no limit on the number of youth that can earn this award. Many of our 4-H&#39;ers are already doing this work, so let&#39;s help them get recognized for it!

Presenters

Valerie Seefeld, University of Arkansas System, Cooperative Extension Service