As we approach 4-H Congress, the 4-H Portfolios for Citizenship and Leadership have been judged. This year marked a major change in the presentation of the 4-Her’s project record. The electronic webpage to present the project accomplishments is quite a contrast to the old 4-H Record Book that I remember.

Since I am a senior citizen and completed my 4-H “Record Book” back in the late 1960’s, many changes have taken place. The old record book could easily pass for a scrapbook; generally, more the better. Some of you will recall the laborious National Report Form. Then with my children, we completed the 305 forms and the project record sheets.

Next, we moved on to portfolios to have a greater relevance to preparing for the workforce. This year, the electronic webpage portfolio was a new adventure in reporting project work. I particularly enjoyed reading the “Showcase” section. This is a tremendous opportunity for 4-Hers to highlight the great work they do in their projects. Even with the new application process, portfolio submissions were up 18%!  This is also a testament to the support agents give 4-Hers in developing and completing 4-H projects.

A lot of work went into developing this process. Our staff has learned a lot, too. I can assure you this webpage portfolio will be evaluated more to make it an efficient and useful tool for Tennessee 4-H.