4-H Member Portfolio and Record Books
Madison County requires all 4-H Members to complete a record book for each of their projects. If a member chooses, they may submit their record book as a portfolio to be judged at the fair. All record books and portfolios should include the member’s involvement report, 4-H Story, Project Record Books and other important information about the member’s 4-H experience.
Portfolio Organization and Judging Criteria
Portfolios are judged at the club level. Some portfolios will move on to the county level to be displayed at the fair and earn premiums.
- Portfolio Checklist (PDF). Gives an exact guide to organizing your member portfolio.
- Portfolio Judging Sheet (PDF). Used by club leaders and county judges to judge the member portfolio.
Project Record Books
Learning to keep accurate records is an essential life skill. 4-H youth develop this skill by completing a simple record book for each project they enroll in. Idaho uses ZSuite for its basic record books.
- ZSuites Record Book
- 4-H Project Record Book (#91950) (ZSuite online application)
- Animal Science Lesson Plans Skills Checklist (PDF)
- Market Animal Planning & Growth Charts
Members should check with the UI Extension, Madison County office to make sure they are using the correct record book for their project(s). A new record book is used for each year.
Involvement Reports
Each member also maintains a 4-H Involvement Report that tracks overall club participation, leadership, civic engagement, 4-H promotional efforts and attendance at contests, activities and events.
This form is designed so members can keep a cumulative summary in one record. This is very helpful when members apply for awards and college scholarships.
The involvement report must be included in the 4-H Member Portfolio.
Completing Record Books
A completed record book must be submitted for each project a member enrolls in. We developed the following resources to clarify what information is needed in each section.
Completed record books should be included in the 4-H Member Portfolio.
- A Guide for Completing 4-H Record Books (PDF). Answers many common questions about completing your record book correctly.
- Record Book Completion Guidelines (PDF). Offers more specific information on record book completion.
- Animal Record Completion Additional Guidelines (PDF). Details animal record book requirements, which are slightly different from non-animal requirements.
- Zsuite support page where you can find tip sheets for families and volunteers
- Record Book Tip Sheet (pdf)