4-H Golden Clover Awards

The Golden Clover Awards recognize outstanding achievement of 4-H members, volunteers, 4-H program staff, and groups within the 4-H YDP.

2009 California 4-H Golden Clover Awards (PDF)
Due postmarked by May 31, 2009.

Sponsorship Opportunity: Name a 4-H Golden Clover Award (Word) (PDF)

Previous Award Winners: 2009 Award Winners  |  2008 Award Winners   |  2007 Award Winners  |  2006 Award Winners  |  2005 Award Winners

Application Information

Eligibility

• Regular 4-H members
  
• 4-H volunteers
  
• 4-H groups
  
• 4-H program staff
  
• May apply or be nominated in any applicable category. Individuals and groups may only win once in a category every three years. 4-H academic staff are not eligible.

Award consists of:

• $500 used at the discretion of the award winner.
  
• Medallion
  
• Lapel pin
  
• Recognition on the State 4-H website
  
• Announced at the 4-H State Leadership Conference and State 4-H Leaders’ Forum.
  
• 4-H program staff recipients will not receive the monetary award but will receive all other recognition.

Process
Applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2009, and sent to the California State 4-H Office. All required information must be included. The California State 4-H Office will notify recipients by July 1. Individuals and groups may apply or be nominated in multiple categories. Individuals and groups may win in only one category per year. Individuals are eligible to win as an individual and as part of a group in the same year. The selection committee reserves the option of moving applications to another category if they feel it would be a better match.

Groups
Groups are two or more 4-H members, volunteers, or 4-H program staff working together on a project. Group recipients will be awarded lapel pins for every group member and one medallion per group.

Criteria
Applications will be evaluated on how well the applicant meets the description of the category, overall participation within 4-H, and the 4-H mission and direction program criteria. Group applications consisting of youth and adults need to demonstrate strong youth-adult partnerships.

4-H Golden Clover Award Categories

Innovative Ideas Award Sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
This category is awarded to a member, volunteer and group for new, fresh, and creative 4-H work at local, county and state levels. Innovative 4-H work includes inventive educational activities, research ideas, service-learning projects, and other activities outside the normal range of 4-H work.

Fundraising Award Sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
This category is awarded to a member, volunteer and group for efforts in fundraising for both financial and in-kind donations generated for local, county, and state levels. Recipients share methods and processes to raise funds and educate others in the fundraising process.

Collaboration and Outreach Award Sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
This category is awarded to a member, volunteer and group for increased public awareness of the 4-H Youth Development Program, involving new youth and adults in 4-H, reaching out to communities that have historically not benefited from 4-H, and creating partnerships with other youth development organizations.

Special Events and Activities Award Sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
This category is awarded to a member and volunteer for individual leadership roles within 4-H camps, conferences, and trainings. This category is awarded to a group for outstanding educational events or activities that involve youth-adult partnerships in planning and delivery, reach a wide array of youth, and strive to meet local needs.

Mentoring Award Sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
This category is awarded to a member and volunteer for being a trusted friend, counselor, or leader and changing the life of a peer or youth in a positive manner.

Luella Zamzow Spirit of Citizenship Award Sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
Luella Zamzow dedicated her life to the betterment of 4-H, enriching the lives of countless youth and adults. She embodied the “citizen of the world” in her constant efforts to learn about the world around her and how she could serve to improve the world. This award was created in the desire to honor her legacy.   This category is awarded to a youth, volunteer, group and staff that exemplifies the same spirit and dedication Luella gave for the California Citizenship Program including: Contributions above and beyond in living the definition of citizenship; “acting with informed concern for self and others” within California’s five focus areas of citizenship. Enriching the lives of youth and adults in California, the U.S. and the world.

Dillon Percey 4-H Member Leadership Award
Sponsored by the Percy family and friends in loving memory of Dillon Percy, a 4-H member who passed away at age 13. Dillon was a 4-H member in the Desert Sandblasters 4-H Club in Riverside County.  This category is awarded to a member for being an exceptional role model to others and providing leadership activities at local, county, and state 4-H activities.

4-H Member of Excellence Award Sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
This category is awarded to a member for personal achievement and improvement, setting goals and completing them, excelling beyond expectations and overcoming hardships, and for outstanding and long-term contributions to the 4-H Youth Development Program.

Ironstone Concours Service Dog Award Permantenly endowed by the Ironstone Concours Foundation.
The Ironstone Concours Foundation is proud that over the last decade it has contributed more than $500,000 to youth programs, which include state and local 4-H organizations, California State Fair, Friends of the Fair Scholarship Program, and the Calaveras County Fair Scholarship Program.   This category is awarded to a 4-H member who has shown commitment, patience and outstanding work with service and guide dogs through 4-H.

Robert Brownlee Science Award Sponsored by the Robert Brownlee Foundation.
The Robert Brownlee Foundation was established in 1987 to provide financial awards for creating and maintaining innovative programs for youth. Robert Brownlee (1942-1991) was a visionary, whose practical inventions were elegant solutions to complicated technical problems, and whose generosity continues to extend that vision to science education for young people.  This category is awarded to a member and volunteer for utilizing science inquiry and experiential learning in 4-H work to help youth increase knowledge, skills and competencies and improve their attitudes about science. This category includes increasing science awareness and use in 4-H projects by testing predictions and making sense of observations.

Jack and Robert Clay Outdoor Adventure Award Permanently endowed by gifts from the Family and Friends of Jack and Robert Clay
Past Recipients
Jack Clay and his son, Robert, were enthusiastically involved in the 4-H camping and outdoor adventure projects as leader and junior leader in Alameda County. Following their tragic accidental death in September 1987, family and friends established this memorial. This category is awarded to a member or volunteer for 4-H work in camping and outdoor adventures including camping, fishing, hiking, shooting sports, rafting, climbing, GIS/GPS, snow skiing, and others. This category also includes outstanding achievement, leadership, and promotion of outdoor adventures.

Emerging 4-H Volunteer Leader Award Sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
This category is awarded to a volunteer with five or fewer years of excellent 4-H volunteer service in the 4-H Youth Development Program.

Keith Barnes Memorial Awards

Past Recipients
Keith Barnes was a long-time 4-H leader in Sacramento and Placer counties. Keith spearheaded the effort to establish the California 4-H Leaders Council in 1972. He served two terms as its first president, from 1973-76, and was again elected to the position in 1980, where he continued until his untimely death in 1984. Keith offered a simple philosophy for youth development: “We are here to teach 4-H’ers to be good citizens. If they learn about their projects, then that’s OK too.”

Keith Barnes 4-H Volunteer of Excellence Award Sponsored by the California Farm Bureau Federation.
This category is awarded to a volunteer with 6 to 25 years of excellent 4-H volunteer service in the 4-H YD Program.

Keith Barnes 4-H Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award Sponsored by the California Farm Bureau Federation.
This category is awarded to a volunteer with more than 25 years of excellent 4-H volunteer service in the 4-H Youth Development Program.

4-H Youth Development program Staff Awards

Both of these categories are awarded to a 4-H program staff (Program Representatives, Program Assistants, Managers, Coordinators, etc.). 4-H academic staff are ineligible (e.g. 4-H Youth Development Advisor, Academic Coordinator, etc.)

Engaging Youth in Reaching Their Fullest Potential Award
This category is awarded to 4-H staff who have engaged youth in reaching their fullest potential through outstanding program delivery.

Partnership Award
This category is awarded to 4-H staff who have created successful partnerships with 4-H volunteers, 4-H members, and other community organizations.