State 4-H Poster Contest

What Is The 4-H Poster Contest?

The 4-H Poster Contest is designed to increase 4-H members' awareness of the topics and to give 4-H'ers an opportunity for artistic expression.

Who

Any current 4-H member (age 8 by 6/30/2024 up to age 21 by 9/30/2025) may enter regardless of his/her project enrollment. No project requirements.

Age Divisions

There are three (3) age divisions:

• Junior – 4-H members age 8 to 10 by June 30, 2024
• Intermediate – 4-H members age 11 to 13 by June 30, 2024
• Senior – 4-H members age 14 to 21 by June 30, 2024

Counties are welcome to accept Cloverbud exhibits. However, Cloverbud exhibits may only be exhibited at the county level and should be recognized at the county level in accordance with the state Cloverbud policies.

Categories

There are ten (10) categories for the poster contest:

1. 4-H Promotion – General: To increase awareness about the 4-H program. This category is for promoting 4-H overall and specific 4-H activities may fall into one of the categories listed below.
2. 4-H Promotion – Club and Special Interest Programs: To increase awareness about 4-H clubs and special interest programs. Examples include community clubs, afterschool clubs, and specialty programs like shooting sports, robotics, livestock, outdoor, photography, and teen leadership.
3. 4-H Promotion – Camp: To increase awareness about the 4-H camping program. Posters can focus on camping overall or a specific camp - county, regional, or state; weekend, overnight, or day camp.
4. 4-H Promotion – Beyond Ready: To increase awareness about how 4-H helps youth dream, achieve, and thrive in a changing world. 4-H is building a ready generation in a world of change.
5. 4-H at Fairs – 100th State Fair of West Va: To increase awareness about how 4-H has been a part of fairs and festivals for over 100 years. The State Fair of West Virginia will be celebrating 100 years in 2025.
6. Healthy Living: To increase awareness about healthy lifestyle issues on topics such as nutrition; physical activity; social-emotional health; drug prevention; safety and prevention in areas like food, ATV, farming, fire, water.
7. Civic Engagement: To increase awareness of youths' role in civic leadership and service to their communities. This category also explores government principles, cultural history, and global education.
8. Agriculture: To increase awareness of topics related to agriculture to gain better understanding of the role of agriculture in our society. Topics such as horticulture, livestock, wildlife.
9. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math): To increase awareness of STEM activities and careers in topics such as life sciences; technology; robotics; applied mathematics; computer science; engineering; environmental and natural sciences.
10. Dairy: To show, using an imaginative theme, that milk is an important source of nutrients and to promote the use of milk *sponsor – American Dairy Association.

Rules

• Number of Posters – A 4-H member can enter any or all ten (10) categories in their age division.
• Individual – All posters must be constructed by one 4-H member individually. No team posters.
• Materials – Posters should be standard poster board. Foam board will not be accepted. Possible materials to use on the poster board are: markers, crayons, colored pencils, pasted-on construction paper or fabric (flat), paint, press-on letters, or stenciled letters (filled in). Nothing must protrude from or stick up on the poster, it MUST be a flat poster submission!
• Size – All posters must be 22” x 14”. (This is one-half of a full sheet of poster board).
• Original Work – All posters must be created by the 4-H members submitting them. Pinterest and Internet search engines can be used for inspiration, but copying a poster from the internet is not appropriate and will not be accepted. Posters also may not contain copyrighted characters. Some copyrighted examples are Disney Characters, Snoopy, Minecraft, and Harry Potter.
• 4-H Name and Emblem – All uses of the 4-H Club Name or Emblem shall be consistent with the educational purposes, character-building objectives, and dignity of the 4-H program and the 4-H Club Name or Emblem shall be given a position of prominence. It is not permissible to superimpose any letter, design, or object on the 4-H Club Emblem, or to materially alter its intended shape. For more information, review Using the 4-H Name and Emblem (PDF).
• Identification – Each poster must have the following information in the upper left corner on the back of the poster: Name, County, Age (as of June 30, 2024), poster category, age division. Use the provided tags for this information.

Displays & Rewards

• Posters will be judged at the county level. One poster in each category and age division may be submitted for state judging. It is at the county’s discretion to send winning posters on to the state level contest.

• Posters will be judged at the state level. All state level entries will receive a certificate, appropriate ribbon award, State Fair ribbon, and premium ($3.50) for each poster entered at the state level.
• Posters submitted to the state level will be on display electronically at the State Fair of West Virginia - August 7 – 16, 2025. Dairy category posters will be physically displayed at the State Dairy Show in August at WVU Jackson’s Mill.
• Special Award for Dairy Category – The state winner in each of the three age categories will receive a homemade ice cream freezer. The freezers will be awarded at the West Virginia Dairy Cattle Show and Festival. The sponsor of the freezers is the American Dairy Association.
• Special Award for 4-H Promotion Categories – The individuals who create the top poster (out of the 3 age divisions) at the State level will have an opportunity to work with our WVU Extension Communication Department to further develop the posters into a promotion piece that will be used statewide during future 4-H programs and events.

WVU is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer -- Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).
The WVU Board of Governors is the governing body of WVU. The Higher Education Policy Commission in West Virginia is responsible for developing, establishing, and overseeing the implementation of a public policy agenda for the state’s four-year colleges and universities.
Reasonable accommodations will be made to provide this content in alternate formats upon request. Contact the WVU Extension Service Office of Communications at 304-293-4222.