The Application
The application is your formal entry. It requires you to rank your preferences for National 4-H Congress, Conference, or Leadership Conference.
You can only attend each event once in your career. Ranking them matters because it aligns your current age and interests with the specific focus of the trip.
Hands-On Lesson: Priorities
Don't just pick at random. Use this exercise to decide your rankings:
- Check the Age: Are you 14? You might want to save the Leadership Conference (Grades 10-12) for later and aim for Congress now.
- Match the Mission:
- National 4-H Congress: High-energy, huge crowd, focus on project-specific excellence (Animal Science, STEM, etc.).
- National 4-H Conference: Policy-focused, smaller group, involves "consulting" for federal agencies.
- National Leadership Conference: Intensive personal growth and teamwork.
3. Rank your choices: Write down your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices and one sentence for each explaining why that specific trip fits your goals for 2025-2026.