Oklahoma 4-H Salute to Excellence

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Sample Volunteer Recognition Application

Congratulations on being recognized for your contributions to the 4-H program,
members, and volunteers in your club and home county. Your county's nomination is an opportunity to be considered for your notable contributions at a district and even state level.

Your county educator and Extension office are a great resource for helping you put together the application package. All materials are due to your Extension office/educator on or before February 23rd.  The extension office has until March 2 to submit the materials.

 

Volunteers who complete the application package will receive complimentary full registration funded by the OK 4-H Foundation, to attend the 2026 Oklahoma Conference on Volunteerism in Stillwater on June 26-27th. 

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Application Will Include:

1. 4-H Resume – The resume includes 5 questions which are an opportunity to share your 4-H story and experiences. It can be no more than 2 pages, 12-point font with 1-inch margins.
2. Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
   Letters of recommendation must be written by a 4-H staff member, 4-H youth participant, and another volunteer/parent. All letters are to be signed by hand by the author. Letters should be no longer than 2 pages in length, in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Letters may be in print/paper, or PDF format.
3. Photograph - High-quality photograph (600 dpi) of the nominee. Photos must be saved as TIFF, JPG, or PNG,  format. Photographs or pictures embedded in a word document or as a pdf are not acceptable.

All materials are due to county Extension Office on or before February 23, 2026. Work closely with the county Educator/Office to meet the timely deadline.

 

District and State winners will be announced at the annual OK 4-H Parent-Volunteer Conference.

 

• District winners receive an engraved plate. 
• State winners receive a $250 scholarship which can be used for the purpose of continuing their development as a 4-H volunteer.
• The State Volunteer of the Year winner will be Oklahoma’s nominee for the regional awards program.
• State Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer recipient will not automatically be advanced to the regional Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer awards program. The Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Board reserves the right to consider previous nominees for advancement.
• Regional winners receive a personalized plaque and a $500 donation (2025) in the
  honorees name to a local 4-H program of the honorees choosing.
• National honorees will receive a plaque or similar symbol representative of their achievement. Additionally, National Council will donate $2,000 (2025) in the honorees name to a local 4-H program of their choosing.

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County Use Only

1. Electronically submit the volunteer's materials through MS Forms on or before March 2nd. A complete application includes the 4-H resume, photograph, and three letters of recommendation.  Please upload all materials using the following link: Upload Materials
2. CAREFULLY label each file before uploading use the example below. When files are not labeled correctly, they can be easily overlooked or misplaced.

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4-H Resume Template

Name

County

 

** Please don’t be intimidated by the outline below. It is intended to inspire and generate ideas to be shared. As a reminder, you are limited to two pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins.

 

Answer questions 1- 5 in your own words. It is not necessary to repeat the sentence, but please number your response so it corresponds with the question. The response can be bullets or paragraphs. Your choice.

 

1. Briefly introduce your 4-H career as a volunteer and why you choose to volunteer your time, talents, and resources in your club/community/county/district/state/regional/national.
2. Evidence of a positive impact on the lives of 4-H youth. Share a story(s) where you remember having a positive impact on the life/lives of 4-H youth.
3. Evidence of a positive impact on the 4-H program. Share a story(s) where you remember having a positive impact(s) on the 4-H program (could be with a club, committee, leadership role, fund raising, program growth, member recruitment and retention, volunteer recruitment and retention, partnering with community resources, etc.)
4. Personal attributes - How have you grown personally because of being a 4-H volunteer.
5. Personal Involvement in 4-H - Briefly highlight what you believe are your most important 4-H related leadership roles, committees, honors, etc. 

You are welcome to include a list of relevant non-4-H volunteer roles including a summary of years, the roles, and organizations.

 

Suggestions to Improve Responses

1. Clarify Expectations with Examples - Provide a short sample response or excerpt for each question to show what a strong answer looks like. This helps volunteers understand the depth and tone your are looking for. 
2. Use prompts to Spark Reflection - Add sub-questions or prompts under each main question to guide their thinking. For example:
   • Q2 (Impact on Youth):
     • Can you describe a moment when a youth thanked you or showed growth?
     • What challenges did the youth face, and how did you help?
   • Q4 (Personal growth):
     • What skills have you developed?
     • Has volunteering changed your perspective or goals?
3. Offer a Planning Worksheet - Before they write the final version, give them a worksheet with brainstorming prompts. This helps them organize their thoughts and recall specific stories. 
4. Encourage Storytelling Over Listing - Remind them that stories are more powerful than lists. A single detailed story can have more impact than a long list of roles or achievements. 
5. Host a Writing Workshop or Office Hours - Offer a short virtual or in-person session where volunteers can ask questions, get feedback, or even draft their responses with support. 
6. Use a checklist for Self-Review

Provide a checklist like:

• Did I include a specific story or example?
• Did I explain why I volunteer, not just what I do?
• Did I reflect on how I've grown?