4-H Record Books

Completing a 4-H Record Book is a process where you record your project and club work using a standard format. 4-H Record Books are not required for membership or participation in 4-H activities. It is an optional program that improves your skills in record keeping, goal management, and reflections on when you had to switch gears in order to meet your goals.

You can submit your record book for evaluation at the club, county and state levels. Learn more about Record Book competitions.

Benefits of completing a 4-H Record Book

Practice Records Management - Track your activities, events, profits and losses, skill development and learning experiences. In this competency skill you identify, create, classify, archive and preserve records.
Reflect on your yearly work - Document your skill development and learning experiences in a written report.
Measure your achievements and growth throughout your years in 4-H.
Set goals, pursue strategies to meet those goals, and record how you may have had to shift gears in the face of challenges and obstacles.

Changes to Record Book

The Record Book and the Achievement Program are OPTIONAL and SEPARATE programs. We highly recommend you take advantage of both programs to maximize your growth and learning through 4-H.

The Star Ranking system uses the Personal Development Report (PDR). With the new Achievement Program, you can still include the reports you submit to earn your Achievement levels. Please see the Spark Achievements Manual for instructions on including the new forms in your Record Book.

Paper and Digital Record Books

Purchase a Record Book cover using this link. 5% goes back to California 4-H!

Both paper and digital versions of the Record Books use the forms and links below. We recommend creating a digital Record Book for submission to competitions.

Record Books and Virtual Participation

Tips on meeting 4-H club and project requirements with virtual learning. Here are some tips for earning your Star Rank credits virtually and ideas on how to record them in your Record Book. Remember to talk to your Club or Project Leader about options for meeting project or club completion projects.

Are you a Club Officer? How can you help the younger members in your club finish their 4-H year successfully?

Download Tips for Earning and Recording Star Rank Credits in a Virtual World

Record Book Virtual Evaluations

Trying to decide if you want to host Club and County Record Book Evaluations/Competitions virtually? This recorded webinar discusses options to consider.

Covered in the slide deck and video recording:

Considerations such as unknowns, inequitable access to tools, and reducing stress on families
Star Rank Achievements
Evaluation/Competition Recommendations—guidance regardless of how you decide to complete evaluations
Options for collecting signatures
Options for submitting books: email, scanned, drop-off
Options to evaluate virtual independently, virtual small group, in-person after SIP lifted
Supports provided by Statewide Incentives & Recognition Advisory Committee

Download the Slide Deck of this recorded webinar: RB Virtual Evaluations

Record Book Competitions

Record books can be submitted for review and evaluation at the Club, County, and State level. Learn more about Record Book Competitions.

The 2021-23 Record Book Manual and Record Book Forms

The 2021-23 edition is now available. There are no changes from the 2021-22 edition to this two-year edition. All forms and manuals can be used for both program years.

All counties in California must be in alignment with the documents outlined in the manual; no other supplemental forms or requirements may be used.

The Record Book Manual and Record Book Forms are separate documents.

Record Book Manual

Record Book Manual (PDF) - This manual outlines all the parts of the Record Book and includes instructions for completing each form.

PLEASE READ before accessing Google Forms

Copy to your own personal Google Drive. Please open a free, personal Google account to access the Google Record Book Form templates.

NOTE: Do not use the Google account you were assigned from your school.

Most school districts block access from outside of your school district. Please be aware that if you are trying to use the Google account assigned from your school, you are likely to get a denied access/request permission request. It is also likely that they will not grant you incoming access by your school account administrator.

Forms

Each county must come into alignment with these versions and eliminate all supplemental forms and/or other requirements.

All versions allow you to complete each form directly into the document and expand or delete the rows as needed. Use the forms style you are most comfortable using.

All Google versions contain all forms, but does not include the My 4-H Story, Expression Pages, Collection of Work, or Resume for Seniors. There are prompts to remind you to create these pages.

2021-23 Record Book Forms (docx)

2021-23 Record Book forms (Google doc)

2021-23 Record Book Forms (Excel)

2021-23 Record Book Forms (Google Sheet)