Effingham County hosted 11 counties for this year’s Southeast District 4-H Cloverleaf District Project Achievement. More than 600 people were in attendance.

Effingham County was well represented by nearly 60 staff, volunteers, teen leaders and competitors. Out of Effingham’s 33 competitors, 76 percent placed. Effingham County 4-H received awards for the highest percentage of winners and second place county with the greatest improvement.

Effingham County Cloverleaf 4-H competitors were: Ebenezer Elementary School’s Benjamin Heller (first place); Guyton Elementary School’s Beaman King (second place), Bailey Morris (second place), David Whitten III, Eliza Youmans (second place); Marlow Elementary School’s Katie Elliott (first place), Stephen Hall (third place); Brooke Richardson; Springfield Elementary School’s  South Effingham Elementary School’s Olivia Laverenz, Jessica Madina (second place), Austin Norwood (third place); Effingham County Middle School’s Garrett Armstrong (first place), Cullen Barringer (first place), Kelsie Bennett (second place), Oraika Camacho, Yaschira Camacho (third place), Philip Clifton, Harris Cutcher (second place), Kayla Eddy (first place), Bryndi Edenfield, Justin Frazier (first place), Michael Gant (third place), Chris Harders, Thomas Lee, Kimberly Newsome (first place), Rachel Northrope (second place), Lawton Roraback (third place), Haley Rowe (second place), Destiney Tilley, Kristin Waters, (third place), Casie Wilson (second place); Ebenezer Middle School’s Danny Babineau; South Effingham Middle School’s William Hall (second place); and David Lariscy (second place).

The event was held at Ebenezer Middle School on April 5. The EMS administration, teachers and support staff partnered with Effingham County Extension staff to host this extraordinary event.

4-H Cloverleaf District Project Achievement is a competition for fifth and sixth graders. Competitors can compete in more than 60 categories or project areas including several food preparation project areas, performing arts projects, and multiple public speaking projects ranging from agriculture to workforce preparation and career development.
In the public speaking projects, project achievement fosters the development of oral communication skills by encouraging the student to recall, interpret and summarize information researched.

Project achievement also provides the opportunity to deliver a planned oral presentation and provides a “real world experience” in adjusting the manner and style of speaking to the audience and situation.

All of these are key components of the Georgia Performance Standards. This method known as project achievement is in keeping with the experiential learning philosophy, which allows a student to experience the act of research, share the information gained in the form of visuals and a speech, process what is important about the subject matter in the form of visuals and key phrases in the speech, and generalize and apply the material to their individual life.

Performers in the performing arts projects can dance, play an instrument, deliver a dramatic interpretation, or sing a vocal performance.

4-H’ers competing in foods projects actually prepare a food item before the judges while demonstrating proper food handling techniques.

Additionally, these competitors are expected to be familiar with the new food pyramid and prepare a sample daily menu. Each 4-H’er may also be asked about his or her food item or menu in relation to the new food pyramid.