Scholarships & Awards
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4-H believes in acknowledging and rewarding effort. 4-H Youth interested in leadership, wildlife or equine studies have the opportunity to apply for higher-education scholarships. The significant impact of Youth Members and Adult Volunteers are recognized through several award programs.
Scholarships
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Delaware 4-H Foundation Scholarship
The Delaware 4-H Foundation makes scholarships available to Delaware 4-H members in pursuit of higher education. Traditional scholarship awards recognize continued 4-H leadership.听
The annual Charles 鈥淐huck鈥 Busker Memorial Scholarship from the Delaware 4-H Foundation was established in 2024.听High school seniors or college students who are pursuing a degree in agriculture will be considered for this scholarship of $5,000.00 to support their studies. Students with an interest in dairy demonstrated by multiple years of 4-H Dairy Project participation and leadership will be given top priority. This award is given in memory of Charles 鈥淐huck鈥 Busker, an avid dairy farmer and 4-H supporter, via the endowment in his memory with the Foundation.听听
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Whitetails Unlimited
Whitetails Unlimited, Delaware Chapter, offers two $2,500 scholarships. These scholarships are available to qualifying seniors who plan to pursue a major associated with Wildlife and Forestry Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Management, Wildlife Biology, and/or Wildlife Ecology and Management.
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Delaware Equine Council Foundation Scholarship
Each year, the Foundation, supported by the Delaware Equine Council, awards scholarships to a few high-achieving students, pursuing their education in fields that will enhance the equine or agricultural industry.
4-H Youth Activity Awards
Delaware 4-H Youth in Action (YIA) Award
This award honors four Delaware 4-H鈥檈rs who have gained critical life skills through their 4-H experience and have utilized those skills to overcome a challenge or challenges they have faced.听 Every honoree is an outstanding 4-H鈥檈r who epitomizes 4-H youth empowerment and leadership. Through a formal selection process, one awardee will be chosen within each pillar area:
- Youth in Action: Agriculture
- Youth in Action: Citizenship
- Youth in Action: Healthy Living
- Youth in Action: STEM
Diamond Clover 4-H Award
The award consists of six levels that each require a 4-Her to plan and accomplish a broad range of age-appropriate tasks, acquiring valuable life skills as they progress.
Future Blue Hen Award
The 4-H staff have nominated 4-H members who have exhibited outstanding leadership, participation and cooperation during fair week. These 4-H members show a commitment to agriculture and a great potential for future success.
Joy G. Sparks Memorial Tribute Award
This annual perpetual award was established in 2009 by the Delaware State Fair Board of Directors as a memorial to Joy G. Sparks. The award will recognize a听 4-H youth member who has excelled in their participation in both the Delaware 4-H Program and as an exhibitor of the Delaware State Fair.
Joy Sparks was a member of the Delaware State Fair Board of Directors for 22 years from 1987 to 2009.听 She served in the role of 4th Vice President while also serving as the 4-H Department Superintendent.听 She participated on several fair committees over the years, while serving as chairperson of the Short and Long Range Planning. Joy had a 35+ year career with the 91原创 in Cooperative Extension. As State Program leader for the Delaware 4-H Program, she was the driving force which helped Delaware 4-H become a program epitomized by so many other states. In her various roles, Joy always displayed outstanding leadership qualities and promoted and encouraged leadership to all youth with which she worked.听 In addition, her contributions to the Delaware State Fair and her community were many as she always promoted volunteer work and community service.
Nominations for this award will be accepted annually each year for any 4-H member ages 14听to 19 years. Nominees for this award will be judged on four main elements that clearly were important and promoted by Joy in her everyday life: Fair Participation, 4-H Participation, Leadership and Community Service. Nominees may not nominate themselves.听 All nominations must be received by June 15 via email at the following address:听de4h@udel.edu.
Prudential Emerging Visionaries
The world needs innovations 鈥 your innovations. Prudential Emerging Visionaries is a national program that celebrates and awards young people who create solutions to financial and societal challenges. We're building a community of young people working to create positive change across the nation. If you have a solution and a well-designed plan to make it happen, tell us about it.
4-H Adult Volunteer Recognition Awards
Delaware 4-H Hall of Fame
In 2002, the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents, National 4-H Council and 4-H National Headquarters partnered to create the National 4-H Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was established to recognize 4-H volunteers, Extension professionals, staff employees, donors and others who made a significant impact on 4-H at the local, state or national level.听 This event is sponsored by the听.
National 4-H Hall of Fame
The National 4-H Hall of Fame Task Force of NAE4-HA, in cooperation with National 4-H Council and 4-H National Headquarters.听 Our goal is for NAE4-HA members, foundation/development professionals and 4-H faculty at all levels to work together to select and nominate the most deserving candidate of each Land-grant institution to the National 4-H Hall of Fame.
Joy Sparks Spirit of 4-H Award
The Joy Sparks Spirit of 4-H Award recognizes outstanding individuals who exhibit enthusiasm, dedication and exemplify 4-H spirit and values. The award is named in memory of 4-H state program leader Joy Sparks, who died Feb. 17, 2009.
4-H Salute to Excellence Awards
Each year, state 4-H programs nominate two outstanding individual volunteers through the听4-H Salute to Excellence Awards.* The Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award is given to an individual who has spent 10 or more years as a听4-H volunteer while the Volunteer of the Year Award is given to an individual who has volunteered for 4-H less than 10 years.
听 听 Delaware 4-H Hall of Fame Laureates
Delaware 4-H Hall of Fame Pioneer Class Induction of Laureates 鈥 1914-1922听
- Alex Cobb ~ Helen Comstock听
- Dorothy Emerson ~ Agnes Medill听
- Theodore Martin ~ M.O. Pence听
- George Dewey -Sapp ~ Nellie Snyder听
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Induction of Laureates 鈥 1923-1964听
- Martha Benson ~ Floyd Blessing听
- Ann Clendaniel ~ Ralph Clendaniel听
- Maurice 鈥淧op鈥 Field ~ John Hastings听
- Cliff Hufnal ~ Pauline Hufnal听
- Mabel Lambden ~ Isaac Thomas听
- Bill Walther ~ Sylvia Walther听
- George Worrilow
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Induction of Laureates 鈥 1965 to 2012
- Sam Gwinn 2002
- Jim Baker 2005
- Marion MacDonald 2006
- Gov. Ruth Ann Minner 2007
- Thurman Adams 2008
- Larry Shaffer 2010听
- Joy Sparks 2012听听
Frances Clinton * and Earl Clinton * - Kent County H. Wallace Cook, Jr. (Hap) - New Castle County H. Wallace Cook, Sr. (Wallace) * - New Castle County Susan Benson Cox * - Kent County听
Jane Everline * - Kent County听
Lola Gibbs * - Kent County听
Betty Lou Gooden * - Kent County听
Jay Hukill - Sussex County听
Carlene Jones - Sussex County听
Ruth Ann Messick and Robert Messick * - Kent County Frances Millman * - Sussex County听
Sally Moller * - Kent County听
Patricia Shaffer * - New Castle County听
Barbara Taylor - Sussex County听
Grace V. Tinley * - Kent County听
William (Bill) and Ellen Vanderwende - Sussex County Carole Vincent - Sussex County听
Betty Jo (BJ) Van Kavelaar - Kent County听
* Deceased
Mary Frances Argo 鈥 Sussex County听
Dean Belt 鈥 New Castle County听
Helen Blessing 鈥 Kent County听
Margaret Carey 鈥 Sussex County听
Patricia Mae Correll 鈥 Sussex County听
C. Fred Grampp 鈥 Kent County听
Dan Hudson 鈥 Kent County听
Leona Hudson 鈥 Kent County听
Betty Jestice 鈥 Sussex County听
Jim Kemble 鈥 New Castle County听
Sue Ann Clendaniel McClements 鈥 Kent County听
Virginia Melson 鈥 Sussex County听
Franklin E. Melson, Sr. 鈥 Sussex County听
Evelyn Messick 鈥 Sussex County听
LeRoy Messick 鈥 Sussex County听
Betty Niblett 鈥 New Castle County听
Richard Niblett 鈥 New Castle County听
T. Harold Palmer 鈥 Kent/Sussex Counties听
Joyce Simpson 鈥 Sussex County听
Mary Thomas 鈥 Kent County听
Barbara Tatman Warren 鈥 Kent County
Richard Brown- Kent County听
Mary Grampp Brown- Kent County听
Charmayne Busker- Kent County听
William Campbell- Sussex County听
Howard Clendaniel- Kent County听
Nancy Clendaniel- Kent County听
Karen Crouse- Kent County听
Alice Mae Dempsey- Kent County听
Clara Feucht- New Castle County听
Barbara Gooden- Kent County听
George Haenlein- New Castle County听
Dorothy Hopkins- Sussex County听
William Hopkins- Sussex County听
Mark Manno- New Castle County听
Betty Palmer- Kent County听
Cliff Palmer- Kent County听
Deloris Reynolds- New Castle County听
Rodney Reynolds- New Castle County听
Dana Sharpe- Kent County听
Jean Wilson- Sussex County
Charles Bostick听
Doris Bostick听
Ron Breeding听
Bette Butler听
Ellen Cooper听
Brenda Ebling听
Chuck Ebling听
- Marian Harvey
- Janice Melson
Richard Melson听
David Price听
- Esther Ridley
- Joel Ridley听
Brenda Shaffer听
Denis Shaffer听
Anna Tucker听
- Becky Vanderwende
- Joyce Wright听
Herman Zeitler听
Mary Jane Zeitler
2022 Delaware 4-H Hall of Fame Laureates
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- Joanne Carter
- Samuel Dixon, Jr.
- Myrtle Dixon
- Pam Eskridge
- Gilbert Hense, Jr.
- Phyllis Hill
- Sarah Hukill Berninger
- Kaye Kemp
- Judi Learning
- Rita Lofland
- Rhonda Martell
- Cathy Martin
- Kenneth McIlvain
- Laura Pomatto
- Kay Powell
- Brian Somers
- Peggy Spence
- John Tigner
- Carol Warren听
- Lynn Bullen Wilkins
2024 Delaware 4-H Hall of Fame Laureates
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- Carol Argo
- Cindy Dempsey
- Carole Fleming
- Lloydlee Heite
- Barbara Klair
- Kimberly Klair
- Richard Klair
- Wayne Moore
- Elizabeth (Betsy) Morris
- Charlotte Passwaters
- Coulter Passwaters
- Joan Rumsey
- Dave Simpson
- Linda Somers
- Mona Steele
- Sandy Urian
- Debbie Vanderwende
- Barbara Ann Webb Staats
- Marlyn Webb
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2024 Distinguished Community Service Award to 4-H
Senator David Wilson