Scholarships & Awards

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With Sen. Chris Coons, Gov. John Carney and Ted Kittila and students

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

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

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.


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

      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

      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

      • 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

      • 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

      2024 Distinguished Community Service Award to 4-H

      Senator David Wilson


      听 听 Hall of Fame PHOTO GALLERIES

      1914 - 2012

      2016

      2020

      2024

      2014

      2018

      2022