This year, Missouri 4-H would like to participate in the National 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer Recognition Award. The award recognizes 4-H volunteers who demonstrate exemplary service to 4-H while promoting service through volunteerism as both an opportunity and a privilege. 

In 2025, eight honorees from across the United States will be selected. One volunteer will be selected from each Cooperative Extension Region (northeast, south, north central and west) in each of two categories. Each region will have its own Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer and Volunteer of the Year. The eight regional honorees become nominees for the national award, and one candidate in each category will be named the national honoree. 

Award information

Each state 4-H program will select one nominee for each category from its pool of nominations and submit it for regional award consideration. A national selection committee appointed by the National 4-H Council will select an honoree from each region, one for each category. 

All winners will be notified by the week of April 7, 2025. 

Regional winners will be recognized at their state 4-H program in an appropriate manner and venue of its choosing. The council will send each regional honoree a personalized plaque and donate $500 in the honoree’s name to a local 4-H program of the honoree’s choosing. 

National honorees will receive a plaque or similar symbol representative of their achievement. Additionally, each council will donate $2,000 in the honoree’s name to a local 4-H program of their choosing. 

Awardees should be prepared to provide information in subsequent years regarding the impact of their awards on their community. 

Award criteria

The Volunteer of the Year Award is for currently serving 4-H volunteers who have served as 4-H volunteers for less than 10 years at the local, county, district or state level. The Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award is for current or former 4-H volunteers who have served 10 or more years at the local, county, district or state level. 

All Missouri 4-H volunteers and staff are welcome to submit nominations. To receive an application, please contact the Warren County Extension Office at mgm98k@missouri.edu. Volunteers are also invited to self-nominate. All applications must be returned to the 4-H State Office by March 1, 2025. Applications should be emailed to skrauss@missouri.edu. 

Once all of the nominations are received, a selection committee will be convened to score and select one nominee for Missouri for each of the two awards. These nominees will then be submitted to National 4-H.