4-H Youth Development Reporting

4-H staff have should follow Extension reporting requirements and deadlines. Resources on this page are intended to supplement the official Extension resources.

Guides

For the most up-to-date reporting resources, use the Extension-wide guide. Documents below are dated for the 23-24 year but still may be used as resources to assist with reporting, particularly with reporting fairs and show.

• 4-H Reporting Guide (detailed printable PDF with 4-H specific instructions for entering program activities with screenshots, along with frequently asked questions)
• 4-H Program Activity Quick Guide (abbreviated printable PDF with 4-H specific instructions for entering program activities, previously known as group enrollments)
• 4-H Show/Fair Quick Guide (abbreviated printable PDF with 4-H specific instructions for entering shows/fairs as program activities)
• 4-H Zoom Registration Quick Guide (abbreviated printable PDF with 4-H specific instructions for collecting participant data for reporting for Zoom-based programs)
  • Related resource: Standard Questions for 4-H Program Registration Forms (word document you can cut and paste from to create registration forms with options that match the reporting system)

Forms

• Program Activity Data Collection Form (form to help you keep track of the data you need to enter a program – formerly called a group enrollment - in PEARS)
• Partner Data Collection Form (partner-friendly form to help collect demographic data from partner sites for reporting in PEARS)

Videos

If after watching Extension reporting resources, you still feel the need for 4-H specific training, watch the training videos below.

• 4-H Reporting Training (detailed training covering how to enter 4-H programming in PEARS, along with frequently asked questions)
• Abbreviated 4-H Reporting Tutorial (tutorial walking through entering a program in PEARS)
• 4-H Fairs/Shows Reporting Training (specific instructions on how to enter a fair or show in PEARS)

Key Reporting Deadlines

• January 10, 2025: report on activities conducted 10/1/24 to 12/31/24.
• April 10, 2025: report on activities conducted 1/1/25 to 3/31/25.
• July 10, 2025: report on activities conducted 4/1/25 to 6/30/25.
• October 10, 2025: report on activities conducted 7/1/25 to 9/30/25. Finalize all activities conducted 10/1/24 to 9/30/25.

Other Resources

How to Request a New PEARS Site

• Send an email to uie-inepdocs@illinois.edu.
• In the email body include organization name, address, city, and zip in your request.

Reporting Field Selection Resources

• 4-H Action Plan Crosswalk (for help with “Action Plan” field)
• PEARS Site Selection Tips (for help with “Site” field)
• 4-H Signature Program List (for help with “Signature Program” field)