How to Volunteer
Who is a 4-H Volunteer?
“A Kentucky 4-H volunteer is anyone who contributes time, energy or talent to the Kentucky 4-H Youth Development Program and is not paid by University of Kentucky funds.”
In what ways may a 4-H Volunteer be involved?
There are a variety of ways in which people may volunteer for 4-H. Many volunteer roles involve working directly with other; others do not. There are seven specific types of 4-H volunteer roles in Kentucky. These include the following:
Community Club Leader
A person who works with a 4-H community club’s function is to assist the club’s members in planning the annual club program, conducting club business and enrolling individually or as a group in one or more 4-H projects. Members of a community club are usually from a small geographic area. Clubs must have a minimum of five members, at least three officers and a volunteer leader.
Project Club Leader
This position is nearly identical to the Community Club Leader with two important exceptions:
(a) the project leader is an “expert” or serves as a resource in one specific project area
(b) project clubs are usually county-wide and are not restricted to specific locations within the county.
Project Clubs must have a minimum of five members, at least three officers and a volunteer leader. An example of a Project Club Leader includes a Horse Club Leader or a Livestock Club Leader, in which on-going programming is offered, membership is county-wide, club officers are elected and conduct the meeting.
Special Emphasis Volunteer
This is an individual who works with a 4-H group and offers a series of activities designed to meet the needs and interests of youth within a community or county. This is different that a Project Club Leader in that the youth do not belong to a “club.” (Officers are not elected and the activities are generally shorter term and culminate in the completion of an activity.) An example could be a County Ham Volunteer, who organizes the CountyHam project, but doesn’t engage the members in club meetings or activities. The special emphasis volunteer often coordinates the program or a part of it. A second example would be a camp volunteer.
School Enrichment Volunteer
Any individual, often a classroom teacher, who works with a 4-H program in a formal classroom setting. This program may be either short- or long-term (throughout the school year). School enrichment programs are offered during school hours to enrich the formal education experience. A school enrichment program focuses on hands-on experiences and provides real life application of knowledge gained, increasing the understanding of difficult concepts, development of life skills and fosters the development of youth as young adults. Examples include Reality Store Volunteers, Speech or Demonstration Judges, etc.
4-H Committee Member
Individuals may participate as members of standing (long-term) or special (temporary, ad hoc) committees. Committee members often have less direct involvement with youth and serve in more of an administrative role in the 4-H program.
4-H Council Member
4-H Council members oversee the county-wide 4-H program. This is a formal, decision-making group serving in an administrative role. Councils generally schedule from 6 to 12 meetings each year and have broad discretion in programmatic oversight.
Youth Volunteer
An older 4-H member with the ability to function in a variety of 4-H roles, with the exception of Community Club or Project Leader. Developing leadership and fostering responsibility are two fundamental components of this position. Examples include mentoring younger 4-H members, serving on the 4-H Council, 4-H committees, Jr. Camp Counselors, 4-H Ambassadors, etc.
For additional information about how to become a 4-H volunteer, contact your County 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent.