Be a 4-H Volunteer Leader!
Are you considering becoming a 4-H Volunteer? Learn how you can be a good fit for this program here! Volunteers are the core piece of how 4-H reaches youth throughout Arkansas. Our 4-H volunteers bring a diverse set of skills to the program that are used to provide positive experiences for youth and help them thrive as they grow.
Benefits of being a 4-H Volunteer include:
- Volunteers develop knowledge and skills in youth development, organizational planning, and program management
- Volunteers get to share and implement their talents, interests and skills with youth
- Volunteering provides a fulfilling sense of purpose and community engagement
- Volunteers get to meet and work with outstanding 4-H members and adults
- Step One: Register with Arkansas 4-H (ZSuite)
- Step Two: Complete Criminal Background Check & Child Maltreatment Check
- English Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check Form *fingerprinting is not required for 4-H volunteer clearance
- English Child Maltreatment Check Form
- Spanish Child Maltreatment Check Form
- Step Three: Complete Trainings
- Step Four: Download and Review Arkansas 4-H Volunteer Guidebook (C006)
Listed below are some potential ways in which a volunteer might participate with 4-H.
- Lead monthly club meetings
- Provide educational programs
- Recruit financial supporters
- Chaperone youth to/from events
- Serve as a Shooting Sports instructor
- Be a member of a 4-H Advisory Board
- Plan and implement 4-H events
- Community Clubs
- Project Clubs
- In-School Clubs
- Afterschool Clubs
- Special Interest (SPIN) Clubs
- County, District and State O'Rama
- Teen Leader Conference
- 4-H Teen Star and Ambassador Program
- Shooting Sports Programs
- National 4-H Conferences
- ...and much more!
Volunteer Structure
Volunteers are defined as people who work on behalf of the 4-H program at the county level and beyond without paid compensation for their help. There are two main forms of volunteers, direct and indirect. Direct volunteers are those adults that work closely with youth. They have “direct” contact with youth at club meetings, county activities, and events. Indirect volunteers handle the behind-the-scenes work that is critical to supporting a 4-H program. Both types of volunteers are critical to keeping a 4-H program functioning.
- Generate and guide club officers
- Guide club program development
- Coordinate club calendar
- Coordinate “leadership" team
- Guide project selection process
- Establish and teach project groups
- Apply project/demonstration learning methods
- Identify/recruit necessary resource/support volunteers
- Coordinate club activities
- Work closely with organizational/project leaders to enhance club/project meetings and activities
- Identify/recruit necessary resource/support volunteers
- Know the record keeping process.
- Train 4-H members, parents, and project leaders in record keeping procedures.
- Cooperates with other team members to establish record keeping as part of the 4-H club program.
- Club/project group program development
- Activity planning, doing, and reviewing
- Projects/demonstration guidance
- Work to complement organization/project activity/records leaders
- Support the club program in predefined jobs
- Work closely with other “leadership team” members to accomplish appropriate meetings or activity goals
