Leaders in 4-H – Volunteers are the base of the 4-H program
Behind every great 4-H program there are dozens of adult volunteer leaders. These individuals may be professionals, teachers in schools, parents or volunteers in the community. Regardless of the type of 4-H leader, each is critical to the 4-H experience.
4-H leaders support youth as they learn by doing by providing guidance and opportunities for meaningful leadership roles in their 4-H club and community. Each volunteer leader can develop a caring relationship with members. They work to create a safe environment for 4-H members. Boulder County 4-H leaders are shown with their volunteer service awards. (Boulder County Extension ??
Leaders provide opportunities for youth to build skills in something that sparks their interest. They create opportunities for youth to value and practice service to others, and they allow youth to make decisions and lead. Our leaders create an inclusive environment in which every child is welcome and encouraged to participate. Leaders are also given opportunities for personal development and training. People volunteer with 4-H for many reasons. One obvious benefit is to help guide and mentor our country’s future citizens and leaders. Volunteers also develop new leadership skills, meet new friends and have great adventures. Adult volunteers play an important role in 4-H youth education programs. They coordinate local community clubs and help to plan and conduct local, regional, state and national 4-H events.
What if I want to become a leader? What do I need to do?
To become a 4-H leader you need to have a sincere interest in the safety and well-being of youth, have a desire to facilitate and motivate youth while nurturing self-esteem, decision-making skills, responsibility and leadership. Leaders also need to have an interest in working in partnership with other volunteers and professional staff in an educational setting. It would also be helpful to have a willingness to adopt the philosophy, policies and procedures of the local 4-H organization and successfully go through the volunteer training process and background check.
Depending on the role an individual takes on, a leader may need the ability to organize information and materials, delegate responsibility, ability to work and communicate effectively both verbally and written Leaders often need a desire to motivate parents and other volunteers as well.
Volunteers often only lead project activities. While that may sound daunting, you don’t have to be an expert in a project topic to be a leader. Project resources, learning along with your members and involving others make it easy to volunteer. There is no limit to the variety of 4-H projects or activities that can be done.
Volunteer positions
There are several ways that you can volunteer in 4-H. Positions that may exist are club volunteer, club organizational leader, chaperoning, project leader or superintendent. ,In each position however, leaders help 4-H’ers develop leadership and life skills, make new friends, give back to the community, build connections with others and learn by doing.
Check with Boulder County Extension office by email at 4hinfo@bouldercounty.org for position descriptions and opportunities to help you decide where your skills, interests and time availability might make a good match.
Faith Kroschel is a 4-H Youth Development & Outreach agent with Boulder County Extension. She has a bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences from Colorado State University and 10 years of experience in the rocky mountain state’s Extension systems.