4-H Volunteers Needed in Clark County (Positive Youth Development)

What do volunteers do? A 4-H volunteer is many things - mentor, advisor, friend, teacher, referee, role model, pacesetter and much more. Most importantly, a 4-H leader genuinely cares about young people and wants to help them learn and grow. Volunteers: Teach young people important skills Help plan and conduct events Work in partnership (adults and youth) to lead 4-H clubs, activities, and events Supports and creates community service opportunities Shares his or her knowledge and interests with young people Chaperone camps, field trips, contests and leadership conferences Recruit other volunteers Develop and evaluate 4-H youth development programs Contribute by promoting and supporting 4-H Leadership in 4-H doesn't depend on the amount of knowledge you have about a project. It relies on your willingness to help youth learn. While a young member's project might be photography, horses or sewing, the leader's project is always the YOUTH. Leadership is the ability to get along with people; to tackle a job and see it through. 4-H volunteers are valued partners and the key to the success of a member's learning, experience and continuing interest in 4-H. Types of volunteers 4-H volunteer leaders are both youth and adults. Whether working year-round or for a short period of time, there are many ways to get involved with a group of youth. A 4-H club team,

general or organizational leader

provides overall leadership to the club, oversees the group structure and operation, while serving as the club's contact with Extension employees and the 4-H Council. They coordinate members, parents and other leaders. 4-H club leaders act as individuals, a team or a group of people, each of whom fill specific roles and responsibilities. The team can also be a youth-adult partnership. A

project leader

teaches members in a specific project area, such as rabbits, computers or fashion review. An

activity leader

helps members plan and conduct group activities such as community service, recreation, fundraising or drama. A

resource leader

serves as a resource to leaders or members in a specific project or activity area. A

teen, junior or youth leader

is an older 4-H member who develops leadership skills by teaching other 4-H members. Teen leaders gain experience teaching, working with others and taking on responsibilities under the guidance of an adult volunteer. An

Afterschool or school enrichment volunteer

teaches 4-H curriculum, such as gardening, science or arts and crafts, to an Afterschool group or school class(es). A

short-term volunteer

teaches a special interest program, such as babysitting, first aid or flower arranging, and/or assists a 4-H group with a special project. A

chaperone

leads a group of youth at 4-H Camp, or state and national leadership conferences or contests. 4-H Council

is a leader organization that supports their county 4-H program through one or more of the following ways: provide opportunity for volunteers to receive feedback on questions, problems, etc. conduct programs and activities for youth offer in-service training on youth development raise funds and manage a budget to support 4-H youth development work coordinate county-level recognition represent 4-H youth development to the community provide opportunities for youth and volunteers help decide program direction and policy increase awareness about 4-H opportunities on local, county, area, state and national levels Other opportunities 4-H volunteers can serve on camp planning committees and leaders' councils, teach workshops, raise funds, recruit new members or volunteers, judge at fairs and contests or organize events. 4-H is flexible and can be suited to a variety of lifestyles. Whether you want to volunteer one day a year or several times a month, we have volunteer opportunities to suit you. How to apply If you’re interested in becoming a 4-H volunteer, you can submit an initial interest form here or reach out to our volunteer coordinator, Ryan Tesar, at

rtesar@unr.edu