4-H offers many different ways for volunteers to get involved. No matter how much time you have, volunteering with 4-H makes a difference by helping youth grow skills and knowledge that last a lifetime. Here are a few ways you can engage as a volunteer with 4-H:
Help youth lead a club- our 4-H clubs are led by youth officers and members, but they need adult guidance. Most clubs meet once a month during the school months, but some clubs meet more frequently for a shorter period of time.
Teach a skill- share a skill by speaking at a club meeting, teaching a workshop, or leading a project. Florida 4-H offers more than 60 different project areas!
Judge projects- we need judges to provide constructive feedback to youth on their project work.
Plan or help with an event- 4-H offers many events throughout the year and we need volunteers to help with the planning, set up, registration, refreshments, and of course- clean up!
Serve on an advisory committee or board- each county has an advisory committee to help provide direction and financial oversight of 4-H funds.
Be a project mentor- Advise a 4-H member on their project work- help youth set goals, implement a plan, and reflect on what they learned.
Help deliver a program- Volunteer at an afterschool project, summer program, or school garden.
Serve on a fair committee- Volunteer with your local or regional fair to help provide learning experiences for youth.
Share your professional skills- share your technical skills and knowledge with youth. Coach youth on how to build a resumé or interview for a job. Volunteering with 4-H can also be a great resumé builder!
Share your experiences- share your passion by serving as a guest speaker or short term instructor. Allow youth to shadow you for the day.
Check out this video about different 4-H volunteer service roles:
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays! Growing up it was the time that my family (even those distant cousins) gathered together for a weekend of fun, food, and fireworks. There is nothing worse than spending your holiday sick or injured, so we have complied plenty of resources to help you plan a celebration that is fun, but also keeps everyone safe:
Keeping Food Safe- If you are planning a picnic, covered dish, or just grilling out, use these tips to keep food safe (and delicious)
All 4-H members are encouraged to complete at least one activity or project that helps their community. Community service is usually a short-term project to help the community, whereas service learning is a longer-term project where youth identify a need, research the problem, and design and develop solutions to address the issue long-term. If you haven’t read it, check out our previous post about the difference between community service and service learning, or download this tip sheet to share at your next 4-H meeting. Here are 17 ideas to jumpstart your community or service learning projects in the coming 4-H year, organized by topic:
Start a fishing line recycling program in your community.
Design displays and presentations to raise awareness about invasive species impacting your community.
Design a campaign to address water quality or conservation at your school or community.
Help your community prepare for hazardous weather- join your local CERT (community emergency response team) or create awareness about the importance of a having an emergency plan for families. In 2018, 4-Hers in the Northwest District held a retreat to learn all about disaster preparedness. Check out their video:
Financial Literacy
12. Host a Living on My Own financial simulation for your school, community, or club.
13. Plan a day camp for younger youth to teach them financial literacy.
14. Plan a piggy bank decorating contest to raise awareness about the importance of saving.
Healthy Futures
15. Plan a 5K to raise awareness about healthy lifestyles; donate the funds raised to an organization that is working to address healthy issues such as obesity, heart health, or diabetes.
16. Host a health fair to educate your school or community about healthy lifestyle choices.
17. In 2018, teens in northwest Florida prepared chemo kits for individuals battling cancer. Check out this video about their project:
One of the requirements for 4-H clubs to be chartered is annual participation in a service project because it helps youth develop compassion and empathy for others. This is an important step to help youth live our pledge “my heart to greater loyalty” and “my hands to greater service.” Recently, the terms community service and service learning are being used interchangeably, but they are not the same. This post will explain the difference between the two and provide additional resources for 4-H parents, volunteers and club officers.
What is community service?
Community service is usually a “one and done” activity. It is often associated with short term volunteerism, and sometimes can be associated with court-mandated sentences. Community service includes things like a food drive, clothing drive, or litter pick up. These types of activities help youth apply the “heart” and “hands” parts of our pledge, but youth typically do not organize the activities; they are often done in collaboration with another organization, such as Toys for Tots, a local food pantry, or Adopt a Highway. Community service is a great way to introduce the concepts of giving back to the community and helping others. It is very appropriate for our younger 4-H members, who don’t yet have the critical thinking, decision making, and leadership skills to execute a service-learning project.
What is service learning?
Service learning engages not only the “heart” and “hands” but also the “head.” Service learning is a process in which youth identify a need, develop solutions to address that need, implement a plan to put their solution into action, and reflect on the results of their action. Service learning should be planned and implemented by youth, with parents and volunteers supporting and guiding the process. Service learning is more appropriate for older youth who are ready to take on more responsibility. Service learning not only helps youth develop a sense of compassion, but it also helps them develop more independence.
So What’s the Difference?
For example, when a 4-H club decides to lead a food drive for the local pantry, they are contributing to the issue of food insecurity. Food drives are an effective way to meet the immediate need for more food, or more nutritious food. Our annual Peanut Butter Drive is a great way for 4-Hers to get involved with food insecurity; the Florida Peanut Producers match what is collected and everything is donated to a local food pantry. However, if youth want to address the issue of food insecurity in a more systemic way, they might choose to apply GPS technology to map the food deserts in their community or county. Next, they might present their findings to county commissioners or the chamber of commerce. Together, they brainstorm solutions on how to address food insecurity issues in those food deserts, but increasing awareness, or finding partners to provide sources of nutritious food. After implementing solutions, they look back and reflect on what they did, what worked, and what could be improved for next time.
Download this one-page document to help explain the difference between community service and service learning. This is a great resource for volunteers, parents and club officers. Next week, we will share ideas for service learning and community service related to a variety of issues, that can be a great discussion starter for your club meetings this fall!
If you have a passion for civic engagement and making a difference in your community, consider sharing your passion and skills with youth. We need volunteers to help youth understand what it means to be engaged in their community, and volunteers to empower youth to make a difference locally. We match volunteers’ skills and schedules with our program. Contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office for more information.
Today is National Hamburger Day, and we are celebrating by spreading the word about the Florida 4-H Tailgate Cookery Contest. This program is way more than a contest- it teaches youth:
How to use a grill safely,
How to prepare food safely and prevent cross contamination or food borne illness,
Nutritional benefits of adding animal protein to their diets
Youth are invited to participate in a local workshop or day camp to learn the art and science of cooking protein on the grill. On Saturday, July 30th, 2021, youth from across the panhandle will travel to Chipley, Florida to compete in the district Tailgating competition. They will prepare their dish onsite, answer questions for the judges, and create an educational display about their dish. Winners from each protein category will earn the privilege of competing at the state contest in Gainesville this fall.
Thanks to our sponsors, once youth learn the basics, hey can compete for cash prizes and college scholarships. Parents have also shared that thanks to this program, their child often prepares meals for the family (especially when preparing for the contest and perfecting their technique).
Some counties are offering in-person workshops and day camps, but we also have an online option. Here’s a list of workshops to help youth prepare:
Washington County– June 2-4 Virtual Tailgate Camp- June 14- July 31 (available all summer so you can work at your own pace)
If the in person options don’t work for your schedule, we have a virtual option that is available all summer long (June 14- July 31) so that youth can work at their own pace. The virtual program covers everything they need to know to become a grill master, and helps them prepare for the contest. Parents can register for Virtual Tailgate Camp online.
4-H offers many different ways for volunteers to get involved. No matter how much time you have, volunteering with 4-H makes a difference by helping youth grow skills and knowledge that last a lifetime. Here are a few ways you can engage as a volunteer with 4-H:
