Volunteers Are the Heart of 4-H

Volunteers play critical roles in offering new skill based and expanding Extension programs.  Volunteers provide ways for youth to develop into competent, capable, contributing adults and gain important developmental assets through their participation in 4-H programs.  Their engagement is on a wide spectrum of involvement from supporting the Extension professional to running almost self-autonomous projects with Extension oversight.  The success in reaching large number of participants and diverse audiences is a direct correlation of their dedication and contributions. Non-systematic training and the lack of volunteer recognition are two problems identified as crucial to the management of Extension volunteers (Navaratnam, 1986).

Green County 4-H and the County Extension Council recognized this need and provided a systematic approach for volunteers' education and development.   A considerable amount of time and resources, on the part of both volunteer and paid staff in, are dedicated annually to the planning, coordination, and execution of educational volunteer events.  Green County's volunteers participate in state-sanctioned project leader certifications for programs like Livestock, Horse, Dog, and Shooting Sports that engage leaders in the long term, reoccurring programs.  4-H also offers targeted workshop training for leaders targeting officer skills, community service planning or skill-building like a speech judge may find beneficial. Every two years, Kentucky 4-H host a Volunteer Leader Educational Conference to recognize their efforts, provide networking opportunities for idea generation, recertification opportunities, and itinerary to share cutting-edge volunteer information. Green County 4-H had volunteers participate in all of these opportunities.  

In the 2019 program year, Green County served 1,059 unique youth.  With the help of 253 volunteers, Green County 4-H was able to offer those youth an average of 11.5 different educational experiences. Green County 4-H has a strong tradition of youth who have aged out of the program returning to serve as adult leaders.  From 2019, 180 of the youth volunteered in the local program serving as peer leaders and mentors showcasing their developed leadership skills.