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ADULTS
PAGE LINKS:
USING 4-H CONNECT
Getting Started Using 4-H CONNECT
4-H CONNECT Instructional Manual for New Families
VOLUNTEERING WITH THE 4-H PROGRAM
Volunteering in 4-H
What Types of 4-H Volunteers are There?
Youth Protection Standards
MANGEMENT RESOURCES AND TOOLS
Texas 4-H Program Management Guide
Club Ed Toolbox for Club Managers
Character Education Programs
VOLUNTEER RESOURCES
4-H Learning On-Line
Recognition and Certifications
Volunteer Extension Cord Newsletter
4-H Volunteer Leaders' Association of Texas
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
4-H Livestock Mentor Program
Project Teams
Enrichment Curriculum for Teachers and Schools
Trainings
VOLUNTEER SUPPORT ITEMS
Texas 4-H License Plate Fund Raiser
Texas State Rifle Association License Plate Fund Raiser
VOLUNTEERING IN 4-H
Last year, the Texas 4-H Youth Development program involved more than 39,000 adults in providing fun, hands-on learning opportunities to more than 1 million Texas youth. To learn more about becoming a 4-H volunteer, contact the Extension office in your county.
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Decide what you have the time and interest to help youth explore and chart positive futures.
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Consider volunteering to lead a 4-H group in your community, your local school, or any other location where there are youth who need positive, committed adult role models in their lives.
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Contact your county Texas AgriLife Extension Service office to find out about local opportunities for 4-H involvement.
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Complete the Texas 4-H Volunteer Application Form & Youth Protection Standards Program. Because the Texas 4-H Youth Development program is committed to helping create safe environments for young people to learn, have fun and develop socially, we work to ensure that the adults we entrust to work with young people only have the best interests of youth at heart.
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Share your skills, knowledge and talents while having fun with kids and you're sure to make a difference in their lives.
4-H offers a variety of programs, activities and events designed specifically to support and enhance volunteer participation and involvement in kids' lives. The work volunteers do with youth is also supported by university-developed educational materials and resources available through your county Texas AgriLife Extension Service office.
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WHAT TYPES OF 4-H VOLUNTEERS ARE THERE?
Volunteers are essential to the successful implementation of the 4-H program. All registered adult 4-H volunteers working directly with 4-H youth in Texas complete a Youth Protection Standards Program (criminal background check) and receive training. Teens may also serve in volunteer roles through the 4-H Leadership project.
Volunteers can serve in a variety of roles, including the following:
- 4-H Club Managers
- 4-H Project Leaders
- 4-H Master Volunteers
- Teachers
- Event Judges
- Community Resource Persons
- Camp Counselors / Chaperones
- Parent Helpers
- Committee Members
- Advisory Council Members
- Host Families for exchange students
- Foundation Members/Fund-Raisers
- Mentors
Please contact your county Texas AgriLife Extension Service Office for more information on these rewarding opportunities!
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YOUTH PROTECTION STANDARDS
The purpose of the Youth Protection Standards Program is to provide a safe and secure environment for youth and adults involved in Extension programs, implement best practices related to management of volunteer service risk, and protect the image and integrity of Texas AgriLife Extension Service and its associated groups. In order to serve as a volunteer, all potential volunteers who have direct, face-to-face contact with youth, must be screened through the Youth Protection Standards Program. The criminal background check conducted is a national search of 48 jurisdictions, in addition to state and national sex offender lists.
If you intend to serve as a direct volunteer with youth and have not been screened, please contact your county Extension office immediately.
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TEXAS 4-H PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The Texas 4-H Management System allows exploration of many different topics ranging from explanations of the eight different delivery methods of the 4-H program to the ways to properly use the 4-H name and emblem.
The management system has twelve different experiences that both county Extension agents and volunteers should be knowledgable on for the proper management of a 4-H program. All of these experiences are important for managing a quality 4-H program. There are a few key documents that everyone should be familiar with regardless of whether you are an agent, volunteer, 4-H member or any other individual interested in the Texas 4-H Program.
Click here to visit the 4-H Program Management Site
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CLUB ED TOOLBOX FOR CLUB MANAGERS
CLUB ED was developed as a resource for club officers and club managers to gather ideas, management information, ceremonies, inspirations, program ideas, and other great club resources.
CLUB ED is organized month by month in order to make it easier for information gathering. In each month you will find the following pieces of information:
- Club Activities
- Club Managers Checklist
- Community Service Activities
- Flag Ceremonies
- Ice Breakers
- Parent Opportunities
- Program Ideas
- Officer Installation Ceremonies
Click Here to access the Club Ed Resources.
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CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR 4-H MEMBERS
Character Education is an important part of any 4-H program. Regardless if a youth is participating in a food show or in the show ring, it is their duty to know the value and importance of making good decisions.
The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program offers two character education programs, Texans Building Character and Quality Counts. Texans Building Character is a general program designed to teach youth the six pillars of character based on the Josephson's Institute research. Quality Counts takes the six pillars of character into the show ring, by demonstrating and teaching the role of 4-H members in the livestock industry.
For more information on either of these programs, visit the website
Texans Building Character
Quality Counts
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4-H LEARNING ON-LINE
The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program is in the process of developing in and innovative learning modules to assist leaders, volunteers and parents working with 4-H to better understand and lead their youth groups. Below are modules currently developed and available for review.
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VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AND CERTIFICATION
The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program strives to recognize those that dedicate themselves and their time to the youth of Texas. Currently, volunteers and alumni are recognized through the following awards:
- 2008 Volunteer Awards Program Handbook
- Texas 4-H Salute to Excellence Award
- Texas 4-H Leader Legacy Award
- Texas 4-H Alumni Award (Sponsored by Texas 4-H Friends and Alumni Association)
- Texas 4-H Citation for Outstanding Service to 4-H
- Meritorious Service Award (Sponsored by Volunteer Leaders Association of Texas)
Click here for the complete award descriptions, the Awards Handbook and Award Applications.
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VOLUNTEER EXTENSION CORD NEWSLETTER
Volunteer Extension Cord (VEC) is a way to advise 4-H volunteers about Texas 4-H Volunteer Development. This newsletter is e-mailed to County Extension Agents, Texas 4-H Faculty, District Extension Administrators, and Regional Program Directors. In addition 4-H volunteers who are active in VLAT or their District Adult Leaders Association (and we have your e-mail address) will receive VEC. To add an e-mail address to our list, send a message to texasvolunteer@tamu.edu and type subscribe followed by your e-mail address.
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4-H VOLUNTEER LEADERS' ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS
The Volunteer Leaders' Association of Texas (VLAT) was organized to give 4-H volunteers an opportunity to network. The focus of the 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association of Texas is on training and communication for and among 4-H Adult Leaders. The over-all purpose is to involve 4-H leaders in 4-H Leadership Development.
4-H Volunteer Leaders' Association of Texas website
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4-H LIVESTOCK MENTOR PROGRAM
The purpose of the Texas 4-H Livestock Mentor Program is to provide training for 4-H livestock project leaders, equipping them with a valuable set of resources and tools from which to build and support families enrolled in a specific livestock project. The overall goal of the training program is for volunteers to return to their home county and work cooperatively with the County Extension Agent to provide support and leadership to the 4-H project, members and leaders, thereby enhancing the project experience for youth. Livestock Mentors must be willing to commit service time back to the project area in their home county.
The 4-H Livestock Mentor program provides project leaders with two central themes of training.
• The species-specific subject matter provides volunteers an overview of the animal industry and current practices related to health, feeding, nutrition, selection, daily care and animal evaluation.
• The youth and volunteer development portion of the training provides volunteers with information about serving in a coaching/mentoring role when working with youth and adults. The topics include ages and stages of youth development, goal setting, developing people of character, additional 4-H project opportunities, positive reinforcement, teamwork and useful resources and tools that the volunteer can use with families and County Extension Agents.
Livestock Mentor trainings are offered for horse, beef, swine, sheep & goat, and now small animal (poultry and rabbit) livestock projects. Every year, each region will be responsible for hosting one Livestock Mentor training with training on two species offered at each one. Training on beef and swine species will be conducted together in two regions each year, while the other two regions will host training on sheep & goats and small animals. Regions will then rotate the species subject matter training offered the following year. The horse mentor training will also rotate throughout the four regions, being offered on an annual basis.
For more information on the 4-H livestock mentor program, contact your county Extension agent!
Potential Livestock Mentors should be adults who are registered 4-H volunteers and have a clear interest in helping youth and families with their livestock projects. The training is not targeted for new volunteers; instead, it is targeted toward 4-H project leaders who are willing to commit the time to return to their home county and work with 4-H members that are in their first and/or second year of their livestock project.
One of the items that will be more heavily emphasized in Livestock Mentor trainings is the role of the adult volunteer as a "mentor" or "coach" to youth. Becoming a successful coach takes practice and patience from adult leaders. Adults who are successful coaches:
- have a defined coaching philosophy and objectives,
- understand the importance of effective communication,
- provide positive reinforcement, and
- motivate youth.
4-H LIVESTOCK MENTOR FEATURE!
Goats & Kids: A 4-H Volunteer's Passion
As the saying goes, 'Everything is bigger in Texas', and one thing is certain, for 4-H volunteer Shawn Colvert, nothing is bigger than his passion for helping youth. For 15 years Colvert has been a dedicated 4-H volunteer. Living in Sterling City with his wife of 29 years, Laurie, Shawn’s family interest began when Colvert's son, Shelby, now 22, exhibited market goats when he was a 4-H member.
That joy evolved into a lifetime commitment to the 4-H program. Colvert is involved in the 4-H Livestock Mentor Program, specializing in market goats. “The program consists of adults who are registered 4-H volunteers and have a clear interest in helping youth and families with their livestock projects,” Colvert explained.
4-H volunteers from across the Lone Star state are expected to participate in the Texas 4-H Goat and Sheep Mentor Training Aug. 7-9, 2009 at the Tom Green 4-H Building at the San Angelo Research and Extension Center in San Angelo. The three-day program will provide leaders with a valuable set of resources from which to build and support families in their counties who are new to the goat and sheep project.
It was this same support that motivated Shawn to become involved in the 4-H goat mentor program. Shawn was influenced to become a 4-H volunteer himself when he was inspired by the community volunteers who selflessly shared their time and knowledge with local youth. “Volunteering for 4-H is a way that I can give other families what my family was given,” he said.
Now a seasoned volunteer, Shawn believes that 4-H activities build character and are based on family involvement. “In my opinion, the livestock program is one of the best parts of 4-H,” Colvert said. “It teaches responsibility, integrity, honesty. It also teaches young people skills they can use throughout the rest of their lives. People that youth meet at stock shows will be friends for life.”
A huge part of Colvert's volunteerism includes livestock shows, according to Chad Coburn, Sterling County Extension Agent. “Shawn assists me with preparation of meat goats competing at all livestock shows in Texas including the State Fair of Texas, the Sandhills Stock Show in Odessa, the Southwestern Livestock Exposition in Ft. Worth, the Houston Livestock Show and the Star of Texas Livestock Show in Austin,” Coburn said.
Colvert also serves as director of the Junior Meat Goat Show Circuit (JMGSC). The JMGSC is a major statewide organization that sponsors an award program for youth exhibiting meat goats.
“Shawn has become a tremendous help to me,” Coburn said. “He spends one-on-one time with families new to the meat goat project including selection, feeding, and showmanship. Shawn is a great volunteer because he readily offers his time to youth involved in the meat goat project. He goes above and beyond the duties and guidelines of the Livestock Mentor Program. Shawn is a very likable person who is easy to get along with and more importantly, he is honest, dependable and responsible.”
The Livestock Mentor Program has benefited thousands of volunteers in Texas. “The purpose of the program is to provide training for 4-H livestock project leaders, equipping them with a valuable set of resources and tools from which to build and support families enrolled in a livestock project,” Coburn said. “It provides project leaders like Shawn with two central themes of training: species-specific subject matter and youth and volunteer development.”
The Extension specialist believes the 4-H program offers a dynamic array of programs and possibilities for young people. “We need volunteers to make our programs the best youth character building activities in Texas,” he said. “As professionals, we take pride in training our volunteers with the most current research-based opportunities available. In return, they assist us in planning, conducting and evaluating our programs.”
It's that same strong belief the Extension agents have in their dedicated volunteers that Monsanto Company continues to recognize. Monsanto, a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality, has continued its financial support of the National 4-H Volunteer Initiative. Colvert is just one of the 514,000 4-H volunteers who are committed to providing American youth with opportunities to learn leadership, citizenship and life skills.
“We are proud to support the dedication of 4-H volunteers across the country as they help youth become active citizens and community leaders,” said Ernesto Fajardo, vice president of Monsanto's U.S. Commercial division. “As a company 100 percent focused on agriculture, Monsanto is committed to investing in ag youth who represent the future of the agriculture industry.”
For more information about 4-H, go to www.4-h.org.
For more information about the Texas 4-H Goat and Sheep Mentor Training Program in August, contact Charla Bading, Texas West Region Program Director for 4-H and Youth Development at 325-653-4576.
About National 4-H Council
4-H is a community of more than six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of National 4-H Headquarters (USDA). The 4-H programs are implemented by the 106 land-grant colleges and universities and the Cooperative Extension System through their 3,100 local Extension offices across the country. Learn more about 4‑H at www.4-H.org.
Author of this news release is: Becky long Chaney, chaneyswalkabout@aol.com, 1-301-271-2732
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PROJECT TEAMS
The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program offers several different ways for volunteer leaders to be involved in project development and direction. This opportunity is provided through project teams, focus groups, and/or advisory committees. Through a youth-adult partnership, each of these leadership opportunities provides 4-H members and adults to discuss goals and directions of a project and then implement those goals.
Currently, Texas 4-H has three active project groups, Food and Nutrition, Clothing and Textiles, and Horse. For more information about each of these groups, click on the corresponding link below.
Clothing and Textiles Project Advisory Board
Healthy Lifestyles Advisory Board
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ENRICHMENT CURRICULUM FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program reaches more than 500,000 youth annually through enrichment programs conducted through schools and other after-school programs. These resources provide a great source of current research and materials for school teachers in the area of agriculture/natural resources, family and development resources, and general life skills.
All enrichment curriculum can be viewed on the publication page of the Texas 4-H and Youth Development website.
 Texas 4-H Curriculum Resources for Teacher
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TRAININGS
The Texas 4-H Volunteer Orientation Course is available online at: http://campus.extension.org.
The goal of this course is to provide volunteers with an understanding of the organizational structure of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and how the 4-H program operates. It also helps volunteers recognize their roles and rsponsibilities within the structure and program. Specifically, the course provides information on the following:
- Overview of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service
- 4-H 101: Facts about 4-H
- Overview of the various methods of participation available in the 4-H program
- Volunteer qualifications, roles in which volunteers may serve and the responsibilities associated with each role
- A list of various resources available to 4-H volunteers
The course can be completed within one hour. If a volunteer cannot complete the orientation in one sitting, they do have the capabilities to come back to it at a later time. Once the course is complete, volunteer smay print off a completion certificate.
Click here for directions on how to enroll in the course.
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TEXAS 4-H LICENSE PLATE
Show your pride everywhere you drive. For only $30.00 a year you can have a Texas 4-H License Plate on your vehicle. Out of the $30.00 plate fee, $22.00 will be returned to the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program for county enhancement grants.
For more information and an application, visit the Texas Department of Transportation website.
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TEXAS STATE RIFLE ASSOCIATION LICENSE PLATE
From the $30 specialty plate fee, $22 goes to the Texas A&M University System to supplement existing and future scholarship programs supported by the Texas State Rifle Association and to provide grants to 4-H Club shooting sports programs to promote safety education.
For more information and an application, visit the Texas Department of Transportation website.
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Page last updated:
October 16, 2009
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