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VOLUNTEERING 4-H Volunteers are the backbone of Maricopa County 4-H. Without dedicated Volunteers youth would not have the opportunity to become caring, dedicated, and positive members of our Society.
Volunteers include adults and youth in leadership and support roles. All Volunteers (adult and youth) working directly with children must be certified. All other volunteers in the program are to be mentored by a certifed adult volunteer leader. Certifed volunteers: work directly with children or supervises or coordinates with other volunteers, has completed the volunteer application/screening process, participated in the official 4-H Orientation Program, and signed the Behavioral Guidelines. All youth volunteers must have parental permission to be certified. In order for a youth under the age of 18 to be a certified volunteer, a parent/guardian must sign the application. Other youth volunteers in the program must be mentored by certified volunteer leaders. The two most common certified volunteer roles are the Project Leader and the Community Leader or Organizational Leader. The Project Leader is the primary educator responsible for teaching skills and knowledge associated with subject matter to a specific group be it animal or life-enrichment related. The Community/Organizational Leader provides support, guidance, leadership, and direction to 4-H members and leaders. Collaborator Volunteer is a person who is working/volunteering for another agency, screened by the participating organization and utilizing 4-H Youth Development Curriculum. Examples: School teacher, after-school program leader, pre-school teacher/aide, Parks and Recreation employee, Girl Scout leader. Resource Volunteer is a volunteer who either a) works with young people in the presence of a certified volunteer and/or Extension employee or b) shares time and expertise and provides services working with other volunteers and/or Extension personnel and has signed the Behvorial Guidelines and filed it with the 4-H Office. It is Arizona 4-H Youth Development policy that all certifed volunteers must complete the application/screening process before beginning to work with young people. The goals of this process are to provide a safe learning environment for all young people, to assure that volunteers have the necessary skills and "job fit" for successfully executing the various tasks of the 4-H Volunteer Leader, and to provide a satisfying experience for the leader. Before approval by the 4-H Agent, a volunteer must have on file in the county 4-H office a confidential application, signed Behavioral Guideline Form, a minimum of three completed character reference forms, and an interview report form signed by the 4-H Agent. The volunteer must complete the New Volunteer Orientation Training and the Youth Protection Training. It is the responsibility of the agent to review these documents and approve or deny an applicant for a volunteer 4-H position. The primary purpose of certification is to conduct a youth development program that will provide a safe learning environment with volunteers who model appropriate behaviors. In order to maintain their certification as a 4-H leader, a volunteer must enroll annually to maintain their active status. A 4-H volunteer who does not enroll for three consecutive years must complete the entire certification process prior to enrolling again. All these documents shall be maintained in a confidential file in the county Cooperative Extension office. Once volunteers are certified, they are recognized by all Arizona 4-H Youth Development programs and leader certification files may be transferred from county to county. Resource volunteers do not complete a screening process but must be authorized by Cooperative Extension. Serving as a volunteer is a privilege. It is not a right. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Agents are responsible for supervision of the 4-H Youth Development Program including the review and assessment of volunteer behavior. Volunteers work at the direction of Cooperative Extension personnel to make better use of limited resources and reach more youth and adults. Selection and retention of volunteers is based on the interest, skills and talents of the individual and the needs of the program at the time. While Arizona Cooperative Extension depends upon and appreciates the valuable service of volunteers, the needs of the program vary from time to time and place to place. It is the program's goal to effectively utilize available resources including volunteers. In conclusion, volunteers serve at the invitation of the University of Arizona and their participation in Cooperative Extension programs may be discontinued at any time by the County Extension employee responsible for the program. Before discontinuing an individual's volunteer status, the responsible employee shall obtain the approval from his/her supervisor. The volunteer will be notified in writing and the decision regarding the volunteer's participation is final.
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