4-H Volunteer
By volunteering with 4-H, you will be using your skills to help kids explore and discover what matters to them, enabling them to make a positive impact today and in the future. You will help them to set goals, foster a sense of belonging and independence, inspire a generous spirit, and master skills that will prepare them for their future.
Want to be a 4-H Volunteer?
Step 1 = Complete a Volunteer Application and Adult Behavioral Expectations Form Page. The forms can be emailed to Ryan Drown at drown@purdue.edu, mailed, or delivered to Purdue Extension – Grant County, 401 S Adams Street, Marion, IN 46953. Office hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Step 2 = Ryan Drown will contact you after the application and form have been received to provide you with additional details, steps, and how to provide the government issued ID. (Per the application, evidence of government issued photo ID is required. Do not send with the application.)
*The Volunteer Application can be found at the bottom of this page.
Ways to Volunteer with 4-H
Partner with youth to lead a club.
- Lead a 4-H Club (organize meetings and speakers, provide assistance to youth club leaders).
- Mentor a 4-H Volunteer who is serving as a project leader.
- Inspire other volunteers and 4-H'ers as a guest speaker or short-term instructor.
Teach a skill.
- Share your skills by teaching a workshop.
- Organize a club devoted to your area of specialty.
Judge projects.
- Serve as a judge for 4-H exhibits, speeches or performances, providing encouragement and suggestions for improvement.
- Share your time, talent and experience to inspire and/or challenge youth to master their skills.
Plan or help at an event.
- Help plan and organize an event/program that will teach 4-H'ers about topics of interest.
Serve on an advisory board/committee.
- Sit on a local advisory or county governing board to help determine program priorities.
- Volunteer to serve on a County 4-H Foundation/Fundraiser - help to organize and implement project(s) and expand the 4-H program to reach new audiences.
Help with a specific 4-H project.
- Mentor a 4-H member in their project work: inspire them to set goals, create and implement a plan, and reflect on what they learned and would do differently next time. Speak with youth about how you chose a school, your career path, and current associations.
Assist with program delivery.
- Volunteer at an after school program, summer program, camp, program event, or club meeting.
Volunteer on a fair organizing committee.
- Volunteer at the county fair - be inspired by the talents and creativity of the next generation while promoting the country's largest positive youth development organization!
Utilize your professional skills.
- Share your technical skills and knowledge to develop subject matter for curriculum/project sheets.
- Utilize your professional skills to assist with creating marketing tools, graphic art, word documents, web-pages, videos, online training modules, etc.
- Intern at your local Extension office with the 4-H program.
Share your experiences.
- Share your hobby/passion - inspire a young person as a guest speaker or short-term instructor.
- Share your career path - invite 4-H'ers to shadow you for the day.
- Share your educational path/give a testimonial - how did you get to where you are? (If you are a college student - how did you choose your school, what are you pursuing, what are you aspiring to do?)
Interested in becoming a 4-H Volunteer? Have questions? Please contact the Ryan Drown at drown@purdue.edu or call 765.651.2413.
