Become a 4-H Volunteer
Volunteers help make 4-H possible
To volunteer, you don’t need to have previous experience working with youth. The most important qualifications are:
- a desire to work with young people to help them learn new things and gain life skills; and
- wanting to provide youth with positive experiences in a safe and welcoming environment.
Extension volunteers work with staff to deliver educational programs using University and other high-quality educational resources.
“I see the volunteers, making the community stronger by validating, and helping youth make our communities better. When you give youth positive role models, they become positive stronger citizens to contribute to our communities.” – Wisconsin 4-H Volunteer
Why Volunteer for 4-H?
Volunteering with 4-H has benefits for the volunteers, the youth they work with, the organization they support, and the larger communities where they live. According to over 2900 volunteers who participated in the North Central Region’s 4-H Volunteer Impact Study in 2024, volunteers shared why it was important to them to volunteer with 4-H:
“We worked on scholarship applications, resumes, and interview skills. Having these youth become successful adults knowing I might have helped them is very rewarding.”
Wisconsin 4-H Volunteer
“Being part of 4-H has allowed me to make connections in the community that have transferred over into other groups I belong to.”
Wisconsin 4-H Volunteer
“Every skill I learn from volunteering for 4-H translates into other areas of my life such as volunteering, my job and my personal relationships.”
Wisconsin 4-H Volunteer
To learn more about the personal, organizational, and public benefits of volunteering for 4-H, visit the North Central Region’s 4-H Volunteer Impact Study results website.
4-H Volunteer Roles
In 4-H, there are many ways to volunteer. All volunteers work with youth and adult volunteers in offering a positive youth development experience. Check out some of our 4-H volunteer roles below – check with your county Extension staff to learn more about specific opportunities in your county!
Club & Project Volunteers
Volunteers who assist with the operations of a 4-H club or group, and those who assist youth in finding their project sparks and interests.
Event & Committee Volunteers
Providing leadership or support for 4-H events and committees throughout the year or assisting with a one-time role at an activity or event.
Specialized Volunteers
Volunteers with specialized skills or specific training for focused roles, such as a health coordinator or an overnight chaperone.
Ready to Become a Volunteer? Follow these steps!
4-H Online is the online enrollment and registration system for Wisconsin 4-H. This is where you enter family and individual information that is used by your county and the state 4-H offices to manage and record your participation in the 4-H Youth Development program.
Training is one way that 4-H invests in you, the volunteers who support young people who participate in the program. In the same way that 4-H youth strive to “make the best better,” we as adults can continue to learn and grow throughout our lives.
Volunteers complete a training each year at enrollment time that covers safety in our programs, best practices for working with youth, and policy updates.
At the beginning of volunteer service, and every 2 years after, volunteers complete a background check to ensure the safety of the youth we serve.