Volunteering for 4-H is an excellent way to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on young people’s lives. It offers a wide range of opportunities to share your passion, inspire youth, and learn new skills. By volunteering, you can also bond with your kids and family, reconnect with your community, gain experience, and be a mentor. Additionally, it provides a platform to hone your teaching skills, make friends, and connect with your heritage and history. Volunteering for 4-H allows you to help your community while teaching life skills to young individuals. It’s an opportunity to be part of something greater than yourself.
If you’re interested in volunteering for 4-H, you can reach out to your local 4-H office to learn more about the available opportunities in your community. They can provide you with information on how to get involved and support you throughout the process.
As a 4-H volunteer, you will become affiliated with our state’s land grant university, Washington State University. You instantly have the resources of WSU Extension at your fingertips.
- If you would like to volunteer with a specific Club, contact that Club leader and they will let you know the best ways to help their Club.
I hope this information encourages you to explore the rewarding experience of volunteering for 4-H!
Club Level Volunteer Opportunities
General Club Leader: Assume primary responsibility for the Club. As a Club Leader, you provide guidance, teach life skills and share what you love (cooking, art, engineering, fishing, cattle… and so much more) with youth.
Project Leader: Lead a specific project or curriculum within a Club, example someone who leads monthly dog project meetings.
Activity Leader: Provide leadership for an event or activity within a Club or on a short term, example someone who leads for a specialty event, a horse judge who comes out and discusses what we be looked for during a competition.
Resource Leader: Serves as a source of expertise/adviser for a Club, example a professional photographer who gives a 1 day photography workshop.
How to become a 4-H Volunteer
- Contact the 4-H Office and speak to our volunteer coordinator Nancy Baskett – nbaskett@wsu.edu or 253-224-2884
- Complete an in person or on the phone interview with a WSU 4-H Staff
- Complete the Volunteer Application forms – 4-H Volunteer Application click here
- Solicit at least two references from people who know you and can comment on your abilities to work with children and include these names on application. We will then contact your references.
- Complete the online E-Learning modules and Put the Child First child/vulnerable adult safety presentations, Make sure you save and print the last pages of the training to submit to the 4-H Office.
- Complete and pass a national criminal background check – You will be screened by national background check database to work with 4-H youth. You will receive an email from Floy Ziegler explaining next steps.
- Complete the “4-H Online” enrollment process at: https://v2.4honline.com/#/user/sign-in (for assistance with enrolling online, contact your Club leader).
Online Volunteer E-Learning Modules
This training includes four interactive, self-paced training modules, complete with review: “About 4-H,” “Positive Youth Development,” “Getting Started in 4-H,” and “Leadership and Teaching.”
These trainings are intended for potential volunteers, as well as current or past volunteers wanting a refresher.
To register and begin these modules go to:
https://campus.extension.org/course/index.php?categoryid=159
- PUT THE CHILD FIRST – You will be asked to set up a log in and password and provide an enrollment key: KING4H (all in caps)
- ELEARNING MODULES – set up log in – enrollment key: KING4H (all in caps
- Send the completion certificates for these trainings to the 4-H Office, Also verify in the email that you watched the safety presentation.
Put the Child First
WSU Extension remains committed in its efforts to prevent the abuse and exploitation of children and vulnerable adults. In our continuing efforts to assure a safe environment for all program participants, Washington State University Extension is requiring child protection training for all faculty, staff and volunteers working with youth and vulnerable adults.
This 20-minute presentation may be viewed at any time at your home or Extension office. Your registration for the training will be kept in the system as proof of your participation.
We appreciate your compliance with this requirement. For more information, contact your local 4-H faculty or staff.
Club Leader/Treasurer Financial Training
Note for Club Leaders and Club Treasurers – you can complete the WA State 4-H Financial Training Management Training at this site: https://campus.extension.org/course/index.php?categoryid=159 (this is the same site as where you completed your E- learning and Put the Child First modules) Enrollment key: KING (all caps)
Volunteer Reports
Thank you for being a 4-H Volunteer! We report all volunteer hours at the county, state and national level. Additionally, you enjoy the benefit of WSU liability coverage and L & I coverage should you be injured while volunteering.
We now use GivePulse to record your impact to King County 4-H. You will need to claim your account, sign up with an email address (one per volunteer reporting. Choose your county and then log in. This link has all the information to get started with GivePulse. You can report all hours back to January 1, 2023 at this site. All volunteer hours for the year need to be completed by October 31st of the year.
Volunteer hours include: time spent at 4-H events, planning 4-H events, recruiting for 4-H, receiving donations, doing community service 4-H events, basically anything that involves 4-H.
GivePulse Volunteer Training Video
June 23, 2022 training session
How-To GivePulse Videos
Make a lasting positive impact on a young person’s life and become a 4-H Leader today!
Here are some thoughts from our friends at California 4-H:
WSU Extension programs, employment, and volunteer service are available to all without discrimination (See WSU Executive Policy #15). Concerns regarding potential discrimination may be reported through your local WSU Extension office or directly to the WSU Compliance and Civil Rights (CCR) office, web:
https://ccr.wsu.edu, email: ccr@wsu.edu, phone: 509-335-8288.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information or other reasonable accommodation should contact Nancy Baskett at (425) 738-0104 nbaskett@wsu.edu or Alyssa Bowers at (425) 738-0110 alyssa1bowers1@wsu.edu or kingcounty.4h@wsu.edu, at least two weeks prior to the event.