To become an Arizona 4-H Youth Development certified volunteer, the following must be completed and/or submitted:
As an applicant, you will recieve a letter from the County Extension office notifying you of your acceptance, non-acceptance, or acceptance with conditions.
Thank you for your interest in colunteering with us!
The faculty and staff of your local UA Cooperative Extension County Office. You will want to meet the extension agent(s) responsible for 4-H Youth Development and the support staff; such as secretaries, instructional specialists, or program assistants. Other volunteer leaders are also exceedingly helpful. You can also contact the State 4-H office for assistance.
Check out the state projects list to see what projects are available statewide, or conact your local UA Cooperative Extension County Office for local or regional projects.
Check with your local county 4-H extension office about specific cost to become a certified volunteer leader. You will probably have out of pocket expenses. The actual dollar amount will vary depending upon the project(s) you are serving as a leader. Many of these expenses are deductible on your income taxes as a donation. If you keep track of your travel or mileage, you may deduct that expense as well as out-of-pocket expenses are considered deductible when they are paid in connection with services to a 4-H organization. Time and service however are not deductible. Generally, amounts spent for fees, materials, awards, traveling expenses (including meals, lodging, and cost of transportation) are deductible when not reimbursed.
There are a couple of ways to handle expenses. One way would be to ask each 4-H member to provide funds to offset costs. Another way would be to have 4-H members conduct a fundraiser. You'll need to contact your local UA Cooperative Extension County Office when conducting fundraisers to ensure that appropriate guidelines are followed.
The amount of time varies according to the project(s) you are serving as a leader for. You can expect to spend an average of 1 to 2 hours per week per project meeting and on meeting preparation.
It is expected that you will provide a safe learning environment for the youth and meet on a frequent basis to provide adequate skill development, as well as being an appropriate role model. It is expected that you will become familiar with the subject matter. In addition, the county may have specific membership requirements for youth for the fair and other activities.