Get Involved

4-H offers youth limitless opportunities for friendship, growth, fun, and development. We work locally through the Cooperative Extension offices of the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

How you can connect with 4-H:

Youth ages 5-19 can enroll in 4-H.

Adult volunteers are a key component of the 4-H program.

Donate to support giving youth the skills to lead for a lifetime.

Statewide Volunteer Opportunities

There are many opportunities to volunteer at the state level to support the 4-H Youth Development Program in California.

Benefits:

Support statewide 4-H programs
Connect with youth and adults from throughout California
Use your club and project experience to help improve resources for all 4-H youth and volunteers.

The strength of 4-H in California is our youth, volunteers and staff all working together to "Make the Best Better"!

Committees/Teams

California 4-H Management Board

Help spread the word! Post the flyer in your community.

The California 4-H Management Board strengthens and expands the program’s reach; assess local and area needs and provides leadership for area programming; works to improve communication internally; works to increase our visibility in the community; serves as conduit to connect state and area programming and the work of the Advisory Committees; develops and monitors financial resources; and measures and shares our program’s impact. At least 50% of the directors and committee members should be youth. The Management Board works with committees to plan and organize various activities in 4-H, such as the Youth Summits and Area Presentation Days. Learn more about the California 4-H State Management Board.

California 4-H Management Committees

California 4-H Management Committees are led by a State Management Board Director. See the California 4-H Management Board page for committee descriptions and applications instructions.

4-H Statewide Advisory Committees

The California 4-H Advisory Committees provide leadership within their respective areas and offer insight, review, and input for the operation and management of the 4-H Youth Development Program to the Statewide 4-H Director (Shannon Horrillo, sjhorrillo@ucanr.edu).

Advisory Committees are comprised of a representative group of 4-H youth, adult volunteers, county and state 4-H Youth Development Program staff and program partners.

Application deadline for 2017-18 Advisory Committees is May 31, 2018.

See more information on how you can apply to serve on a committee.

4-H Horse Classic Planning Committee

The annual State 4-H Horse Classic provides the opportunity for 4-H riders to compete at a level beyond local, county or regional events, while the educational contests allow members to showcase their equine knowledge. For more information on how to get involved in the planning team, contact Jessica Bautista, jbautista@ucanr.edu.

State 4-H Field Day Planning Team

The State 4-H Field Day is California 4-H’s largest and most comprehensive educational event for 4-H youth members (age 9-19) and 4-H volunteer educators, with more than 1,500 participants annually. For more information on how to get involved in the planning team, contact Jessica Bautista, jbautista@ucanr.edu.

State Fashion Revue Committee

The State Fashion Revue (SFR) event at State 4-H Field Day provides educational activities for youth in clothing, textiles, consumer science, and personal development opportunities to extend youth leadership and communication. To join the SFR Committee, contact Sue Moore, Registrar, 2moores@mlode.com, 209-743-2020 or Mary Engebreth, Adult Co-chair, maryengebreth@comcast.net.

State Leadership Conference (SLC) Planning Committee

The annual State Leadership Conference is planned by the SLC Planning Committee - a team of high school-aged 4-H members and adult volunteers. Working in strong youth-adult partnership, they design the educational, recreational and logistical components of the conference. Learn more about the SLC Planning Committee.

SLC Support Group

Teen leaders participate in the implementation of State Leadership Conference through the SLC Support Group. Check out the Support Group Job Description. Applicants must be eligible to attend State Leadership Conference.

For Young Adults

Program Support Team for State Leadership Conference

Program Assistants are 4-H Alumni who help the youth delegates to have the most amazing leadership experience possible at the annual State Leadership Conference. Learn more about the Program Assistants.

Evaluators

Presentation Day at State 4-H Field Day

Evaluators are vital to the functioning of 4-H presentation days. They give presenters feedback on their performance using a standard evaluation rubric. Evaluators may be youth and adults (older than 16 years of age) from 4-H or other organizations with experience in public speaking. Visit the State 4-H Field Day page to look for updates on when you can apply to be an evaluator. Jessica Bautista, jbautista@ucanr.edu for more information.

Interview Contest at State Field Day

The Interview Contest is a great practice for youth to experience creating a resume and going through an interview. See the Interview Contest event page for more details about the types of jobs that the youth will be applying for this year. Please contact Jessica Bautista, jbautista@ucanr.edu for questions.

State Fashion Revue

Volunteer as an Evaluator for the annual State Fashion Revue at State Field Day! Find more information on how to get involved on the State Fashion Revue page, or contact Sue Moore, Registrar, 2moores@mlode.com, 209-743-2020 or Mary Engebreth, Adult Co-chair, maryengebreth@comcast.net.

State 4-H Record Book Competition

State competition is focused on selecting senior 4-H members who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their 4-H project work. Books are judged against standard criteria. Those books displaying the most outstanding 4-H work, goal management skills, and leadership and citizenship development are selected as state medalists and/or state winners. Check the evaluator eligibility and apply on the Record Book Competition page. Questions? Contact Gemma Miner, gmminer@ucanr.edu.

Leadership

State Ambassadors and State Ambassador Advisors

The 4-H State Ambassador position is one of the highest service opportunities and recognition attainable in the University of California 4-H Youth Development Program.
4-H State Ambassadors are youth who have excelled in the areas of leadership and community service. They are selected to serve the 4-H Youth Development Program in roles that promote leadership through education and service. 4-H State Ambassador advisors are adult volunteers who are experienced in working with older youth in a youth-adult partnership atmosphere. Apply to be a state ambassador. For more information about the application process and State Ambassador Advisors, contact Jenna Colburn, jcolburn@ucanr.edu.

District Leader for California Focus

District Leaders participate in planning an educational conference around the theme of civic engagement, mentor high school students, and use your leadership skills. For more information, contact Jenna Colburn, jcolburn@ucanr.edu.

Chaperones

The State 4-H Office organizes leadership and citizenship/service-learning conferences for youth that span several days. Overnight events require adult chaperones to help supervise and guide the youth throughout the conference.

Adults can apply to chaperone any of the following annual events.

Learn more about our Chaperone requirements and responsibilities.

Other

Get Involved with the State Fair

Volunteer your time at the State Fair in Sacramento! Help out with Gold Seal Presentations or serve as an evaluator for the annual 4-H Cooking Contest, a cooking contest for youth teams of 2-3. Contact Jessica Bautista, jbautista@ucanr.edu for more information.

Applying or Nominating for 4-H Golden Clover Awards

The Golden Clover Awards recognize outstanding achievements of members, volunteers, program staff, and groups within the 4-H Youth Development Program. Find out how you can apply or nominate someone for this award here Golden Clover Awards.
Questions? Contact Gemma Miner, gmminer@ucanr.edu.

Interested in how you can participate in the incentives and recognition process? Apply to be a part of the Incentives and Recognition Statewide Advisory Committee.