Planning In-person 4-H events during COVID

Updated June 6, 2023

Please see our COVID Updates page to view the current Basic Safety Standards, effective September 2, 2022.

Resources to share

It is the expectation that 4-H professionals be familiar with these guidelines and provide these resources to volunteers planning approved in-person 4-H meetings.

Forms and Materials for Volunteers

To ensure the appropriate use of these materials, please download copies and send to volunteers as attached files as opposed to providing them with the URL.

Basic Safety Standards (effective September 2. 2022) - UC ANR Basic Safety Standards that must be followed for all in-person activities. These standards are minimum requirements for conducting in-person 4-H activities. Download Basic Safety Standards infographic (PDF).
Planning Strategies for In-person Meetings (Aug 2021) - this document gives meeting planners tips and ideas when planning in-person meetings.
Frequently Asked Questions (Jun 2021) - Frequently asked questions regarding in-person guidelines
Recommendations for handling non-maskers. While masks are no longer required for 4-H activities, local city/county requirements or host locations may require masks. These guidelines will help you if you have attendees who refuse to follow the requirements for your location.

Meeting Resource Items

The meeting leader should download and print the following meeting resource items:

Symptom Survey - Display at entrance to meeting.
Attendance Log
Face mask signage
NOTE: you may have to adjust your print settings to "Adjust to Fit" to print on letter sized paper.
1. Masks Recommended
2. Masks are Optional
3. Masks required for all persons (PDF-3pages)
4. Masks required for unvaccinated persons (PDF-3pages)
Recommendations for handling non-maskers.

UC ANR 4-H Reopens Safely Video

Partnering with Other Organizations

When 4-H staff or volunteers are invited to participate at another organization’s program or event, such as schools that have re-opened in accordance with state and local guidelines, 4-H professionals and volunteers must comply with our Basic Safety Standards.

Before making a commitment, first assess if the activity is compliant with state and local health department standards for preventing the spread of COVID-19. This includes reviewing the organization’s COVID-19 safety protocols related to the activity. Consider if those protocols are consistent with UC ANR’s Basic Safety Standards.

If the other organization’s safety protocols are more restrictive than UC ANR's, then the 4-H representatives must follow the organization’s safety protocols.

If the other organization’s safety protocols are less restrictive, then the 4-H staff should consider whether additional protective measures are needed in order to ensure the safety of the 4-H participants. This review should be conducted by local 4-H personnel, in consultation with UC ANR Risk & Safety Services.

Vaccine Status Requests from Partners

As part of the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, many of our partner organizations now require that visitors to their sites must be vaccinated.

To manage requests for this information, Risk & Safety Services and Human Resources have developed the following affirmative steps for UC ANR employees.

UC ANR employees: If you receive a request to provide vaccination status for yourself or any UC ANR employee/affiliate to a partner organization (such as a school or community organization), please do the following:

Let your Unit Director know of any requests.
Unit Director will consolidate requests from each specific partner organization and send the name of the partner organization and names of employees working on the partner site in an email to UC ANR Risk & Safety Services and Human Resources.

Typically, we will provide a letter to the partner agency that verifies ANR employees are compliant with the UC policy and, consequently, with their own local policies.

In cases where more than the letter is required, we may reach out to the Unit Director for additional information to develop alternative solutions.

In-Person Participation in 2022 Fairs

The 4-H and Non 4-H Livestock Events Guidance (updated 4/28/2021) shares the latest guidance for participating in livestock events such as fairs/shows/auctions safely.

4-H staff in the county where the fair/show/auction is taking place must do the following:

Submit a copy of the fair/show/auction safety protocols through the Staff Resources survey. This is to verify that there is a plan in place to comply with state and local public health guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
- Exception: Non-CDFA Sponsored Events sponsored by other organizations.
- It is not our intent to review or approve a fair/show/auction's COVID-19 safety protocols; we are just ensuring there is a plan in place.
Share the relevant information about safety and COVID-19 prevention for the event with 4-H participants, families and adult volunteers so they are aware of and will be expected to comply with the fair/show/auction's safety protocols.

Overnight 4-H Events and Out of State Travel

Updated June 6, 2023

Overnight California 4-H Events

Overnight 4-H Events must follow the Basic Safety Standards and the Overnight 4-H Event Safety Protocols.

Out of State Travel

All 4-H Members, Volunteers and Professionals must follow the Basic Safety Standards when traveling to out of state 4-H events.