How to become a 4-H volunteer

Listen to this radio show (MP3 download) or read below.

Radio interview source: Barbara Stone, national program leader for leadership and volunteer development, National 4-H Headquarters

I was in 4-H for nine years, from the time I was in fourth grade until I was a senior in high school. My dad was the livestock leader for the county fair. I went to 4-H camp for eight summers. It was divided into Indian tribes, and I was a tribe and nation leader the last two years. Thinking back on it all, a lot of the activities I enjoyed wouldn't have been possible without the volunteers who devoted their time to the club.

Barbara Stone is the program leader for volunteer development at the National 4-H Headquarters, and says helping out with a club is flexible, depending on your interests and the amount of time you're willing to put in.

"If a volunteer's interested in working with a 4-H club, that would be about a year-long commitment and they would match their interests and skills with the particular club they might be interested in and working with," Stone says.

If you're not able to make a year-long commitment, there are many 4-H volunteers who help out on a short-term basis. You might be a judge, assist with an open house, or serve on a board. Or share your expertise and help kids with their projects on everything from food science, to robotics, and of course the animal projects that many of us are familiar with.