Why Volunteer with Louisiana 4-H

“Throughout my time as a 4-H member, I have encountered many volunteers, and each one of them has inspired me to serve my community. They all demonstrate the qualities of leadership, selflessness, and compassion! They give their time to our organization in hopes of growing the leaders of tomorrow!" - Anna Little, Winn Parish, LA State 4-H President. 

For more than 100 years, 4-H has been empowering youth to speak through action and helping them develop the skills they need to lead the communities of tomorrow.

We need volunteers to lead our programs and help youth throughout Louisiana develop the life skills they need to do well, do good, do-over, do amazing, do STEM, do leadership, do healthy, do differently!

You can help spark change and make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of Louisiana children, as well as support your community.

Help us create a culture and generation of doers. Apply to serve with Louisiana 4-H.

2023-2024 Annual Volunteer Impact

• A total of 13,413 volunteers leading 4-H programs (4,150 adults, 9,263 youth)

*Totals are based on the 2023-2024 Louisiana 4-H Enrollment reporting.

What types of roles do volunteers serve?

Volunteers play a critical role in Louisiana 4-H. They generously craft and deliver high-quality educational programs, serve as program leaders and overnight chaperones, maintain advisory positions on 4-H councils and foundation boards, advocate for the needs of our 4-H programs and our members, and enable us to address critical societal issues and contribute to the public good. Without our army of well-trained and hard-working volunteers, our programs would not be able to educate and engage over 200,000 youth each year.

A variety of volunteer roles are available across numerous project areas, including:

• Project Leader
• 4-H Club Leader
• Activity Leader
• Parish 4-H Organizational Leader
• 4-H Advisory Committee Member
• Regional/State 4-H Volunteer
• Community Club Leader
• Special Emphasis Volunteer
• School Enrichment Volunteer

Applying to Serve: How to Become a Louisiana 4-H Volunteer

To volunteer with 4-H, begin your enrollment with 4-HOnline or contact the parish 4-H Office in which you live or work. For additional questions, contact Brittany Babineaux, Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist.

Volunteer Requirements

If you are interested in serving with Louisiana 4-H, you should contact the parish 4-H Office in your area about opportunities to serve. Next, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Enroll online.

To register as an adult volunteer, enroll using 4-HOnline.

Step 2: Complete volunteer screening in the 4-HOnline system.

Volunteers that work with Louisiana 4-H in a direct-service role will be required to complete a background screening. Screenings can be processed online and take 5-10 minutes to complete. An agent in your parish office will receive a notification that your screening is complete within a few days.

Follow the blue Continue Screening link on your homepage, then you will be directed to Sterling Volunteers to submit your information.

Step 3: Complete any required training.

Many volunteer types require additional training. Risk Management 1 and 2 are now hosted in 4-HOnline! To complete the trainings, plan for 1.5 hours to review the material and the knowledge check. These trainings will save your progress, so you can complete them when you are available.

Advanced volunteer types (ex. Shooting Sports Level 1) require completion of an in-person training.

For more information on enrolling in the 4-HOnline system to begin your volunteer journey, access this 4-HOnline article.

Where do I go for more information?

If you are interested in serving with Louisiana 4-H, contact the parish 4-H Office in which you live or work.