Volunteer

4-H is the youth development program of Cooperative Extension at land-grant universities. Florida 4-H is committed to a safe, healthy, and inclusive environment where youth build a sense of belonging with caring adults, engage in hands-on learning, and discover their spark.

Why Volunteers Matter

Adult volunteers mentor youth, lead clubs, and help plan and run events. We provide training, curriculum, and ongoing staff support.

Screening & Training Requirements

Will the volunteer serve more than 10 hours a month or have care, custody or control of youth? Learn More

• (If No) Volunteer application with a Level 1 Background screening (screening is good for 5 years)
• (If Yes) Volunteer application with Level 2 background screening and fingerprinting (screening is good for 5 years) -- $77.00 fee every 5 years
• (Both) Required orientation and role-specific training (we’ll guide you through each step).

New Volunteer Onboarding (effective September 1, 2025)

All new 4-H volunteers must attend one orientation and complete 5 shadowing hours with a current volunteer or 4-H staff member before starting activities.

Here are 10 simple, high-impact ways to volunteer with Broward County 4-H:

• 1) Help Youth Lead a Club
  • Assist a youth club leader with organizing meetings, speakers, and other logistics.
  • Assist and/or mentor a 4-H volunteer who is serving as a project leader.

  Start a club

• 2) Teach a skill
  • Organize a club or share your skills by teaching a club meeting workshop, devoted to your area of specialty.

  Visit the Broward County 4-H Club Directory to find a club near you

• 3) Judge Projects

  Serve as a judge for 4-H exhibits, competitions or performances, providing encouragement and suggestions for improvement. We use the Danish Judging System.

  In 4-H, projects are evaluated against a clear standard—not against each other. Every member can earn a ribbon based on how well their work meets the criteria and what they learned, so feedback focuses on growth and next steps.

  January - March: We seek judges for the Miami-Dade County Fair and the South Florida Fair 4-H Exhibits

  July - August: We seek judges for Project Record Books.

  Join the 'Broward 4-H Judge' Listserv

• 4) Plan or help at an event

  Volunteer at a county special event; from set-up or clean-up to serving food or taking registrations, there are a lot of ways to get involved.

  Broward County 4-H Calendar of Events

• 5) Serve on the association's advisory committee

  Apply to sit on the Broward County 4-H Association's advisory committee to help develop the 4-H program and support the 4-H Agent.

  Learn more about the association

• 6) Host fundraisers and recruit partners

  Secure sponsors, plan giving campaigns, and connect in-kind donations (supplies, venues, guest speakers) to fuel programs.

• 7) Bring 4-H to schools

  Volunteer to take 4-H programs into an after-school, or summer camp programs.

• 8) Volunteer at the Fair

  Volunteer at the Miami Youth Fair and be inspired by the talents and creativity of the next generation while promoting the country's largest youth development organization!

  You can help at the 4-H exhibit, set up a table and promote the program, or teach about agriculture within the Urban Farm or at the barn!

  

• 9) Utilize your professional skills

  Share your technical skills and knowledge to develop subject matter for curriculum/project sheets.

  Utilize your professional skills to assist with creating marketing tools, graphic art, word documents, webpages, videos, online training modules, etc.

  Intern at your local Extension office with the 4-H program, a great resume builder.

• 10) Advocate for 4-H

  Tell your local policymakers about the work we do! Speak at meetings, write to your commissioners, share youth impact stories, and invite leaders to see 4-H in action.