It is no longer necessary to complete this survey. As an adult 4-H volunteer, please read the following and adhere to this guidance for in-person meetings.
At this time, 4-H members and volunteers in Santa Clara County and UC ANR are still required to follow all current safety protocols including the use of face coverings while participating or working, regardless of vaccination status.
When participating in person activities, volunteers must adhere to the UC ANR 5 Basic Mitigation Protocols:
- Health Screening: Do not come to 4-H activities if you are ill, experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or if you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Participants in the 4-H program must be reminded of symptoms and advised not to come to activities if they are experiencing any symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
- Social Distancing: Maintain 6 feet of distance between people at all times. Use markings on the ground, signage, spread out chairs, etc. as needed to reinforce this message.
- Face Coverings: Wear face coverings (cloth or paper masks, etc.) in any situation when six feet of separation between people cannot be maintained;
- Maintain Hygiene: Frequently clean and disinfect workspaces and equipment, wash hands often, and use hand sanitizer. Ensure that you have adequate supplies for cleaning and disinfecting.
- Limit Gatherings: In-person activities must follow the occupancy limits based on a county’s tier assignment in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
When hosting in person activities:
Remind participants of symptoms and advise them not to come to activities if they are experiencing any symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
- Santa Clara County is in the Yellow (Minimal) Tier: Capacity for activities must be limited to 50% of the inside or outside capacities of any location.
- Please follow and complete the in-person meeting protocols provided in this document.
- Provide project members and volunteers a link to the symptoms survey in notification emails and require self-assessment prior to any in-person meeting.
- Maintain a log of volunteer and participant attendance and contact information for each in-person meeting. Project leaders or event leaders will retain logs for fifteen days.
- When we gather in person, we must assume some would not be vaccinated. Limiting 4-H meetings to vaccinated individuals could potentially result in discrimination.
- Masking is required indoors regardless of physical distancing and outdoors when six feet physical distancing cannot be maintained at all times. Please ask for clarification if needed.
- Currently, there are no compelling reasons to dispense with these recommendations, as the health and safety of our staff, volunteers, and 4-H members is paramount. Use planning strategies and decide what is best for your project group while following safety protocols.
- Families can be referred to the procedures flyer.
- The strategies to reduce in-person meeting size may be used to create smaller cohorts of youth participating at one time. Disinfect all high-contact surfaces frequently (before and after meeting/activity).
- Don’t allow shared food or beverages.
- Avoid shared materials, handouts, equipment, tools, etc.
- Disinfect shared materials between each user.
- Have someone check-in attendance, do not share a sign-in pencil and paper.
- Do not pass paper around. Place on chairs ahead of time or pass out directly to individuals so they touched by everyone. Wear single use gloves when handing out or receiving materials.
IN-PERSON CLUB MEETINGS
It is anticipated that new in-person guidance will continue to be updated. When UC ANR provides new information, this page will be updated, and 4-H families will be notified. Currently, the decision to hold in-person 4-H meetings is that of the club and project leaders. ALL in-person meetings are required to follow the in-person protocols provided above AND no less than two adult volunteers. As a best practice, all 4-H program events, activities and meetings should have a youth to adult ratio of at least 10:1 for senior members; 8:1 for junior and intermediate members; 6:1 primary members. Adult volunteers are responsible for the safety of members during all meetings and activities.
If your 4-H project or 4-H ranch location needs any PPE (masks, gloves, face shields) or cleaning supplies (wipes, hand sanitizer, etc.), please let me know. sjweaver@ucanr.edu
