Volunteer

Being a volunteer

Our volunteers are an essential part of the 4-H Youth Development Program. By volunteering, you are helping to grow the skills of 4-H youth, help them find their spark, and become our future leaders!

Ways you can volunteer

Volunteering with 4-H is both flexible and rewarding. You can share your expertise and experience with 4-H youth in your community while collaborating with other volunteers. Together, we can all grow!

4-H offers a wide variety of projects, depending on what our volunteers are willing and able to provide to their community. Each project aims to deliver hands-on learning and can span numerous categories.

Curious if you can contribute? Check it out! Volunteer Roles

Interested? Contact us!

530.283.6173

208 Fairgrounds Road, Quincy, CA 95971

New 4-H Volunteers

All 4-H adult volunteers must apply and be appointed annually.

Process to become a New 4-H Volunteer

1. Find a 4-H Community Club

To find a 4-H Community Club near you, please visit the Plumas & Sierra Counties 4-H Home Page, where you can see our list of clubs. Reach out to the leader of the Community Club to learn more about the available volunteer opportunities. If you need guidance on becoming a 4-H volunteer, you can also contact the Plumas & Sierra UC Extension 4-H Youth Development Program Office at 530.283.6173 or via email at jkettle@ucanr.edu.

2. Screening Process

All new volunteers must go through a screening process. Our #1 priority in 4-H is the safety of our youth members. We do all we can to protect young people and keep them safe while they are in our care. When you become a 4-H volunteer, you play a key role in our efforts to keep our youth safe.

Prospective Volunteers must first complete the following:

4-H Adult Volunteer Interest Survey

Your interest survey will be reviewed, and from there, you will be sent information regarding Enrollment, Livescan fingerprinting, and Training as appropriate to your volunteer role.

Please contact the Plumas & Sierra UC Extension 4-H Youth Development Program Office for additional information and links to get you started!

Once you are approved, the fun begins! Thank you for joining our 4-H family!

Returning Volunteers

4-H has grown in California because of the dedication of our volunteers. Some of our volunteers have supported 4-H for 10, 20, and 30 years or more!

Process for Returning 4-H Volunteer

1. Re-enroll in Zsuite

Re-enrollment for Returning Volunteers for the upcoming 2026-2027 4-H Program Year begins on:
- July 14, 2026 at Noon for Adult Volunteers*
Please Make Note: You will not be able to self-enroll June 23 through July 14, 2026.
*Adult Volunteers are encouraged to delay re-enrollment for the 2026-2027 Program Year until the system is open, and they can complete the online self-enrollment process when ZSuite opens for self-enrollment on the July 14, 2026, at noon date.
- Thank you!

2. Pay Annual Enrollment Fees

The annual 2026-27 4-H Adult Volunteer Leader fee is $28.00. VOLUNTEERS can only be APPROVED upon RECEIPT of PAYMENT

To pay your 4-H Enrollment Fees online (there is a $2.00 per member credit card charge) click here to: PAY BY CREDIT CARD

Or MAKE A CHECK PAYABLE to "UC REGENTS" and include the Adult Volunteer name(s) in the memo portion of the check. Checks can be provided to your Club Advisor or mailed to the 4-H County Office at:
208 Fairground Road
Quincy, CA 95971
Please Note: Cash cannot be accepted at the 4-H Office.

3. Complete ALL Returning Volunteer Courses in eXtention - Course Completion Time: 35 minutes

CANRA for Volunteers
UC 4-H Core Values & Acknowledgment

These courses, along with our other eLearning offerings, are available on the Learning Center for California 4-H Volunteer Webpage:
CA 4-H Resource Center - Learning Center

4. Submit Annual Project Plan -

As we prepare for the 2026-27 4-H Program Year, we’d like to highlight the importance of developing and submitting an Adult Volunteer Project Plan 2026-27 for EACH project you lead. Project Plans are much more than an administrative requirement—they are a valuable tool that supports the success of leaders, members, and families throughout the year. The 4-H Annual Project Plan can be found on the CA 4-H Resource Center - Project Leader page, along with many other helpful Project Leader Resources.

Submit Project Plan(s) and Certificate of Insurance (COI) Here: Plumas & Sierra Counties 4-H Annual Project Plan 2025-2026

Benefits of Annual Project Plans

Project plans help leaders prepare in advance by outlining meeting topics, activities, and goals before the project begins. Having a plan in place provides structure and direction, making it easier to facilitate meaningful learning experiences and reducing the stress of planning meetings throughout the year.

Project plans also help reduce misunderstandings by clearly communicating:

Project goals and educational objectives
Member and family expectations
Attendance requirements
Health and safety expectations
Project schedules and important milestones

When expectations are communicated from the beginning, families are better equipped to support their youth members, and members have a clearer understanding of what is needed to be successful in the project.

Additionally, project plans help create a growing library of resources that can be used and adapted in future years. This not only supports current leaders but also provides valuable guidance for new volunteers stepping into leadership roles. Project planning also encourages developmentally appropriate programming by ensuring activities, learning objectives, and expectations are designed with the age and experience level of members in mind. Improved communication is a key factor in youth re-enrolling in 4-H, particularly first-year members, as well as having high-quality, life-changing experiences, detailed in the decade-long Multi-State 4-H Youth Retention Study.

How Project Plans Are Used

Annual Project Plans serve as the roadmap for project meetings throughout the program year and can be flexible with meeting dates upon what works best for leaders and their project members.

To ensure consistency and clear communication:

One Project Plan is to be submitted for EACH Project offered.
Project Plans should be submitted to the Club Leader and to the County 4-H Office via the survey form below. (This year, we are introducing a new submission method designed to simplify the process for both Project Leaders and the 4-H Youth Development Program Office. This exciting update will help keep track of submissions more efficiently.):
- Plumas & Sierra Counties 4-H Annual Project Plan 2025-2026
  - Please use this form to submit your 4-H Annual Project Plan(s) for approval.
  - Completed form(s) for EACH Project you are the Project Leader for should be submitted at the end of this survey, along with the Certificate of Insurance (COI) for the PRIMARY location for EACH of the Project Meeting(s) for EACH Project you lead.
Families should receive the Project Plan at least one week BEFORE the first Project Meeting.
Any meeting dates on the Project Plan that are changed after distributing the Project Plan should be communicated to families to avoid missed meetings and miscommunication.

5. Provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI)

Provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI) for the primary location where the Project Meeting will be held. You will be able to upload this along with your Project Plan in the survey.

Due Dates - We ask that Returning Volunteers Complete These Tasks BY These Dates To Be Ready for Youth Enrollment Which Opens on August 3rd

July 15th - Submit your Project Plan(s) and Certificate of Insurance (COI) of the primary Project Meeting location by this date.
- Plumas & Sierra Counties 4-H Annual Project Plan 2025-2026 - Submit Project Plan(s) and Certificate of Insurance (COI) Here
July 27th - Re-enrollment in ZSuite and Volunteer Training procedures by this date.

This gives staff time to update Club Projects in ZSuite so youth members can properly enroll in projects at the beginning of the program year. This saves time in the long run because once the youth is approved, only staff can add projects to the members’ enrollment.

Providing families with the Project Plan BEFORE the Project begins allows them to review expectations, prepare for upcoming activities, and make informed decisions about their participation. Thank you for your commitment to providing quality educational experiences for our 4-H members. Thoughtful planning is one of the most effective ways we can support youth development and create successful project experiences for everyone.

Please contact the Plumas & Sierra UC Extension 4-H Youth Development Program Office with any questions regarding your reapplication for volunteer service.

Note: What do you do if you have a break in Volunteer service?

You have a break in service if you are not currently enrolled as a 4-H volunteer when you apply for the new Program Year. Please follow the process for the New Volunteers when applying. This will include a new Livescan fingerprinting.

Resources for Volunteers

Support is Here!

To support volunteers and county staff, the Regional Program Coordinators and Statewide Program Manager will host Project Plan Office Hours every Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., June 26 through August 28 (excluding July 3). (Please be advised that it is essential to complete Project Plan(s) submissions prior to July 15th in order to allow staff sufficient time to update the Club Projects within ZSuite. This will enable youth members to enroll in the Projects effectively on August 3rd. It is important to note that Project Plan Office hours following July 15th will be designated for any new Volunteer Project Leaders who may register at a later date. Thank you for your attention to this matter.)

Please register to receive the Zoom link:
https://bit.ly/project-plan-help

Whether you are creating a Project Plan for the first time, updating an existing Project Plan, looking for ideas and resources, or have questions about project requirements, we encourage you to join us. These sessions are designed to provide guidance, answer questions, share resources, and help make the project planning process as easy and successful as possible.