Workgroup Directory/Information

The UC ANR Developing Volunteer Capacities (DVC) Workgroup recognizes that professionals provide the youth development framework and program priorities for volunteer educators and other extenders who bring knowledge, experience, and passion to work with clientele. The workgroup takes a comprehensive view to building and sustaining adult volunteer capacity, considering knowledge, skills, attitudes, disposition, and sense of self.

Goals/Objectives:
- Establish and meet benchmarks, competencies, and best practices in Extension volunteerism, which will inform consistent professional development opportunities to ensure adult volunteer educators have the knowledge and skills to facilitate youth development and experiential learning that are grounded in the 4-H Thriving Model of PYD and culturally relevant practices.
- Provide researched-based curriculum, resources, tools, evaluations, etc. that help the organization meet aforementioned benchmarks.
- Meet the diverse needs of 4-H adult volunteers, experienced and new, by creating ways to interact with and support them; emphasize development of web-based volunteer educator development/certification system.
- Prepare 4-H professionals to provide sustained professional development to 4-H adult volunteer educators to improve capabilities in delivering high-quality positive youth development programs based on content from the Volunteer Educators’ Guide (2023), including youth development practices from the 4-H Thriving Model of PYD; teaching practices (pedagogy), including experiential learning and inquiry-based learning; and intercultural competence, inclusiveness, and program expansion; and engaging with diverse youth and communities.