Thank you for your interest in helping Minnesota youth thrive!
The Minnesota 4-H Youth Development program relies on a team of screened and approved volunteers to deliver high quality, culturally responsive learning opportunities for Minnesota youth of all identities. You don’t need be an expert or a parent to make a difference in the life of a young person.
Who can volunteer with 4-H?
- Anyone who is at least 18 years old by Sept. 1 can apply to become a screened and approved 4-H volunteer.
- 18-year-olds must be post-high school/GED and cannot be enrolled as both a 4-H member and a Minnesota 4-H volunteer. Once accepted as a Minnesota 4-H volunteer, they are no longer eligible for 4-H membership.
- Applicants who successfully complete the screening process outlined below and are placed in a volunteer role by the Extension educator in their county or tribal program.
Application and screening process
To ensure program quality and youth safety, we ask all of our volunteer applicants to go through a three-step screening process, including a criminal background check.
Any of the three steps below may be completed online or via a paper form. For the best experience, steps 1, 2 and 3 should be completed in order on a laptop or desktop computer (rather than a mobile device).
View the volunteer screening video guides if you need further assistance.
Self-enrollment in 4-H Online is not a substitute for any of the steps below.
Some applicants may wish to review our screening process steps and volunteer expectations in detail before beginning.
Screening process:
- Screening checklist and What’s covered in a background check? (English)
- Guía de cribado: Pasos 1-2-3 and ¿Qué cubre una verificación de antecedentes de voluntarios de Minnesota 4-H? (Spanish)
Volunteer responsibilities and expectations:
- Print* or download, complete and sign an application (electronically or by hand):
- 4-H volunteer application (English, fillable PDF)
- For best results, download and complete the PDF. Do not open as a Google Doc.
- To electronically sign the downloaded document, simply click the signature field.
- Solicitud de Nuevos Voluntarios 4-H (Spanish)
- Codsiga Iskaa-Wax-U-Qabsatada Cusub 4-H (Somali)
- 4-H volunteer application (Karen)
- 4-H volunteer application (English, fillable PDF)
- Review the Volunteer Code of Conduct and Volunteer Terms of Agreement.
- Spanish, Somali and Karen versions are included in the application packets linked above.
- Submit your completed, signed application to your local 4-H office via email, fax, mail or in person.
*If you do not have access to a printer, you may request a paper copy of the application from your local 4-H office.
All screened and approved Minnesota 4-H volunteers must successfully complete a criminal background check as part of our commitment to youth safety and protection. You may complete your background check form online or by using a paper form.
Read our What’s covered in a background check? to learn more about the scope of this criminal background check.
Online
- Read our online background check instructions.
- Follow the instructions and submit online through The McDowell Agency, the Minnesota 4-H screening vendor.
Paper
- Print* and complete a background check release form.
- Mail or fax the release to The McDowell Agency address or fax number on page 2 of the background check release form. Do not submit to 4-H personnel.
*If you do not have access to a printer, you may request a paper copy of the application from your local 4-H office.
- Complete the 45-min video orientation*
- Note: This training works best with a desktop/laptop computer or with an Android mobile device.
- Submit an orientation reporting form:
- Via the automatic pop-up at the end of the video training.
- Print** and complete an orientation reporting form and submit to your local 4-H office via email, fax, mail or in person.
*If you prefer, you can download and read a PDF version of the orientation to fulfill your orientation requirement.
**If you do not have access to a printer, you may request a paper copy of the application from your local 4-H office.
I have more questions
No problem! We have answers.
Get in touch with us:
- Contact the local 4-H office for your country or tribal program.
- Interested in volunteering but not ready to apply? Fill out the volunteer interest form.
- Send an email to Elaine Hardy at [email protected], regional support staff in volunteer systems.
Reviewed in 2023