{"id":30398,"date":"2026-03-02T11:19:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/4h\/?p=30398"},"modified":"2026-03-02T11:19:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:19:31","slug":"march-2026-4-h-volunteer-corner-your-corner-for-connection-tips-and-tricks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/4h\/2026\/03\/02\/march-2026-4-h-volunteer-corner-your-corner-for-connection-tips-and-tricks\/","title":{"rendered":"March 2026 4-H Volunteer Corner: Your corner for connection, tips, and tricks!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\">As a 4-H\u00a0<span class=\"il\">volunteer<\/span>, you can incorporate simple actions to build belonging. Try out some of these ideas the next time you are working with club members or a group of youth:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Know each young person\u2019s name and call them by it.<br \/>\n\u201cHi, Maria! Glad you\u2019re here today!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Use icebreakers and team-building activities.<br \/>\nThese short activities spark fun, help youth learn about each other, and build early connections.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Create safe spaces, including a shared set of ground rules.<br \/>\nAt the beginning of the year, ask the group: \u201cWhat do we need to agree on so everyone feels respected and comfortable here?\u201d Write down their ideas (like listening when others speak, no put-downs, etc.) and post the \u201cClub Agreements\u201d on the wall each meeting.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Encourage engagement.<br \/>\nRotate leadership roles each meeting\u2014timekeeper, snack helper, or discussion leader\u2014so every youth has a chance to contribute and feel ownership.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Utilize discussions to help youth learn from one another.<br \/>\n|After a project activity, ask open-ended questions like, \u201cWhat worked well in your group? What was challenging? What would you try differently next time?\u201d Then have youth share with a partner or small group before bringing answers back to the whole club.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Cultivate shared experiences.<br \/>\nPlan a simple community service project, like making thank-you cards for local first responders, where all members contribute to a common goal. Celebrate afterward with group photos and a reflection about what they accomplished together.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>4-H\u00a0<span class=\"il\">Volunteer<\/span>\u00a0Huddle:<\/strong>\u00a0Join us for a short \u201cgather and learn session\u201d to help you up your game. We meet on the first Friday of each month from 12:00-12:30 pm via Zoom. Whether you are an experienced 4-H\u00a0<span class=\"il\">volunteer<\/span>\u00a0or just getting started, there\u2019s something for everyone. We\u2019d love to see you there! No registration required!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><strong>March 6, 2026- Prepare for the Fair<\/strong><br \/>\nThis 4-H\u00a0<span class=\"il\">volunteer<\/span>\u00a0information session will highlight how mentors can guide youth in preparing their animals and themselves for a successful fair experience.\u00a0<span class=\"il\">Volunteers<\/span> will learn ways to support members with showmanship skills, animal care, and confidence in the show ring.<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><strong>April 3, 2026- Doing to Understanding<\/strong><br \/>\nApplying Experiential Learning in 4-H Clubs\u00a0\u00a0Learn how to guide youth through hands-on experiences followed by purposeful reflection, helping them build confidence, critical thinking, and leadership skills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Please note: The Zoom link and password will be emailed to all enrolled 4-H\u00a0<span class=\"il\">volunteers<\/span>,\u00a0or\u00a0you can email Tara Wood\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:tara.a.wood@maine.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tara.a.wood@maine.edu<\/a>\u00a0to request it.<\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">4-H\u00a0<span class=\"il\">Volunteer<\/span>\u00a0Connections-\u00a0Moving into a New Era of Leadership with Teens<\/h3>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">March 18, 2026\u00a0 6:30 \u2013 8:00p.m.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In this session, you will learn how to partner with teen leaders to support the 4-H agenda. We\u2019ll explore strategies for collaboration and share real-world examples from Maryland and D.C. 4-H programs.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cornell.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/6u-Knm-vS2uCzfpIArtoXg#\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/cornell.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/6u-Knm-vS2uCzfpIArtoXg%23\/registration&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1772554644902000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1bjprL33rcXJ-Ewmq3raDq\">Register here!<\/a><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Mark your calendars and save the date! Saturday, November 7th!\u00a0<\/strong>The Maine 4-H\u00a0<span class=\"il\">Volunteer<\/span>\u00a0Summit-\u00a0More details to come in the upcoming months, but we promise food, fun, connection, and learning! You won\u2019t want to miss it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a 4-H\u00a0volunteer, you can incorporate simple actions to build belonging. Try out some of these ideas the next time you are working with club members or a group of youth: Know each young person\u2019s name and call them by it. \u201cHi, Maria! Glad you\u2019re here today!\u201d Use icebreakers and team-building activities. These short activities [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[382],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volunteers"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>March 2026 4-H Volunteer Corner: Your corner for connection, tips, and tricks! - Cooperative Extension: 4-H - University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/4h\/2026\/03\/02\/march-2026-4-h-volunteer-corner-your-corner-for-connection-tips-and-tricks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"March 2026 4-H Volunteer Corner: Your corner for connection, tips, and tricks! - Cooperative Extension: 4-H - University of Maine Cooperative Extension\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As a 4-H\u00a0volunteer, you can incorporate simple actions to build belonging. 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