Purpose:
- To draw attention to the importance of volunteers to the Oklahoma 4-H program.
- To provide appropriate recognition for 4-H volunteers doing an outstanding job in their local community or county program.
- To select County, District, and State Volunteers.
- To encourage participation in the 4-H Volunteer Certification Program.
Forms
Deadlines:
1. County nominees and ALL materials must be submitted to the District office by April 15.
2. District materials are due to the State Office May 1.
Philosophy of each Award:
Volunteer of the Year - Recognize outstanding local club and county individuals who have volunteered in 4-H for up to 10 years.
Lifetime Volunteer Award -Presented to an individual who has spent 10 or more years volunteering for 4-H. This includes volunteers who may have had a break in their years of service.
Local Nominations:
Locally nominations may be secured in a variety of ways. Club members may be encouraged to nominate a 4-H volunteer. 4-H clubs, members, volunteers; county Parent-Volunteers' Organization or county Youth Council may make nominations.
There are many ways the local nominations can be secured. The main emphasis should be to make it fair for all adult volunteers to be considered without bias. The county and state guidelines should be shared with the clubs so they understand the purpose of the program.
County Nomination:
County nominees must be certified Oklahoma 4-H Volunteers.
Extension Educators should see that an appropriate selection process is developed to choose the county winners. This may be done in conjunction with the County 4-H Parent-Volunteers Organization or an awards committee could be established to make the final selection.
It is strongly encouraged that county selection criteria be similar to that used at the district and state level.
County nominees must be certified adults over the age of 21. If a county nominee is not selected as a district winner they may be nominated again after 3 years. However, the county is still limited to one district/state nomination per given award each year. Keep in mind a repeat nomination eliminates another volunteer from recognition in any given year.
District Participation:
County nominees must be submitted electronically to the District 4?H Specialist by April 15. Each district will evaluate the applicants and select a District Volunteer of the Year and District Lifetime Volunteer Award Nominee for the state awards program. District winners will then be considered for the State Volunteer of the Year and State Lifetime Volunteer.
State Participation:
All district nominee material is due in the State 4-H Office on or before May 1.
Burn all files on a CD labeled - (Year) (District) Volunteer of Year materials.
The disk should contain a file for each nominee. Label file with the award (VY or LT), (district) and last name. Example - VY_SW_Peters.
Within that folder label each document.
SW_Peters_Picture
SW_Peters_Vita
SW_Peters_Letter_Youth
SW_Peters_Letter_Extension
SW Peters_Letter_Adult
Criteria Judging
1. Volunteer Vita - The applicant dedication to positive youth development as read from the volunteers answers to 10 questions on the application.
2. Letters of recommendation which address the following selection criteria:
- Positive impact the nominee has had on 4-H and on 4-H youth
- Nominee's ability to work with young people on projects and activities in a way that promotes decision-making, problem-solving, meeting challenges, mastery and youth/adult partnerships
- Nominee's innovative approaches to engaging youth and increasing diversity among participants
- How nominee exemplifies a "mentor-learner" relationship with participants
- Dedication to a safe and inclusive environment
- How nominee models character and professional behavior when interacting with participants, families, and community partners
- Nominee's innovative approaches to performing volunteer service
- Increased funding/resources generated by nominee
- Recruitment of additional 4-H volunteers
- Personal growth from being a 4-H volunteer (that you have observed)
Selection Process
http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/awards/recogn.htmThe Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Board's district representatives and district 4-H specialists, in the respective districts, will choose district winners who will become finalists for the State Awards. A committee of the Oklahoma 4-H Volunteer Board will determine the State Volunteer of the Year and the recipient of the State Lifetime Volunteer Award .
Recognition:
Appropriate county recognition should be provided for all nominated volunteers. County winners may be honored at special events such as a volunteer recognition program, 4-H achievement programs, a series of newspaper articles, radio spots, etc. National Volunteer Week is observed annually in April.
National Volunteer Week would be an excellent time to promote and recognize 4-H volunteer work.
The district and state 4-HVolunteer of the Year and Lifetime Volunteer Award will be announced at the State 4-H Parent-Volunteer Conference in Stillwater. All nominees will be guests at a luncheon sponsored by The American Farmers and Ranchers .
The District and State recipients will receive a plaque.
The State winners will be Oklahoma's nominee for the regional awards program. The State 4-H Volunteer Board reserves the right to consider previous nominees for advancement.
Regional winners will be recognized at the Southern Region Volunteer Leaders Forum.Each regional winner will receivea personalized plaque, and $200 cash award to be donated to a local 4-H program of their choice.
National winners will be announced in April the following year at the Hall of Fame Ceremony in Washington, D.C. Each will receive a plaque and $1,000 cash award to be donated to a local 4-H program of their choice.
