Volunteers have always been essential to the success of 4-H youth development programs. However, the number of available volunteers has declined. Although this decline is not new, it is imperative to recruit and retain adult volunteers for youth programming. Researchers sought to describe characteristics of current Texas volunteers and identify…

This phenomenological study was conducted to ascertain Generation Z's attitudes and perspectives regarding agrofood philanthropy. To effectively engage the upcoming generation as philanthropists, it is necessary to determine how they define philanthropy, what motivates them to give, how they have already participated in philanthropic efforts, and…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess volunteer involvement in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs. An electronic survey (based on Seevers and Rosencrans, 2001) was sent to a census of SBAE instructors in three states. Attitudes of involving volunteers was positive although there were some roles SBAE participants'…

Despite the potential benefits of utilizing volunteers in SBAE programs, volunteer utilization among SBAE teachers has received little attention in the literature in recent years, especially on a national level. A national random sample of SBAE teachers were surveyed to determine current behaviors and perceptions as well as predictors of volunteer…

This study sought to understand the 4-H STEM Career Pathway Model program, a three-year initiative to expose youth to college readiness skills, career readiness skills, STEM skills, and careers associated with high-demand STEM jobs such as computer scientists and engineers. The qualitative study described here used document reviews, observations,…

The purpose of this study was to examine factors impacting college student leadership development within a college of agriculture at the University of Missouri. This study employed descriptive relational survey methods to examine the impact of involvement factors (participation in organizations, community service and leadership education) on…

Volunteers can be an important resource of many nonprofit organizations. The ability to meet the mission, goals and objectives of nonprofit organizations often depends upon the effectiveness of volunteer involvement in direct service delivery or indirect program support. Volunteer involvement utilizes financial and non-financial resources of an…

Developing leadership within any type of volunteer organization can be a difficult task; however fostering commitment long term has been a proven key component to the sustainability of such organizations (Collins, 2001). Extension professionals rely heavily on their professional organizations to offer stability and professional development on a…

With increased budget cuts and a shortage of funding sources, Cooperative Extension must have a reliable group of proficient volunteers to carry-out organizational goals. Developing an understanding of volunteer abilities will assist extension agents in preparing and utilizing volunteers. Self-efficacy theory provided the theoretical framework of…

Many outside influences are altering higher education including a decline in resources, changes in student demographics, the impacts of technology, and the shift to an information age. The need for faculty members to become leaders that can handle swift changes to the culture of Colleges of Agriculture within the land-grant system are needed now…

This study investigates the links between community contexts/factors and rural 11th-grade agricultural science students' choice of careers in agriculture. A logistic regression model was developed and tested to examine the extent to which nine measures of community contexts (i.e., membership in FFA, membership in 4-H, community attachment,…

A survey of 201 4-H volunteers indicated that, although formal public recognition such as awards banquets is used most frequently, volunteers preferred informal rewards. Informal, personal recognition generated intrinsic feelings of accomplishment, importance, and self-worth. (SK)

Adult volunteer 4-H leaders (494 current, 40 former) identified their primary motivations as follows: youth (issue/cause motive), 4-H (affiliation motive), and perceived need (personal motive). Lack of adult assistance and time influenced resignation from the program. (SK)

Nebraska 4-H volunteers (n=714) surveyed were predominantly motivated by affiliation and desire to help others. Many were parents of 4-H members and wanted to assist their children's involvement. There was no relationship between motivation and their preferred forms of recognition. (Contains 25 references.) (SK)

Responses from 534 of 1,183 current and former adult volunteer 4-H leaders in Indiana were used to develop a profile of typical volunteers. Continuing leaders had more children in 4-H, lived longer in the same location, spent less time per week volunteering, and were more positive about their individual club than were former leaders. (SK)