4-H Volunteers Mentor and Educate State's Youth

Challenges

• Young people, particularly those ages 5 to 18, need outstanding role models and education in life skills that will prepare them for adulthood.
• Organizations do not have the resources to address the needs of the state’s youth, particularly when young people need individualized assistance.
• Rural communities in particular may lack the resources to develop comprehensive educational and life skills activities.

Extension Response

4-H has a statewide network of 3,000 volunteers who donate 120,000 hours to work with around 69,800 Mississippi youth in educational and life skills programs.

• Extension recruits qualified 4-H volunteers to expand the organization’s scope and reach more Mississippi youth than would be possible otherwise.
• 4-H volunteers undergo an application and screening process to ensure the safety of both volunteers and 4-H’ers.
• 4-H volunteers provide individualized instruction in 56 project areas.
• 4-H volunteers impart life skills proven to be valuable in adulthood.
• Not all 4-H volunteers have direct contact with 4-H’ers, but all volunteers are vital to the program’s success.
• 4-H volunteers are vital to the future of the program and provide valuable insight into the needs of communities and success of the program.

Economic Impacts

• 4-H volunteers are not paid, but the time they donate has an economic value, and they are likely to incur substantial expenditures while fulfilling their roles.
• In 2024, the direct value of 4-H volunteer activity in the state was
  $3.2 million.
• 4-H volunteer expenditures could support an estimated 45 jobs earning
  $2.6 million.
• 4-H volunteer expenditures also could support $3.6 milllion in value-added in the state’s economy and an estimated $4.5 million in total output for the state.
• This program could support the generation of an estimated $2,616 in municipal taxes, $6,639 in local special district (e.g., school district) taxes, and $5,352 in county government taxes.
• In addition, these volunteers could generate estimated state taxes of $77,280 and federal taxes of $508,328.

M2480-10 (10-25)

Mariah Morgan, PhD, Interim Director, Center for 4-H Youth Development