National Collegiate 4-H
       
   

Collegiate 4-H Service

Service is a vital part of Collegiate 4-H at all levels. Service provides a benefit to the local community and the nation as a whole. Community service also contributes to the growth of the individual Collegiate 4-H member. Collegiate 4-H contributes to their local communities in a variety of ways.

Collection of Service Project Ideas

The Ideas in Motion database is a collection of service projects that Collegiate 4-H clubs have participated in across the country.   This database is provided to give clubs new and exciting community service ideas to try in their own areas.

National Collegiate 4-H Service Project of Emphasis

What is a National Service Project of Emphasis?

Every few years, the National Collegiate 4-H organization adopts a new Service Project of Emphasis that lasts one year. National Service Projects of Emphasis can be renewed at the next National Collegiate 4-H business meeting. Collegiate 4-H clubs throughout the country participate in this project throughout the year.

Permanent National Service Project

The permanent National Service Project for the National Collegiate 4-H Organization will be an emphasis on youth, defining the interaction between Collegiate 4-H Clubs and the 4-H program at the local level.

For ideas for club service projects, please check out the newly available: 1990 Collegiate 4-H National Service File

View Past National Service Projects

National Service Projects of Emphasis for 2008

There are three National Service Projects of Emphasis approved for the 2008 year by the National Collegiate 4-H organization at the National Business Meeting. One of the NSPE will be volunteering on ACCESS 4-H. The second one aligns with the National 4-H Service Project, which is the Digital TV Transition project. Collegiate 4-H members will be outreaching in their community to help rural, elderly and the uninformed about the need to purchase a DTV converter before February 2009. The third project involves Collegiate 4-H Clubs working with Operation Military Kids is being coordinated by Collegiate 4-H at The Ohio State University. Read below for more information.


ACCESS 4-H

More than a website, greater than an online portal, ACCESS 4-H will offer a comprehensive set of integrated online applications, services and tools. The goal is to provide the 4-H community with a one-stop Internet home for information, instruction and interaction.

Goals of ACCESS 4-H:
  • To extend 4-H’s leadership in youth development to the Internet and establish 4-H as the online leader in positive youth development
  • To deliver online research-driven positive youth development programs
  • To revitalize and expand the 4-H brand
  • To recruit 1.7 million new youth to 4-H clubs
  • To increase the capacity to recruit, train, support and retain 4-H volunteers, and professionals (and Collegiate 4-H members!)
The Project

Collegiate 4-H members would spend time testing the new website, promoting (within their counties, state, and on Facebook), recruiting 4-H members for, facilitating online discussions, mentoring 4-H members online, training (or simply assisting) staff and volunteers on how to use ACCESS 4-H, and providing content to the website. The goal is to have each Collegiate 4-H club actively on 4-H.org and participating in this project already by the beginning of fall. The website will launch towards the end of 2008 and need lots of promotion and participation after that!

More information to come on how to get involved! For now, you can visit the ACCESS 4-H blog to view updates about ACCESS 4-H and sign up to be a beta tester.

Digital TV Transition

starting February 17, 2009, televisions will switch from analog reception to digital – meaning televisions that currently receive signals through antenna, or “rabbit ears,” will no longer work. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are working together to inform citizens of the switch from analog to digital and their options, including how to get a coupon for a converter box. The converter box will allow televisions with rabbit ears to receive the new digital signal without needing to purchase cable or a new television.

CSREES is working with NTIA and the FCC to educate Americans through extension; as part of this process, National 4-H Headquarters has created a Digital Television Transition service project for 4-Hers. The project included a workshop for 4-H’ers at the National 4-H Conference and free FCC kits to be used at your local county and state fairs. The kits will include fact sheets and giveaway items, providing 4-Hers with an opportunity to interact with the public and help educate them on the transition.

More information to come on how to get involved!

Operation Military Kids

Collegiate 4-H clubs from across the nation will utilize the 4-H Operation: Military Kids program to help spread the word about the issues and struggles that military kids face when their parent(s) are deployed.

More information to come on how to get involved!