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Learning to Serve
4-Hers making a difference in their clubs, communities, country, and world!
- Ten steps to successful 4-H service projects
- Service project ideas for clubs
- Service project ideas for individuals
- Other community service links on the web
- Tell us about your service project...
Ten steps to successful 4-H service projects
(Adapted from The Kid's Guide to Service Projects, by Barbara A. Lewis)
1. Research your project.
Choose an issue that concerns you, then come up with a project related to that issue. Consider these questions:
- What would I/we like to do?
- What might benefit the most people?
- What might make the biggest difference?
- What can I/we afford (in terms of time, money, etc.)?
- What is really possible for me/us to do?
2. Form a team.
If you don't want to go it alone, or if the project seems too complicated to do by yourself, invite others to join you.
- Choose people who share your interest in the project and who are likely to stay with you until it is completed. Your 4-H club or project group is a great group to do a service project with.
- Look around at your family, friends, school, neighborhood, community, or faith community for possibilities. You might want to invite other 4-H clubs to help you!
- Don't limit your group to people your own age. Invite younger kids to get involved. See if college students and seniors in your area want to help. Your 4-H club can partner with a Cloverbud club or a senior center or any other community organization.
3. Find a sponsor.
Ask a responsible adult (teacher, parent, neighbor, 4-H leader, etc.) to act as your sponsor. This can give your project credibility with other adults whose help and/or permission you might need. You should contact your 4-H Agent to find out what kind of support the Cooperative Extension office can offer for your project.
4. Make a plan.
- Decide when and where to meet. You'll want to meet frequently to discuss your project, decide who will do what, identify any problems, and report on your progress.
- Decide how you will get to the meeting place and service location. Will you need cars, buses, adult drivers? You should get permission slips from your parents. Can you walk or bike there?
- Define your goal. What do you hope to achieve?
- Set a schedule. How long will your project take? How much time wiII you spend each week on your project? When is the date you want to be finished with your project?
- Estimate your costs. How much money will you need? Make a list of everything you can think of that might or will cost money. What about transportation? Materials? Equipment? Supplies? Photocopying? Postage? Donations? What else?
- Think hard about your project. Is it realistic? Is it too complicated? Too simple? How could you improve it?
5. Consider the recipient.
Make sure that the people you plan to serve really want your help. What's the best way to do this? Ask! Then find out as much about them as you can. For example:
- What are their needs? (They may be different than you think, and you may need to revise your plan accordingly.)
- When are they available? During what hours on what days?
- Are there any limitations or restrictions? What about special diets? Physical limitations? Allergies? Other health issues?
6. Decide where you will perform your service.
Will you go to the people you plan to serve, or will they come to you?
- If you go to them, be sure to visit the location ahead of time. Is there enough room to do your project? Does the location have everything you will need? If not, what will you have to bring? How will you get it there? Will you have a place to store things?
- If they come to you, make sure that your location has what you need. If you are using a community center or other public location, make sure you schedule it in advance.
7. Get any permissions you need to proceed.
Depending on your project, you might need to get permission from:
- your parents
- your 4-H leader
- your 4-H agent
- your principal
- your teacher(s)
- school district personnel
- your youth leader
- your neighbors
- community organizations
- owners of any facilities you will want to use
- anyone else?
8. Advertise.
Let other people know about your project.
- Make a one-page flier.
- Create a public service announcement.
- Send out a press release.
Make sure you let your 4-H agent know what you are doing, he/she may help you publicize!
9. Fundraise.
Do you need startup money for your service project? Will you need to buy equipment or supplies? If you need to print 150 fliers at your local print shop, who will pay for the printing? If your project will cost anything beyond pocket money, you'll need to fundraise. Your 4-H club treasury may have enough to cover the project, or you may need to do a fundraiser.
10. When your project has ended, evaluate it.
Reflect on your experience. Discuss it with your team, family, teachers, friends, and neighbors. Talk it over with the people you served. Describe it in a journal. You may want to submit a report to your 4-H agent letting him/her know what you did. Its a good idea to report how many people participated and how many hours you volunteered. Write a poem, story, essay, or play about your project; create music, dance, or art about it; make a video or tape recording. Try to address questions like:
- What did you learn?
- What did you accomplish?
- What were your feelings, fears, joys?
- Would you do it again?
- How could you improve it?
- Will you repeat it? When? How soon? (You might use a poem, story, essay, play, video, etc. to inspire others to join you.)
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Service Project Ideas for Clubs
Think about what issues are important to participants, and select a project accordingly. Here are some ideas in different categories.
The Environment
- Organize a community clean-up
- Plant trees and/or flowers in a vacant area.
- Clean up a stream bed.
- Pass a petition to clean up a nearby hazardous area. Present the petition to your City/County Council.
- Hold an environmental workshop or fair.
Holidays
- Make gift baskets for seniors.
- Organize a food and/or clothing drive.
- Go caroling in a hospital or nursing home.
- Adopt a needy family.
Hunger
- Organize a food drive
- Volunteer at the local food bank
- Grow a community garden and donate the produce to a shelter or food bank or share the harvest among the community participants.
Homelessness
- Help in a shelter.
- Collect clothing and blankets to donate to a shelter.
- Tutor or read to children in a homeless shelter.
- Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity or a similar organization which builds housing for disadvantaged families.
Working with Senior Citizens
- Put on a play or talent show for residents in a nursing home.
- Lead games at a senior center (Bingo, cards, etc.)
There are lots of other great ideas-use your imaginations!!
Service Projects Ideas for Individuals
The Environment
- Teach kids in your 4-H club or school about environmental issues.
- Recycle at home.
- Buy notebooks and folders made from recycled paper.
- Raise tree seedlings to transplant.
- Write a story or play about an environmental issue.
- Organize a neighborhood or park clean-up.
Holidays
- Gather friends and family to go caroling in a nursing home or hospital.
- Gather toys for children in a shelter or hospital.
- Make gift baskets for disadvantaged people.
Making Friends
- Welcome new students in your school. Help introduce them to others.
- Volunteer to tutor students at a local school or community center.
- Help younger 4-Hers with their projects.
Working with Senior Citizens
- Adopt a grand-friend at a local nursing home or senior center. Visit your friend, send cards, play games, have funÖ
- Help an elderly or sick neighbor with gardening, raking leaves, snow shoveling, etc.
- Volunteer for Meals-on-Wheels
Other Community Service Links on the Web
4-H: Are You Into It?
Great Kids on the Web
Kids' Campaign
Nickelodeon's Big Help
Youthlink
Kids Can Make a Difference
Tell us about your service project!
We'd like you to tell us about a service project you've done. Go to our online form 
and send us the details of your project. We will be posting these reports as we receive them.
