Volunteer

All 4‑H volunteers must complete and meet a series of requirements based on their role to volunteer for Nebraska 4‑H. The types of volunteers and the requirements for each are listed below: 

Activity Worker/Direct Volunteer: Includes staff, faculty, club leaders, lead teachers/presenters, student workers, summer interns, Teens as Teachers, chaperones, and any other adults and teens acting as direct supervisors or mentors to youth in a paid, unpaid or volunteer status, as part of a youth activity. 

Activity Worker/Direct Volunteer Requirements 

Volunteer Screening (Criminal Background includes sex offender registry) 

Activity Worker Guidelines Review 

4‑H Code of Conduct 

Volunteer Orientation (https://go.unl.edu/6que) 

Activity Support Staff/Indirect Volunteer: Any person who provides support services for Youth Activities such as teaching assistants, superintendents, judges, food service, set-up crews, maintenance, and any other adults and teens providing indirect service as part of a youth activity. 

Activity Support Staff/Indirect Volunteer Requirements 

Volunteer Screening (Activity Worker Application) 

Sex Offender Registry 

Activity Worker Guidelines Review 4‑H Code of Conduct 

The process for 2026 will be: 

• Sterling Volunteers, will do complete criminal background checks on all direct volunteers. 
• DHHS will no longer do the checks, so everyone must participate in the screening beginning in 2024-2025.  
• Turnaround time will be 24 -48 hours in most cases.  
• The re-screening must be completed every five years, based on anniversary date of the original screening.  
• One last change is that the cost is now $16 to be paid online.  

Adults serving as Direct Volunteers (such as a 4‑H Club Project Leader or 4‑H Club Organizational Leader) must enroll through 4‑H Online. 

Adult volunteers enrolling for the first time need to create a new Family Profile. 

Adults serving as returning direct volunteers or that already have children enrolled in 4‑H should use their existing family profile and add themselves as a new "Adult Member". 

Go to https://v2.4honline.com   

Step 1: Create a Family Profile 

Click "Don't have an account?" if you have never enrolled in 4‑H before using 4‑H Online. 

Select "Nebraska" from the drop-down menu. Select your county from the drop-down menu. (The email address will be used as the user/access id. Enter an email address you use and a password you will 

remember. There will be an option later in enrollment to add additional email addresses.) Please enter the household "Last Name". Select "Create Login". 

(If you have an account for your family in 4‑H Online, enter the login information for your existing account.) 

Step 2: Enter Family Profile Information 

Complete the required profile information. 

Step 3: Add Adults to the Family Profile 

You may now add the adult volunteers in your household. Select "Add Member". Now enter information for one specific individual in the household. 

The asterisk areas are required. All other fields are optional. 

Step 4: Add Volunteer Enrollment 

Click Select Volunteer Types to indicate how you are planning to participate in the program throughout the year. 

Returning 4‑H Council members should choose Program Volunteer and County Volunteer. 

*If you are affiliated with a club, you will choose Club Volunteer, then either Organizational Leader or Project Leader. Also choose Project Volunteer, then Project Leader. 

Step 5: Add a club & Projects  

You will be prompted to select projects. Choose the ones that begin with "Adult" or "Volunteer". 

Step 6 : Consent forms  

Please sign all consent forms on this page.  

Step 7: Confirmation and Submit Enrollment 

If all information looks correct, please submit your enrollment. You will then be prompted to move to the next step, which is our screening process. 

Please note that until your enrollment has been accepted and all screening pieces are complete, you will not be considered an active volunteer. 

Step 8: Volunteer Screening 

Once you click on “Submit” you will be directed to the Screening site. All direct volunteers with Nebraska 4‑H are required to complete a background check through Sterling volunteers. On the prompted volunteer screening form, you will be asked to provide a few details about yourself that are the same as what you used to sign in to 4‑H Online.  

Then you will create an account.  

Then the Background Check begins. 

The Cost is $16.00 plus $1.00 for source fees, to be paid by credit card online. Results will be emailed to you within 24-48 hours in most cases. This screening will need to be repeated every 5 years.  

Step 9: Volunteer orientation 

The Nebraska 4‑H Volunteer Orientation serves as an introduction to the 4‑H Youth Development program in Nebraska. The orientation covers a variety of foundational and essential topics. All new volunteers serving in direct roles, such as club leader, project leader, or workshop presenter, are required to complete the orientation. Volunteers are also required to complete the orientation every three years. 

NEW for 2026 - For volunteers that completed the Orientation last year, you can enroll before January 5 and forgo the Orientation until next year. After January 5, you will need to complete the Orientation for 2026.

The Volunteer Orientation is found at https://go.unl.edu/6que 

There are six topics. Each topic includes a 4-10 minute video followed by several knowledge check questions. The entire orientation should take approximately 45 minutes and does not need to be completed in one session. Upon completion, you will receive a confirmation email. An email will also be sent to the Extension Office notifying us when you have completed the orientation.