ERIC Number: EJ1435610
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 11
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2325-4009
EISSN: EISSN-2325-4017
4-H Volunteers Leaders' Turnover Intention
Suzanna R. Windon; Mariah K. Stollar Awan; Rama Radhakrishna
Journal of Youth Development, v19 n1 Article 6 p57-66 2024
The 4-H program is America's largest youth development organization (National 4-H Council, 2019). The 4-H program is part of the Cooperative Extension system, which provides unbiased, research-based educational programming to communities through the land grant university system (USDA, 2019). Volunteers play a major role in the delivery and functioning of Cooperative Extension's 4-H Youth Development program. 4-H volunteer leaders serve in various capacities (Radhakrishna & Ewing, 2011), including leading 4-H clubs, organizing educational clinics for youth members on various topics, and assisting with educational events and camps. Around ten thousand volunteers currently serve the Pennsylvania 4-H program. 1, 2018). In the 4-H program, volunteers often spend more time with youth and families than 4-H Extension educators and paid program staff, as they are the adults teaching and working with the youth. This can lead to volunteers having a closer relationship with 4-H members than 4-H staff. Despite volunteers' integral role in maintaining the 4-H program, Penn State Extension has not recently examined 4-H volunteer leaders' satisfaction (Dr. Josh Rice, , October 1, 2018 personal communication), reasons for volunteering, and turnover intention. Ensuring volunteers are satisfied and provided with conditions to thrive and grow through their work is vital to 4-H and the Cooperative Extension system. 4-H educators must understand volunteer service motivators (Cleveland & Thompson, 2007) to recruit and maintain dedicated and fulfilled volunteers. Therefore, the authors examined Pennsylvania 4-H Extension volunteers' experience with volunteering in a twenty-first century context. Results will help improve Pennsylvania Extension's 4-H program's service for volunteers, enhance volunteers' effectiveness in the Pennsylvania 4-H program, and improve clientele satisfaction. Services for volunteers include training and recognition programs. If volunteer feedback data support volunteer programming, they will likely make volunteers feel more satisfied with their experience (Pascuet et al., 2012).
Descriptors: Youth Clubs, Nonprofit Organizations, Mobility, Intention, Volunteers, Leaders, Motivation Techniques, Satisfaction, Correlation
Clemson University Press. 116 Sigma Drive, Clemson, SC 29634. Tel: 864-656-2278; e-mail: cupress@clemson.edu; Web site: www.clemson.edu/press
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A