UGA Extension Volunteer Service Guide

UGA Extension Volunteer Service Guide

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The University of Georgia requires volunteers, including Master Gardener Extension Volunteers (MGEV) and Georgia 4-H Volunteers working with youth, to perform voluntary service at least once every 120 days to maintain active (screened) status. This service can be achieved in several ways, in-person and virtually.

This list is not meant to be comprehensive but serves as a guide of appropriate activities and examples. Interactions can be via in-person, telephone call, video conference, two-way email discussion, etc.

Volunteer Service Examples 4-H Volunteer Examples MGEV Examples
Planning or debriefing
meeting between staff
and volunteer with two-way exchanges 		• 4-H project club charter planning
meeting
• 4-H event planning meeting with faculty/staff
• 4-H quarterly office update		 • Project leader meeting with a
coordinator
• Youth horticulture team meeting
to plan next year’s JMG schedule
• Plant sale planning meeting
Program or project activity participation • 4-H club meeting (virtual or face-to-face)
• 4-H event
• 4-H contest judging
• Media projects, such as news articles, website/blog posts, or social media posts for the public		 • Diagnostic services (virtual or inperson)
• Speaker’s Bureau presentation,
such as an online lunch-n-learn or
event at a demonstration garden
• Media projects, such as news
articles, website/blog posts, or
social media posts for the public
Training participation with a two-way exchange for the purpose of service
(i.e., in-person with
interactive activities or
virtual with a quiz or
practice activities)		 • Risk Management Training
(RMT) and/or Project
Achievement judges’ training
• Getting Started Orientation
• Coaches’ certifications or refreshers
• Camp orientation		 • Risk Management Training (RMT)
• Advanced Training, offered via
distance or in-person
• Thoughtful Thursday webinars
• Continuing education sessions

Note: Simple receipt of email (such as an email list-serv/verification system) is not considered voluntary service, lacks two-way exchanges, and is not enough for compliance.

These service engagements should be documented in an online volunteer system, such as MGLOG or 4-H Enrollment, for future reference and for minor’s protection records, if applicable. Sources for documentation might include:
• Obtaining name and contact information on a sign-in sheet at the office.
• Recording attendance at programs, project activities, or continuing education sessions.
• Asking volunteers to complete a quiz after participating in a training and keep quiz results (paper or online results are sufficient).
• Referencing participation notes of planning/debriefing meetings with date, time, attendance, and method of meeting (i.e. phone, video-conferencing, in-person, etc.).
• Verifying training attendance by asking participants in a video conference to add their name to the chatbox and save the chat transcript.

6/2020, updated 12/19/2023, kgh, sd

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