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Volunteer Teaching Guide
Volunteers play an important role in
fulfilling the mission of 4-H which is to create supportive learning
environments for youth and adults to reach their fullest potential as
capable, competent and caring citizens. The Youth Protection Policy
represents a code of ethics which all volunteers and staff are
expected to observe.
Whether we are staff members or
volunteers, teens or adults, all of us who work closely with young
people have the potential to profoundly affect the well-being of
children. In addition to providing safe and appropriate environments,
we must also be positive role models - focusing on how we communicate
with children, our methods of discipline and problem-solving, and how
sensitive we are to the individual needs of all children.
The primary purpose of the Youth
Protection Policy is to ensure the safety and well-being of all youth
participants, their families, volunteers and paid staff. Every new
volunteer who applies to work with Extension youth programs and all
paid Extension staff are required to read, sign and submit a Behavior
Expectations Code of Ethics and a Volunteer Information Application to
function within the requirements and guidelines of this policy. A
prospective volunteer’s
acceptance as an NDSU Extension Service volunteer is contingent on
clearance through the North Dakota Child Abuse Information Index,
and checked against the North Dakota Office of Attorney General
Convicted Sex Offenders and Offenders Against Children Public List.
Every six years, volunteers and
staff are asked to reaffirm their commitment to promoting the safety
and well-being of all youth program participants, by re-submitting
Behavior Expectations Code of Ethics and a Volunteer Information
application for re-certification.
The responsibility for the well-being of children
lies with each and every one of us. The North Dakota State University
Extension Youth Protection process is designed to help us carefully
select volunteers who work with our youth development programs.
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