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 youth, our methods
of discipline and problem-solving, and how sensitive
we are to the individual needs of all youth.
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 participate in a
process that fulfills the requirements 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 the
North
Dakota Office of Attorney General Convicted Sex
Offenders and Offenders Against Children - Public List
and satisfactory results from a reference and review
process.
In North Dakota,
volunteers with the NDSU Extension Service are
considered 'unpaid staff' when they are functioning in
an official capacity on behalf of the NDSU Extension
Service.
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 resubmitting
a Behavioral Expectation Code of Ethics and a Volunteer
Information for Recertification.
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.
