Program Components

Providing training to the youth in the Ambassador program allows them to develop and refine their skills to lead, and builds their capacity for understanding community issues. In addition to the required content areas below, consider tying the curriculum to other events in the program year. For instance, if Ambassadors will be doing a promotional event, consider the skills they will need to be successful at that event. 

When planning your Ambassador year, choose at least one lesson from each of the FOUR MAIN categories:

• Understanding 4-H: To better understand the breadth and diversity of 4-H. 

• Promotion & communication: To enhance youth leadership and communication skills.

• Global citizenship: To build an understanding of self, each other, and the world around them.

• Service: To enhance understanding of issues in their community, and gain skills in planning to take positive action.

Lessons for each of these categories are found in the Local Ambassador curriculum. If you have additional lesson plans to contribute, send them to a civic engagement and leadership team member for inclusion consideration. 

There are many levels and types of service that groups can choose to do. All service should strive to address local community needs and provide opportunities for youth to understand the complexity and history of the issues their service is addressing. Service in an Ambassador program consists of both acts of service within the local 4-H program and those within the community:

• Within the local 4-H program (to the 4-H program): Service where the primary beneficiary is 4-H members or the 4-H program. 

  • Examples: Preparing the 4-H Buildings for the county fair, teaching Cloverbuds. 

• Within the community (through the 4-H program): Service where the primary beneficiary is a community organization or group outside of 4-H. 

Examples: Conducting a supply drive for a community need, serving at a local organization. 

Local 4-H Ambassadors are representatives of the local 4-H program and of 4-H more broadly, and they serve an important role in sharing with the public all that 4-H has to offer. Even when not in an official “promotion” activity, Ambassadors “promote” the 4-H program through their actions within the community. 

Promotion includes engaging with the public in a variety of ways, including:

• attending or participating in community events, 

• hosting an information booth or activity station at the county fair, 

• writing articles for the local newspaper, 

• going on local radio stations, and more. 

It may also include promotion within the 4-H program, such as 

• promoting regional, statewide, or national opportunities within 4-H, 

• conducting club visits, or

• providing guidance to new members and new member families.

If youth are having fun and feeling part of a positive group, they will likely stay and enthusiastically represent 4-H in their service and promotion activities. Each lesson includes a 10-15 minute team building activity introducing that lesson’s content. This is one way of incorporating fun and socialization while encouraging positive relationships to form. 

Additionally, local ambassador programs could consider additional connection points and/or ways to build group cohesion. Some ideas include:

• Field trips or exchanges with other similar groups,

• End-of-year celebrations, 

• Creating a group t-shirt.

In addition to building and strengthening relationships with each other, a Local Ambassador program provides a unique opportunity to connect youth with adult leaders in their community and beyond. Building a young person’s social network inspires them to pursue new ideas or careers, and can create a system of support and connection that may be beneficial to them in the future. Some ideas of building a social network include:

• Having Ambassadors interview “leaders” in their community that are in an area of interest, 

• Engaging community leaders, colleagues, etc, with teaching lessons at Ambassador meetings, 

• Inviting representatives of organizations that are connected to the service project area you’ve selected this year.