Identifying volunteer core competencies: Regional differences

Volunteers and agents were surveyed in 12 states. Thirty-two competencies for volunteers were identified for those who deliver 4-H youth development programs and activities. Twenty of the 32 competencies were different when stratified by Extension region, illustrating that volunteer competencies have greater regional differences than previously thought. Volunteer competencies were statistically more different in the southern region (perhaps due to greater school based and agent delivered programs)while competencies in the north central and wester regions were the most similar. Volunteer competencies that were not found to be significantly different could become the focus of a national volunteer development curricula. These include: communication, ages and stages of youth development, technology, computer skills, patience, risk management, liability, experiential learning, empowerment and delegation, learning styles, needs assessment problem-solving skills, club managemnet and recognition.