County Ambassador Program

The El Dorado County 4-H Ambassador Team is comprised of youth members tasked with the responsibilities of acting as representatives and champions of the 4-H Youth Development Program in their county. The goal of the County Ambassador program is to recognize the achievements of active 4-H members and to offer additional resources and opportunities for leadership, career, and life planning.

County Ambassador Candidate Requirements

Time Commitment

• Minimum 16-18 months

Required Qualifications

1. Applicant must be between 14-18 years old and meet the 4-H membership requirements.
2. 2. Applicant must have completed at least one year of membership in 4-H prior to the year of application.
3. Applicant must have demonstrated leadership experience and skills by providing evidence of completion of the following five requirements or documentation of having achieved a Gold Star Rank (a signed star rank chart).
   • Mastery of a project as demonstrated by at least 6 hours of instruction, documented by a statement of skills
   • 40 hours of significant leadership roles, at least half through 4-H
   • 30 hours of citizenship and/or community service, at least half through 4-H
   • 10 public speaking engagements, at least 5 of which must have been given at a 4-H event
   • Demonstrate involvement in 4-H as evidenced by a list of activities that are a combination of 15 of the following: project skill activities, 4-H events attended, and honors/recognition. Definitions for these three categories are found in the Record Book Manual under the section describing the Personal Development Report (PDR). Completing a PDR is not an application requirement for County Ambassador.

Required Skills

Ambassador is a working rank in 4-H. Candidates need to be eligible for the award and willing to do the work that is expected. Ambassadors are role models for younger members and should exhibit strong, positive leadership skills. They need to be effective leaders individually and in a team setting, by exhibiting a positive attitude and showing respect for the contributions of each team member. Evidence of proficient public speaking skills is required. Ambassadors will get much practice during the year but must already be able to speak with confidence in front of an audience.

2026-2027 County Ambassador Application Requirements

Application Deadline: Friday, April 10th, 2026 by 12:00 p.m.

1) Written Essay Responses

The following questions must be answered and submitted with the online Ambassador Application. Applicants are encouraged to prepare their responses in advance and copy/paste in the application. Essay responses should be limited to 300 words per question.

1. Describe a teamwork experience you were involved in. What were the challenges and how did you overcome them?
2. Describe the role you feel adult advisors should fulfill on the team. Include how you plan to communicate your role expectations to the adult advisors. Demonstrate your experience working in a youth-adult partnership.
3. Describe your experiences in communicating (both oral and written) to public audiences. Demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively with public audiences.

2) 4-H Resume

Prepare a 4-H Resume highlighting leadership and citizenship skills, as well as personal and professional development. 4-H Resume Template

3) Written Evidence of Leadership Experience and Skills (ALL 1-5 or achievement of Gold Star Rank)

1. Mastery of a project: A minimum of 6 hours of instruction, supported by a skills statement.
2. Significant leadership roles: 40 hours, with at least 10 hours within 4-H.
3. Civic Engagement and/or community service: 30 hours, with at least 6 hours through 4-H.
4. Public speaking engagements: 10 total, including at least 2 at 4-H events.
5. Involvement in 4-H: A list of 15 activities, which may include project skill activities, attendance at 4-H events, honors, and recognition.

Note: Definitions for project skill activities, 4-H events attended, honors, and recognition can be found in the California 4-H Record Book Manual Star Ranks Path, Section 2: Personal Development Report (PDR). Applicants can use the PDR or the Summary of 4-H Work form to demonstrate completing at least 15 activities items in the Achievement Program. Completing a PDR or an Emerald Star I, Emerald Star II, or Impact Star Achievement form is not an application requirement for County Ambassador.

OR

• Achievement of a Gold Star Rank: confirmed by a signed and dated Star Rank chart or other relevant documentation (i.e. Record Book).

4) Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

Recommendations may not be from a parent/guardian, sibling or other family member residing in the same household as the applicant.

• One letter from a 4-H youth member
• Two letters from adults who have knowledge of your leadership experience, skills, and character. At least one of these letters must be from a 4-H adult who has knowledge of your skills and character demonstrated in the 4-H Youth Development Program.

County Ambassador Youth Application

2026-2027 County Ambassador Coach Application Requirements

Applications Deadline: Wednesday, February 25, 2026 by 12:00 p.m.

County Ambassador Coaches serve at least a one-year term, with eligibility for reappointment each year. The applicant must be a 4-H Adult Volunteer before serving as a coach. The application process for returning coaches is to submit their intent to continue as a coach by the county deadline and go through the selection or appointment process defined by local 4-H personnel.

Coach Role

The Coach’s role is to partner and collaborate with County Ambassadors to implement best practices in positive youth development. Best practices include but are not limited to, setting group agreements at the beginning of the term as to how the group will function, facilitating educational components of the program, allowing youth to facilitate meetings, and rotating leadership responsibility. A Coach should be flexible when working with County Ambassadors. Also, depending on the County’s program, being a Coach could involve significant time commitments.

Coaches are expected to:

• Chaperone events and conferences where County Ambassadors are present.
• Partner with the County Ambassador team to coordinate meetings.
• Provide guidance to and collaborate with the County Ambassador team to ensure the team has clear, reasonable, and attainable goals.
• Facilitate good communication between the coaches and the team and between team members.
• Ensure that the team considers possible resources, including content experts, to accomplish the team’s goals.
• Be knowledgeable of 4-H policies and ensure that the policies are followed. 4-H personnel are resources for policy interpretations.

County Ambassador Coach Application

Resources

County Ambassador Handbook v.2024