County Ambassador Program
What is a Contra Costa County 4-H Ambassador?
Sponsored by the Contra Costa County 4-H Leadership Unit, Contra Costa County 4-H Ambassadors serve as liaisons between the county 4-H office, 4-H members, 4-H volunteers, and the public. Contra Costa County 4-H Ambassadors visit 4-H clubs in their county; network with other organizations within the community; complete a service learning project for the county, plan and host Achievement night, and represent their county at the annual 4-H State Leadership Conference. Participation in other 4-H county, regional, and statewide meetings and activities may vary. Contra Costa County 4-H Ambassadors act as visible role models for their fellow 4-H members, their county, their community, and state.
Why does 4-H have County Ambassadors, & where do they fit with the rest of 4-H?
The Contra Costa County 4-H Ambassadors rank not only recognizes a member's leadership abilities, but it is also a working honor that provides 4-H members the opportunity to serve the University of California 4-H Youth Development Program. The Contra Costa County 4-H Ambassador position is one of the highest youth service-learning opportunities and recognitions attainable in the Contra Costa County 4-H Youth Development Program. Contra Costa County 4-H Ambassadors are youth who have excelled in the areas of leadership and service learning; and have been selected to serve the 4-H Youth Development Program in roles that promote leadership through education and service.
For more information: County Ambassador Handbook
How long is the County Ambassador term?
Contra Costa County 4-H Ambassadors are expected to make a 13-month commitment to the program beginning July 1, 2025 (or installation date) through July 31, 2026.
Contra Costa County 4-H Ambassadors are required to commit significant time to the work of being a County 4-H Ambassador. In general, 4-H County Ambassadors spend 10-40 hours per month, not including travel time, participating in workshops, outreach and completing the tasks of their role. 4-H County Ambassadors are expected to make this an important priority for the length of their term. They are expected to have timely response of email or text communication with their County Ambassador team and the 4-H office. It is critical that candidates reflect on their schedules and existing commitments before applying and accepting the position of County 4-H Ambassador.
What are the eligibility requirements for the 2025-2026 year:
- Applicants must have completed one year as a California 4-H member by June 30 2025. Must be at least 14 years old by July 1, 2025 (or installation date), and no older than 18 years old as of December 31, 2025.
- Applicants must have participated and had leadership roles in a variety of youth development activities, including but not limited to those of the Contra Costa 4-H Youth Development Program.
Application and Due Dates
For 2025-2026 Applications are due no later than 11:59pm on June 30, 2025
If the application, including all sections is not received prior to the deadline, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be forwarded to the Selection Committee for consideration.
Applicants must complete all 3 parts of the application process:
- Online application (application is a google form survey)
- Online submission from three (3) references
- In-person interview and presentation of your service learning project plan
More information on each part is below:
Part One: Online application
The online application is comprised of 7 sections as follows:
Section 1: Instructions and information for you about the application survey
Section 2: Applicant information
Section 3: Enrollment information
Section 4: Essay questions
Section 5: Written evidence of leadership and skills
Section 6: Required documents
- Resume
- Reference names
- Ambassador agreement. You and a parent or guardian must read, print, sign and upload.
Part Two: References
Online submission of recommendations from three (3) different references.
Recommendations may not be from a parent/guardian, sibling or other family member related to the applicant.
- One (1) from a 4-H youth member
- Two (2) from adults who have knowledge of your leadership experience, skills and character. One reference must be a 4-H adult who has knowledge of your skills and character demonstrated in the 4-H Youth Development Program. The second adult may be from 4-H but does not have to be.
- Please provide your three chosen references with this survey link to submit their recommendations: https://link.ucanr.edu/ccccar2025
Please note that it is your responsibility to follow up directly with your references to confirm their recommendation has been submitted!
Part Three: Interview
Applicants meeting the qualifying criteria will be invited to move forward in the selection process and be invited to attend an Interview.
- Dress code is business casual.
- Applicants invited to an interview need to come prepared with a presentation on a proposed service learning project. The proposed project will act as a starting point for planning out the service learning project that they will complete during their tenure for the benefit of Contra Costa County.
What if I need any special accommodations?
A candidate who needs accommodations to complete the online application, resume or interview should contact Brenda Vales, 4-H Community Education Specialist for assistance at bcvales@ucanr.edu or call (925) 608-6690 and leave a detailed message.