Hosting a 4-H Special Needs Day in Your Community

Download the PDF for the full publication, which includes eight activity stations with social stories.

A person with special needs has a disability, whether mental, physical, emotional, behavioral, or learning. In Mississippi, 16 percent of students enrolled in public schools have a disability. Like all 4-H’ers, people with special needs can gain valuable skills through 4-H activities. Host a 4-H Special Needs Day in your community to give these young people an opportunity to gain essential life skills!

Volunteers

You will need registered 4-H volunteers to implement a 4-H Special Needs Day. A registered volunteer is a volunteer who has completed the 4-H Volunteer Packet, which includes a background check. Registered volunteers should complete the packet 30 days before the event. Other volunteers may be used to help with the day, but registered volunteers should lead the stations. Other volunteers might include senior 4-H’ers who help with water stations or passing out materials.

You’ll need roughly one registered volunteer for every two to three 4-H’ers. 4-H volunteers can be recruited from schools, churches, community groups, or local therapy centers. Special education teachers or aides may be willing to participate. A volunteer leader will be assigned to each station and oversee the activity at their station.

Parents are welcome to stay and help their children during the event.

Planning

Extension agents and registered 4-H volunteers should begin planning early when developing a 4-H Special Needs Day. Here are some things to consider when making plans:

• Timing: Pick a time of year when you can reasonably expect good weather.
• Wheelchair accessibility: Can a person in a wheelchair comfortably access restrooms, project areas, and parking lots?
• Location: You’ll need plenty of room for 4-H’ers to participate in various 4-H projects.
• Environmental comfort: Can participants who are sensitive to noise, lighting, or crowded environments easily access calmer spaces when needed?
• Sensory supports: Are there options for reduced noise, softer lighting, or quiet areas to help participants who may need alternative environments?
• Timing: The educational experiences outlined in this publication are expected to last between 3 and 4 hours. A sample schedule (page 2) outlines how agents may organize the day. Realize that 3 to 4 hours is a long time for some children. You might want to split the activities into two separate events.
• Participants’ interests: Choose the activities that best represent the interests of your 4-H’ers.
• Stations: A 4-H Special Needs Day should include two to four educational stations representing the main 4-H project areas: agriculture, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), healthy living, and civic engagement.

Registration

Registration should be completed before the event so that agents can plan for materials and volunteers. Social media posts about the day can be helpful, but also consider visiting local special education classrooms or therapy clinics with flyers to pass out.

Social Stories

Consider creating a social story to send to parents/guardians and volunteers before the event. Social stories are typically made in PowerPoint or Word and provide photos or illustrations of what a 4-H’er will see and do at the event. Each image is accompanied by simple instructions that help the young person understand what they are expected to do. Social stories can reduce anxiety about doing something new or being in an unfamiliar environment.

Activity Stations

Upon arriving at the 4-H Special Needs Day, parents should sign in and receive a name tag for each 4-H’er. Name tags should have a number on them to indicate which group the 4-H’er is in and which station they will begin at. For example, if the name tag has the number 3, then that 4-H’er will start at station 3, then go to station 4, and so forth. When assigning group numbers to 4-H’ers, make sure each group has about the same number of 4-H’ers.

Participant engagement: As volunteers work with youth, remember that participants may engage at different levels, communicate in various ways, and require differing amounts of support. Some 4-H’ers may demonstrate learning or participation in ways that look different from others. Volunteers should remain flexible and responsive as they notice individual needs throughout the session, keeping in mind that successful participation does not have to look the same for every participant.

Have Fun!

Remember, hosting a special needs day in your community will require some special considerations. Youth with special needs may need more time to perform tasks or learn skills. Be patient and flexible while treating each 4-H’er as an individual. Remind participants and their parents that projects like the ones they created at the event can be entered as county exhibits or state fair projects.

Sample Schedule

8:00 a.m. Sign in 4-H’ers, parents, and registered 4-H volunteers and gather to hear a welcoming statement and outline of the day’s events.

8:30 a.m. 4-H’ers report to their first assigned station.

9:00 a.m. 4-H’ers move to their second assigned station.

9:30 a.m. 4-H’ers move to their third assigned station.

10:00 a.m. 4-H’ers move to their fourth assigned station.

10:30 a.m. 4-H’ers, parents, and registered volunteers gather to hear a concluding statement from the agent.

11:00 a.m. 4-H’ers and parents are released.

References

National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Students with disabilities. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.

Legal Information Institute. (2021, August). Special needs.

The information given here is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products, trade names, or suppliers are made with the understanding that no endorsement is implied and that no discrimination against other products or suppliers is intended

Publication 4051 (POD-07-26)

By Mariah S. Morgan, PhD, Interim Head, and Abby Grosinke, former student assistant, Center for 4-H Youth Development.