Random Ideas to Enhance Training

• Be observant when you are attending training.  Watch the training and the activities for the tricks, hints, exercises that can be used in your own training. 
• Issue people red dots with self–adhesive backing.  The participants can use the dots to highlight information on workbooks, handbooks, or handouts that he/she wishes to remember.
• Post a sheet of easel paper on the wall.  Label it as the parking lot.  Put markers and medium size post-its nearby.  Participants in the session can put topics or concerns on the parking lot they wish to be discussed before the session is over.  The trainer needs to check it periodically and leave time at the end of the session to address as many items as possible.
• Icebreaker.  Ask people to share their middle initial.  Participants need to guess the name.  Great way to learn names in a small training group.
• If you have volunteers working with children here is a way to help them establish some rules of conduct when he/she is with the child.  During the training issue each person a teddy bear.  Provide a removable nametag on a string to go around the neck of the bear.  The trainee is to write the name of a child he/she cares about on the nametag.  The participants then make a list of “behaviors” or conduct that would be best for their bear.  This personalizes the establishment criteria for behavior and it engages the learners in setting those parameters. 
• Review questions at the end of training help solidify learning.  Ask participants to tell one thing learned in the session.  To determine who talks, take a soft Nerf type ball and throw out to someone.  That person throws to someone else, until everyone has had a chance to answer the review question.
• Long training sessions that last late into the afternoon need “pick-me-ups” that are not food.  Here is a good brainteaser that takes but a few minutes, people can work together, and it helps re-energize a group.  On easel paper or white board list numbers in this order in two rows.

Next tell the participants “You’re seeing all the numbers from one to 15 with the exception of four and nine.  Your task is to decide why the numbers are arranged in this sequence, then put the missing numbers in their proper places. 
Option 1  Have the entire group work on it individually.
Option 2  Ask people to try it individually and not give away the answer before the end of the time allotted for the exercise.
Option 3.  Have people work in teams or small groups, for prize to person who gets it first.

Answer:  The numbers are listed alphabetically.  Therefore, four goes after five and nine follows 14. 

Tri-Cities Volunteer Training

Kennewick, WA

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

It is getting harder and harder to find volunteers.  What is happening? The Tri-Cities, WA DOVIA (Directors of Volunteers in Agencies) is sponsoring a day-long workshop on several aspects of engaging volunteers.  Participants learn about the Multi-Paradigm Model of Volunteering, the elements of effectively engaging and retaining volunteers, how to gain support for the volunteer program, and strategies to manage the diverse volunteer pool  Highly interactive exercise, opportunities to assess your program and methods to recruit and manage more effectively are the focus of the day. 

For detail information on registration and location contact: cathy@bfvc.org or call (509) 582-0631.