Volunteer Training and Professional Development articles from Volunteer Today

Adult brains do best in absorbing information when the information presented provides interaction, is lively, practical, has a logical sequence, and is fun. Have you considered the impact of breaks on retention? The adult attention span is about 25 minutes. Presentations or activities longer than 25 minutes can be marginalized in the retention department.

A single learning objective might take two hours to accomplish, but it best not be 120 minutes of a PowerPoint lecture. About every 20 minutes the learner should be doing something new.

Example: Brainstorm with partner (5 mins.) Debrief and Discuss the Brainstorm with trainer and other learners. (15 mins.) View an informational video on same topic (10 mins.). Case studies based on video-discussion with small group (20 mins.) Debrief the case studies-group reports (25 minutes). The topic stays the same, but the activities change. This increases the retention rate for all learners.

These are the ABCs of increasing retention during training sessions. So too the physical break for getting coffee, using the restroom, getting a smoke or just walking around has an impact on retention. Breaks need to be included in the training plan. One about every two hours. Trainers should never be tempted to skip them “to accomplish our agenda.” The adult brain needs some time to process and that frequently occurs during the breaks. mountain scene

One way to move to a “break mentality” for the learners is for the trainer to load some breathtaking outdoor scenery into PowerPoint. Use 10-15 scenes letting the computer scroll through during a break. Get pictures of national parks, or local scenic areas. Have them scroll during the 15-minute break. No need for comment or reference. This sends the brain a message that suggests, “break time.”

Do not use pictures of clients or other volunteers. The scenes must be something disconnected from the work the learner is studying in the training session. Relaxation is the watchword. Retention is the goal!

Online Training for Directors of Volunteer Programs

Recruiting Volunteers

Managing Volunteers

HONE YOUR SKILLS IN MANAGING VOLUNTEERS

Spring classes on volunteer administration at Portland State University provide practical information on recruiting and management. Sharpen the recruiting effort, enhance your leadership skills, and learn more only some of the topics covered in these classes. Study for a certificate in Volunteer Administration. Two classes last only four weeks.

Recruitment of Volunteers April 2 – May 25

Recruitment of Volunteer (8 weeks)sengages students in a marketing approach to the recruitment of volunteers. Interactive activities involve students in practical discussions of the different styles of volunteering—traditional and episodic; building a recruiting plan, advertising and promotion for volunteers, and the organization of a volunteer recruiting team. Assignments in all classes are interactive and designed to build skills directly applicable to a manager of volunteers program. Assignments can be used immediately in existing volunteer programs.

Leadership and Communication April 2 – April 27

Leadership and Communication in Volunteer Programs (4 weeks) is devoted to placing the administrator of volunteer programs as a leader in his/her organization. Students explore personal listening styles, different roles of leaders, and conflict resolution. Student assignments include personal assessments, evaluation of current leadership roles, and exploration of how to resolve conflicts.

Supervision and Management April 30 – May 25

Supervision and Management of Volunteers (4 weeks) begins with and an exploration of motivation and how it influences human behavior. Students explore the theories of Maslow, McClelland, and Herzberg discussing how they apply in the volunteer setting. There are practical exercises related to the delegation of responsibilities to volunteers. Students analyze risk management in volunteer programs. The importance of data and record keeping to successful programs is included in the class.
Assignments in all classes are interactive and designed to build skills directly applicable to an administrator of volunteers program. Assignments can be used immediately in existing volunteer programs.

For more information on the program visit:

http://distancedegree.pdx.edu//programs/v_engagement.php

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Portland State University’s Volunteer Engagement and Leadership certificate program offers classes all semesters throughout the year. Recruiting volunteers is the first class in a series of five courses and covers the organization and administration of volunteer program. Other classes include: Recruiting, Training, Leadership, Supervision and Communication, and Evaluation and Recognition.

For registration assistance phone (503)725-4822 or Toll Free: (800) 547-8887 ask for ext. 4822

Portland State University’s Institute for Nonprofit Management and the Department of Extended Studies have partnered to offer an educational series designed to build your volunteer program to standards of excellence and provide professional development for you.

Volunteers are engaged in programs and projects around the world in new and exciting ways. Recruiting and organizing them is art and science. This new program teaches you cutting edge strategies to engage volunteers.

The Volunteer Engagement and Leadership Program (VELP) offers two formats to educate professionals and others on how to successfully engage and lead volunteers. Formats provide hands-on practical exercises and experiences for learners at all levels to enhance their work with volunteers.

Learning Option 1 - Online course in Volunteer Engagement and Leadership-Students from around the world engage in first class instructions from seasoned veterans in the organization of a volunteer program. Topics include recruiting, screening, planning, marketing, supervision, evaluation, and recognition, to name a few. This is an asynchronous class. For more information visit the PSU Web site.
http://www.extended.pdx.edu/degrcomp/programs/v_engagement.php

Learning Option 2 - Online learning is not for everyone, so the Institute for Nonprofit Management provides the same content as the online course, but in a face-to-face format. Visit the INPM Web site for more detailed information on the open enrollment Institute or one tailored to a single group. http://www.extended.pdx.edu/degrcomp/programs/v_engagement_training.php

Interested in quick tips on recruiting, coaching, communication, record keeping for your volunteer program. Follow Volunteer Today publisher and editor, Nancy Macduff on Twitter. She is posting quick ideas each workday on Twitter about the administration of volunteers. Check out this new quick resource on Twitter at NLMacduff. It is the VERY abbreviated form of Volunteer Today.

Nancy is seeking tips, hints, ideas, comments on things related to the management and administration of volunteers. You can leave a Tweet on the Twitter site or email Nancy at mba@bmi.net. The tip cannot be longer than 140 spaces or characters.

REMEMBER: Followers on Twitter can set their profile on privacy to avoid getting unwanted Tweets. Also, you must pick up Tweets, they do not pop up like your email. Make it a bookmark on your computer. Yes, you can Twitter from your computer, you do not need a smart phone!

If you have not used this social media form of communication and would like to learn how to use it for future communication with volunteers, this is a good way to practice. Tell the people in your organization and your colleagues in the community about this new site, exclusively for those who coordinate the work of volunteers.

The International Journal of Volunteer Administration is a practitioner journal grounded in solid scholarship in the field of volunteerism, but with practical advice for those who manage volunteers.

The Journal is a refereed publication of the North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, USA. The IJOVA seeks to provide an exchange of ideas and a sharing of knowledge and insights about volunteerism and volunteer management and administration, both in North America and internationally.

The Journal is a not-for-profit service of the Department and North Carolina State University that seeks to connect practitioners, academicians, and consultants in greater service to the global volunteer community and the professionals who lead it.

The IJOVA is governed by a six-member Editorial Board representing the three predominant genres of volunteer management professionals: (a) practicing managers of volunteers, (b) consultants, and (c) academicians focusing upon volunteer management and administration. Three Board members represent the United States while one member each represents Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

Subscriptions are a modest $40. for the electronic journal. For more information and to read six issues for free go to the IJOVA Web site.

You can learn more about AL!VE at their Web site. http://www.volunteeralive.org There is information on the board of directors, resources, newsletter, and committees. It is now possible to join the organization online as it moves forward in its development.

Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA)

Volunteer Today encourages mangers of volunteers to enhance their skills and effectiveness on the job through a variety of educational opportunities. Experienced managers of volunteers can highlight that skill achievement by seeking the Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) endorsement. The Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA) advances the profession and practice of volunteer resource management by certifying individuals who demonstrate knowledge and competence in the leadership of volunteers. Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) is an international credential awarded to practitioners with at least 3 years of experience who successfully complete an exam and written portfolio process. Originally developed by the Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) several decades ago, the credentialing program is now sponsored by the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration. For detailed information visit their Web site at: http://www.cvacert.org.

Close to 300 colleges and universities offer academic programs on nonprofit and volunteer sector management. They are usually master's degree programs, but not always. American Humanics sponsors undergraduate programs, as well. If you are looking to push out the professional development window, consider taking a course at one of these colleges. A full list resides at http://tltc.shu.edu/npo/. Thanks to Roseanne Mirabella, of Seton Hall University for keeping up with this list

The content of all linked sites are beyond the control Volunteer Today and the newsletter assumes no responsibility for their content.