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Decide Why You Want to
Serve
Why are you doing a service project? Organizations often gain
several benefits:
- It builds community and pride.
- It's good PR.
- It draws the group to a purpose.
- It seems like the right thing to do.
- It could be fun!
Activity: Ask individuals in your group to jot down thoughts on the
ofllowing questions:
- In what ways and by whom have you been served well over your
lifetime?
- In what ways have you served others well over the past five
years?
- In what ways do you serve yourself well now?
After 8-10 minutes, share thoughts with large group. Give
participants an opportunity to tell why they choose to get involved
in service or caring for others. Finally, identify reasons why it
may be important for this group to serve.
Explore Options
Identify social concerns that are important to your group; i.e.,
hunger, homelessness, drunk driving, muscular dystrophy, sexism,
AIDS, etc. Gather as much information as you can about the top
issues and/or possible service projects that would benefit the
causes you've selected. The more information you can share, the
more likely people will want to get involved and be committed to a
project.
Activity: Contact LSI or the Brown County Volunteer Center for
information, presentations or lists of possible service projects in
your areas of interest.
Choose a Program and/or
Project
The following guidelines support a successful and meaningful
project. The project should:
- meet genuine needs (as defined by those with needs)
- have real consequences
- present a significant challenge
- require personal responsibility
- provide an opportunity to reflect
- include participation by and with diverse populations
- have a time commitment that is in the best interest of all
involved
Clarify the Tasks, Responsibilities and
Skills fo the Volunteers
Match the complexity of the service project to the skills and
number of volunteers that you have. Forming committees, identifying
community liaisons, and providing as much structure as possible
will make the project run smoothly.
Activity: Ask individuals in your group to jot down thoughts on
these questions:
- What knowledge and skills do you have to contribute to this
project?
- What do you hope to happen and not happen in this project?
- What do you hope to gain from this experience?
After 8-10 minutes have participants share their ideas in small or
large groups. Record answers on butcher paper for follow-up
review.
Training and Orientation
This step will take varying amounts of time. Consider all the
skills the volunteers may need including:
- increased awareness and education of the population being
served,
- how to handle problems that may arise,
- familiarity with the site of the project, etc
Activity: Request additional training from the Department of
Leadership, Service & Involvement or the community group
sponsoring the project. Use this opportunity as a chance to build
group cohesiveness.
Complete the Service
Project
The following tips will help make this a successful
experience:
- meet together and travel to the project site together when
possible (to answer last minute questions, share excitement or
concerns, encourage participation)
- have volunteers sign-in (for tracking and recognition later
on)
- provide meals or snacks for volunteers (provides a caring
atmosphere)
- consider taking pictures or videotaping the project (helps with
follow-up)
- plan a closing activity (a meal, a return trip home or just
time to sit down and share experiences and reactions to the
project
Follow Up
Follow-up should occur as soon as possible after the project and
include time for reflection, recognition and evaluation. Reflection
techniques include:
- Have a group discussion focused on earlier questions (see
Leading a Group in Debrief)
- Use any pictures taken in a newsletter, newspaper article, or
annotated scrapbook.
- Prepare a presentation for other organizations, new student
orientation, awards programs, workshops, college community
meetings, etc. Let people know what your doing.
- Prepare a binder or folder of information that will help your
group organize their next service project
Recognition techniques
include:
- Publicize the names of the volunteers who helped with the
project by announcing their names at meetings or publishing them in
the newspaper or a newsletter.
- Send thank-you notes.
- Hand out certificates of recognition.
- Provide Co-Curricular Transcript credit
Evaluation techniques
include:
- Use a written evaluation sheet.
- Have a group discussion of what went well and what would be
helpful to change for next year.
- Develop a "tip sheet" for the next group doing a similar
project.
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