Many community-based English language learning programs rely on volunteers to lead classes. While some of these volunteers have some teacher training, the majority are not professional educators. The question of how non-professionals understand what constitutes facilitation of language learning in an adult education context remains underexplored.…

Many peer mentorship programs in academia train senior students to guide groups of incoming students through the rigors of postsecondary education. The mentorship program's structure can influence how mentors develop from this experience. Here, we compare how two different peer mentorship programs have shaped mentors' experiences and development.…

This paper examines the feasibility of developing a new Master Volunteer training program to help communities adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Traditional models of volunteer training programs, such as the Cooperative Extension Master Volunteer peer-to-peer learning model, are based in part on Diffusion Theory. The existing…

MG SPROUTS was developed as a "project-in-a-box" program, a self-contained educational programming tool for Extension agents working with master gardener Extension volunteers (MGEVs). The program design incorporates programmatic materials and project management materials and follows best management practices for volunteer management. MG…

In 2012, Oxfordshire County Council commissioned the National Literacy Trust to deliver a two-year campaign, the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign, to address falling Key Stage 1 literacy levels in the county's primary schools, which were amongst the worst in the country. The aims of the campaign were to increase the proportion of children reaching the…

This study investigates the relationship of formal mentoring program design elements (i.e., voluntary participation, input to matching, and effectiveness of training) and management support to the benefits and costs perceived by formal mentors. Data were collected from 97 formal mentors from a Midwestern financial institution. Multiple regressions…

A study of the feasibility of a central volunteer bureau and referral service was conducted. The target area was a section of Brooklyn called Gowanus-Boerum Hill - Fort Greene. A list of area agencies within walking distance of the YWCA there was compiled. A questionnaire was administered via interview. It was found that agencies within the YWCA…

A 30-month study was designed to provide a comprehensive examination of training for teachers and volunteer instructors in adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL). Phase I provided a systematic examination of the delivery and content of training. Three primary research activities were collection of extant data on staff…

The delivery and content of training for teachers and volunteer instructors in adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) were documented in a study. Two sources of information were the research literature and extant data from states on training activities. Findings indicated that training for adult education teachers and…

This study compares community service programs in nine Catholic high schools in Louisville (Kentucky). Information was gathered from a survey and follow-up interviews, and findings are organized into a chart essay. The following findings are included: (1) the schools represent a variety of governance and religious affiliation patterns; (2) all but…

A survey of volunteer programs in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy instruction in Illinois is reported. The report begins with a review of literature concerning ESL literacy volunteerism, most of which is descriptive and program-specific. The statewide survey results are then summarized, giving an overview of ESL volunteer programming.…

This article presents a summary of the results from phase 1 of a two-phase research project. Drawing on the principles of problem-based learning (PBL), the aims of phase 1 were to design, develop and evaluate a set of flexible online teaching resources for use within a virtual learning environment. Participants in the project (n = 10) were…

The responses of U.S. students to a questionnaire that was attached to applications for the International Student Identity Card are presented and analyzed. The data were gathered in a study of the characteristics, attitudes, financial support, prior experience abroad, and study and travel arrangements of U.S. students going abroad. After an…

An experimental language-based program for educating autistic children within a public school system is described. Discussed are the following six program components and their implementation: volunteers and university trainees, parent education and counseling, research, itinerant teaching programs, dissemination, and teacher inservice and visitor…

Mental health professionals were interviewed to determine their priorities concerning curriculum logistics and the kind of student-volunteer-paraprofessionals they considered ideal. Results can be used by college instructors who wish to place students in clinical practicum programs. (CS)