The National 4-H Volunteer e-Forum is an alternative to multistate, face-to-face volunteer forums. Building on the success of regional e-forums, a collaborative group planned and offered three webinars that were relevant, economical, consistent, and convenient to attend. A blended learning strategy can successfully be used for focusing on both…

Climate Masters of Nebraska is an innovative educational program that strategically trains community volunteers about climate change science and corresponding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an interactive and action-based teaching environment. As a result of the program, 91% of participants indicated that they made informed changes in…

Objective: To describe the annual operational costs of a mature Experience Corps[R] program in elementary schools in the Baltimore City Public School System. Methods: Systematic records of expenditures kept by the community partner, Greater Homewood Community Corporation, to be reported to funders were made available for analysis. Expenditures…

Public and school libraries often allow high school students to serve as volunteers out of their own interest, to fulfill community service requirements for graduation or for court-ordered obligations. Community college libraries often rely on college students on work-study but starting a high-school-age volunteer program would create a bridge to…

Describes the volunteer advocacy program developed by the East Tennessee Advocacy Assistance Program to assist the ombudsman/director in resolving problems of residents in long-term care facilities. Effective volunteer participation requires intensive training, well-defined policies and procedures, coordination with aging network and long-term…

Three hundred volunteers have participated in nine training courses, eight weeks each, in a California Cooperative Extension Program for volunteers who are able to teach consumer homemaking information to families with limited resources. (AJ)

Describes an age-integrated program serving residents in long-term care facilities in New York State. Describes the program's inception, the nature of recruitment efforts, and the content of the training program. A number of illustrations of volunteer ombudsmen interventions are presented for the purpose of providing an overview of services.…

Discusses rewards of being a docent (unpaid teacher contributing knowledge, experience, time, or simply a vibrant dedication toward a common cause). Also discusses opportunities for docents in zoos, museums, art galleries, nature centers, and other locations and several docent-training programs. (JN)

Describes a "Volunteer Reader" project in which volunteers from the community read and respond to student essays. Lists typical questions and answers that address the logistics of the project. Notes that the project has spread to the district level. (RS)

Reports on a project that tested the feasibility of recruiting and training volunteers as lay health educators who could coordinate and reinforce the educational efforts of health care providers. The program proved successful in identifying, recruiting, and training volunteers from racially and religiously diverse institutions. Favorable outcomes…

The SMILES (Senior Motivators in Learning and Educational Services) program was initiated in 1977 by Salt Lake City School Volunteers, Inc., a nonprofit organization working with the Salt Lake City School District, as an addition to an established, successful school volunteer program. The purpose of the SMILES program is to recruit and train older…

This booklet is one of eight developed both as resource guides to assist Wisconsin public schools in offering quality reading instruction and as models for improvement where there is a need for change. This last booklet offers suggestions for the effective planning and implementation of volunteer programs. Ten potential problem areas in utilizing…

An estimated 10,000 volunteers of all ages and backgrounds perform many kinds of jobs each year in the Dade County (Florida) school system. Recruitment and training of volunteers, organization and operation, and the various programs are described in the article. (MF)

A fifth-grade teacher in Kansas City, Missouri, wanted volunteers in her classroom--to help her individualize instruction, work with students who have emotional problems, and allow her more time to plan her instruction. But when two adults volunteered to help, she couldn't think of anything specific for them to do. Here are suggestions for…

This manual describes the state of Washington's Literacy Day Care Link (DCL) program, whose volunteers spend an hour a week reading one-to-one with preschool children. The manual is a series of "stories" about the DCL program, stories that give insight into how the program works. The first section of the manual discusses setting up the…