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Volunteer Strategies That Work: Towards a Sustainable Model. Vancouver Community Network. Introduction. Community Learning Network Coordinator Training and V olunteer C oordinat or Presentation Mapping VCN and community assets: Using volunteers to build capacity. Introduction to VCN. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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IntroductionVancouver Community Network
Volunteer Strategies That Work: Towards a Sustainable Model
Vancouver Community Network
IntroductionVancouver Community Network
Introduction• Community Learning Network
Coordinator
• Training and Volunteer Coordinator• Presentation
Mapping VCN and community assets:
Using volunteers to build capacity
IntroductionVancouver Community Network
Introduction to VCN
• Non profit Internet Service Provider• 1993 - Started providing text based email• 1996 - Obtained charitable status after court
case• Run by board of directors • Volunteer pool of over 60 people• 6 staff people, including CAP and CLN
project coordinators
IntroductionVancouver Community Network
Community Learning Network
• Internet and community development (CD)• Defining how and if possible• Over 10 active partners including 6 community
centres• Sustainable / leave a legacy• Technology demands support• Raising basic skills• How could we use volunteers?
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Building VCN’s Volunteer Capacity
• Snapshot of VCN volunteers
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Snapshot of current volunteers
– Gender breakdown
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Gender Breakdown
Overall:
• 25% are women
• 75% are men
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Snapshot of current volunteers
– Gender breakdown
– Languages spoken
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Languages Spoken
• Burmese
• Cantonese
• English
• French
• German
• Hindi
• Japanese
• Korean
• Malayam
• Mandarin
• Persian
• Polish
• Spanish
• Serbian
• Croatian
• Tagalog
• Ukrainian
• Urdu
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Snapshot of current volunteers
– Gender breakdown– Languages spoken
– Skill level (education)
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Skill Level
• 65% have post-secondary education:– 30% have Bachelor’s Degrees– 25% have Diploma or Certificate– 10% have Master’s Degrees
• 30% currently enrolled in technical courses or programmes
• 5% have no post-secondary education
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Snapshot of current volunteers
– Gender breakdown– Languages spoken– Skill level (education)– Work experience
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Work Experience
Computer-related experience:
• 70% have minimum 1 year
• 30% have none
Canadian work experience:
• 65% have none
• 35% have non-computer-related experience
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Snapshot of current volunteers
– Gender breakdown– Languages spoken– Skill level (education)– Work experience– Motivation
Building VCN's Volunteer Capacity Snapshot of Volunteers
Vancouver Community Network
Motivation
Volunteers want to:
• Gain Canadian work experience
• Work in a technical environment
• Meet and socialize with other people
• Keep their skills fresh
• Improve their English-language skills
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Building VCN’s Volunteer Capacity
• Volunteers at VCN
• Sources of volunteers
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Sources of VolunteersEducational
Institutions:• British Columbia
Institute of Technology
• Kwantlen University College
• Langara Community College
• Simon Fraser University
• University of British Columbia
• Vancouver Community College
Service Agencies:• Immigrant Services
Society• North Shore
Community Services• Richmond Connections
Info and Volunteer Society
Other Sources:• Vancouver Public
Library• VCN website• Volunteer Vancouver
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Building VCN’s Volunteer Capacity
• Volunteers at VCN
• Sources of volunteers
• Placement of volunteers
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Placement of Volunteers
Four core user support roles:
• Reception/administration
• Help desk
• Public access support
• Network support
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Building VCN’s Volunteer Capacity
• Volunteers at VCN
• Sources of volunteers
• Placement of volunteers• Team building
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Team Building
Six core volunteer teams:
• Technical writing
• Photography
• Web administration
• System abuse
• Mailing list administration
• Training
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Building VCN’s Volunteer Capacity
• Volunteers at VCN
• Sources of volunteers
• Placement of volunteers
• Team building
• Documentation & curricula development
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Documentation & Curricula Development
Training materials for each workshop:
• Assessment forms
• Training curricula
• Sign-up sheets
• Handouts
• Homework
• Evaluation forms
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Building VCN’s Volunteer Capacity
• Volunteers at VCN
• Sources of volunteers
• Placement of volunteers
• Team building
• Documentation & curricula development
• Building the training team
Building VCN's Volunteer CapacityVancouver Community Network
Building the Training Team
VCN volunteer trainers gain skills by:• Reviewing VCN documentation• Assisting experienced trainers in workshops• Train the public with the assistance of
experienced trainers• Providing other team members with
ongoing support and feedback• Recruiting more trainers
Towards a Mentoring Training Model
Vancouver Community Network
Community Learning Network
• Diversity of users– Long term process to raise basic skills
• Experimented with using a paid trainer to raise skill level at a community partner– Wasn’t leading to goals of projects – Drain on funds – then what…?
• How to incorporate the volunteers?– The process…
Towards a Mentoring Training Model
Vancouver Community Network
Refocus• A CLN goal: Define how to combine internet
and CD in a sustainable manner • Community partner was open to a train the
trainer program– Would we pay for a trainer?– They had volunteers, but what happens when
they move on?
• Recognized:– need in the community through CAP/CLN– untapped assets at VCN and in community
Towards a Mentoring Training Model
Vancouver Community Network
Training Need in the Community
Dozens of sites, e.g.:• Confirmed:
– Domestic Workers Association– Carnegie– West End Seniors Network
• Potential:– Community Directions– Raycam Community Centre
Towards a Mentoring Training Model
Vancouver Community Network
Untapped Assets• VCN
– Currently have 7 skilled & interested volunteer trainers
– Skilled staff in train the trainer, curriculum development
– Process for intake of volunteers
• Confirmed Community Partners– Have volunteers willing to learn and staff engaged
in process of building capacity
Towards a Mentoring Training Model
Vancouver Community Network
How to use these assets to sustain training in the long term?
• Set up a mentor-based train the trainer system
• Strategically choose sites with: – interested volunteers and – staff engaged in process
Towards a Mentoring Training Model
Vancouver Community Network
Community Partner
• Interested volunteers
• Volunteer skill level
• Training content (e.g. Carnegie vs DWA)
Towards a Mentoring Training Model
Vancouver Community Network
VCN
• Number of community partners are limited by:– Volunteers we have– Staff time to:
• Teach volunteers how to give train the trainer workshops
• Coordinate lab space• Refine curricula for each partner• Define training schedule
Towards a Mentoring Training Model
Vancouver Community Network
The Mentoring Training Model
1. VCN volunteers:
a) Raise skill level of site volunteers
b) Train site volunteers to be trainers
c) Use site trainers as assistants for more general audience – set an example
2. Site trainers:a) Run workshops with VCN volunteers as assistants
b) Run workshops with other site trainers
c) … Train others to be trainers?
Towards a Mentoring Training Model
Vancouver Community Network
Measuring Sustainability
Degrees of success:• Site volunteers
provide training but for how long?
• Site volunteers train others to be trainers
VCN Maintenance• Will need to revisit the
site
• Purely sustainable – no maintenance
Benefit to VCN• Increased interest in volunteers
ConclusionVancouver Community Network
Conclusion: Organic Experiment
• Number of sites involved depends on degree of success
• Staff needed to coordinate
• Must make strategic decisions
• Learning as we go
ConclusionVancouver Community Network
Volunteer Strategies That Work: Towards a Sustainable Model
Vancouver Community Network