Resources for Managing Youth Volunteers

  1. Kirkpatrick Johnson, M., Beebe, T., Mortimer, Jl, and Snyder, M. “Volunteerism in Adolescence: A Process Perspective”Journal of Research on Adolescence, Volume 8,Issue 3, 1998.
  2. - click the top box on the right: “Volunteer Risk Management”
  3. src="C:\ExportImg\c3c1aa9a07e0a57f2822c3e9f0dcd712\Aspose.Words.8c32263f-dddb-45f6-a794-0bc6b8387c03.002.png" width="313" height="198" alt="Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 7.03.36 PM.png" style="margin-top:-1.5pt; margin-right:9pt; margin-left:7.5pt; -aw-left-pos:162pt; -aw-rel-hpos:column; -aw-rel-vpos:paragraph; -aw-top-pos:186.45pt; -aw-wrap-type:tight; float:left">Lillian Stephens, The Complete Guide to Learning through Community Service Grades K-9 (1995); R. Wade, Community Services Learning: A Guide to Including Service in the Public Curriculum (1997); Vito Perrone, Learning for Life: When do We Begin? Equity & Excellence Ed. 5

Project ideas for teens:

  1. Ask teens about their favorite volunteer jobs
  2. Other
  3. Consider putting together Do it yourself projects, that can be accomplished at their school or club
  4. Drives, including diaper drives for shelters and book drives to collect outgrown children’s books from their school mates and friends
  5. Pen pal programs where they write independently to a younger child
  6. Make fleece tie blankets, dog treats or custom crates and blankets for the animal shelter.
  7. Start a community garden--- grow food for the food bank
  8. Host a healthy cooking class for your friends or neighbors.
  9. Write letters to troops
  10. Make holiday cards (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s, etc.) for a senior center
  11. General environmental clean-up work (clearing invasive weeds, spreading bark, etc.)

Tips for defining and communicating clear expectations with youth

  1. Be specific. Young people have little work experience- making it vital that you set clear expectations around attitude, attendance, quality of work, etc.
  2. Explain policies & procedures that relate to their task, including code of conduct & disciplinary processes.
  3. Clearly identify who is supervising them and who to ask if they have questions.
  4. Guiding and supporting means to provide the instructions, direction, feedback, corrections, information, freedom and resources they need to perform their functions well.
  5. Be encouraging…. Always.
  6. Support, don’t control, volunteers. Controlling stifles enthusiasm.
  7. Assign a mentor that is an experienced volunteer to support their work and relay any major concerns to the volunteer manager.

Ensure volunteers feel recognized

  1. Use social media. Post a picture and write a note of appreciation. They will share it!
  2. Use traditional media-write a letter to the local newspaper editor on their behalf.
  3. Send a note to their school or parent, sharing their successes.
  4. Provide college recommendation letters
  5. Nominate them for an award.
  6. Give them leadership opportunities within your organization.
  7. Provide an affiliation gift- such as a hat, shirt or something with your logo on it.
  8. Celebrate by giving out “You’re Awesome” stickers or a piece of candy with a saying attached (You’re a lifesaver!)

Evaluate via “reflection”– Choose your words wisely. Youth are more open to a performance reflection versus a performance evaluation (evaluation sounds like a mid- term test): Young people need feedback about: work style, attitudes & abilities.

  1. Create a self-assessment tool and let them set the tone and goals for their volunteer work and evaluation.
  2. Diversify your feedback – get input about their work from clients, other volunteers and staff.
  3. Be specific and use examples wherever possible.
  4. Focus on more than work skills--- Make the connection for the volunteer between their contribution and the goals of the program or organization.