Arizona Summit on Volunteerism and Service-Learning - Part II

Nov 4-5th, 2011

Central AZ College

8470 N. Overfield Road
Coolidge, AZ
85128

Saturday, November 5
8:30 – 10:00 a.m.

Service Learning in Your Course: From Start to Finish—Syllabus to Reflection
Presenter: Jennifer Spring
Would you like to incorporate a powerful learning experience into your course? “Service Learning in your Course: From Start to Finish—Syllabus to Reflection” will walk you step-by-step through the process of integrating service learning into a course of any discipline We will focus on designing service projects that connect meaningfully to the academic goals of a course. You will be able to brainstorm, reflect, and share in small groups. My goal is to equip you with the information, ideas, and energy/support you need to leave the session ready to build service learning as a teaching tool into the courses you teach. Service-learning is transformational, and it will deepen your students’ learning.

Navigating the Roadmap to Youth Adult Partnerships
Presenters: Amy Parrot, Bryan K. Chadd, Mike Hauser & Eric Larsen

When was the last time you included youth in the decision making process of your club, classroom or organization? If it was longer than you’d care to remember, we encourage you to join us. Think back on your own experiences and remember who played a critical role in your development…was it a teacher, family member, clergy, youth organization leader or coach? Chances are it was one or a group of positive adult role models. Chances are also good that they believed in you, asked for your opinions and gave you the opportunity for input on a decision, idea or project. We want you to be enthusiastic to be that kind of role model and help us engage the young people of Arizona and the world in becoming the greatest impacts they can be.

Social Media Saves Lives! 
Presenter: Molly DeCleene
Have you ever wondered how you could give more than just direct service to a community organization? By using your passion for volunteering combined with your professional skills, you can build sustainable programs that will serve more people in your community and have a greater impact. Social media is one way to connect thousands of people in a community with an invested interest in your organization and its needs. Social media may not save lives, but it is a step to making them better.

Inspire Me: How to engage a new generation of student leaders
Presenters: Leah Luben, Tyler Eltringham, Danya Anouti (YOUTH)
As we attempt to expand service learning and volunteerism, we must learn to translate the benefits to other sectors; we must use a new generation of engaged students to make the transition powerful and effective. The service sector, to be sustainable and accountable, cannot remain a world known only to specialists. As experts in the field we must learn to educate a variety of populations, and in doing so we will find that some of the best advocates for change are students. Please join us to learn effective student engagement strategies that can be implemented at your institution.

How Solving Ethical Dilemmas Can Keep Volunteers Inspired and Motivated
Presenter: Stacia Ortega
Got Ethics? Participate in an interactive workshop designed to get you thinking about the importance of ethics and boundary setting in the volunteer arena. Be prepared to engage in real life situations faced by volunteers, framing ethical challenges and determining appropriate solutions.

Strategic Planning for Volunteer Organizations
Presenter: Paul Pitts
The Strategic plan defines the purpose of the organization, establishes realistic goals and objectives consistent with the organization’s capacity for implementation. Ensures the most effective use is made of the organization’s resources by focusing the resources on the key priorities. Provides a base from which progress can be measured and establishes a mechanism for informed change when needed.Simply put, strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more, how it’s going to get there and how to know if it got there or not.

Volunteers of All Ages
Presenter: Lisa Humenik
Successfully involving volunteers from various generations can sometimes be a challenge. Learn about the unique characteristics of the Millenial, Generation X, Boomer, and Silent Generations and create an action plan to better engage individuals from each in meaningful volunteer work. Together we’ll explore the design of volunteer roles, recruitment, supervision, retention, and recognition best practices that are effective for each generation.

Saturday, November 5
10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
Preserving Local History as a part of the celebration for Arizona’s Centennial
Presenter: Lisa Westrick, Margarita Ramirez-Loya, Michelle Cardenas, and oral history students
When students get engaged in big projects that enable them to interact with the community to capture and preserve local history, they not only develop their academic skills, but most importantly, they acquire a sense of understanding, appreciation and respect towards their community and its members. The Jewish Cemetery project arose from concern Cochise College students wanting to preserving local Jewish history. Another group of Cochise College students conducted oral history interviews and gained an understanding of lifestyles in Douglas and Pirtleville in the early 1900s. Today, they will present part of their work honoring the stories from people that helped recreate mind pictures of a time that once was and now belongs to history. Join us to celebrate Arizona’s Centennial.

Integrating Service Learning into the Core Curriculum
Presenter: Krista Gypton
How does one incorporate service learning into curriculum in a time that testing and standards based teaching is so prevalent? The purpose of this workshop is to answer the most common question that teachers ask about the use of service learning in the core curriculum. We will look at the four top core classes (English, Science, Math and Social Studies) and discuss how service learning can actually enhance standards and possibly increase test scores. Teachers will leave with strong academic examples of projects, as well as leave with a toolbox of activities that can instantly be used in their classrooms.

A Seven-Step Framework for Developing, Implementing, and Assessing the Effectiveness of Service Learning
Presenter: Jennifer Dwosh (YOUTH)
Are you new to the practice of Service Learning? Are you unsure of how to implement a Service Learning project? The research-based Seven-Step framework presented in this session takes the Service Learning facilitator through the process of choosing the academic focus, developing a standards-aligned service project, planning and executing the academic and logistical details of the project, and assessing the effectiveness of the project on student learning. If you need tips and strategies for developing and implementing a Service Learning project in your classroom, this session is for you.

Four Critical Concepts for Using Technology in Community Partnerships 
Presenter: Rachel Wendler
In the swirl of new technologies available for service-learning and volunteer work, making decisions about effective digital tools can be challenging. This workshop will center on four critical concepts that can help make these decisions easier. With a focus on stories about technology—both successes tales and epic fails– we’ll look at promising electronic tools, debunk common technology myths, explore a heuristic for evaluating digital tools, and develop guiding principles for technology use in community contexts. The workshop will also include time for group problem solving about technology issues currently faced by participants, as we collaboratively tackle these tough questions.

How to train staff to work with volunteers 
Presenter: Carly Shaw
Do your paid staff and volunteers at your organization not understand each other and the roles they play? The purpose of this workshop is to help establish conditions that encourage a productive and welcoming environment in which paid staff and volunteer can work together. Explore different ways to train busy staff to work with volunteers!

Effective Volunteer Management 
Presenters: Franciso Avalos, Renee Levin
Effective volunteer management is imperative to retaining volunteers and can also be used as a tool to strengthen relationships. In this workshop we will articulate how organizations can enhance their volunteer program, deal with various volunteer personalities and how to cultivate and foster relationships.

Member Facilitated Learning Communities 
Presenters: Ben Olsen, Margaret Garvey

Member Facilitated Learning Communities have been used by Yavapai County VISTA Project as part of our member training program for the past (3) years. This replicable training model can be used to assist a National Service team with skill training, professional development and team building. The goal of this presentation is to provide other Volunteer Coordinators and National Service Supervisors the resources to implement a similar program that will assist them in meeting their volunteers’ training needs. The presentation will include an overview of the model, a brief history of our experience, key elements, potential pitfalls and overview of materials for launching this training program.

Everyone’s a Grant Writer 
Presenter: Jeremiah Smith
Every agency and organization needs funding, but most don’t use or understand grants correctly. The goal of this presentation is to dispel many of the myths and misbeliefs of grants and grant writing. Grant writing is about so much more than writing, in fact, writing is possibly one of the least important or at least time-consuming aspects. This presentation will highlight some of the most common mistakes made and the keys to creating successful proposals. By the end of the presentation, you will receive the tools and resources to prepare a competitive, professional proposal that will allow you to better serve the needs of Arizona.

A Little “Thanks” Goes A Long Way! 
Presenter: Eric Larsen
“Thank You”, is a phrase that is sometimes forgotten or underutilized in our current society. With many organizations counting on volunteers to assist when help is needed, it is important that the volunteer walks away with the sense that their hard work was truly appreciated. An easy way to maintain and expand your organizations volunteer base is by saying “Thank You” in non-traditional ways. The lost art of saying “Thank You” will be rekindled after attending this workshop and you will be prepared to say “Thank You” to your volunteers, staff, donors and clientele. Thank You!

Saturday, November 5
1:45 – 3:15
Creating Meaningful Service Experiences through Effective Critical Reflection
Presenter: Deborah Ball
Would you like to implement critical reflection to any volunteer or service learning experience to enhance your participants’ experience, knowledge base and understanding of the purpose of the service? This interactive workshop will provide you with a step-by-step guideline to facilitating high quality critical thinking that can help sustain volunteers and create civically responsible citizens of all ages. Two different models of reflection will be illustrated. You will learn the importance of reflective learning, how to facilitate reflective discussions, and how to design reflective writing assignments that will examine and interpret a service activity or experience.

Managing Volunteer Programs with Community Collaboration
Presenter: Emily Taylor
An overview of a the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent Programs volunteer management and collaboration process with practical applications and adaptable tools for use within your own agency.

Systematize, Engage, and Inspire Businesses and Volunteers to work with Students and Schools

Presenter: Trish McCartey, Janis Shoop

Systematize, Engage and Inspire is an interactive presentation meant to give meaningful tools and advice to help those beginning organizations or mature organizations to think strategically about putting partnerships together for learning experiences, community building and mutual marketing and public relations. Detailed processes, tools and software ideas will be exchanged as well as tips for grant seekers and corporations to better identify worthy causes. Attendees will be given spreadsheet tracking information, follow-up ideas to develop outstanding customer service and ideas to keep the students as well as volunteers motivated and inspired.

Wiggio, Weebly, Wordle, Writeboard, and More 

Presenter: Linda DeVore

Do you recognize any of these: Prezi, Zotero, Wiggio, QR, Zamzar, Mindmeister, Screencast, Weebly, Jigsy, Pageflakes, Mailinator, Wordle, Jing, Endnote, or Zoho? Do you know how to use them? Do you know what they can do for you and/or your organization? Come learn about Web 2.0 and have some fun at the same time! Bring your Internet-connected device with you to share the exploration!

SHAPES for Service
Presenters: Elisabeth Sims, Deidre Crawley
Our unique SHAPES for Service Inspire us to serve in our communities! Our SHAPES for Service Energize our organizations and our people to action! Using the SHAPES for Service will enable us to Mobilize people for meaningful service in their communities when they find their best-fit! Inspire, Energize, and Mobilize your organizations to new heights by focusing on your most important assets, your individual volunteers. By knowing their SHAPES for Service you serve them and empower them to serve you better.

Together We Play
Presenters: Christina Nickerson, WEB Leaders (YOUTH)
Laugh and play your way through our presentation. Presenters will create an atmosphere that allows for social acceptance. We will improve interpersonal competencies: empathy, sensitivity and friendship skills. You will increase your sense of connection to your peers, improve your decision making skills, ability to resist peer pressure and resolve conflict positively.

Play it Forward
Presenters: Jamie Aiken, Valencia Winfrey, Amber Johnson
A professional development workshop designed for school staff, parents, community members, volunteers, children and anyone who understand the value of recess and want better tools to preserve and protect this important time of the day. This high energy, interactive learning extravaganza will bring together those interested in learning how to enhance education by providing inclusive opportunities for physical activity and play. Participants will experience active, physical play as a child would on the playground, moving seamlessly between visuals, discussion, groups work and games. Playworks presenters will support various learning styles, diverse backgrounds and levels of experience just as a member of a school staff would experience. Every workshop participant plays, learns and reflects on the best practices that they can take back to their school/ organization and implement immediately.

Service-Learning Arizona, The New Face of Learn and Serve Arizona
Presenters: Stephanie Hahn, Kurt Parks
What’s going to happen to K-12 service-learning in Arizona now that the Learn and Serve Arizona program has been cut? Please join us to discuss the new face of Learn and Serve Arizona which over the next year will transform into Service-Learning Arizona. During this session, we will share information regarding resources and funding for service-learning, Arizona’s K-12 service-learning standards, the national scoop, and more. All attendees will receive the K-12 Service-Learning Project Planning Toolkit (which includes the national service-learning standards) and the K-16 Service for a Lifetime resource guide.

My TakeAways:

I'd wanted to attend this last year, but for some reason or another, I couldn't go. I went this year and definitely didn't get my money's worth. I had intended to go on Friday...before I realized that it would be a waste of gas to drive up there for one class that only lasted an hour and a half.

The workshop in the early morning (highlighted in red) was really the only good one. Very interactive. Got a folder full of info. It felt a bit rushed, but it was still a good workshop.

The workshop in the late morning (highlighted in pink) really was geared more towards national service organizations. The concept is great---a program design utilizing the facilitative leadership style that empowers team members to have control over what is taught and learned and become responsible to each other for the groups learning outcomes. Facilitative leadership designs a process by which decisions are made by all or by whomever is most directly affected by the decision. Even though the goal of the workshop was to "provide other Volunteer Coordinators and National Service Supervisors the resources to implement a similar program that will assist them in meeting their volunteers’ training needs," I'm still a little unsure how I'll be able to incorporate this method into my own organization and with my own volunteers.

The workshop in the early/late afternoon (highlighted in orange) well, the presenters never showed. There was a woman there who was supposed to "present" them, but five minutes into the allotted time, they never showed. Needless to say, I was disappointed because I was really looking forward to that workshop. So we were encouraged to check out another workshop during the same time frame, and I had chosen...

The workshop (highlighted in teal)...only I couldn't find the room! The room it was supposed to be in turned out be a teacher's office! I walked around outside the building (where the number actually was), inside the building and...nothing.

By that time, I was pissed and just decided to go home. It was a waste of $35, a waste of gas, and I don't plan to go again next year.