SITE

by Chris Wolff

I have been working with AmeriCorps since its inception back in 1994. It has been a rewarding experience, to say the least. I still can’t believe it’s been 14 years. Where does the time go?

As I reflect back on these 14 years, I am in awe of all the people I’ve worked with over the years- so many young, talented, dedicated, enthusiastic, passionate, caring people. Due to the nature of the programming I’ve coordinated or directed, I’ve worked mostly with young adults in their 20’s. Sometimes you hear that this generation doesn’t care, but I can tell you that is definitely not the case. If anything, this generation is equipped with the knowledge, passion, and technology to truly make a positive impact on our lives now and for generations to come.

While I was directing the Student Conservation Association’s New Hampshire Parks AmeriCorps Program, I had the pleasure of helping to form a program from scratch, literally. We recruited 20 AmeriCorps volunteers for a 10-month residential program, with a focus on environmental education and trail maintenance. When I say residential, you may have images of dorm rooms. But, this was definitely not the case. We took over a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the middle of a 14,000 acre park. The building were not insulated, there wasn’t any kind of central heat or year-round running water. The program started in September, and we had to scramble to insulate, sheetrock, install woodstoves, cut, split and stack 30 cord of wood, and figure out a winter water supply. Everyone had to work together as team to make this work. Everyone was issued a hammer, a staple gun, coveralls for the insulation, tape measures and utility knives (many had never used these tools before). The days were long. But, by the first snowfall, we had a cozy, warm dining hall. By the way, the dining hall also became the “dorm” for all 20 AmeriCorps members, with just tarps separating the “rooms.” Needless to say, it was beyond cozy.

Why do I talk about this experience, you may ask? Well, this past summer, this particular cohort of AmeriCorps volunteers decided to pull together a reunion at Bear Brook State Park- our old home. This group has kept in touch with each other all these years, through marriages and children, and really wanted to see each other again in their old home and share stories. I had not seen these members for over 10 years. I was moved by how their year at Bear Brook had shaped their lives and how the experience “stuck” with them after all these years. They appreciated the experience, which challenged them in ways they had not expected, and left them with a sense of pride and accomplishment. They have amazing careers, working as forest rangers, doctors, marine scientists, psychologists, writers, artists, etc. They commented on how the professional development training they received really helped them. One woman went on to pursue her medical degree as a result of the Wilderness First Responder training she received while a volunteer. Several other volunteers pursued graduate degrees in marine sciences and geology as a result of the environmental education and science training they received as volunteers.

It’s important for managers to provide professional development opportunities for their volunteers, whether it’s directly related to their work or not. I encourage host sites to provide time for members to pursue professional development. Many young people are still deciding what to do with their lives or what they’d like to study in graduate school. By providing diverse training opportunities, we are creating a rich experience for the volunteers, which can contribute to higher retention and a life-long learning ethic.

There are many ways to provide professional development opportunities. Many of the adult education programs provide affordable access to technical skill development. Volunteers have participated in numerous conferences and workshops, and can usually apply for scholarships. Program managers can collaborate with other managers to coordinate specific training opportunities by sharing the costs of presenters.

Investing in professional development and allowing volunteers to enhance their skills will bring great payback. Volunteers will feel valued, they will be able to enhance their resumes, be exposed to a new career or education path, and best serve their communities by learning and imparting their new skills for the sustainability of their projects. You never know how this training will help shape the lives of our volunteers and the impact they will have in their communities for years to come.

Chris Wolff is Community Development Director at the Island Institute.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 7:37 pm and is filed under AmeriCorps, Retention, Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.