volunteer training
Google Announces Launch of Technology Corps
Yesterday Google announced in a blog post that it is launching the HandsOn Tech Corps in collaboration with HandsOn Network, the volunteer arm of Points of Light Institute.
Job Skills Program Development
VISTA Name:
Jannette Peterson
Program Start:
6/2001
Program End:
6/2002
Project Description:
The long range goals of the project are to provide affordable technology-based access and training to low income residents of the Downtown / Little Tokyo area and LTSC CDC’s low income housing projects; to support and help develop the community technology capacity among other API agencies; and to function as a comprehensive community technology resource for area residents.
The AmeriCorps VISTA member will be assigned to help oversee the computer job skills development program. This would include outreach activities and identifying candidates among LTSC CDC’s housing projects and the Downtown/Little Tokyo areas. He/She will also be responsible for developing the program curriculum, forming relationships with corporate partners for job placement opportunities, delivering the course training, and providing participant support during open access periods. Other responsibilities will include the training and coordination of our volunteers to assist in classroom instruction.
Technical Support
Organization:
Lowell Telecommunications Corporation VISTA Name:
Rickie Jackson
Program Start:
8/2001
Program End:
8/2002
Project Description:
The VISTA member will work with members of the Consortium and the larger Lowell NPO community. The range of activities will vary from organization to organization. In general, VISTas will supervise public access computers, train the community in a wide assortment of computer applications, provide technical support, assist in the setup of new computer labs (including small LANs), and improve and support information systems (i.e., websites, databases, electronic mail, access to the Inernet). We do not expect that every VISTA will have all the necessary skills to accomplish these, but we would like to see the bringing together of a team of individuals that can support and build upon their individual strengths.
Technical Support
Organization:
Lowell Telecommunications Corporation VISTA Name:
John Hunt
Program Start:
2/2000
Program End:
12/2001
Project Description:
LTC and the Consortium expect that access to additional technical support and training personnel will result in increased access to computer technology for the community and increased efficiency within organizations through better and easier to-access expertise.
The VISTA member will work with members of the Consortium and the larger Lowell NPO community. The range of activities will vary from organization to organization. In general, VISTas will supervise public access computers, train the community in a wide assortment of computer applications, provide technical support, assist in the setup of new computer labs (including small LANs), and improve and support information systems (i.e., websites, databases, electronic mail, access to the Inernet). We do not expect that every VISTA will have all the necessary skills to accomplish these, but we would like to see the bringing together of a team of individuals that can support and build upon their individual strengths.
CTC Assistance
Organization:
Allston Brighton CDC VISTA Name:
Chelsea Thompson
Program Start:
9/2000
Program End:
9/2001
Project Description:
There are two primary long-range goals of this VISTA project. The first is to develop a sustainable network of computer resource providers in the neighborhood in order to help low-income residents bridge the digital divide. The second is to link technology training to local employment opportunities.
The VISTA member will perform the following takss:
- Assist with teaching computer classes
- Identify resources in local area for additional classes and training
- Recruit and train volunteers
- Provide Allston-Brighton Community Computer Collaborative members with information about resources available to them
- Develop outreach materials for marketing classes
- Assist with publicity for program
- Maintain database of class participants
- Develop relationships with area employers to assist class graduates with reaching computer-related employment goals
CTC Curriculum Development
Organization:
Community Minority Cultural Center VISTA Name:
Lydia Morris
Program Start:
9/2000
Program End:
9/2001
Project Description:
The Americorps*VISTA member would perform the following activities:
- Develop curricula for adult basic education and youth programs
- Maintain computer and network systems
- Train volunteers to maintain computer and network systems
- Maintain CMCC website
- Provide technical assistance for CMCC television show “Stand Up and Be Counted”
- Provide technical assistance for Matzeliger Fellows Project - an oral history project that leads to exhibits in Jan Ernst Matzeliger Gallery, web pages on the website, programs on television show, and CD-ROM disks
- Assist in the design adn operation of a second computer lab, CD-ROM and video production studio.
Radio Program Outreach
Organization:
Zumix VISTA Name:
Megan Donovan
Program Start:
7/2008
Program End:
7/2009
Project Description:
Zumix is a non-profit serving the community with after-school programs, including instrumental and vocal music, songwriting, audio technology, audio editing, musical groups, other arts-related activities and a low-power radio station.
The position will be specifically radio-related. This person will assist in training volunteers for the radio, preparing youth to assume positions of responsibility at the station. She or he will assist in raising the profile of the station in the community and facilitating a more intense relationship between the station and businesses, non-profits and other community members and organizations. She will also help to elevate the level of journalism being produced by our youth news staff.
Project Outcome:
Megan was an important part of the training aspect of the station, both for on-air DJ’s and the journalism group. She participated fully in the classes and helped in preparation. She built relationships with the youth, helping them do the best possible jobs in their shows and working with them as they produced journalism for our blog. She was specifically in charge on a class on interviewing techniques. She also helped set up field trips and accompanied students on those trips. She helped make sure that assessments and evaluations properly conducted. She ran her own radio program, modeling the way radio should be done. This work was all conducted under the supervision of the station coordinator, Steve Provizer, who also worked with Megan to write and design underwriting materials which we are now using to connect with local East Boston businesses. She was often called upon to help publicize the work of the station and Zumix in general, by preparing publicity material and helping to organize mailings. Megan was a full participant in staff meetings and helped determine organizational policies.
As previously stated, we are extending Megan’s work on underwriting. The database work she did in the course of helping with publicity have served Zumix well. Also, she prepared documents with procedures, passwords, etc., that have helped make the transition to our new VISTA very smooth.
School Site Manager
Organization:
The Media Aid Center VISTA Name:
Michael Matthews
Program Start:
1/2007
Program End:
1/2009
Project Description:
Currently the Media Aid Center provides during and afterschool digital media production courses for five high schools in South Los Angeles supporting large underserved and disadvantaged communities. The center supplies mobile media labs and studio facility to support community engagement and youth involvement activities.
The school site managers will be in charge of recruiting, training, supporting, scheduling, and recognizing non-AmeriCorps mentors and volunteers. The developer will ensure the appropriate orientation and accommodations have been made for each site to make volunteers within their Media curriculum. This includes developing field trip curricula and mentor-lead exercises as a part of the Media curriculum. The site managers will act as liaisons and mediators between the sites and the school. Media instruction will be framed as a tool to facilitate academic achievement, community involvement, exploration and expression.
Project Outcome:
The website remained incomplete. Some of the problem was the delay in training Mike properly. Mike acted as site manager at our main facility. This freed our staff to massively exspand our capacity from 100 students to 700 students per year. He planned and accompanied students on field trips. Mike also developed a website for us. He began a music develop project by converting one of our older computers into a beat machine.
Originally, web development was Mike’s primary task, but it is his work as a site manager that made the difference. It began with an outreach program to community schools. The schools stated they needed the program during school not after, and we have been growing fast ever since.
Impact Quote:
“Music was not a priority for our center, but it is a major part of Mike’s vision. When he began to build the beat machine, the program began to attract at-risk youth that were out of reach to the center before.”
- Martin Cheeseborough, supervisor
Youth Video Program Development
Organization:
Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth (CAPAY) VISTA Name:
Janet Hong Vo
Program Start:
7/2008
Program End:
7/2009
Project Description:
- Create training curriculum (including Asian American content as well as technical skills for video projects).
- Recruit, train, and supervise volunteers involved with the project.
- Develop and implement dissemination plan for videos once created.
- Develop community partnerships and collaborations to build sustainability of the program into future years.
- Organize fundraising events for Media Justice and CAPAY programs.
- Develop and implement outreach and organizing plan to connect video projects with community members.
- Develop evaluation plan to determine impact of project on youth participants and community.
- Create infrastructure within the university setting which allows for youth participation at a maximal level.
Project Outcome:
During the first six months of 2008-2009, Janet was instrumental in producing several new training and curriculum resources — some content-rich and some with the purpose of media/technology application/integration. These included an extensive draft curriculum centered on the historic local Chinese burial grounds of Mount Hope Cemetery that included production of three new digital stories.
She provided critical programming leadership in the organizing of a major Asian American youth symposium in November 2008 that included workshops on Media Justice, Web 2.0 resources, digital storytelling, Asian American history, and community activism.
She also constructed an important database of active Asian American youth and Asian American educators from the metro Boston area.
During the final six months, Janet focused on the launching of the Dorchester Youth Initiative (DYI) — a CAPAY-led program to address critical issues facing Vietnamese American youth and their families and community in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. Janet designed much of the content-rich curriculum with an emphasis on youth/community media. Given the limited capacity of other Vietnamese American community-based organizations to focus on youth issues, Janet also worked to establish crucial relationships with a range of community partners, leading to the organizing and documentation of youth/parent forums in the community. She was primarily supported by the CAPAY coordinator, Tri Quach, and a team of three bilingual Vietnamese American college students from UMass Boston whom she recruited as volunteers to help with the launching and implementation of the DYI.
Janet was not able to devote as much time/effort to the fundraising aspects listed in the position description as we had initially hoped would be possible. She did assist with one major fundraising event (an Asian community dessert tasting held at the Vietnamese American Community Center in Dorchester that benefitted CAPAY and other collaborating organizations). She also researched potential funding sources and developed a useful outline for new funding proposals, but did not actually submit any completed proposals during her term of service.
Impact Quote:
“Janet’s work in producing tangible resources such as video projects, training curricula, and a more robust website portal for CAPAY (in progress) represent important contributions to our organizational capacity with impact beyond the period of time of Janet’s own service. Janet’s leadership to the DYI project creates a platform for CAPAY, together with other community partners, to develop longer-term organizing, programming, and funding opportunities.”
- Peter Kiang, supervisor
Radio Program Coordinator
Organization:
Zumix VISTA Name:
Diana Boro
Program Start:
6/2007
Program End:
6/2008
Project Description:
Zumix isa non-profit serving the community with after-school programs, including instrumental and vocal music, songwriting, audio technology, audio editing, musical groups, other arts-related activities and a low-power radio station.
Our VISTA’s will be specifically radio-related. That person will assist in training volunteers for the radio, preparing youth to assume positions of responsibility at the station-including training new station volunteers themselves. He or she will also help to prepare technical infrastructure for the new firehouse facility that Zumix will move into during summer ‘07.
Project Outcome:
There were many areas of Zumix Radio and Zumix in general to which Diana contributed. She helped prepare youth for radio work, including going on the air and journalism. She helped prepare Zumix journalists for pieces that have been posted on our blog: zumixradio.blogspot.com. She helped develop underwriting material and other publicity material. She was a full participant in staff meetings and helped contribute to staff trainings and retreats. She assisted with Zumix events such as the Walk For Music. and with gathering information necessary for grantors.
Simply extrapolate from the above, as Diana was successful at all work undertaken. She became a valued member of the Zumix community, including learning how to play the bass and participating in Zumix recitals.
With regard to challenges faced, Diana initially had little radio experience and needed to acquire some quickly, which she did.