Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Placement Problem Solving: Lack of structure or expectations

Many times volunteers comment that when they arrive they are unsure of what they can do or how they should begin. In these cases, there is usually not a strong schedule for the day, and volunteers may be unsure of what they are expected to contribute.


If there is no daily schedule in place at your Volunteer Placement when you arrive, make one!  In the past, volunteers have taken the initiative to create daily schedules that outline when activities will take place.  One volunteer went so far as to create a weekly schedule and brought it to the placement so she could remind herself of the recurring activities each day.  When the next volunteer arrived, he found that the staff at the Partner Program had kept the schedule because they liked the structure, and he was able to jump right in the first day.  There is always something to be done!

As with all problem solving, be sure to keep the CCS staff in the loop - they may have some great ideas about how to help, or can provide some additional resources that you might not know exist.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please respect this space as a welcoming and positive forum, which aspires to the Values of Cross-Cultural Solutions: Respect, Integrity, and Shared Humanity.