Volunteer / Student Placement

I have discovered that there are some similarities and difference to what volunteers and placement students are expecting when entering an agency. Since they expect different things there are different aspects that should be considered when managing them.

Volunteers:

• Given small tasks to learn about the agency when first starting out.
• Come in to specfically help the organization in which they volunteer.
• Few responsibilities.
• Will do any task to help out.
• Like to be shown appreciation.
• Do not come with the expectation to learn anything, but are pleasantly surprised if they do.

Placement Students:

• Given small tasks to learn learn about the agency when first starting out, then moves on to more advanced tasks.
• Come to the organization to gain experiences.
• Given many responsibilities, with little training.
• Appreciates being given tasks that will help them learn a new skill.
• Likes to be shown appreciation.

It has come to my notice that organizations could be great at managing volunteers and struggle when  managing placement student.

I'm Dreading It.

Its that season again, and I'm dreading it....

No, I don't really mean Christmas, I like Christmas. What I am dreading is the packaging that comes on the presents. Christmas morning for me is a frenzy of excited kids, wrapping paper, candy and......twist ties.

I don't know who is in charge of putting twist ties on all Polly Pockets, My Little Ponies, Littlest Pet Shops and Barbies, but they will be the death of me. I spend Christmas morning frantically trying to get boxes open and get the 6 million twist ties off the toys so they can actually play with them. While I try to do this their excitement level is going through the roof and could blow at any moment.

Its torture. Its torture of me who is ready to go mental if that last darn tie will not get of this second. Its torture for them because they just want to touch it without a box firmly attached. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE whoever is in charge of the packaging of toys, get rid of the twist ties!!!! Save us from he madness. Having girls is hard enough you don't have to torture us by having every toy they could ever want firmly attached to its package by twist ties

Thank You,

That One Kid

Have you ever met that one kid? The one that needs you more than the others? You know.....that kid who won't take a chance and run onto the soccer field. That kid who won't speak a word. That kid who cries when their mother leaves them.

As a person who actively coaches and leads programs, I've met that kid. I've met that kid dozens of times. Each time a little different. I love getting that kid.

Some kids need recreational programs they just don't know it yet. I really enjoy helping them to see how great programs are. You can make them see by being caring, compassionate and patient.

I have one great example I would like to share. A few years ago I had a little girl who was just starting soccer on my team. She was pretty shy and wasn't so sure about starting soccer. The first day I let her check it out. She's only 4, she has time to figure this out. She played the drills with some encouragement. She especially loved a game where you kick the ball at your coach, if you hit them you scream out and animal name and the coach needs to pretend to be that animal and chase you. She never kicked the ball herself but i could see her thinking about it.

But when it came to game time she wasn't interested. She wanted to sit on the blanket and be invisible. Near the game I had her come on  the field after offering my hand. She ran about with me not going into the play, but staying to the side with me. After a few games I was thinking shes doing great shes participating in practices and she happy on the field with my hand. She had even been coaxed to kick the play during game play a few times. She even won little soccer ball patches I had given out for passing and being a team player. She never did display them on her jersey. I thought by the end of the season she would be running around and doing it all herself.

Well to my surprise she wasn't. I was also surprised when her parents thanked me at the end of the year for teaching their daughter so much. She had apparently become much more confident over the summer and was showing everyone her soccer patches. I was reminded that when it comes to kids I coach I don't set the level for success. Each child recognizes success in their own way.

Food Bank Flash Mob

For the fall food drive this year my local food bank requested that we create, manage and present a flash mob. The idea was to have an exciting way to draw attention to the fall food drive. Unfortunately my classmates and I had heard that dirty word before. We had literally just completed a flash mob days before with mixed reviews. I'm not going to lie I was less than impressed that I was going to have another flash mob on my resume, and this time it was for marks.

As an attempt at not being negative I attempted to keep a low profile. But I'm sure you know how those types of things go. First they pick an awesome song, then they get you to dance, then they remind you that you are an over achiever and want the marks. Lets face it they had me at the awesome song.

A couple of my classmates were brilliant at choreographing a dance to go along with the song "Help!" by the Beatles. Things were looking promising. Contact list were being made, locations were set, date was sat, dance practices were full and we had people to film it. We even had a pretty good start on a "How-to" guide on flash mobs.

We had decided to present at three different grocery stores in the area so that our message would reach future. Our timing was pretty good and the enthusiasm was high. Everyone was pumped and ready to do it. You're waiting for the but aren't you? You are correct, there is a but.

But, after the flash mobs things fell apart. Poor communication lead to letters to the media not getting out quickly, pictures only made it so far and the video took for ever to get back to us. With grabbing the medias attention we needed to be quick, but we lost momentum, fast. Our flash mob turned into a mess. If we were ever crazy enough to except an event request last minute we will need to be sure that we have a clear plan for what goes on far the event. If we would have had the time to properly plan, we would have possibly made a plan to get our information out faster. Hopefully we have also learned that communication is key.

We're not sure if we "Help!"ed anyone. All i know for sure is that I shutter a bit when I hear flash mobs mentioned.

Here is the unofficial Youtube video we posted, the one we had made wasn't much better....le sigh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_UczeAJxDc

How Much is That Little Doggy in the Window?

We all know the childhood song about the little doggy in the window. As children we all dreamed about that dog on the other side of the glass. But really who would fall for such a blatantly manipulative marketing strategy....you know other than an impressionable child.

Everyone....that who. There is a pet shop in Cambridge that does have little doggy's in the window. As i wandered past I causally mention to my friend beside me...." Hey, there's a puppy in that window...like the song....that's funny." I was expecting a equally nonchalant response in return.

But nope, my friend quickly turned and went back to oogle at the puppy. As he watched it play remembered good time gone with his old dogs and how it would be nice to have a new one. I was then taken into the pet shop to look at more puppy's wagging their tails in the back.

It only takes one....they got us. Although I was on to their tricks and wasn't sucked in by the puppies my companion was. And I think any reasonable person would choose accompanying a friend into a pet store rather than stand outside looking like you might be ready to make a coat out of puppies at any moment. Although we left the store with nothing I am seriously considering going back to buy a neat hamster cage. So congratulations pet store, you have good ideas for getting people to buy your products.

Santa Claus is coming to Cambridge. I'm not talking literally, that happened last week in the parade and quite frankly I try to avoid malls in December.

Anyway...Cambridge has come up with a fantastic idea, I just heard it on talk radio today. Instead of having citizens pay for parking infractions this year they are being given the chance o pay for their ticket in toys!!! I at first thought someone was pulling a prank. So i looked into it, and it true. If you receive a parking ticket in Cambridge between December 1-14th 2011 you can choose to submit toys of equal value instead.

I think its a great!! parking tickets are awful, they can ruin your day...then you have another task to deal with by having to pay for it...BAH HUMBUG!! Shopping for a toy for a child in need seems like a better use of time. This initiative almost makes me want to get out there and park for three hours in a two hour zone.

So if you live in Cambridge or plan to shop there feel free to park where ever and buy a few toys for some great kids....happy shopping.

To check out the specifics of this deal follow this link the the City of Cambridge Toys for Tickets. http://www.cambridge.ca/news.php?nid=352