Embedded Files
Overview
Overview
Supervision and program assessments are important aspects of volunteer management for a sustainable and effective community program. Supervision may look different for each organization, and may be provided by staff at the host site or faculty or staff of U-M working or with experience in the type of support you plan to offer in your program. Effective supervision includes a long term commitment from the supervisor to provide consistent communication and support throughout the duration of the program and yearly leadership transitions. When continuous supervision is not available, U-M student organization leadership can also consult with U-M advisors from The Ginsberg Center or Center for Educational Outreach. A continuous supervisor or advisor will ensure consistency within the program and reduce frustration and confusion with community partners and members.
Supervision and program assessments are important aspects of volunteer management for a sustainable and effective community program. Supervision may look different for each organization, and may be provided by staff at the host site or faculty or staff of U-M working or with experience in the type of support you plan to offer in your program. Effective supervision includes a long term commitment from the supervisor to provide consistent communication and support throughout the duration of the program and yearly leadership transitions. When continuous supervision is not available, U-M student organization leadership can also consult with U-M advisors from The Ginsberg Center or Center for Educational Outreach. A continuous supervisor or advisor will ensure consistency within the program and reduce frustration and confusion with community partners and members.
Along with supervision, assessing your program on an annual basis with input from organization members and your community partner will provide valuable information for the organization as community needs shift and the organization transitions through changing leadership. This section will provide you with helpful strategies in each of these areas.
Along with supervision, assessing your program on an annual basis with input from organization members and your community partner will provide valuable information for the organization as community needs shift and the organization transitions through changing leadership. This section will provide you with helpful strategies in each of these areas.
Objectives
Objectives
As you plan your strategies for supervising volunteers and assessing your program, consider the following objectives and how your organization can best accomplish them. A SMARTIE goals worksheet is available to provide you with a document to identify goals for each objective and assist in maintaining accountability for accomplishing them.
Provide continuous communication between leadership and members
Establish a system for continuous communication between leadership and the community partner
Implement annual program assessments to organization members and the community partner
Collect and analyze data
Key Concepts and Guiding Questions
Key Concepts and Guiding Questions
The following key concepts are intended to help you assess how your organization is addressing the guiding principles of K-12 partnerships and community engagement.
Relationships
Fostering Long Term Partnerships
Is your organization assessing areas of growth in its partnership with the community on an annual basis?
Moving From Individual To Collective Action
Are you looking at other programs for their successes and hurdles?
Equity
Starting With Community
Are the community needs being met?
Are you incorporating knowledge and advice from community leaders?
Centering On Equity
Do all volunteers have what they need to be successful?
Compliance
Does your program have at least one designated point of contact for the host site to connect with for the full semester?
Awareness
Connecting Civic Learning Across Contexts
Is the program incorporating skills from all volunteers?
Are volunteers building on existing skills and learning new ones?
Power
Acknowledging Power
Does your organization address power dynamics between supervisors / volunteers, members / schools / community organizations?
Research
Research
Research on supervision and assessment identifies some select practices which assist in developing prepared and
engaged volunteers (Aldredge et al., Lindo et al., Melzer, National Student Support Accelerator).
Continuous volunteer supervision creates happier volunteers and better outcomes for youth
Even minimally trained volunteers, and volunteers with no training have shone to increase student outcomes when given supervisor support
Program assessments which involve a variety of stakeholders (members, leadership, community partners, etc.) are most effective.
Offerings
Offerings
Below are a few extra resources to assist in providing continuous support to volunteers and annual assessments.
Key supervisor responsibilities include
Overseeing training
Offering professional development advice
Being the point of contact for community partners and other stakeholders
Leading reflections and monthly meetings
An Integrated Framework for Coaching Tutors
This case study includes tips and advice for supervising tutors, but could also be applied for other types of K-12 support.
More information on the role of an advisor at U-M
If your organization is interested in finding an advisor, try reaching out to professors or university staff who work in or have previous experience with K-12 education.
The U-M center for educational outreach offers a training to assist your organization in developing a post program action plan
Volunteer Retention Rate Formula
(# of retained volunteers / # of initial volunteers) X 100 = % retention
More information on calculating and improving your retention rate
GINSBERG CENTER | ginsberg.umich.edu/ | (734) 763 - 3548 | GINSBERGINFO@UMICH.EDU | 1024 HILL STREET, ANN ARBOR, MI 48104
Page updated
Report abuse