Spark TLs are volunteers who serve as leaders for short-term, group-based service projects throughout the year. 

1. • • SpartanServe TLs & SpartanGreen TLs are considered Spark TLs.

There are a few ways to become a Spart Team Leader:

1. Create your own short-term project. 

2. Email volunteer@ycp.edu to let us know that you would like to serve as a Spark Team Leader! We'll add you to a TL contact list, and reach out when we need TLs for an upcoming project.

3. Visit the Volunteer Pathways page on the SVN portal, and sign up to be a TL under the Volunteer Leadership Pathways section. 

4. When you sign up for any Spark project on the SVN portal, you will be prompted to answer a question about Team Leadership. If you select "I am open to being a TL for this project," you may receive a follow-up email from a Project Coordinator to confirm that you will be the TL for that project.

5. Sometimes, Project Coordinators will reach out to all volunteers who have signed up for a project to ask if they are interested in being a Team Leader. Keep an eye out for those emails!

If you would like to sign up to be a part of the Spark Team Leaders group, please click here! 

Professional development

• Gain and hone your leadership skills.

• Meet and network with local organizations that employ YCP grads.

• Community-engaged leadership looks great on a resume!

Community involvement

• Learn more about your community.

• Get connected with new and fun opportunities in the area. 

Making a difference

• Play a key role in making volunteer experiences meaningful for volunteers. 

• Play a key role in making a lasting difference for community partners.

Leadership incentives & recognition

• Earn leadership incentives & recognition through the Compass Program!

The Compass Program engages, equips, and empowers Spartan Volunteer Network student leaders. The Compass program is designed for current and aspiring Spark Team Leaders (short-term) and Changemaker Team Leaders (ongoing), and is also open to other SVN leadership pathways, including Project Designers, Project Coordinators, and certified van drivers. 

Team Leader responsibilities vary between  Spark TLs and Evergreen TLs, as outlined in the checklists below.

• Spark TL checklist (includes SpartanServe & SpartanGreen TLs)

• Evergreen TL checklist

In general, Team Leaders work with their team members, community partner(s), and SVN staff to make sure that their project is successful. Some general responsibilities of a TL may include:

• Communicating between team members, community partner(s), and SVN staff

• Supporting, motivating, and empowering team members

• Promoting communication and addressing conflict among team members

• Helping to coordinate transportation

• Taking attendance

• Taking or collecting pictures

• Managing on-project emergencies

• Guiding team through the SVN service learning cycle

• Leading reflection

• Community partner: As a TL, one of your primary roles is to be the point of contact for a Community Partner. You might be reaching out to them directly before, during, or after a project, and a Community Partner may reach out to you as well, often so that you can share information with the rest of your team.

• Project Coordinator: Each TL has a Project Coordinator (PC). PCs are student staff member in the SVN who provide guidance and logistical support for a pod (cluster) of projects.

• Other TLs: Being a TL is deeply rewarding, but it has its challenges as well. Collaborating and gaining insights from other TLs can make a world of a difference! Sometimes, two Spark TLs are assigned to a project to balance the workload. For Evergreen TLs, you'll actually meet regularly with your PC and other TLs in your pod.

• Volunteers: This is pretty obvious, but TLs work closely with a volunteer team! 

TLs facilitate reflection at the end of each volunteer opportunity. Below is a team project reflection guide. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You are not required to ask all of the questions - just the ones that make the most sense for your project. 

• You can also go off-script and ask your own reflection questions! 

• You are not required to write down or submit the responses.

Contact information is typically included in a project listing. You can also check out the SVN organizations page, which includes locations and contact information for all of the local organizations connected to SVN.

• Double-check

  • Check the project listing on the SVN portal. Transportation might already be arranged.

  • Check in with your Project Coordinator (volunteer@ycp.edu). They might already be working on this.

• Consider driving a van

  • Go to the Van Drivers section of the Transportation page here if you...

    • would like to get certified to drive a YCP van for this (and other) projects (keep in mind that certification can take multiple weeks to finalize).

    • are already certified to drive a YCP van, and would like to request a van to drive for this project.

• Coordinate with team members. If you need to arrange transportation and cannot drive a YCP van:

  • Contact team members as early as possible. Ask them to reply within 2 days. 

  • If you are communicating by email, include "please reply by [date]" in the subject line. Include this in the subject line.

  • Ask team members to let you know if they are 1) planning to drive themselves, 2) open to driving a carpool, or 3) need a ride. 

    • Clarify that SVN volunteers are never required to drive or ride in a carpool.

    • Remind volunteers that they must sign a waiver on the SVN portal if they plan to drive themselves, drive a carpool, or ride in a carpool.

  • If there are folks willing to drive a carpool, great! Notify the whole team about who will be driving a carpool, and the time and location to meet them. Include the address of the project as well, for any volunteer who is driving themself or who plans to get a ride separately. 

  • If no one is available/ open to driving a carpool, or if you're not hearing back from your team, contact your Project Coordinator ASAP.

Consider using one of these strategies:

• Straw poll: allows for respondents to indicate all the times that they are available from a list you provide. Example: Doodle poll

• Limited menu: A short selection of meeting times (no fewer than 3, no more than 6) allows for respondents to quickly choose each meeting time they would be able to attend. Example: GroupMe poll

• Expectations: At the beginning of the year, set up some expectations related to communication.

  1. Communication is important. Even when someone doesn't know the answer to a question, they reply with "I don't know that yet, but I will get back to you by [date].

  2. We cannot delay our project to accommodate a team member who is not showing up to meetings and not replying to messages. We will keep that member in the loop, but delaying a project indefinitely due to a team member's absence can lead to the unraveling or stalling of the project.

• Strategies: If you're not hearing back from a team member, try the following two strategies:

• 1. Email team members with "PLEASE RESPOND BY [date]" in the subject line.

  2. Use multiple communication methods (email, GroupMe, text, Snapchat, etc). Sometimes, it may be most helpful to knock on their door (if they live on campus).

• Backup: If you do not hear back from a team member using the above strategies, let your PC know. They have access to additional platforms they can use to reach out (Canvas, the SVN portal, etc).

Promoting team development will look different for each TL. Your leadership is rooted in your unique strengths, skills, values, identities, and experiences, as well as the unique strengths and needs of your team. 

With that in mind, there are two strategies we encourage each TL to consider:

• Leadership action plan: With your Project Coordinator (PC), create a leadership action plan. Include steps you hope to take as a leader to further develop your team, and invite your PC to offer ideas and suggestions.

• Team Charter: Invite your team to complete a Team Charter, using the template below. A team charter can be an incredibly powerful tool for your team to discuss shared expectations, navigate scheduling, and understand how best to work together through the year.