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Research Based Training Tools for Volunteers




As seen in The Pulse Newsletter from the NAE4-HYDP. The Volunteer Research Knowledge and Competency Taxonomy Model (VRKC) has been updated with the lesson plans and tools you need to provide research-based training to help your volunteers thrive!


If you're not already a member, you can learn more here about our NYS Association and its connection. Also, be on the lookout for the potential opportunity to explore this with your colleagues as part of the of the 2024 NYSACCE4-HE Annual Conference will be October 2nd-3rd, 2024.  

 

THE VRKC- A Tried and True Resource Just Got a Facelift

Written by Jen Lobley, UMaine Extension Professor, Volunteer Development


What is the VRKC? The Volunteer Research Knowledge and Competency Taxonomy Model (VRKC) was originally designed almost 20 years ago. A research study (Culp et al., 2010)  looked at the perceptions of volunteers, county staff, and state 4-H specialists with regard to competencies that were deemed essential for the effective delivery of 4-H youth development programs and activities. Each competency was placed in one of six domains: communication, organization, 4-H program management, educational design and delivery, positive youth development, and interpersonal characteristics. As a result of the study, a comprehensive framework with training resources (lesson plans and activities) was developed. 


What’s new? The PLWG 4-H Volunteerism Committee recently provided leadership for the review and update of the original VRKC resources. These supporting materials are designed to help strengthen the identified skills that volunteers need. Six writing teams from across the country contributed their efforts to this work. Revisions include factsheets for staff and/or volunteers, activities that can be used in-person or adapted for virtual settings, and slide decks with key concepts and activity directions. You can find all the resources and more information at https://4h-volunteerism-resources.extension.org/ 


What does this mean for me? The materials are designed to be “grab and go/pick and choose” by 4-H professionals so training and support can be tailored to the needs of the volunteer. For example, you may want to offer a series of some bite-sized portions of professional development for volunteers in your county through your monthly newsletter. You could pull content from a factsheet to highlight a particular skill and then link the factsheet as a resource for additional information. Or perhaps you want to do some skill development as part of your monthly leader association meetings. You could show a few slides and present information from a competency area and then engage volunteers in one of the activities, and ask them to practice or apply the skill learned in their own club setting. Volunteers could return the following month and share their experiences and reflect on their learning. Last year, volunteer specialists from the southern region put together a series connecting the VRKC to the 4-H Thriving Model. Resources from those webinars can be found here 


You’re invited to join us! Still not completely sure what you could do with these resources or want to just learn more about them? Join us for a Zoom webinar hosted by the NAE4HYDP Volunteerism Working Group on Friday, September 6 from 2:00-3:30pm CT to get a peek at some of the resources, engage in discussion about how to utilize them, and get your questions answered. To register, click here



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