Considerations for Volunteer Resource Managers In Engaging Service-Learners
The debate continues over whether or not students in service-learning placements should be considered volunteers, and this type of unpaid labor often falls under the purview of a volunteer resource manager. Indeed, engaging service-learners is one strategy that can be used to extend the work of an organization.
There are many studies about the impact of service-learning from the perspective of the student and the campus. This quarter’s Research to Practice looks at one of the few studies that analyzes the impact of service-learning on the community partner. This study, “Service-learning from the supply side: Community capacity to engage students” (Littlepage, Gazley & Bennett, 2012), is based on a sample of over 1,000 nonprofit and religious organizations in two counties in Indiana. It provides important insights for volunteer resource managers who are considering or already engaging service-learners.
There was a time when the word “intern” was used mainly for doctors-in-training. Over the last 50 years, however, the concept has widened to include many different experiences in nonprofit, government and for-profit settings. Some internships are formal requirements through university courses, while others are totally individual to the intern and the host organization. Some are paid (medical interns are considered staff), others are remunerated through stipends or living expenses, and many are totally volunteer and unpaid.
In this issue’s Training Design, Linda Miller, the president and founder of Intern Programs, Inc., offers a two-hour workshop on the timely topic of interns. In this interactive process, Miller walks participants through a series of questions to determine whether or not having an intern program is the right strategic decision for their organizations. Participants draw their own conclusions based on group discussions, peer support and material introduced by the facilitator.