Launch of New In-person and Online Host Family Orientation Materials
From AFSWiki
The Orientation Advisory Group is pleased to announce the launch of AFS-USA’s new Online Pre-Arrival Host Family Orientation and the 2010 Host Family Pre-Arrival Orientation Leader's Guide !
Contents |
Timing of Launch
Beginning the first week of June, families who have already received the Welcome Email will be sent an e-mail inviting them to complete the online orientation. These notifications will happen at a staggered pace in case there are bugs we have not yet encountered and that might appear simultaneous to larger numbers of users.
As of June 2, 2010 and going forward, a link to the Online Pre-Arrival Host Family Orientation will be included in the Welcome Email sent to families once they have been accepted to host with AFS.
We ask that volunteers involved in the planning and implementation of the in-person Host Family Pre-Arrival Orientation complete the online orientation prior to their in-person orientation, as the Host Family Pre-Arrival Orientation Leader's Guide has been redesigned to complement the online orientation.
Tracking Online Orientation
The online orientation will eventually automatically record completion of the orientation in the service case of the head of household in Global Link. This auto-recording capability and related reports will be fully functional by mid-June. In the meantime, IT staff have created a way to capture who has completed the modules in an external source and this information will by transcribed to Global Link by mid-June as well.
Staff in the Regional offices will track completion of the online orientation and send two reminder emails and make one phone call to any family who does not complete the orientation in a timely manner. After this point staff will contact the Team or Chapter Hosting Coordinator who will be responsible for additional follow-up with any family who has not yet completed the online orientation.
Tracking In-person Orientation
The Team or Chapter Orientation Coordinator remains responsible for ensuring that at least one adult member of all host families attends the in-person orientation prior to arrival of his or her participants. Eventually we will be able to monitor and track this information in the Activities Module of Global Link. In the meantime, all Host Family Pre-Arrival Orientation Sign-in Sheets should be sent to the Regional Offices and Regional staff will follow up with the Orientation Coordinator regarding any families who have not completed an in-person orientation.
Additional Information
- To order hard copies of the Host Family Pre-Arrival Orientation Leader's Guide, please contact your Regional Travel and Logistics Coordinator at 1-800-876-2377.
- Both the online and in-person orientations will be valid for the program year and cycle in which they are completed. If you have a question about the validity of the orientation relative to a particular service case, please contact your Regional Travel and Logistics Coordinator.
- To access the modules (registered volunteers only), as well as a sample copy of the Welcome Email and compliance related details, please see Online Pre-Arrival Host Family Orientation.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to staff members Taylor Hess, Carolyn Kingston, Avinash Jhawar, Meryl Lewis, Ann Steffen and Robin Weber for all of the work they have put into the development of the new online orientation and related systems, and to the Orientation Advisory Group, in particular to volunteers Nancy Buss, Nina Leiser and Lynne Regan for the time and energy they invested in the production of the new Leader’s Guide!
