Volunteer Development

From AFSWiki

Introduction

AFS's most valuable asset is arguably its worldwide network of volunteers. Over the past 60 years the AFS network has become one of the largest volunteer based organizations of its kind in the world spanning more than 50 countries. The AFS-USA commitment to volunteering is an important element of our mission statement which reads:

“AFS-USA works toward a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership”

Volunteerism is deeply embedded in the history and roots of our organization going back to the “volunteer” ambulance drivers who comprised the original American Field Service. Those original volunteers founded AFS Intercultural Programs on the belief that by promoting the exchange of high school students between local communities in the U.S and local communities in other countries, they could foster a worldwide culture of cooperation and understanding among peoples and nations. They also believed that local community volunteers were key to accomplishing this mission. From the very beginning, volunteers have been the heart and soul of the AFS experience - recruiting, preparing, and supporting our program participants, host families, and natural families while promoting intercultural understanding in their communities across the United States and around the world. The passion and dedication our volunteers bring to our programs has a tremendous impact on the experience of our participants and on how our mission and our organization are perceived in the local communities and in the schools in which we work. We do not believe that our organization could have the reach or the overall impact we currently have without our volunteer network.

As we move into the future, AFS-USA continues to be committed to the promotion of volunteerism and to our vision of supporting a volunteer force that represents the rich diversity and culture of the USA. Our network of volunteers and staff is one that works not in silos, but in an environment of true partnership with shared responsibility and accountability in the delivery and support of our AFS mission and programs.

Core Principles of Volunteer Development

The Core Principles of Volunteer Development are intended to serve as important cornerstones of our volunteer development program.

The Volunteer Life Cycle

AFS-USA views volunteer development as a process which occurs in stages. By attending to all phases of the Volunteer Life Cycle, organizations can ensure a stronger volunteer network.

Volunteer Registration

The first step in becoming involved with AFS-USA as a volunteer is completing Volunteer Registration.

Registration Renewal

All volunteers are asked to go through a Volunteer Registration Renewal process each year in order to ensure that AFS-USA has up to date information for all volunteers in our database and in order to keep us in compliance with U.S. Department of State regulations which requires organizations to complete national criminal background checks annually for all volunteers and staff.

Learning Guides

The Passport Learning Guides have been developed based on input and experience from AFS-USA volunteers and staff.

Passport to Volunteering with AFS

Your Passport to Volunteering, has been designed to provide you with the information you need about being a volunteer with AFS-USA. It has been developed to help inform you about your volunteering role and to guide you through the various AFS-USA volunteering polices, as well as the standards and regulations set by AFS International, CSIET and the U.S Department of State that we must adhere to as an exchange organization. In this guide you will be provided with:

Passport to a Healthy AFS Team

Your Passport to Building a Healthy AFS Team, has been designed to provide you with information to help you make your team effective and energized. It will help you to learn new skills, improve on your existing skills, identify some common barriers that can arise in volunteer teams and most importantly enable you and your team work better together.

Passport to Hosting

Your Passport to Hosting, has been designed to provide you with information you need as a local hosting volunteer. At any given time in the hosting cycle this guide will allow you to support hosting in your community. Topics covered in this learning guide include:
- The role of a hosting volunteer
- Planning to Host
- Working with others (Schools, Communities, Etc.)
- The Host Family (Application Process, Interviews, Reading Host Applicant Applications)
- Standards
- Criteria for a Successful Hosting Year

Passport to Sending Recruitment

Your Passport to Sending Recruitment, has been designed to provide you with information you need as a local sending volunteer. At any given time in the sending cycle this guide will allow you to support sending in your community. Topics included in this learning guide include:
- Sending Overview
- Planning your Sending Recruitment Campaign
- Working with others (Schools, Communities, Scholarships and Financial Aid)
- Sending Basics
- Participant Information
- Criteria for a Successful Sending Year

Passport to Support

Your Passport to Local Support, has been designed to provide you with information you need as a local volunteer. Topics included in this learning guide include:
- The Role of the Support Volunteer
- Intercultural Learning
- Communication
- Supporting Indiviuals
- Getting Support from Others