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Professional development opportunities, including new webinars and more!
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Interviewing Skills and Volunteer Screening
When: November 9, 2011
9:30am - 4pm
Where: NorthStar Cooperative, 3655 Forest Rd, Lansing, 48910
In this interactive session, participants will learn the importance of volunteer screening and some of the tools available to assist programs in screening their volunteers. Participants will learn and practice techniques for interviewing potential adult volunteers and youth.
Register now! Interviewing Skills and Volunteer Screening is session number 7377.
Matching, Monitoring, and Match Closure Online
When: November 28 - December 16, 2011
Experience the popular Matching, Monitoring, and Match Closure workshop in an online format. Participants will log in to the course a few times each week to view presentations, read materials, and interact with colleagues around the state. Log in at times that work for you! Participants will learn strategies for making and monitoring mentee-mentor matches, examine ways to support and recognize matches, and learn the importance of using a formal match closure procedure and ways this procedure can be structured.
Register today! Matching, Monitoring, and Match Closure is session number 7372.
Volunteer Supervision and Recognition
When: December 8, 2011
9:30am - 4pm
Where: NorthStar Cooperative, 3655 Forest Rd, Lansing, 48910
Structured supervision and volunteer recognition are critical components of volunteer management. Learn how to strengthen your program through increased volunteer retention, commitment and satisfaction. This session will help you understand the need for volunteer supervision and explore ways to provide the support and feedback that your volunteers need. We will then explore creative ways to recognize volunteers year-round.
Register today! Volunteer Supervision and Recognition is session number 7378.
Train the Trainer: Mentor Training
When: January 9, 2012
9:30am - 4pm
Where: NorthStar Cooperative, 3655 Forest Rd, Lansing, 48910
This interactive training will provide an overview of mentor training topics, sample activities and facilitator tips. Participants will experience training from the mentor's perspective, practice leading activities, and learn how to adjust activities based on the needs of your individual program. Topics covered: building a mentoring relationship, setting boundaries, and communication skills.
Register soon! Train the Trainer: Mentor Training is session number 7373.
Webinars
Tips and Tools for Training Mentors Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 2pm
The webinar will discuss orientation, pre-match training, and ongoing training and different topic areas that each training may cover. Participants will also learn about several available resources to assist with training mentors. Tools for Conducting Background Checks
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
This webinar is a follow-up to the Interviewing Skills and Volunteer Screening workshop. Navigating the variety of background checks that are available and choosing what is right for your program can be intimidating and confusing. During this session participants will learn how to access and use the various background check options including: ICHAT, FBI Fingerprint checks, Michigan Sex Offender Registry, Child Abuse Registry, Sex Offender Registry, and local law enforcement agency checks. This session is designed for those who are unfamiliar with these resources or those who want to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the different resources.
Social Networking: Boundaries and Professionalism
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Session Number 7363
Should you friend volunteers in your program? Is it acceptable for adult volunteers and youth to be connected via a social network? Social networking (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, etc.) can be a tremendous resource. It can also be confusing for program staff, volunteers and participants. This webinar is designed to provide information to inform social networking policies within programs.
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4-H Youth Mentoring in the News
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Mentors sought for 4-H Tech Wizards program
Source: Grand Haven Tribune, 9/22/11
The Ottawa County 4-H Tech Wizards program is seeking caring adults to become mentors for youth attending Central High School in Grand Haven and Van Raalte Tech in Holland. ... The 4-H Tech Wizards program seeks to give high school students who are nontraditional learners the opportunity to explore science and technology with a person who works in a related field. This program provides hands-on learning with technology not typically offered to students in the alternative education environment.
Starting the school year right Source: Montmorency County Tribune, 9/14/11
Starting the school year right is easier said than done for some students. Many young people are not eager to go back to school. They struggle to get up in the morning and have a hard time with their classes....The Montmorency County 4-H Adult to Youth Mentoring Program matches at-risk kids with caring adults who will spend at least one hour per week, one on one with these kids.
Editorial: Become a mentor: Attend Saturday's recruitment fair Source: The Muskegon Chronicle, 9/14/11 A sense of hope. That's the most important thing a community can provide for its young people. The comment came from Christine Robere, president of United Way of the Lakeshore, during a recent meeting with the Chronicle Editorial Board. But it's one that has been echoed by leaders of helping agencies throughout Muskegon County. If children have a sense of hope, going to school becomes important. Completing homework and participating in after school activities is more inviting. Staying healthy and out of trouble is easier. According to Susan Fenton of Muskegon MSU Extension, and a contact for the event, all a volunteer has to do is tell the recruitment fair workers a little about themselves and they'll be guided to a mentoring position that fits their needs, talents and time commitment. It's the first time the collaborative has tried this approach to recruiting mentors. Those who can't attend the mentor fair can learn more at the website, mentormuskegon.org. |
Youth Development: College Positive Mentoring Toolkit for Mentors
| Disclaimer: This section of the newsletter is designed for mentoring programs to use within their newsletters. Feel free to cut and paste!
Be a college positive mentor! The role of a college positive mentor is to offer encouragement and support to promote the college-going mindset, expose their mentee to the resources and options that make college possible, and equip them with the tools and knowledge to explore and pursue higher education, according to the new College Positive Mentoring Toolkit developed by Mentor Michigan and Michigan Campus Compact.
Check out the toolkit to learn different ways to encourage your mentee to consider and plan for attending a post-secondary institution. The toolkit is designed to provide mentors with information, conversation starters, match activity ideas, and ready-to-use activities to help your mentee take important steps toward higher education. The toolkit includes information for use with mentees of any age and is broken down into elementary, middle, and high school sections.
The College Positive Mentoring Toolkit is available to download online at www.mentormichigan.org. |
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MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing,MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.
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