To find and access learning materials, including manuals, tip sheets, sample forms, effective practices, and thousands of other materials, use the various navigation functions located here at the Resource Center website: Use the search box or browse all available topics, or if you already know the type of resource you want, use the select resource type feature. You can also connect and share with others in the service and volunteering community. If you still have questions after reviewing the resources here, feel free to contact the knowledgeable staff at the Resource Center for more information (800-860-2684 or resourcecenter@etr.org).

QUICK LINKS TO ITEMS ON THIS PAGE:

• About Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA)
• Guiding Principles of T/TA Delivery
• Limitations on T/TA Availability
• Provider Matrix

About Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA)
The Corporation for National and Community Service provides tools, training, and information to assist grantees, sponsors, and programs — as well as organizations with the potential to be future grantees, sponsors, and programs — to be more efficient, to be compliant with Corporation statutes, and to support the Corporation’s strategic initiatives.

The Corporation’s approach to the provision of T/TA continues to be to support the development and use of local T/TA resources with the help of national resources. The Resource Center website is the primary mechanism for connecting the field with support at the national level, and we hope that Corporation grantees, projects, sites, members and many others find it full of useful information — in the form of online courses, effective practices, downloadable tools and reports, and more.

The content of this website is provided by a wide range of organizations that work with the Corporation as national training and technical assistance providers; these organizations also provide online training through webinars, distance T/TA through telephone and e-mail consultation, and (in limited circumstances) with onsite training and interventions.

The goal is to have a coherent and continuous network of T/TA services that is accessible when and how you need it and in areas deemed important by the Corporation. At various points on this website and elsewhere, you will be asked for your feedback about particular services — please let us know what you think! If you have general feedback or questions, please contact us at resourcecenter@etr.org.

Use the provider matrix below to find the appropriate organization and contact information to ask questions or be guided to specific resources.

Guiding Principles of T/TA Delivery
The Corporation for National and Community Service, the Office of Leadership Development and Training, and the training and technical assistance providers use the following principles to guide the delivery of T/TA services.

• The Corporation, states, programs, and communities are partners in learning, shaping decisions, and sharing in the delivery of cost-effective assistance that addresses critical needs.
• Training and technical assistance is most effective within an ongoing relationship of trust and shared responsibility. Building understanding and mutual respect facilitates collaboration and growth.
• States and programs should build toward self-sufficiency. States and programs should draw on national training and technical assistance resources selectively, relying as much as possible on locally based providers.
• Providing peer-to-peer assistance and using a train-the-trainer approach are effective means for applying and multiplying the knowledge and expertise of the field.
• Training and technical assistance resources should be competency-based; that is, planned and allocated based on assessment of competencies using various data sources, including risk-monitoring plans.
• Programs should assess their own needs and level of competence by identifying and measuring indicators of success. This enables a program to understand what works and what doesn't and to improve continuously. Programs can also access online assessment surveys to assess where they are in relation to characteristics of successful programs.
• Training should be consistent with the principles of adult learning. The transfer of knowledge and skills through training is likely to succeed when principles of adult learning are applied.

Limitations on T/TA Availability

The Corporation provides training and technical assistance services in support of funded national service programs and potential grantees. However, we welcome all our nonprofit and community partners to use the online resources to develop and strengthen their programs. In selected cases funding limits our ability to share our resources freely and will be noted.

Below is a listing of the categories in which national training and technical assistance providers are funded to contribute to the Resource Center and other learning venues for the national service field. Each provider’s specialty area and/or project topics are described. Questions about the providers’ workplans and products should be directed to the assigned CNCS staff person.

Those few providers that have funding to provide services directly in response to requests from local programs and projects through distance technical assistance and/or on-site services are listed in the table below. All other providers are working directly with CNCS on web-based and other services and are listed only for reference.

Provider Matrix

The Resource Center – ETR Associates

• Manages all CNCS online learning systems and content
• Leads the development of the AmeriCorps campus in collaboration with other providers
• Leads the continued development and maintenance of the VISTA campus
• Manages online learning tools such as the discussion lists, webinar technology, e-alerts, etc.
• Corporation contact: Jason Scott, OLDT eLearning Specialist, 202-606-6970

National Service-Learning Clearinghouse – ETR Associates

• Manages the NSLC website, which provides timely information for the service-learning community in higher education, kindergarten through grade twelve, community-based initiatives and tribal programs
• Maintains the NSLC Library
• Maintains e-mail discussion lists
• Corporation contact: Meredith Hatch, Learn and Serve America Program Coordinator for Knowledge Management, 202-606-7513

Special Project and Initiatives – Campaign Consultation, Inc.

• Support to MLK Day initiative
• VISTA outreach and VISTA campus content design and development
• AmeriCorps campus content design and development
• Communicators’ Institutes for Learn and Serve grantees
• Distance TA in sustainability including producing the On-the-Go! e-TA online newsletter
• Corporation contact: Susan Schechter, OLDT Associate Director, 202-606-6841

Special Projects and Initiatives – JBS Aguirre

• Special projects in disaster services
• Develop and deliver training in the use of CNCS eSystems
• Performance measurement and evaluation services (Project STAR)
• Corporation contact: Susan Schechter, OLDT Associate Director, 202-606-6841

Social Media – TechSoup Global

• Consultation on social networking and viral marketing
• Cross- promotion of CNCS and Tech Soup online products and services
• Corporation contact: Jason Scott, OLDT eLearning Specialist, 202-606-6970

Member Training and Development – Education Northwest

• Delivery of VISTA pre-service orientations, supervisor orientations and leaders training
• Content and design for VISTA online campus
• Content and design for AmeriCorps online campus
• Leadership in field-generated content process
• Special expertise in education and youth services
• Corporation contact: Susan Schechter, OLDT Associate Director, 202-606-6841

Disability and Inclusion Services – University of Massachusetts

• Support to state-based inclusion teams
• Consultation and problem-solving
• Webinars and on-site training delivery
• Corporation contact: Jewel Bazilio-Bellegarde, Disability Specialist and Senior Training Officer, 202-606-6839

Training Management and Conference Support – Afya, Inc.

• Support for VISTA pre-service orientations, supervisor orientations and leaders' training
• Support to grantees’ meetings and other CNCS events
• Corporation contact: Susan Schechter, OLDT Associate Director, 202-606-6841

Financial and Grants Management – MacArthur and Baker International

• Development of online learning in the subject area
• Distance technical assistance
• On-site training and technical assistance as directed
• Corporation contact: Ralph Morales, OLDT Associate Director, 202-606-6829

Technical Assistance to AmeriCorps Programs (TAPS) – JBS Aguirre

• Organizational and staff development for AmeriCorps grantee organizations
• Support to AmeriCorps events (grantee meetings, best practices conference, national conference, etc.)
• Coaching and peer mentoring
• Corporation contact: Ralph Morales, OLDT Associate Director, 202-606-6829

Technical Assistance to Tribal Grantees – ACKCO

• Development of learning materials for tribal grantees
• On-site training
• Distance technical assistance
• Corporation contact: Gina Fulbright-Powell, Senior Training Officer, 202-606-6838

Volunteer Management – Points of Light/Hands On Network

• Development of online learning in the subject area
• Convening and support to sector collaboration and communities of practice
• Support to the National Conference on Volunteering and Service
• On-site training as requested
• Corporation contact: Gina Fulbright-Powell, Senior Training Officer, 202-606-6838

Contact these providers directly for the services listed