Finding and keeping baby boomer volunteers through school partnerships

Abstract

With support from Learn and Serve America, RSVP of Northern Arizona, headquartered at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, recruits baby boomers and assigns them to tutoring projects in local K-12 schools. This effective practice highlights a promising model for programs that want to begin the work of developing effective partnerships that utilize baby boomer volunteers. With characteristics of baby boomers in mind, outreach and informational campaigns to attract older adult volunteers can bring together schools and volunteers. Prepared by SaYES/Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) in August 2006.

Issue

Although the baby boomer population represents a vast pool of potential volunteers, it takes special attention on the part of volunteer program managers to attract, train, support, and sustain them.

Action

An RSVP in Flagstaff, Arizona has launched a campaign to recruit older adult volunteers and partner them with tutoring projects in K-12 schools.

Prior to the 2005-06 school year, the RSVP director of Northern Arizona decided to actively recruit older adult volunteers to work in Flagstaff Unified School District elementary schools. Through a determined recruitment program, she attracted seven baby boomer volunteers.

At the same time, she initiated discussions with several elementary school principals in Flagstaff, setting up informational meetings with them to convey how older-adult volunteers could be utilized in K-4 classrooms to tutor students in reading. The principals were very interested in this opportunity because the schools were underperforming, with many of the students not at grade level in reading.

The RSVP director matched the seven volunteers at two elementary schools to work with approximately 100 K-4 students in a reading tutoring program. Progress was measured, and the program was a big success. The principals were quite happy with these results, and will be continuing the program in the 2006-07 school year.

Several elements of the design and execution of the partnership may be instructive for other organizations as they work to develop partnerships with schools. These include:

Develop and implement a recruitment plan

Begin early. Write outcomes that are reasonable and obtainable.

Pay close attention to the needs and interests of older adult volunteers

Consider the characteristics of potential baby boomer volunteers, and have them fill out an application that lets them list background, interests, and skills. Conduct a personal interview early in the process to begin finding the best match with participating schools, taking into consideration potential volunteer time constraints, and daily, weekly, and yearly availability. Work to attract volunteers prior to the school year so there is time for background checks and training.

Support participating volunteers in as many ways as possible

Train volunteers and offer to pay for mileage. A special and added incentive that was used in Flagstaff is the inclusion of secondary insurance to help cover any possible difficulties. This insurance is usually inexpensive, perhaps $8.00 per year per volunteer, and is worth the small expense, both for program security and peace of mind for the volunteer.

Additionally, at the close of the regular school year, the RSVP director involved the volunteers with a local summer Kindercamp. The older adult volunteers were invited to tutor young children as they prepared to enter school in the Fall of 2006. This is a good way to stay in contact with volunteers and offer them continued support.

Establish initial, effective contact with all participating schools

Timely, focused communication with school principals and participating teachers will show them that you are serious and capable. This will lay the groundwork for future program expansion and success. Prospective school participants were actively recruited through phone calls, personal meetings, and e-mail. This took persistent work on the part of the coordinator. Remember that schools often have curricular and testing schedules that make it difficult for them to see how volunteers can fit into their activities. Be sure to consult with all partnering schools early to ensure an appropriate fit for each volunteer.

Context

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) launched the SaYES Initiative (Seniors Assisting Youth Engaged in Service) to encourage increased partnering among older adult volunteer organizations, such as RSVP, and schools and community-based organizations engaged in service-learning. RSVP agencies and service-learning schools alike want to become involved in this new and expanding initiative.

RSVP of Northern Arizona serves five counties: Coconino, Yavapai, Mohave, Apache, and Navajo. The combined population of the counties is almost 700,000, and Yavapai County is in the top two percent for growth of counties in the United States. The average percentage of the population over age 55 is 14 percent. There is also a high native population in Apache, Coconino, and Navaho counties. Some areas are very rural, and others, such as Prescott (Yavapai County) and Flagstaff (Coconino County) are suburban.

With such diversity and growth there are many agencies working to find, train, and place volunteers of all ages in community-based and school sites.

Outcome

Older adults were effectively recruited to volunteer in Flagstaff Public Schools, and a teacher-conducted evaluation demonstrated that the reading tutoring was very productive. Participating teachers, principals, and volunteers were most enthusiastic about the results of the 2005-06 program, and ended the school year "fired up." Through the combination of program success and innovative recruitment and retention strategies (secondary insurance and continued service through the summer), the RSVP-school partnership is growing.

The accomplishment of this two-school, seven-volunteer reading tutoring program has paved the way for expansion to more volunteers and more schools in the 2006-07 year. The RSVP director firmly believes that beginning small has allowed her to develop a solid program that she can now build on. It took intensive planning and commitment to develop the program and create initial success with the small number of volunteers recruited. Sustained funding, persistent collaboration, and long-term public awareness will help foster an environment that leads to expanded volunteer success. Additionally, for the 2006-07 year the RSVP director has attracted $3,500 of funding from the Janus Foundation so that she can build on the good work already done.

Evidence

Formal and informal indicators suggest the partnership is well on its way toward achieving success.These include:

Positive reviews by participating teachers and principals
Positive feedback from volunteers
Interest in developing similar programs in the future at other schools and expanding partnerships to engage baby boomer volunteers in service-learning efforts