This study explored the impact of community service-learning (CSL) on the educational development of undergraduate social work students related to professional competencies. Undergraduate student participants (n = 155) completed a required volunteer CSL experience in social work practice courses during both their sophomore and junior years. The…

Volunteer programs, especially those for docents, may often be overlooked as learning opportunities rather than as a strategy for program delivery. Thinking about docents first as learners themselves, and then as partners in creating learning experiences for visitors, can create a meaningful shift in the relationship. By integrating concepts from…

As part of a broader evolution of our K-12 programming, the Art Institute of Chicago transitioned our docent program into a newly designed Volunteer Program, a process that was informed by rigorous research, reflection, and evaluation of our engagements with students and teachers. This case study offers a perspective on designing a new structure…

In recent years, the role of the professionally trained volunteer docent has taken many twists and turns. Guided by institutional strategies and missions, docent programs have flexed, shifted, and altered to meet institutional needs. This article provides an overview of recent trends and practices presented at the National Docent Symposium…

Over the past 10-15 years, the Volunteer Program at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County has undergone an immense transition. This program overhaul tackled historical methodology that had been creating barriers to participation, addressed the changing needs of modern volunteer audiences, and worked to highlight access and inclusion in…

Volunteers play a pivotal role in enhancing the effectiveness of the 4-H program. Research demonstrates that offering professional development opportunities to volunteers contributes to retention. The Volunteer Research Knowledge Competency Taxonomy (VRKC) is a framework that pinpoints essential competencies for proficiently delivering 4-H youth…

Volunteers are noteworthy youth development professionals in the 4-H program whose training translates into practices that promote positive outcomes among young people they serve. This study explored how contextual and programmatic factors were associated with volunteers' practices of the essential elements with youth. Programmatic influences…

Volunteering requires a high level of commitment to community development, especially from young people. The first study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of university students of education regarding volunteering and the second study, analysing the differences in students' knowledge regarding interest in volunteering. The…

The Developmental Stages of an Extension Professional (DSEP) model depicts how professionals can move through the stages of service, education, management, and leadership to build volunteer and program capacity. It encourages Extension professionals to assess the situation and adjust their leadership style. Researchers used a mixed methods…

The volunteer workforce is the backbone of any nonprofit organization. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, however, even though many people have returned to work, leisure, and volunteering, there are others that have not, leaving many volunteer positions empty. As organizations return to the basics of recruiting, leading, and retaining the volunteer…

Science museums and similar institutions provide informal science and environmental education, both on museum grounds and out in the community. Since 2007, the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami, Florida, USA, has run Museum Volunteers for the Environment (MUVE) program, a conservation volunteer program that is also an effective…

Dutch nature organisations developed the Green Traineeship, combining out-of-the-classroom learning with voluntary work in nature for young adults, with the aim of supporting them to towards future action for nature. To better understand how young adults' engagement with nature can be strengthened and facilitated, we studied perceived knowledge…

Introduction: An innovative undergraduate helping skills course where students learn, practice, and apply a problem management model with a peer volunteer on a non-clinical issue across three supervised helping meetings is presented. Statement of the Problem: Undergraduate helping skill courses are typically offered as in-class role-plays. This…

Voluntary national reviews (VNRs) are an important component of the follow-up and review process for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Presented by countries at the annual United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), VNRs detail a country's self-reported progress to peers. This voluntary process has been…

Volunteer-led programming is the heart of the 4-H program. The Wyoming 4-H program relies heavily on volunteers to deliver programming directly to youth. Shrinking budgets and limited staff makes volunteer retention and recruitment key in building and maintaining a 4-H program in Wyoming focused on youth education. Understanding what motivates…