G1414 Rewarding Team Members

This NebGuide explains how managers can tailor recognition to individuals, thus increasing its effectiveness. Introduction If there\u27s one thing in life that everyone wants it\u27s to be appreciated, rewarded and recognized for their contributions. Studies indicate that employees find personal recognition more motivational than money. Results of a recent Council on Communication Management survey confirms this. According to a recent Gallup poll of people who stopped volunteering, 42 percent said they felt their work was unimportant or was unappreciated at the work place or in a volunteer setting, appropriately rewarding people is important to retention and job performance

The Author: The Creative Wellspring

Janet Fox is a Montana based author of books for young readers. Some of her books are set in mystical places. Her works include The Charmed Childern of Rookskill Castle (2016), and Sirens (2012). Find her at janetsfox.com

G1415 Recruiting Volunteers

This NebGuide offers tips to volunteer coordinators that will help them recruit the best volunteers for any position. Introduction How does one go about recruiting volunteers to serve their organization? Knowing what motivates a person is the first step of understanding how to recruit a volunteer. According to Frederick Herzberg\u27s Motivational Theory, there are five key motivators that should be kept in mind when providing volunteer opportunities. They are: achievement, recognition, challenging work, increased responsibility and development. In addition, past participation in an organization motivates volunteers to give back to an organization from which they or family members have previously benefited. Friends and family serve as important motivators to service. It\u27s important that the characteristics of the volunteer job are matched with the motivation of the potential volunteer

Developing effective child death review : a study of ‘early starter’ child death overview panels in England

Aim This qualitative study of a small number of child death overview panels aimed to observe and describe their experience in implementing new child death review processes, and making prevention recommendations. Methods Nine sites reflecting a geographic and demographic spread were selected from Local Safeguarding Children Boards across England. Data were collected through a combination of questionnaires, interviews, structured observations, and evaluation of documents. Data were subjected to qualitative analysis. Results Data analysis revealed a number of themes within two overarching domains: the systems and structures in place to support the process; and the process and function of the panels. The data emphasised the importance of child death review being a multidisciplinary process involving senior professionals; that the process was resource and time intensive; that effective review requires both quantitative and qualitative information, and is best achieved through a structured analytic framework; and that the focus should be on learning lessons, not on trying to apportion blame. In 17 of the 24 cases discussed by the panels, issues were raised that may have indicated preventable factors. A number of examples of recommendations relating to injury prevention were observed including public awareness campaigns, community safety initiatives, training of professionals, development of protocols, and lobbying of politicians. Conclusions The results of this study have helped to inform the subsequent establishment of child death overview panels across England. To operate effectively, panels need a clear remit and purpose, robust structures and processes, and committed personnel. A multiagency approach contributes to a broader understanding of and response to children’s deaths

Cultural Core Competencies: Perceptions of 4-H Youth Development Professionals

As society grows increasingly diverse, it is critical that youth development professionals are equipped with cultural core competencies. This descriptive study gauged the perceived level of cultural competence among 4-H Youth Development professionals from a Southern state in the United States. Based on the 4-H Professional Research, Knowledge, and Competency (PRKC) Model (Stone & Rennekamp, 2004), youth development professionals rated their cultural competence (equity, access, and opportunity) in eight core competency areas. Based on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 0 = No knowledge to 4 = Expert, youth development professionals evaluated their cultural competence ranging from 0.66 to 4.00. According to an interpretive scale, most youth development professionals rated their competence as intermediate. Participants reported the skills of active listening and an open attitude as areas in which they felt most competent. Areas of least competence were community outreach policies and procedures. No significant relationships existed between the demographic variables of gender, degree earned, and field of study when compared to perceived cultural competence. The findings will be used to detect deficiencies and create opportunities for professional training and development experiences in supporting the cultural competence and growth of youth professionals

A Contextual Examination of High-Quality K-12 Service-Learning Projects

In the service-learning literature, there is limited significant evidence for understanding and describing the context of high-quality service-learning programs. For instance, only four of the eight K-12 Service-Learning Standards of Quality Practice developed by the National Youth Leadership Council have adequate research to support the relationship between the standard and its impact. This qualitative study was conducted to describe the service-learning process in high-performing programs. Using a grounded theory approach, the researchers conducted structured interviews with nine service-learning project organizers to generate a model of an award-winning service-learning experience.  From the data, a set of diverse and complex service-learning themes emerged that exceeded the Standards for Quality Practice. Most prominent among the analysis results were the themes of temporal influences, human capital contributions, locus of support, relationship to topic, and the development of a culture of service-learning. Temporal influences related to the time needed for students to understand and fully engage in the service-learning cycle.  Human capital contributions included the skills and extraneous factors that participants brought to the project.  Locus of support encompassed all the areas of support within the project.  The participants’ relationship to the project contributed to project success, buy-in, and continued engagement.  The culture of support set the tone and expectations of the project.  Overall, the study findings suggest that high-quality service-learning programs evolve over time and that the human element and social context of a service-learning project help to create a highly powerful setting, acting in concert with and going beyond quality standards. The article also identifies specific limitations of the study, as well as directions for future research

4-H Youth Development Professionals’ Perceptions of Youth Development Core Competence

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the perceived level of competence among 4-H Youth Development Agents from a Southern state in the United States. The findings will be used to identify gaps in and opportunities for professional training and development experiences in supporting the competence and growth of youth professionals. Based on the 4-H Professional Research, Knowledge, and Competency Model (Stone & Rennekamp, 2004), youth development professionals rated their youth development competence in nine youth development core competency areas. Utilizing a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1=no knowledge to 5=expert, youth development professionals rated their youth development competence ranging from 3.12 to 3.54. According to an interpretive scale, youth development professionals rated their competence as intermediate. Staff felt most competent in the areas of current youth issues, career opportunities for youth, and family structures/relationships. Staff felt least competent in the area of mental development of youth. No one identified themselves as an expert in the areas of psychological development, emotional development, and current youth issues

Evaluation of Components of Volunteerism in Master Horseman Program Graduates

Providing volunteers with training opportunities affects the overall success of programs with which they are involved. This article describes a study of 98 Louisiana Master Horseman Program graduates. The study addressed their perceived self-efficacy related to equine technical and management skills, their changes in confidence regarding teaching relevant skills to others, and their willingness to teach those skills to others. Results indicated that the training positively affected graduates\u27 horsemanship skills and their confidence and willingness related to teaching such skills. Findings suggest that the Louisiana Master Horseman Program is useful for creating a highly trained volunteer workforce and is a master volunteer program option that could be replicated successfully in other states

An Examination of the Benefits, Preferred Training Delivery Modes, and Preferred Topics of 4-H Youth Development Volunteers

Training is a critical component of any successful volunteer management system. The evaluation reported here examined the benefits of the 4-H Youth Development Volunteer training as well as ranks preferred training methods and topics. Participants in leader training reported that training yielded motivational and educational benefits. As part of the evaluation, volunteers identified the preferred training delivery modes as group trainings and electronic communication. Volunteers were most interested in learning about 4-H opportunities and leadership development