Because every member is unique, a single plan doesn't fit everyone. The first step is to find out more about your member's experience, skills, perceptions about AmeriCorps or VISTA service, and plans. This process will help you tailor available tools; down the road, it will also provide valuable information on how well your program is meeting your members' needs.

To help you with member needs assessment, download these useful resources:

• Creating a transition timeline—Read advice from veteran program staff on how
• Incorporating transition planning into the service year—Access the What's Next? tutorial for members and find out how to use it in monthly trainings
• Encouraging reflection through individual and group activities—See a variety of ways members can reflect on their service experience and how it applies to their future plans
• Questions for customized self-assessment surveys—Mix and match questions on training, evaluation, and personal skills topics
• Sample surveys and evaluations:
  • Exit Survey 1—An open-ended form for a program serving students
  • Exit Survey 2—A general survey on progress and plans, to be used in an exit interview
  • Evaluation 1—A detailed assessment of how member skills have changed during the service term
  • Evaluation 2—An open-ended questionnaire about program effectiveness and member growth
  • Self-Assessment Survey—A Likert scale measurement of what the individual gained from service

Need more info? Download this chapter from one program's operations manual.

Go on to Getting the Most from the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

Encourage reflection, teamwork, and a sense of belonging

The Council Process promotes a democratic process in which group members sit in a circle and engage in discussion and reflection. It's a powerful tool for promoting a team dynamic.

This resource was contributed by Youth Volunteer Corps of Benton County (Corvallis, OR). Based in Kansas City, Youth Volunteer Corps is a National Direct program dedicated to creating and increasing volunteer opportunities that enrich America's youth, address community needs and develop a lifetime commitment to service.

Getting feedback on trainings and events

Adapt this survey to collect member feedback on the effectiveness of your trainings.

This resource was created by LISC,an AmeriCorps National direct program that focuses on increasing affordable housing opportunities.

Resources and activities on these vital topics

In a comprehensive format, this chapter lays out the philosophies and definitions that YVCA uses when engaging its audience in reflection, leadership, and recognition activities. It's an excellent resource for programs looking to advance in these areas.

This document was contributed by Youth Volunteer Corps (YVCA). Based in Kansas City, YVCA is a National Direct program dedicated to creating and increasing volunteer opportunities that enrich America's youth, address community needs and develop a lifetime commitment to service.

Activities and ideas that promote reflection

This short document lists a number of activities that help your national service participants reflect upon their service while they are serving. Topic areas include speaking, writing, and multimedia, and others.

This resource was contributed by Youth Volunteer Corps (YVCA). Based in Kansas City, YVCA is a National Direct program dedicated to creating and increasing volunteer opportunities that enrich America's youth, address community needs and develop a lifetime commitment to service.

Reflection is vital to success and here is why

This single-page document defines reflection, stresses its importance, provides a short process for leading a reflection activity, and lists several benefits of encouraging reflection among your members.

This resource was contributed by LISC, an AmeriCorps National Direct program that focuses on increasing affordable housing opportunities for low and moderate income families through housing development and counseling first time homebuyers.

Measuring your impact

Your program can benefit from knowing how you've impacted members' personal and professional development. Adapt this existing survey from Solid Ground's JustServe AmeriCorps program.

Solid Ground, based in Washington state, engages national service volunteers in critical violence prevention efforts throughout Seattle/King County area.

Stock questions to assist you in determine members' training needs

You can copy and paste the questions in this document to create customized surveys of your members' needs. Topics include:

• Professional and personal skills
• Member development
• Program evaluation
• Training evaluation
• Planning a Life After AmeriCorps training

Collecting feedback from your exiting members

Adapt this resource to gather information that can help assess and improve your program.

This survey was developed and used by the Cispus Learning Center in Washington state. Washington Service Corps members perform service that has direct and demonstrable impact in the areas of education, the environment, human services, homeland security, and public safety.

Stock questions for determining members' training needs

You can copy and paste the questions out of this document to create customized surveys of your members' needs. Topics include:

• Professional and personal skills
• Member development
• Program evaluation
• Training evaluation
• Planning a Life After AmeriCorps training

These questions were generated by AmeriCorps programs—small and large, rural and urban—in Oregon, Washington, and New York.

Helping young people create their volunteer résumés

Specifically designed for younger national service participants and volunteers, these are tips for working with a group to generate individual volunteer résumés. As the participants piece their résumé together, they reflect upon and articulate their past volunteer experiences.

This resource was contributed by Youth Volunteer Corps of Corvallis (YVCA, Corvallis, OR). Based in Kansas City, YVCA is a National Direct program dedicated to creating and increasing volunteer opportunities that enrich America's youth, address community needs and develop a lifetime commitment to service.

Promote team dynamics and reflection

This document provides a process for staging a group reading. Participants take turns reading short passages aloud. The participants can then provide one another feedback and/or reflect upon the passages. It can also be used to perform for community members.

This document was contributed by Youth Volunteer Corps (YVCA). Based in Kansas City, YVCA is a National Direct program dedicated to creating and increasing volunteer opportunities that enrich America's youth, address community needs and develop a lifetime commitment to service.

A month-by-month collection of tips

Planning for your members' transition from their term of service into life after AmeriCorps works well when addressed at stages throughout their service. This document gives you suggestions in a month-by-month format to assist you in transition planning.

Click here to explore the "What's Next" online tutorial for members. Share this tutorial with your members to help them make sound decisions regarding options for school, career, or continuing to serve after their term of service.

"What's Next" is an online, updated version of the Next Steps: Life After AmeriCorps resource book. Ronjanett Taylor of America Reads-Mississippi (Jackson, MS) assigns a topic or chapter in the book to teams of members at the beginning of the service term. The teams also get a date for presenting their material. "Some share two or three paragraphs that they read to the group, but others create display boards, have handouts, invite guest speakers, include a homework assignment, or prepare a skit or rap," says Taylor. Consider using this practice to help members build public speaking skills, share and receive information from their peers, and develop ownership of their service experience.

Preparing members for life after service

The planning tips presented here come from two program veterans, Stacey Rapp from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in New York and Beth Meyer from Community Youth Services in Olympia, WA. Use the tips from these interviews to develop your own transition timeline.