Member Training and Development
Invest in members for more effective service and long-term rewards
The Corporation's 80/20 rule specifies that up to 20 percent of AmeriCorps members' time should be spent on personal and professional development. VISTA projects also offer members a range of training and development opportunities. Whatever the project type, member training and development offers key benefits to both the individual member and your program. By offering training to your members, you can:
- Promote retention–Meeting the individual and professional goals of each member increases member satisfaction and leads to greater member retention.
- Improve member effectiveness–Well-trained members provide high quality, high impact service and increase the value of the AmeriCorps or VISTA program to the organization, site, or sponsor
- Improve organizational quality–Highly competent members significantly improve the quality of services provided by sponsor organizations
- Help members develop skills–Examples include effective communication, conflict resolution, diversity and inclusion, leadership, CPR/first aid, outdoor education, volunteer development, resource mobilization, and partnerships development
- Increase member knowledge–Members learn more about the community they're serving and what national service entails
- Broaden attitudes and perspectives–Training leads to an increased sense of empowerment, civic values, a service ethic, and a broader understanding of how individuals and communities are interconnected
- Augment site and sponsor training–Member development programs can reduce the burden of training for sites and sponsors
- Promote lifelong engagement–Providing members with the skills and confidence necessary for successful service leads to a lifetime commitment to service and civic engagement
Member development is a process that begins at orientation and continues through the end of the service year. This section includes resources for ongoing trainings and is divided into two parts:
You can also find resources for orientation and early-service and end-of-service activities on this site.
Go on to Designing Effective Training
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