Senior
Participant Orientation
Once
you have identified the facility or organization that you
hope to draw volunteers from, it is crucial to the success
of the project that a combined recruitment/orientation session
be held. The purpose of this meeting will be to explain the
project and its expectations, and encourage the older adults
to volunteer to participate.
- Explain the
need for volunteers.
- It
is essential for children to develop positive attitudes
toward older people and aging. Frequent interaction
with older people can help children understand the different
roles we accept as we age and grow.
-
Senior role models can help students become greater
contributors to their communities. Children can become
more responsible citizens through programs designed
to demonstrate the value of older persons. Writing and
speaking skills can be improved through contact and
correspondence with older adults.
-
In our mobile society, frequent contact between generations
may be difficult or impossible. Older and younger generations
become separated when families relocate for jobs. Older
family members may retire and move to another region.
Many young people are deprived of contact with older
generations and do not benefit from the experiences
their elders might share with them.
- State
the educational goals and objectives of the project.
If your project does not have clear educational goals, participants
are less likely to understand what is expected of them.
If the program is not perceived as being purposeful, seniors
may question playing a role in the project. Clearly state
what your objectives for student learning are. For example:
Students
will:
- Understand
the relativity of the terms "young" and "old."
- Recognize
the unique individuality and diversity of people of all
ages.
- Become aware
of their attitudes toward aging and older people.
- Learn more
about the aging process and the physical changes that
occur as people grow older.
- Understand
how living with physical and sensory changes affects older
people.
- Learn what
is true and what is not true about aging and older people.
- Appreciate
the roles of older people.
- Perceive long
life as an opportunity for continuous growth and development,
not as a late life process of decline.
- Develop linkages
across generations within communities.
- Give
examples of ways the seniors themselves may benefit from
participation. What could motivate your audience to
volunteer for your program? For example, they might be motivated
because volunteering will give them an opportunity to:
- Share
their experiences, interests, and knowledge.
- Learn
more about young people.
- Learn
more about the school system supported by their community
and its educational processes.
- Increase
their sense of being connected to the community.
- Address
an important community issue. (How will our children
deal with the challenges posed by the aging of their
communities' populations?)
- Leave
a legacy for the younger generation.
- Use
visuals in your presentation. A picture can indeed be
worth a thousand words. Especially if that picture captures
images of adorable children! Bring along a slide show or
video of your students during a typical school day to "introduce"
them to the seniors you are presenting to.
- Give
a clear outline of the projects, activities and timeline.
It is important that the older adults have a clear view
of what is required of them. Alleviate fear of the unknown
by explaining the specifics of the project to the audience.
Examples are:
- The length
and frequency of participant commitment.
- The physical
demands of your project.
- Travel requirements.
- Any time
expectations outside of the actual time spent with the
students. For example, is e-mail or written correspondence
required from participants?
- Provide
written materials outlining scheduled meetings along
with specific activities or theme for each meeting.
- Present
guidelines for working with students. Older adults may
be concerned about interacting with youngsters and have
questions about what to expect from the students. Remove
some of these mental barriers by discussing:
- Typical
characteristics and abilities of the students based
on age level. Examples at a first grade level might
include:
- They
are very inquisitive and not afraid to ask or say
anything!
- Please
do not answer any questions that you find uncomfortable.
- First
graders are also eager and full of energy.
- They
may need a little help filling out the interview
sheet. We encourage them to spell anything they
can, even if the spelling is not exactly right,
but they may get bogged down on unfamiliar words.
- Most
of all, first graders are lots of fun to be with.
We hope you enjoy their company.
- The volunteer's
responsibilities regarding behavior and discipline.
Stress that discipline problems are not anticipated,
but if a student exhibits unacceptable behavior the
volunteer is not responsible for rectifying the situation.
Assure the audience that teachers and other school personnel
will always be available to handle any situation that
arises with a student.
- Provide a
sign-up form for interested individuals including space
for name, telephone number, mailing address, and/or e-mail
address. If the forms are not to be collected that day,
be sure to include clearly marked information regarding
the method of return along with a date that they must be
returned by.
- Provide a
contact information sheet including the phone, address,
e-mail, etc. for the school personnel conducting the project
for future reference.
- Allow time
following your presentation to interact informally with
the audience. The availability of refreshments encourages
participants to stay and talk. Be prepared to mingle and
answer one-on-one questions the audience may have.
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