COUNCIL TRAINER

E-NEWS

April 2009

Facilitating Home Studies with a Small Group/Tips on Small Group Facilitations

As our volunteers find they have a limited amount of time to attend Girl Scout trainings, many are turning to Home Study Workshops to complete their training requirements.  As a facilitator, are you prepared to deliver what they need in a shorter period of time?  The answer is to cover only what they ABSOLUTELY NEED TO KNOW (ANK) to perform their job!  The following tips will help you better facilitate Home Study Workshops:   

Time:  Is the time convenient for a majority of participants? 

Location:  Is the location in a centralized, easy to find area?  Is it handicap accessible?

Room Set-up:  Keep it informal.   With a small group, it’s important to make the setting a little more intimate to encourage communication between the facilitator and participants, as well as between the participants themselves.   Try using a circle configuration if possible.

Preparation:    Follow the Girl Scout Motto: Be prepared!   Use the chapter titles to develop an outline listing only the essential information you need to cover.  Review the appropriate Home Study Guide and highlight the ANK information you want to focus on.

Resources:  Make sure you have enough home studies for each participant.  If possible, distribute the home study books in advance and ask participants to come prepared by reading before the group meeting.  Have other appropriate resources handy (journey books, badge books, etc.) to allow volunteers to review them if they’d like.

During the Workshop: 

• Keep it simple and personal (What is in it for them?)
• Don’t read to them
• Ask participants to share their own experiences
• Include “How-to’s” and  practical advice that the volunteers can use with their troops

·         Develop 8 – 10 open-ended questions that will get the discussion going on key topics. 

·         Keep the work shop moving – use your allotted time wisely!

·         Answer their questions!  If a volunteer has a lot of questions, suggest they stay afterwards so you can give them your full attention.

·         Have a follow-up system for future questions - Provide training delivery specialist’s or service unit training consultant’s contact information.

Questions and Answers about Girl Scouting

Question:   

Why is it important to return training rosters and resources to the regional office ASAP?

Answer: 

Training rosters are the only tools we have to ensure that volunteers did attend trainings. As soon as this information is received at the regional office, it is put into the Volunteer   Database.  This ensures an accurate, up-to-date record of volunteers who are in compliance with Girl Scouts of Western Ohio’s training policies.   Returning rosters is very important whether you have facilitated a scheduled training, home study workshop or a one-on-one training.
 
Returning training kits, resources, and equipment within five days after the training allows paid staff members to repack and organize the supplies for the next trainer.   All First Aid/CPR equipment and camp certification equipment should be returned cleaned, following the guidelines in your region.  Remember:  Girl Scout trainers should always return equipment in better condition than when they received it!

Tips and Tools for Trainers!

Click here for this month's Tips & Tools or visit our website and click on "volunteers"/Adult Training/Trainer Tips & Tools

Save the date!

• October 9 – 11:  Fall Volunteer Enrichment Weekend, Camp Libbey, Defiance, Ohio

• April 16-18, 2010:  Spring Volunteer Enrichment Event, Camp Whip-Poor-Will, Morrow, Ohio

VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION EVENTS

After a long and snowy winter, spring will soon be here, and with it, the annual Volunteer Recognition Events!  Below is a list of dates and locations for each region’s celebration.  Invitations will be mailed to volunteers in March.  Information will also be available at www.GirlScoutsofWesternOhio.org.  Mark your calendars now!!

Adult Development Contact Information

Terri Henson, Training Delivery Specialist (Appleseed Ridge)
Michelle Dilts, Training Delivery Specialist (Buckeye Trails)
Jeanette Smith, Adult Development Manager (Great Rivers)
Lin Okuley, Adult Development Manager (Maumee Valley)