Connecting baby boomer volunteers with K-12 service-learning schools

Abstract

In response to the Seniors Assisting Youth Engaged in Service (SaYES) initiative, Shelby Public Schools Service-Learning Program launched a campaign to recruit older adult volunteers and partner them with projects in K-12 schools. This effective practice can serve as a model for programs across the nation, which want to begin the work of developing sustainable SaYES partnerships. Submitted by Ann M. Herrygers of Shelby Public Schools, in Oceana County, Michigan.

Issue

If local and regional programs are to be successful in creating and then sustaining volunteer partnerships, they must pay attention to the unique characteristics of baby boomers, and make specific plans for ongoing development and support of both the volunteer and the service-learning site.

Action

Five older-adult volunteers worked at Shelby Public Schools in the following capacities:

Teaching the Life Skills class at the Middle School to plan and create a baby quilt for the family of the first baby born in Oceana County in 2006.
Working with Ferry Elementary School students to plan, make squares, and construct another quilt for a local raffle. The created quilt was used to establish a scholarship for a graduating Shelby High School student who had started in school at the rural Ferry Elementary. Through the raffle, $300 was raised for the scholarship for the graduating senior.
Tutoring students in reading.
A retired psychologist volunteered his services with the counseling department at the middle school.

It is important to be aware of baby boomer volunteer characteristics, using informational campaigns to "correct" possible "myths" those volunteers may have about volunteering, schools, and students.

Several elements of the design and execution of the partnership may be helpful to other organizations as they work to develop strong linkages between service-learning schools and older-adult volunteer organizations such as RSVP. These include:

Establish initial, effective contact with all participating agencies.
Maintain timely, ongoing communication between participating agencies.
SaYES of Oceana County, Michigan made contact with the local Council on Aging/RSVP, Volunteer Muskegon, and Shelby Public Schools to launch a service-learning program utilizing older-adult volunteers. Prospective participants from each agency were actively recruited through phone calls, personal meetings, and via e-mail. This took persistence on the part of the coordinator.

Meetings

Initial meetings were often piggy-backed on other agency meetings, to make participation more convenient and less time- and resource-intensive. Through a two-year outreach process, a plan was set to begin developing service-learning projects using older-adult volunteers.

Media

Public Service announcements were printed in the local newspaper, but only got a minimal response compared with presentations.

Applications

At local Council-on-Aging Celebrations to honor volunteers, the SaYES liaison made brief presentations and handed out applications for the SaYES project to those who were 55 and older.

When applications were completed, the prospective volunteer was entered into a drawing for one of two $15 gift certificates. These incentives proved very popular.

The liaison then gave the completed application to interested schools, and kept a copy for the SaYES office. Keeping one copy was important because often the follow-up contact had to be made by the SaYES office, since schools were busy. Direct phone calls worked best, and then the baby boomer volunteer and the specific school site could be matched. Very specific information about just what the volunteer could and was willing to do was gathered, as well as detailed information about the nature and scope of the volunteer opportunity. Once these two important pieces of information were known, the SaYES volunteer partnership could be established.

Pay close attention to the needs and interests of older adult volunteers, and to school timelines.
It took some time to establish the foundation for this SaYES partnership, and it was important for the lead liaison to be dedicated, persistent, and knowledgeable about the characteristics of Oceana County baby boomers. For example, retired people from this part of Michigan often leave for the winter if they are able, making them unavailable, for the most part, from January through April. Since service-learning programs in the local schools do not usually occur during the summer months, synchronizing plans with the school year is critical.

The liaison learned to contact volunteers in late spring in anticipation of volunteer opportunities in the coming school year. Sometimes it was understood that a volunteer was only available for the beginning and end of each school year. New volunteering options were created that fit into the baby boomer's schedule, such as one-time opportunities, work spread out over a couple of months at weekly intervals, or work that begins during the first two months (September and October) of school and culminates in the last two (May and June.)

Schools typically do not gear up for service-learning projects until October, so timing is critical. All of this needs to be taken into consideration when planning for the coordination of the partnership between the volunteer agency and the service-learning site.

Some volunteers are available only for one-time service-learning experiences, so volunteer opportunities need to be tailored to volunteer needs in order to attract them.

Context

SaYES is a joint initiative of Learn and Serve America and Senior Corps, programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and was created to connect Senior Corps volunteers in supporting K-12 service activities and service-learning programs.

The increasing pool of baby boomers (generally defined as individuals born between 1946 and 1964) represents a volunteer resource that agencies such as RSVP and service-learning schools alike want to tap into.

In 2004, through the support of a small SaYES mini-grant ($500) from the Michigan Community Service Commission, Volunteer Muskegon, the Michigan Council on Aging/RSVP, and Shelby Public Schools partnered to develop service-learning projects at several of Shelby's schools. Three elementary buildings and one middle school participated in this SaYES partnership.

Shelby Public Schools Department Office is located about 25 miles north of Muskegon, and less than ten miles from Lake Michigan; with a total K-12 enrollment of about 1,750 students.

Oceana County is rural, and has about 29,000 residents, with about 50 people per square mile. The county is primarily white, and about 13 percent of its households are below the federal poverty line. Approximately 16 percent of the population is age 55 or older.

Muskegon County, geographically a bit smaller than Oceana County, has almost 176,000 residents, with about 335 people per square mile. Eighty-three percent are white, and a little over 13 percent of its households are below the federal poverty level. Approximately 14 percent of the population is age 55 or older.

Outcome

Older adult volunteers were recruited to volunteer in Shelby Public Schools, and enhanced the work and focus of the teachers and students involved. Those participating continue to be enthusiastic about the process and results of the partnerships that brought the volunteers into the schools, and look forward to similar projects.

Evidence

It took approximately two years to develop the program and have some success with the small number of volunteers recruited. Sustained funding, persistent collaboration, and long-term public awareness will help foster an environment that leads to both volunteer and service-learning success. Preliminary, informal indicators suggest the partnership is well on its way toward achieving success. These include: