Florida 4-H Program Handbook
SECTION 6: Training of Volunteers
Training and Development
Providing education to volunteers that assists them in developing the skills and knowledge to be successful in their service is a key component in the successful 4-H program. Training helps ensure that the volunteer will be confident in the ability to perform his or her agreed upon role. It will be confidence built on competence. Training also provides opportunities to reinforce the values and methods of operation that are central to youth development in 4-H.
There is some debate about whether to call the educational/ development that we conduct for adult volunteers "training", or whether that term is too narrow. Some definitions of training specify that the learning must be focused on gaining skills that are to improve the performance on the current position. Volunteer development or volunteer education are terms many think are more applicable to the typical 4-H volunteer programs, where volunteers learn skills and knowledge that are useful in their current volunteer position, but have broad applicability to their life beyond 4-H. They are assisted in improving their capacity to plan and carry out youth development programs, not to perform a predetermined set of tasks or activities. We help empower them to be leaders. Some would argue that the term "training" is inadequate to describe this function. This argument will be left for another time. For the sake of this handbook the term "volunteer training" is meant to include the broader definition. Training, therefore, is any organized learning experience directed at increasing the probability of improving volunteer performance and personal growth.
Learning can occur incidentally, but that learning is not training. Training is made up of those experiences that we have arranged for the volunteer that are directed to specific learning objectives. These experiences can occur in a formal training session, through guided "on-the- job" training, guided reading, mentoring, shadowing, coaching or a wide variety of other techniques.
Where to begin training?
A key place to begin in designing your volunteer training program is an analysis of the responsibilities. Determine for each volunteer position what knowledge and skills are necessary to competently perform that service. Are there particular attitudes and values that the incumbent of each position must embrace to be successful? Are there additional topics that, while not required for success, would be good for the volunteer to know? It is important to involve current volunteers in helping do this analysis.
For a wide range of volunteer roles that have direct contact with youth, there are some obvious topics:
- Designing Learning Experiences
- This is 4-H!
- Working with Officers
- Basic Parliamentary Procedure
- Evaluation of members
- Making meetings fun
- Life skill development
- Sharing Leadership
- Positive Discipline
- Parent Involvement
- Club Program Planning
- Ages and Stages of Youth Development
- Evaluation of Club Success
- Experiential Learning
- Community Service
- Money Matters
- Adult Youth Partnerships
Within these topics, what are some of the skills, knowledge and attributes required of the volunteer? Are there problems reported by current volunteers filling these roles that training could address? What are some of the common areas where current volunteers in this role fail to perform up to a high standard? Can training be expected to improve performance in these areas?
This analysis forms the basis for the training program. As a result of this process you will have a good feel for some of the topics that training must address.
Learning Objectives
Now that the target topics have been narrowed down, we need to systematically design a training program. As you probably guessed we are now ready to write learning objectives. Sound learning objectives are important for us to direct our training activity, for the volunteers to know what is to be learned, and so that we can evaluate whether the volunteers have achieved the level of proficiency we desire. It helps if our objectives are relatively specific for the tasks, knowledge and attitudes we identified in our analysis phase. Our objective should have some observable action and at least one measurable criterion.
Designing the Learning Activities
We should focus on our learning objectives as we design the learning activities that we plan to achieve these objectives. However, the variety of learning styles of the learners must also be taken into account. You improve your chance for achieving your training objective if your learning activities are either specifically designed with individual learner’s styles considered, or that each of the following styles are accommodated by your training design. Learning style preferences can be categorized as:
Visual learners gain knowledge best by seeing or reading what you are trying to teach.
Auditory learners gain knowledge best by listening.
Tactile or psychomotor learners gain knowledge best by doing.
Another model for classifying learning styles is Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory. Kolb describes the four processes that must be present for learning to occur. This follows the experiential learning model with an indication of how each step addresses a different learning style. Kolb suggests:
Active experimentation: A learner preferring this approach is an Activist. They are ready to try something new. Their preferred training approach would involve problem solving, small group discussion, peer feedback, simulation, and case study.
Reflective observation: The learners who prefer this style are Reflectors. They’d like to get information and think on it awhile. For this group lecture is helpful. Brainstorming and keeping journals are also productive.
Abstract conceptualizing: Theorists prefer this style. They want to know how this relates to that. Case studies, reading theory and thinking alone about concepts are helpful.
Concrete experiences: Pragmatists prefer this style. How do I apply this in practice? Lecturing on theory is wasted here. Activity should clearly be tied to the skills they need to be successful. Mentors or helper/ coaches work well with this group.
The perfect training design would involve each of these four processes to address the variety of learning styles. Following the familiar experiential learning cycle, the learner is involved in a concrete experience, reflects on that experience in a search for meaning, applies that meaning to form a conclusion and then experiments with applying the learning to similar problems.
It is important to remember that training can be more than the 11/2 hour session done periodically at the Extension Office. It must also be more than the incidental trial and error of on the job muddling through! Volunteer training can take many forms, but all the forms must be planned and focused on learning objectives.
State Volunteer Training Opportunities
Two state sponsored volunteer forums offering a variety of training topics are conducted annually. They are:
- Florida 4-H Volunteer Leader Forum held at the Ocala 4-H Center in April; and
- Southern Region 4-H Volunteer Leader Forum held at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Georgia in October.
Several districts or multi-county areas plan and conduct additional leader forums annually. Ask colleagues in your district if you are not familiar with these volunteer training opportunities. To visit the Volunteer Website click here.
