VO LUNT E ER ASS IG NM ENT ( 30 %
OF
COURSE GRADE)
A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
REQU IRE M ENTS TIME COMMITMENT Participants should complete no less than eight hours of volunteer service. During week 2, I will ask all of the students to informally tell each other and me where they are planning on doing their volunteering. After that, it’s up to you to schedule your five hours of service. Most students choose to complete 2 or 3 hours at a time on weekends, which will give you more than enough time to complete the requirement of five hours during this session. BEHAVIOR Because this assignment requires off-campus work, participants are expected to behave professionally and dress appropriately as representatives of Sac State. They should be punctual and reliable in meeting the volunteer commitments.
BEFORE
Y O U S TA R T Y O U R V O L U N T E E R P R O J E C T
Part One: Choose your Project Pick something you’re interested in doing. Think about what you would like to do – would you like to serve the homeless? Tutor children in need of assistance? Help the elderly, or care for Animals? Clean the bike trail? Plant trees? Is there something that you would like to do that is related to your major, such as helping in a hospital or teaching kids about computer programs? Part One: Interview a volunteer Before you choose what type of volunteer work you would like to do, you must interview someone with previous experience volunteering in the Sacramento area. You may interview a current level 7 or level 8 student who completed volunteer work in the previous session (If you have difficulty finding an interview candidate, consult the list of volunteer websites below and contact one of these organizations. They may help you find an interview candidate). Interview questions assignment #1 1. What problems were you interested in trying to address before you did your volunteer service? Were you able to do the type of volunteer work you wanted? Why or why not? 2. What work did you have to do to sign up for the volunteer position (Email someone, do an application, etc.)? What requirements did the volunteer position have? 3. Who did you help during your volunteer service? 4. What were you hoping to accomplish while volunteering? 5. Was your volunteer service different than your expectations? How? 6. Who did you work with? 7. How much English did you use during your volunteer service (Writing, Reading, Speaking, 1
Listening)? 8. Did you find your volunteer service to be challenging? Why, or why not? 9. Would you do the same type of volunteer work in the future? Would you do different volunteer work in the future? Why or why not? **Volunteer Requirements: Volunteer work often requires contacting volunteer organizations days or weeks in advance to schedule volunteer work. Depending on the type of work you want to do, there may be additional requirements including, applications, interviews, background checks, orientations etc. Given these requirements, it is necessary to contact organizations regarding volunteer work as soon as possible! Do not procrastinate, or you may find that you are not able to find volunteer work. Below is a list of possible websites to visit to begin your search for your volunteer project:
http://www.rescue.org/
(International Rescue Committee) http://englishforme.weebly.com/volunteering.html (many links to volunteer websites) www.handsonsacto.org (a website with various opportunities for volunteering) www.sacloaves.org/to-volunteer (volunteer opportunities to help feed the hungry) www.csus.edu/cec/community_service.stm (Sac State’s volunteer opportunity website) www.cityofsacramento.org/volunteers/ (a website with various opportunities for volunteering) www.volunteermatch.org (a website with various opportunities for volunteering) www.happytails.org (volunteer opportunity for helping animals) www.csus.edu/cec/volunteer (many volunteer opportunities right here on sac state campus) www.ngac .org (National Guard Association of California, some clerical opportunities for volunteer work) http://www.sactree.com/ (Sacramento Tree Foundation) HAPPY TAILS 6001 Folsom Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95819 (916) 556-1155, http://www.happytails.org/about
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INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC): Leanne Cameron, Coordinator for ESL programs (volunteer) - (916) 300-2314, leanneagain@gmail.com , 2730 Arden Way #236, Sacramento, CA 95825 Tel. 916 482 0120 / Fax. 916 482 8806
ROBERTS FAMILY DEVELOPMENT CENTER: Supervisors: Michael Winans – (916) 5091608, mwinans@handsonsacto.org 776 Darina Avenue, Sacramento, CA 958153120 (916) 646-6631, http://www.robertsfdc.com
SACRAMENTO FOOD BANK & FAMILY SERVICES: Supervisors: Robin Simpson – Volunteer Services Manager, (916) 456-1980, volunteer@sacramentofoodbank.org 3333 3rd Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95817 (916) 456-1980 phone / (916) 451-5920 fax American River Clean Up- - http://www.arpf.org/index.shtml
Sacramento Harvest/ SoilBorn Farms- https://www.soilborn.org/
F I N A L P R E S E N T AT I O N ( D U E : J U LY 2 8 , 2 0 1 4 ) In the oral presentation, students will explain their volunteer experience to the class, reflect in a critical way and describe the value of the experience, and speculate about future volunteer opportunities and your ability to create change on communities. Through reflection, one gains the opportunity to determine the impact of the experience on one’s values, skills, and attitudes. Requirements: PowerPoint, 7-10 minutes. The presentation should respond to the following questions. The presentation should be structured as a clear presentation. It should not be a list of answers to the questions. You need to provide me with some proof of volunteer work. During Service o The things that I did in my hours of volunteering o New experiences that I had while serving o People I met o Problems I encountered, if any, and attempts at solving the problems o Any other events worth mentioning to your classmates After Service o Why did you do the service? o Did you change in any way because of your service? o Did you learn anything about body language from the people you helped? o How did people’s responses to your service make you feel? o What have you learned about yourself? o How has your service contributed to your growth in any of these areas: civic responsibility, political consciousness, social understanding, spiritual fulfillment,
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professional development, or intellectual pursuit? o Did this experience challenge your assumptions or stereotypes? o How can this experience apply to other experiences in your life? o What is the difference between generosity, charity, justice, and social change?  The Next Step o Could you continue this work back in your native country? Where? o Would you encourage other students to go through the same experience as you did? o What value does volunteering (in general) have for students like you? o What value does volunteering have in society, either American or your native country? o As you are returning home, how will you educate or instruct others on the positive, economic value of volunteering? o How might you continue to create positive change on communities in future volunteer opportunities? Evaluation: You will be evaluated in the following manner (Peer and Instructor) o How clearly you present your project (i.e. how well you articulate your ideas in an easy-to-follow, logical way) o Use of details, descriptions, support, or explanation to help you develop your reflection o Appropriate presentation skills for this level (eye contact; good body position and posture; speak at a good volume; clear pronunciation and enunciation; speak at a good pace, keep the audience’s interest, be confident)
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