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COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS
Project Coordinator
Model
[1] Background and Purpose
The work of community organizations is
significantly enhanced because the Bonner Program structure
provides students with the financial support and training
to engage for multiple years with the same agency, issue area
and.or organization, enabling the students' to take on increasing
responsibility and leadership in their service. In part because
of this sustained involvement, agencies can count on having
a volunteer with their program for more than one semester
and even more than one year. In that time, a student volunteer
can take on increasing responsibility, including recruiting,
coordinating, and even managing other volunteers or taking
on project management.
The Bonner Foundation hence recommends that each campus develop
a Project Coordinator (sometimes called Site Leader or Project
Leader) position. We encourage Bonner Programs to explore
adding this formal position at any community partner site
where there are four or more student volunteers. In the community
partner component of the developmental model, this placement
is generally part of the third year.
[2] Benchmarks or Guidelines
- Have a project coordinator anytime there are four or more
students working with a partner. Work with partners to chart
a sense of how having a student take on such an enhanced
leadership role could benefit their own site and delivery
of services and programs. In particular, you may find the
following handout, which is part of the community partnerships
resource material online, to be helpful:
- Defining
the Level of Partnerships & Placements: a five-page,
more comprehensive introduction of the level of placements
(occasional, regular, project/site coordinator, and
planning team/problem-solving) for Community Partners,
along with suggested questions for developing placements
at each level and solid job descriptions.
- Provide intensive and relevant training to project coordinators,
including in skills like:
- Recruitment
- Time management
- Project management
- Facilitation
- Meeting planning
- Peer management
- Utilize the training modules that are part of the Civic
Engagement Curriculum or campus examples (such as the Guilford
College model found here) to support your training component.
Because these skills are already part of the developmental
model, and are generally addressed by or before the third
year in the program (for BSPs), there is strong foundation
for this position. The following trainings are particularly
suited for training students for this position:
- Click on this printable handout for a summary of which
trainings may be particularly helpful: Trainings
for Project Coordinators
[3] Examples of Excellence & Innovation
Guilford College has an excellent structure for project
coordinators that may be helpful. They have identified eleven
agencies as committed sites, partners with whom they will
work and have a group of student volunteers (Bonner and others)
each year. Each of the committed site has at least one Project
Coordinator. Guilford organizes an intensive training for
these Project Coordinators called Leadership Pre-mester. Training
addresses skills and broader issues such as anti-racism training.
The attached power-point (see resources below) has a full
description. They also have excellent materials including
a job description and evaluations. In recruiting Project Coordinators,
the program looks for the following:
Specific Skills and Qualifications:
- Commitment to volunteer service as an important component
of a liberal arts education.
- Experience as a committed volunteer in the wider community.
- Willingness to consider charity and justice issues related
to community service; learn about issues of race and power
and to encourage volunteers’ engagement in understanding
how these issues impact our community;
- Engage in a planning process to set personal development
goals and develop a portfolio.
- Individual must be responsible and willing to make a one-year
commitment.
[4] Campus Examples and Resources
[5] Action Steps to Get This Started
- Identify at least a few partners with whom you are ready
to engage in this way.
- Review the samples materials and modify to create your
own.
- Formally provide materials and information in writing
(e.g., you may choose to share this packet of information)
and in person (such as reviewing this material with them).
- Make sure you are implementing your developmental model
in a way that prepares at least a cohort of students to
be Project Coordinators.
- Begin to identify some students who may want to take
on this role and chart out a strategy.
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