Teamwork for Change
Site-Based Teams | Issues-Based Teams | Key Campus and Community Contacts
Refine your passions, organize with Bonners and other students, and maximize your community impact!
Site- or Issue-Based Teams
One of the concerns that community partners often have is consistency. They can do a lot more when they can count on having student volunteers for more than a few weeks, more than a semester, and even across multiple years. It takes time for volunteers to build real relationships with people and success in the work they're doing, develop needed knowledge and skills, and know how to help manage things. In the Bonner Program, students can do this. By having a site- or issue-based team, students and the organization staff can work together to engage in higher levels of capacity building and service. A site-based team happens wherever there are three or more volunteers at the site. An issue-based team can also be organized, where students who work on a similar issue (e.g., environment, homelessness) come together to strategize about ways to do more.
You can help the organization think about its volunteer needs and how they correspond to the levels in the Community Partnership Model.
Occasional Volunteer (first year, exploration)
- volunteers at site for one-time events (like You Can Make a Difference Day, Global Service Day, Bonner Service Days, and so on)
- short-term projects (like shadowing and 2-3 week projects, are also examples)
Regular Volunteer (first/second year, experience)
- volunteers work at the organization every week, for several hours (2-8)
- volunteers often attend weekly site/project team meetings with other volunteers and staff, where important work gets done
Project Coordinator (second/third year, example)
- helps to recruit, manage and coordinate the work of other volunteers or staff at the organization (even those outside Bonner and from the community)
- generally develops and manages some project or initiative (or a series of them)
- often meets regularly with organization staff or a site coordinator
Site Coordinator/Specialist (third/fourth year, expertise)
- volunteer often moves into a special, higher level role
- a site coordinator may be working across organizations, supporting all of the project coordinators in their work and team management
- may be involved in resource development, planning, research, and other management roles
- often meets regularly with site supervisor and lead staff
Then, get together and create an action plan. Here's an example:
1. Meet outside of your service site once a week (dinner at the dining hall, coffee break in between class)
2. Set individual and group goals and include them in your CLAs (community learning agreement)
3. If you're a Bonner Scholar, apply for the community fund to help meet your team's goals. If you're a Bonner Leader, talk to staff about other funds you may be able to apply for or access.
4. Join up with other site-based student teams and plan collaborative events (like the partner fair or service days) with your service sites
5. Research other community organizations that may be addressing the same need as your site and collaborate with their volunteers
Check out the attached worksheet for students who want to help plan site-based teams. This was developed by The College of New Jersey. Document: SiteTeamWorksheet.doc
Issues-Based Teams
Do you feel passionate about an issue facing your community? Join up with other people on campus and in your community who feel the same way! First, identify other Bonners who may be working at service sites that either address or encounter the problem and ask them to join an issues-based team. Here's how to go from there:
- Identify the challenge, problem, or issue that needs to be addressed.
- Determine the cause(s) of the challenge, problem, or issue from the general to local level.
- Identify the offices, groups, and campus departments that may have information and/or experience in addressing the problem.
- Find out what has been done in the past and what is being done currently to address the problem.
- Brainstorm ways to more effectively address the challenge, problem, or issue.
- Determine which campus groups and community partners can help address the challenge, problem, or issue.
- Create a short introductory email that introduces your team, the problem or issue, your team's proposed solutions, and the idea of joining a coalition with other organizations to address the problem.
- Call the first meeting (in a neutral location, acting as facilitator, have groups introduce themselves and their purpose, elect a facilitator, and develop an action plan).
- Build the coalition (encourage members to invite other key individuals and groups).
- Introduce a plan of action to all the departments, offices, and groups that are responsible for addressing the problem.
For more, check out our training guide on Action Planning and Building Coalitions, with expanded details on this 10-step process!
Key Campus and Community Contacts
After you team up with other students and develop a group focus, it's time to share your ideas and get input from the campus and community to maximize your group's impact. If you want any site- or issues- based group to make progress, read these three lists and make sure you're using all of your resources!
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