Community Impact @ Columbia University

Coordinator Guide 2010-2011

Note to Coordinators... Welcome to Community Impact Mission Statement A History of Service CI Structure

3 4 4 4 4 5 7 12 13 14 23 23 26 29 29 30 30 33 35 35 36 39 40 44 44

Introduction to Coordinating Designing a Training Module. Program Development: Youth Tutoring, Mentoring, & Cultural Programs. Mentoring Programs Classroom-Based Programs

Program Development: Emergency Services Programs Elements of Successful Programming Elements of Successful Event Planning Program Development: Adult Education Programs

Elements of Successful Programming

Program Evaluation.. Elements of Successful Evaluating

General Coordinator Tips Logistics.. Room Reservations Computing Hints Printing Services Treasury Procedures Public & Emergency Benefits in NYC Safety & Emergency Procedures for Youth Programs

Community Impact Family..

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Dear Student Coordinators, Thank you for your continued commitment to Community Impact and its various volunteer organizations! As the issues that surround us grow, we must continue to perfect the formula for successful volunteering in order to optimally serve the Morningside Heights and greater New York communities. To be less than our best, is to fail the communities we are here to serve. A famous Japanese proverb states: Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. With this sentiment in mind, we are urging program coordinators to begin thinking of ways in which they can improve their programming, without abandoning key elements that have been successful in the past. To that end, we have created a new and improved Coordinator Guide that is filled with many exciting new tools that will allow you to maximize the quality of your programming. The new Coordinator Guide includes three new sections: Designing a Training Module, Program Development, and Program Evaluations. Some features include, Checklists, Elements of Successful Programming, and Approaches, all geared towards providing you with ideas and templates to use during program planning. We encourage you to collaborate with fellow coordinators; you will be surprised by what you can gain from a quick brainstorming session! I hope you find lots of fruitful information and tidbits that will enhance the way you currently design your programs and interact with participants and volunteers. This guide was created based on coordinator feedback, research, and my experience as a Community Impact Student Coordinator. Special thank you to the Community Impact staff, notably Katy Saintil, Emily Ford, and Dasha Wise, for helping me turn my ideas into a reality. Let the coordinating begin!

Alani Gregory 2009 Community Impact Van Amson Fellow

Community Impacts mission is to advance the public good by engaging Columbia University students in high quality service in partnership with community organizations, meeting critical community needs, developing student leadership, connecting service and learning, and fostering an environment of mutual respect in the neighborhoods surrounding the university. Community Impact (CI) is a nonprofit organization at Columbia University dedicated to serving low- income individuals and families living in the Harlem, Washington Heights, and Morningside Heights communities. CI was founded in 1981 by Columbia University student volunteers and was incorporated in 1987 to provide food, clothing, shelter, education, job training, and companionship for residents in its surrounding communities. Today, over 900 students provide social services to more than 8,000 people through 25 Community Impact programs. Each year CI provides meals and groceries to 4,000 homeless and low-income people, helps 265 elementary school children learn to read at grade level, enables 600 adults to work towards their High School equivalency diploma, helps 900 university student volunteers deepen their commitment to community service, and much more. Provost Steele Chaplain Davis Coordinators Volunteers 4 CI Board of Directors
Program Committee Academic Committee

University

Non-for-profit

Student Body

Student Councils
F@CU

CI Staff

CI Student Executives

Responsibilities and Required Events

1. Retreat: At least one coordinator from each program must attend Community Impacts Annual Retreat. If absent, the coordinator must attend the Make-Up Retreat (held on campus during September). Purpose: To provide training for coordinators or the academic year and to facilitate strategic planning for Community Impact. Time: The Thursday/Friday (including overnight) before school begins. 2. Open House: At least two representatives from each group (at least one of whom must be a coordinator) must be present at each semesters Open House. Purpose: To recruit volunteers for the academic year and grow awareness of your program. Time: Within 2 weeks of classes starting (September & January). 3. Orientation/Training: Provide written and/or verbal orientations and training sessions for all new volunteers. Purpose: To prepare your group for the responsibilities they will take on as volunteers in your Community Impact program and introduce them to participant demographics. Time: Within 2 weeks of starting your program. 4. Volunteer Registration: Coordinators and volunteers alike should fill out the Volunteer Registration form on the Community Impact website as soon as they are certain of what program(s) they will volunteer with. Purpose: To obtain accurate statistical and demographic data on Community Impacts volunteerswhich is vital to reports and fundraising. Time: As soon as possible!!! **Register online at: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ci/volunteers/registration.html 5. Budget: Prepare a budget and learn Community Impacts fiscal system to access program funds. Purpose: To learn fiscal responsibility and procedures for funding your program will receive and spend throughout the year. Time: Procedures will be reviewed at the Community Impact Retreat and throughout the year. Detailed instructions will be available online as well. **(See Logistics) 6. Evaluations: Set program goals to be measured by a year-end written evaluation and administer youth program participant surveys. Purpose: To provide information on our successes, challenges, and outcomes for program participants, coordinators, volunteers, staff, and Community Impacts donors and to guide ongoing program development and continuous improvement. Time: Administer pre-program youth participant surveys within 2 weeks of starting your program and post-program surveys within 2 weeks of ending. Submit a program reapplication mid spring semester.

7. Town Halls: Coordinators must attend all six Town Hall meetings each year (volunteers are also welcome). Coordinator attendance will be taken at each Town Hall. Purpose: To provide information, resources, and training for all Community Impact groups, and to create a forum for discussion of key concerns. Time: 8:00-9:00 pm on Wednesdays to be announced. 8. Coordinator Guide: Read this Coordinator Guide thoroughly!! Provide copies to your fellow coordinators who do not attend the retreat. Purpose: To give you an overview of Community Impact and to help answer any questions you may have as a coordinator. Time: Read prior to beginning programming. **This can also be found on the Community Impact website. 9. Binders: Every group has a binder in 105 Earl Hall. Read and update your groups program binder at least two times per year. Purpose: To hold general info about the group and Community Impact (partner, program, training orientation, evaluation, samples of group work, etc) and is a resource for future coordinators and volunteers. Time: All coordinators should familiarize themselves with the binder and read within one month of the start of the semester. 10. Volunteer Appreciation Dinner (VAD): A year-end party for you and all of your volunteers and coordinators. Purpose: To honor and celebrate our volunteers and show our appreciation for their work. Time: End of April. 11. Succession: Help select and pass on all of the above information to next years coordinators in waiting. Purpose: To select and prepare the coordinators who will succeed you. Time: Begin looking a full semester before you move on. **Introduce your successor to everyone at Community Impact, show them binders, forms, etc. before you leave the group 12. Annual Benefit Auction and Special Events: We need your help for these events. For additional Community Impact events throughout the year, especially the Community Impact Auction (held in the Spring), please see our student calendar, contact your student executive, or any staff member with any questions or comments.

 Training sessions are essential for new and returning volunteers. Training ensures quality programming and exposes volunteers to the issues and communities in which they will be working. Below is an outline that will help you develop a successful training module. You can mold the training to reflect the specifics of your own program. This training module is designed to last for 2 hours, but it may be condensed or expanded based on your particular program needs. (The maximum time for training should generally be about 2.5 hours to prevent participants from losing interest.)

Icebreaker

General Planning Tips

Below are some tips for putting the training together. Checklist: Set a date and time for your training session that works for all coordinators AND the agency representative. If necessary schedule multiple trainings to accommodate most people. Be sure to reserve a room (See Logistics)!

 Contact your partner agency or advisor several weeks in advance to discuss the presentation & discussion; additionally, contact the staff advisor or partner agency for any advice on executing the training. Create a timeline detailing the tasks that need to be completed each week leading up to the training and distribute it to all coordinators and training facilitators. Gather all materials that you need for training (i.e. printed materials, food, beverages, and writing utensils). Use your next regular meeting, preferably the one before your first program, to discuss anything that you may have left out of training or to clarify any confusing topics.

Icebreaker:
Purpose: To allow volunteers to interact with each other and to gain a sense of the group dynamic. It sets a relaxed atmosphere for training. Approx. Time: 15 minutes Checklist: Choose an Icebreaker appropriate to the volunteers and the size of group Gather necessary materials. Have Fun!!

Icebreaker Bank:
The following list is not exhaustive, feel free to discover your own icebreakers. These and other icebreakers can be found at: www.residentassistant.com/games/icebreakers.htm. M&Ms Pass a bag of M&Ms around, and tell the group to take as many as they want. For each M&M they take, they have to tell a fact about themselves (or what they did this summer etc.). You may also designate a particular question to a particular M &M color. There are many variations, such as ripping off sheets of toilet paper. Commonalities Split members into pairs. Each pair will have 30 seconds to find 5 things they have in common. At the end of the 30 seconds, put two pairs together and give the foursome a minute to find something all 4 students have in common. Finally, each group can present the list of things they have in common. (You can use this activity to form groups.) 8

Two Truths and a Lie Participants must write down (or store in their heads) 3 things about themselves: 2 truths and 1 lie. Each participant shares these three things and the rest of the group must figure out which fact is really a lie. Human Taco Note cards with taco ingredients are placed on the backs of participants (e.g. a note card that says salsa). Participants do not know what ingredient they are so they must ask yes/no questions to figure out what ingredient they are. First, explain the correct order of a human taco (shell, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and salsa). Give the start command: Im hungry lets eat! Participants must figure out what ingredient they are and line up in the correct order. Memory Circle Participants must form a circle. The first person says their name, hometown, and favorite color (or any other fact). Continue going around the circle with each person repeating the facts (name, hometown, favorite color) of all the persons preceding them and their own facts. The last person has a really difficult task! To make the game more difficult you can add more facts that the group must remember. Human Scavenger Hunt Create a game sheet (in a BINGO format) with questions within squares. The center square is the freebie. Participants must find other people who can answer yes to their questions. Have the person sign their name in that square. Meet as many people as you can and fill a BINGO! (a complete horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line). You can only use each participant once.

Introduction:
Purpose: To re-focus after the icebreaker and outline the events of the day. Welcome new and returning volunteers. Approx. Time: 10 min Checklist: Introduce program coordinators & training facilitators. Outline the agenda. Prepare a brief blurb about the goal and purpose of your volunteer program. Explain the programs relationship to Community Impact and its Governing Board. *Optional: State pertinent statistics that relate to the issue your organization is working on. (CIs Evaluation Officer has lots of great resources!)

Program Overview
Purpose: To explain program objectives, goals, program elements, site information, and participant demographic. Approx. Time: 20 min Why is this important? This allows volunteers to become familiar with the events of the program day prior to the first day of interaction with participants. It also allows the program coordinators to introduce new program elements and discuss changes. Checklist: Prepare a summary of the overall structure of the program. Discuss safety & emergency protocols. Create and print materials that will help volunteers understand a regular program day (e.g. handouts indicating the important program elements etc.).

*Optional: Give a brief tour of facility (if training session held in the same place as the regular programs); highlight important places and emergency procedures, including when to notify CI staff.

Partner Agency Presentation & Discussion

Purpose: To introduce volunteers to the partner agency or advisor and to ensure that volunteers understand the issues they are working on (e.g. tutoring, mentoring, diabetes, AIDS, health insurance availability, nutrition, etc.) by engaging in a discussion with the partner agency representative. Approx. Time: 30 min Why is this important? Many volunteers may lack previous experience with specific subject areas, thus a presentation & discussion will allow volunteers to become comfortable presenting information. This is also an excellent time to describe how the partner agency and/or advisor assist the program. Checklist: Ask the advisor or choose a speaker from the partner agency to present at the training several weeks in advance. Advise the speaker of what s/he will be expected to discuss. Gather necessary materials (projector, handouts, pens). Briefly introduce the Advisor/Speaker. Provide guest with water. Allot time for a Q & A. 10

Program Simulation
Purpose: To discuss in detail the typical events of a program day. Approx. Time: 35 min Why is this important? It is important for volunteers to get an understanding of the typical program day prior to the first program. It also allows them to see how program plans translate to action. This is the perfect time to introduce new program elements. Program simulation is beneficial for both new and returning volunteers because it establishes the high expectations for designing quality programs and events. Checklist: Simulate and discuss the important elements of your program. Use your discretion to determine how thoroughly each program element will be demonstrated. Contact returning volunteers to see if they would be interested in assisting with the program simulation. Include a snack here if it is an element of your program. This may be the perfect way for you to tie food into your training! This section must be designed specifically for the type of work. Here are a couple of examples: Classroom-Based Programs: Choose a program lesson plan than can be used in the simulation. Ideally, this would be a successful lesson plan that was used in the past. Adopt the Program Agenda template (See Program Development: Samples) to your own program if you do not have adequate lesson plans to choose from. *Do not use the template if you do not intend to use it for the majority of your program lesson plans. Discuss tips for Conflict Resolution based on past or hypothetical situations. Emergency Programs: Describe the types of events, activities, & specific areas of service addressed by your program. Outline the agencies that you collaborate with and the resources they provide. Discuss parameters & protocols for your program (See Program Development: Samples). 11

Closing Remarks
Purpose: To thank the volunteers and partner agency/advisor for participating in the training and reiterate any important information. Approx. Time: 10 min Why is this important? Making connections between all the program training elements ensures that volunteers understand the importance of attending training. Checklist: Reiterate the purpose and expectations of the program. Thank volunteers, advisors, and training facilitators for participating. Provide a volunteer feedback survey. This can be used to improve future trainings. Topics volunteers dont understand can be addressed in the regular meeting.

Program coordinators and volunteers can maximize the effectiveness of their programs by focusing on the elements outlined below that provide participants with a productive and engaging learning environment. This section is divided into guidelines for Mentoring Programs and Classroom-Based Programs; however, coordinators may find useful information in both sections.

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A. MENTORING PROGRAMS

Volunteer Commitment:
Never promise more than you can perform (P. Syrus): To ensure that volunteers are an active part of their mentees life. Approaches: Ensure that volunteers commit to at least one year of service. Match mentors and mentees with similar interests, not necessarily based on gender and race. Be sure that volunteers are scheduling regular meetings with their mentees; stress the importance of punctuality. Schedule organizational meetings to discuss the progress mentors are making with their mentees; supervision keeps volunteers on course! Create a list of free & inexpensive places where volunteers can take their mentees. 13

Relationship-Building:
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own. (B. Disraeli): To ensure that volunteers are fostering healthy and lasting relationships with their mentees. Ensure that volunteers do the following: Praise their mentees whenever possible. Take time to understand their mentees cultural background and living situation. Encourage him/her to maintain a positive outlook and lead by example. Be patient, some children take longer to come out of their shell. Remain honest with their mentee. Attend recitals and school programs (if appropriate) to show their mentees that they care. Allow mentees to direct conversations and have a choice in the days activities. Refrain from using obscene or negative language around your mentee.

Diffusing Sticky Situations

We are in the stickiest situation since Sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun (R. Atkinson): To

ensure that volunteers know how to proceed when faced with difficult situations. Approaches: Train volunteers to deal with difficult situations (pregnancy, drug abuse, violence, truancy etc.) by engaging in role playing discussions during training and organizational meetings. Inform volunteers that they should only give modest gifts; a mentee should never be given something their family cannot afford. Remind volunteers that they are not psychologists or law enforcers, if a mentee is being harmed they must contact the parent agency or your Community Impact advisor as soon as possible. Ensure that volunteers do not share their mentees confidential information. Obtain a copy of the Safety and Emergency Procedures manual from Community Impact advisor and/or your partner agency.

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B. CLASSROOM-BASED PROGRAMS

Repetition:
Practice Makes Perfect: To ensure that students are retaining the information that you present to them, it is critical that the information is presented several times and in different formats. Approaches: Introduce, Do, Review! o Introduce participants to what you will be discussing; Do it; then Review it! Review the previous lessons material; this can be done as an opening activity/game; a fun quiz; a word scramble, a brief discussion, etc. Center several activities on one particular topic and drive it home. Do Not pack too much information into one session. Remember: It is better for participants to clearly understand one topic, than to somewhat understand bits of many topics.

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Using Factual Information

Honesty is the Best Policy: To ensure that the information transmitted to participants is truthful and backed by evidence. For Health & Environment Programs the information you transmit to participants can impact their health, so always fact-check your information before you present it. Approaches: Use more than one source when gathering information. Double-check with partner agency or a physician advisor regarding medically related information. Obtain facts, figures, & sample lesson plans from credible websites (.edu, .gov, .org).

Asking Questions
To Be or Not to Be, That is the Question: To ensure that participants are grasping the information and to facilitate interaction between student and volunteers. Approaches:
*Some information in this section obtained from: The Madeline Hunter Model: Elements of Effective Instruction http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/hunter-eei.html

Encourage participants to ask questions and actively engage in the learning process. Ask questions clearly before designating which student will answer. Do not ask a student a question, if you know s/he cannot answer. Calmly repeat the question and/or give a hint if the student is having trouble with a question. Pull the student aside for some one-on-one time if s/he continues to have difficulty with the concepts. Do Not Give Up! Use different ways of obtaining responses: o Individual Responses o Group Responses o Visual Responses (i.e. thumbs up, heads up, get creative!) o Writing (on the board, Jeopardy style, etc.) o Task performance

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Creativity
A Picture of Many Colors Proclaims Images of Many Thoughts (D. Favors): To ensure that the participants are engaged and excited to return to program each week. Approaches: Center lesson objectives around hands-on games and experiments, but be sure that the lesson objectives are being taught simultaneously! Use credible online video clips to explain difficult topics (i.e. Youtube.com; Mayoclinic.com). Take time out to go over nutritional values in the days snack! Use music when possible! Dig up your old Halloween costumes when doing skits or role playing. Create awards and certificates to give out at the end of the semester or after the completion of activities/experiments. Develop a detailed list of new and old successful activities so they can be used in future lessons. The following games can be used as templates to design educational activities suitable for your program: Giant Matching Game: Place word and definition on separate index cards (or big star cutouts!) and have them match the appropriate cards (works great with teaching factual information, vocabulary, etc.). Jeopardy: Test students knowledge; can be done as individual or groups Relay Races/Obstacle Courses: Teach your students important info along the way! Twister: Place info on the color spots. Grocery Shopping: Create a mini store and have kids shop based on nutritional information you need them to learn; (Monopoly money adds a special touch!). Duck, Duck, Goose: Whoever is IT must share the necessary info with the group. Experiments: Find cool and fun science experiments can be found on the web and in books.

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Organization
Building a Well-Oiled Machine: To ensure that time is used efficiently and ensure that each activity is completed. Approaches: Discuss and review program activities and critical information during weekly meetings. Make a list of who will be responsible for materials and snack. Have a visible agenda for volunteers and participants. Develop a format to get participants accustomed to a routine (See Program Development: Samples) o Ex: Opening ActivitySnack Activity 1 Experiments Activity 2 Cleanup Run the activities in Stations where 2 or more activities are running simultaneously when dealing with a large group of kids. Assign particular activities or program elements to specific volunteers. o Place someone in charge of: Taking Attendance Maintaining the Art Supplies and Posters Snack Running a Particular Activity/Experiment Distributing and Collecting Student Work Keeping Track of Time

Conflict Prevention
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: To ensure an environment of mutual respect amongst the volunteers and participants that is conducive to learning. Approaches: Develop as a group (volunteers AND participants) a set of Community Guidelines on the first day of program and write them on a poster. Have everyone sign it and bring it to each program session! Make clear the consequences of undesirable behavior. Inform parents of these rules and consequences. ENFORCE THE RULES! Avoid public confrontations with students. One volunteer (preferably) should take the student aside to talk. Designate a safe area in the room for students to place all electronics, cell phones, bags, and outside materials so that they are not distracted during program.

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 Make a Rewards Poster: All the participants names will be on the poster and during every session they will have the opportunity to gain stickers to place next to their name. At the end of the semester, participants will receive an award as a group or as individuals for obtaining a certain amount of stars. You can get creative with this! Create a bank of simple filler activities that volunteers can use when there is gap time between activities or when students arrive early; this lowers the chance of disruptive behavior breaking out (Ex. Hangman, Word Scramble sheets etc.). Train Volunteers in conflict resolution by examining past and/or hypothetical situations during training. Dont try to handle difficult situations on your own. Communicate concerns to either your Staff or Student Advisor.

Parental Involvement
It Takes a Village: To ensure continued communication between parents, volunteers, and participants and increase retention rate by keeping parents involved. Approaches: Hold a Parent Orientation Meeting at the beginning of the semester; this could be a brief meeting during the first day/week of program. Handout participation forms at the beginning of the semester, this may include General Consent Forms, Health Information Forms, Photo Release Forms, etc. (discuss with advisor). Inform parents of the rules and consequences of undesirable behavior. Update parents on the progress of their kids by calling and/or sending home a note or newsletter. Talk to parents when they come to pick up their kids.

Volunteer-Participant Bonding
He Who Dares to Teach, Must Never Cease to Learn: To ensure that both volunteers and participants grow from the mutual educational experience that they share. It is important that volunteers are willing to listen to the concerns of the participants and when necessary direct them to adequate resources. Approaches: Take time to understand the cultural background and living situation of the students you work with. Inquire about the participants life outside of program. 19

 Speak to the participant briefly (if child has permission) when calling home to parents. Share stories about your personal life, college experiences, and goals with the students. Direct participant and parents to helpful resources if problems beyond the scope of your program arise (See Logistics). FOLLOW-UP with your kids, it shows that you care!!!!

What is a curriculum?
The curriculum outlines the content that will be taught throughout the semester/program. It encompasses the topics that students will be familiar with at the end of the program. It is a broad overview and does not usually contain detailed action steps. A well planned curriculum maximizes learning and directs programming.

Why is it important to develop a curriculum with learning objectives?

Learning objectives provide criteria upon which volunteers and coordinators can build lesson plans. They ensure that the curriculum is cohesive and organized, allowing the logical progression of material. Learning objectives provide clear and exact behaviors that can be evaluated. The lesson objectives ensure that both volunteers and coordinators have a clear understanding of what each lesson is supposed to accomplish.

Creating Learning Objectives

1. Discuss with volunteers and program coordinators the topic(s) to be covered during the semester. 2. Decide how many programs will be held during the semester. 3. Outline the topics and the relevant learning objectives within these topics that will be covered. You do not have to create lots of objectives, especially if your program is just starting to develop more structure, you can stick to just a few. (See Program Development: Samples) 4. Organize the topics into a natural flow and decide what dates they will be presented. Be sure that the topics naturally progress and are arranged cumulatively. 5. Design weekly programs and activities based on the objectives that you have created.

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Writing Learning Objectives

Information in this section was gathered from: Education Oasis 2004 http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/LP/LP_resources/lesson_objectives.htm

Learning objectives are formulated in terms of outcomes. Think about what you want your students to learn from the particular lesson. 1. Create a stem. By the end of the activity, students will By the end of the lesson, students will be able to At the conclusion of the semester/presentation participants will. 2. Add a verb to the stem: By the end of the activity students will be able to define

Examples of Verbs:
Analyze, Apply, Assemble Become Familiar, Build Classify, Complete, Compose Define, Describe, Differentiate, Dramatize Explain, Expose Illustrate, Improve, Increase, Interpret Locate Rank, Read, Recall, Recite, Recognize, Review Solve, Spell, Summarize Tell Understand Write 3. Determine the actual process, product, or outcome and add it to the stem and verb. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to differentiate between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. By the end of the activity, students will be able to recite the complications associated with sickle cell disease.

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Assessing the Curriculum

Why is it important to assess the curriculum? This can be done before and/or after you have created your curriculum and learning objectives. It is important to assess the curriculum to ensure that you are designing the best program for the participants. Questions to Ask: Does the curriculum address the problems that affect the participants and the community? How much space in the curriculum should be devoted to each subject matter? Are there any topics you can do without? Have these students been exposed to these topics previously? Are the objectives effectively organized, so that you can maximize learning? Is the curriculum appropriate and relevant to the developmental level of the participant? Can we evaluate whether these objectives are being met? Can these objectives be translated into effective program activities?

Implementing the Curriculum

Approaches: Delegate or let volunteers choose days/lessons/presentation topics at the beginning of the semester. This gives volunteers ample time to design quality programs. Communicate to volunteers high expectations for program planning. Ensure that the volunteers are aware of the key elements that must be contained in every program (Ex. 3 activities, snack, and closing discussion). Set a deadline for plans to be turned into program coordinators for review. Review the lesson plans/presentations with fellow program coordinators and give suggestions to volunteers to enhance their program. Discuss or demonstrate activities during weekly meetings so that volunteers understand the activities before program day. Ensure that the activities being used to cover the various topics are both fun and educational. Develop a pre-test, which can subsequently be used as the post-test to measure how much the kids have progressed (See Program Evaluations).
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Creating an Agenda for Program Day

Why do we need a program agenda? A program agenda allows you to organize the events of the program day. It allows for volunteers and coordinators to keep track of time and the sequence of events. Additionally, it allows for everyone to be equally capable of running the program, not just coordinators. The agenda should be discussed during the regular program meetings. Below is a table of suggested agenda components. (See Program Development: Samples)

Component
Learning Objectives Activity Descriptions Time Allotments Materials & Snack List Space Requirement

Reason for Component

Gives the program direction, focus, and a purpose; Provides measurable outcomes Ensures that volunteers understand and can execute the program activities Ensures that the program runs in a organized manner Ensures that all materials are present on program day Ensures that the activities can be done in the available space before program day

Program Coordinators and volunteers working in Emergency Service programs can maximize impact and enhance programming by considering a few suggestions outlined below.

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Establish Purpose and Goals

Know WHAT you want to do Brainstorm with staff advisor and volunteers and come up with the goals for the semester. Know and list areas of service. Be specific! List what types of events/program sessions you will have and your expectations for the events/program sessions. Know WHY you want to do it Re-establish each year with volunteers and fellow coordinators why you are doing the work you are doing. Have the issues changed within the community? Do you need to focus on new issues? Think about the purpose of your regular programming and events. Do you want to inform, educate, or advocate? Know HOW you will do it Create a program roadmap at the beginning of the semester that sets volunteer expectations. Things can be amended, but having a roadmap is important for accomplishing your goals. Do you involve your partner agency/participants in program planning? Develop an action plan for all of the sessions that you will be having. It should include the purpose of the session and your expectations for the session.

Set Parameters and Protocols

Parameters and protocols ensure that volunteers are fully aware of the services and the limitations of the program, so that they can optimally serve clients. 1. Develop a user-friendly document that states the parameters and protocols of your organization (See Program Development: Samples) Ensure that every volunteer has access to this document Address the protocols and parameters during training (See Designing a Training Module) 2. Address the following questions: What services do we (NOT) offer? 24

What type of cases do we (NOT) handle? What are our emergency procedures? What resources can we refer clients to? What are the protocols for frequently encountered situations? o Client needs to apply for health insurance o Client needs temporary housing o Client needs information on recycling centers o Client needs to apply for food stamps or the WIC program

Update Materials
Updating materials is crucial to providing clients with accurate and up-to-date information. Ensure that contact information, training manuals, pamphlets, surveys, parameters/protocols and any distributed materials are updated at the beginning of the semester. Save an editable copy (CI binders, CD, jump drive, etc) of materials that future coordinators will have access to. Write changes directly onto the document if information in documents change after printing. Factor into your budget the cost of printing.

Create Pamphlets
Pamphlets are great for tabling events and great tools for sharing information about your program. What to include? Mission Statement Groups and Partner Agencys Contact Information Services you or your partner agency offers Programming days and times

How to create it? Programs such as Microsoft Publisher or MS Word have user-friendly templates. Design one or more pamphlets depending on the need. For example, you may create a pamphlet that describes your services and also have other pamphlets that highlight specific topics. Do not fill the pamphlet with too much information; people will be less likely to read it.

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Build Client-Volunteer Relations

Try to recruit volunteers that are proficient in the language of the population being served (ex. Spanish, Mandarin) Ensure that volunteers have a basic vocabulary of frequently used terms and phrases in the language of the population being served. Sample words: hello, thank you, medicine, lawyer, insurance, form, signature, etc. Be clear about your role and make the limits of your relationship clear to participants. Under no circumstances should any volunteer make plans to meet adult or youth participants outside of the context of your regular programming. Try not to get overwhelmed by issues you cannot address; focus on what you can do to help. Address these issues in regular program meetings. Let your Staff or Student Exec Advisor know immediately if you feel uncomfortable about how a participant is relating to you (or vice versa). Ensure that volunteers know the limits and are comfortable coming to you if they feel uneasy about a situation. Gain an understanding of class, race and gender issues. Be sensitive to both participant and volunteer backgrounds and experiences.

5 Keys to Successful Event Planning

Below are key components that will ensure successful event planning, whether you are planning a small or large event: 1. Planning Brainstorm with coordinators, volunteers, and advisors. Set your goals! What do you intend to accomplish (i.e. raise awareness, affect campus policy, raise funds, engage community members)? How many people do you want to attend? Will there be a table for literature? Do you want a speaker/performer? Make contact early! Think about other student groups that can co-sponsor the event. Reserve a room. (See Logistics) 26

2. Making a Timeline Create a timeline outlining the tasks that need to be completed each week leading up to the event. Decide which volunteers will be responsible for completing each task. Choose (or let them volunteer) wisely! Set deadlines and ENFORCE them. This reduces stress and ensures that chaos does not ensue. Type up the timeline and distribute it to all involved persons. This ensures that everyone is on the same page. Depending on the amount of planning needed a timeline could have the following format:

3. Delegating Involve all volunteers in planning and execution. Coordinators must not do ALL of the work.

Set up committees for large volunteer groups. For a small group, make individuals responsible for different areas of the event (Ex. publicity, finding the event space, finance, food & beverage, technical materials etc.). Communicate your expectations to the volunteers. Give accurate, honest, and timely feedback. 4. Advertising Determine your target audience. Are you focusing on a specific group of people or the general public? Advertise to partner agency/participants when appropriate. Go to CU/BC classes whose topic is related to the event you are planning. Ask the professor if you can make a brief announcement before or after class. Use the CU or BC Directory of Classes website to find out days and times. Create an email-list of people who may be interested in your events. This list will grow if you ask event participants to sign in and provide an email address at the events. Send out emails more than once! Third times the charm. 27

 Hand out flyers on College Walk a few days before your event or in other areas around campus or Morningside. Contact Zila, the CI Student Exec ([email protected]) regarding placing a blurb in the weekly Coordinator and Volunteer e-mails. 5. Create an IT Factor Make your event worthwhile and interesting by including things that would draw people to your event. This does not necessarily mean having a high-profile speaker. Be practical: Think of things that the general public would be interested in that relates to the topic. This may not be the focus of your event, but it can draw in people who may have otherwise not attended. Be creative in finding a topic/name of the event. One is more likely to come to an event called Trash in NYC.Where Does It Go? than one named A Discussion on Recycling. Have food! Sometimes all it takes is the prospect of a meal and people will come in droves, learning a thing or two along the way. Have fun! Depending on the type of event, tasteful and interactive games equal fun. Get a speaker who is not only knowledgeable, but also entertaining. Remember: you want people to come to your next event. Try not to leave a bitter taste in their mouth.

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Program Coordinators and volunteers working in adult education programs can maximize impact and enhance programming by considering a few suggestions outlined below.

Participant Advancement
Approaches: Ensure that volunteers are aware of the characteristics of adult learners. Ensure that the classrooms are reserved. Continue to reassess the curriculum. Consult with the Student Advisory Committee to obtain program feedback. Keep track of job fairs and other related events in the city that can benefit participants. Be aware of the latest examination requirements, software, Microsoft suites etc. Collaborate with other JEEP programs; participants within your program may benefit from the services they provide. Contact Columbia Center for Career Education for useful literature.

Communication
Approaches: Ensure that tutors are aware of what is being taught in the classroom. Consult JEEP staff coordinators whenever important decisions must be made. Organize for teachers to be observed in their teaching environment; provide them with timely feedback. 29

Ensure you have the necessary materials, books, and technologies to serve the participants. Maintain continued contact with the JEEP staff coordinators, teachers, specialists, and tutors. Provide volunteer teachers and student staff with training. Allow students to provide confidential feedback about their teachers or tutors performance; share this information with teachers. Actively recruit potential clients.

Why is program evaluation important? Program evaluation allows coordinators and the CI staff to assess the effectiveness of programming strategies and the overall benefits of the programs for participants and volunteers. Evaluations provide information on the successes, challenges, and outcomes of the programs that can be used to improve programming each year and secure the funding necessary to maintain CIs programs and services. Outcome vs. Process Evaluation: Outcome Evaluation: measures the overall benefits, impacts, and changes to participants and volunteers as a result of participating in the programs. Community Impact will be primarily responsible for outcome evaluations. Process Evaluation: measures the effectiveness of program structure, activities, events and/or the extent to which participants have learned material in curriculum-based programs. Individual groups will be primarily responsible for process evaluations.

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Recording Attendance
Attendance is essential for measuring program outcomes; without consistent attendance recording, accurate evaluations are almost impossible. Without consistent participant attendance, it is also impossible to make an impact. Create a sign in sheet that has the list of participant names and program dates. Create a log of volunteer attendance. Turn in the attendance sheets to the Evaluation Officer monthly (at minimum). Turn in a complete attendance roster to the Evaluation Officer at the beginning of programming and at the end of programming, at the time of administering the surveys.

Participant Assessment (Curriculum-Based Programs)

Establishing goals in the beginning of the semester will be essential to assessing participants progress! (See Program Development: Developing a Solid Curriculum) Develop a pre-test that can be subsequently used as a post-test at the end of the semester to measure participants progress with regards to the learning objectives. Create pre- and post-tests once you have developed semester objectives. Focus on including the basic, testable information if your program is new to pre-and post testing. Make pre- and post-testing as fun as possible, dont present it as something participants will be graded on. Make note of the behavior of participants on a weekly basis; this can be noted on the attendance sheet: o Is the student volunteering answers? o Is the student helping to clean up? o Is the student particularly uncooperative?

Recording Client/Event Information (Advocacy-Based Programs)

Maintain a database of clients and the services they request so that it may be available for
future reference. Follow-up with clients and record the percentage of clients that were able to be assisted. Record any information that is significant to assessing your program (Ex. Number of meals served, number of clients serviced, number of attendees at your events, etc.).

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Community Impact Surveys and Site Visits

Surveys, forms, and frameworks can be annoying to fill out but Community Impact must continue to ensure quality programming in order to maintain volunteer, community, and financial support. Youth participant surveys are distributed in hard copy by the Evaluation Officer to the student evaluation coordinator. Sufficient hard copies are provided by CI; however, the file is also available online on the Community Impact website. o Surveys are administered within the first and last 2 weeks of programming. (See Introduction to Coordinating.) Coordinator and volunteer surveys are available online on the Community Impact website and are additionally distributed via email at the end of the year. Teacher, partner agency, parent and/or participant surveys will be available in hard copy form; they will be administered by CIs Evaluation Officer or coordinators. Return surveys to the Evaluations Officer in 204 Earl Hall as soon as they are administered. o Each program will receive hard copies in a folder labeled according to program and site. Please return the completed surveys in the same labeled folder. Read Coordinator Emails for further information. Below is a broad timeline of expected Evaluations for ALL CI programs:

Due beginning of Spring semester Revise frameworks; groups under review submit written report

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Program Start-Up Procedures

Provide Student Executives with the phone numbers and e-mails of all Student Coordinators. Obtain the emails and phone numbers of all new and returning volunteers. Refer to your program binder (in 105 Earl Hall) compiled during the previous year for program start-up ideas. Start calendaring events, even if dates are tentative, (get rooms if you didnt reserve them in the spring). If you reserved rooms in the spring, cancel any reservations you no longer need. Set dates for 1) Organizational Meetings and 2) Training Sessions o Organizational Meeting: Program overview o Training Session: Orient returning and new volunteers to the program o Contact Student Exec and/or Staff advisor so that they can attend the training session Schedule first meeting with Staff and Student Exec Advisor. If your program works with outside agencies, contact them early to reacquaint and/or have them present at training. Contact CI staff advisors about making site visits.

Orientation/First Meeting of the Semester

Introduce volunteers and coordinators. Obtain the contact information of all volunteers. Use this meeting to cover things that you were unable to discuss during training. Describe the available jobs/responsibilities and allow volunteers to choose positions of interests. Determine the calendar for the semester; setting weekly/monthly meeting dates and times. Continue to orient new volunteers with the group and program elements. Discuss health and social issues that are relevant to your program. Bring snacks and prepare an icebreaker if possible (See Designing a Training Module for icebreaker ideas).

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Outreach and Recruitment

Posters: Include the CI logo and the following notation A Community Impact Program ( Logo is available by copying the logo at www.columbia.edu/cu/ci or on the CI shared network drive in the office at 105 Earl Hall, under the Development Office Folder {H:\commimpact\Development Officer}) Place posters by elevators and mailboxes, and in stairwells. Do not poster on city property (phone booths, bus stops etc.). It is illegal! Dont forget graduate school buildings like Teachers College, Greene Hall, Uris, SIPA, and Dodge, especially if graduate students have previously volunteered with your program. Poster more than once, but be strategic, not excessive. Listservs: Contact the program advisor for the different listservs (i.e. Pre-Med. Pre-Law etc) to place a blurb in the weekly/daily emails. Contact student Execs for help. Publications: Publicize the joys of volunteering through feature articles, advertisement space, and letters to the editor in The Columbia Spectator and The Barnard Bulletin. State your groups affiliation with Community Impact when interviewing for publications; this ensures Community Impacts presence remains prominent and attractive. **Important: When dealing with media/publicity issues, and especially when approached from an outside source, please contact Sonia Reese or your staff advisor before speaking to the media agency. CI staff must be aware of/approve your interaction with media sources. Presentations: Talk to RAs of dorms, especially those with lots of first-year students, and see if they can give you a few minutes during the floor-meeting. If you plan right you can hit many floors in one night! Team up with other groups so that RAs don get sick of giving us time. Tabling: Attract prospective volunteers at the CI Open Houses, Activities Day Fair (Columbia), and Clubs Day (Barnard). Student Exec Contact: Feel free to contact the Public Relations Officer, Chloe Oliver ([email protected]) who can help with connections and suggestions. 34

 Earl Hall: 1. To request space, Contact Sandy Helling at x49621 or [email protected] 2. Fill out an Earl Hall Space Request Form and return it to Sandy, or place it in her mailbox in 105 Earl Hall. o You can find the form online at: http://wwwb.ais.columbia.edu/lerner/EarlHallSpaceRequest.jsp 3. Response to the request will be placed in your groups mailbox in 105 Earl Hall or emailed. **Please submit room requests as early as possible; rooms fill up early in the year and you may find yourself without a meeting space. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT EARL HALL ON YOUR OWN! Lerner Hall: Online: 1. Search for available rooms by checking the reservations book online, by clicking on Event Scheduling on the homepage (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lernerhall) 2. On the homepage click on the Booking Space tab and then click on Request Space. Finally, click on Space Request Form. 3. Filling out the Form: Select Community Impact under advising office. Your account number is available on the coordinator website or you may get in touch with the Student Exec treasurers or the Departmental Administrator. 4. The completed form will be sent to the Event Management Office at Lerner. They will send a PDF copy to you and the Community Impact Executive, who must approve the request before your space request is confirmed. In Person: 1. Obtain a blank space use request form by either picking one up from the 7th Floor Lerner Hall Event Management Office (Room 701) or by downloading one from Lerner's web site, http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lernerhall/spaceuse.htm. 2. Fill out the relevant sections of the form Your Staff Advisor must approve the space request . Your Community Impact account number must be provided and approved by the Advisor in anticipation of possible costs associated with the event. Finally, as per Lerner's policy, "the event must be held primarily for the Columbia University community." 3. Upon approval by your Advisor, you may return your completed application to the Lerner Hall Event Management Office for scheduling.

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If you have additional questions about reserving space at Lerner, you should contact the following people in the Event Management Office: Barnard: 1. See Julie in the BC Office, Rm. 122 McIntosh x47005. 2. Submit Room Request Form 2-4 weeks prior to event. ***For classroom space at Barnard contact: Donald Messer, 212-854-2011, [email protected]. Residence Hall Lounges: 1. Fill out a Lerner Space request for a Residence Hall Lounge (such as John Jay Lounge). ***There may be a charge of $25 per hour for use of dorm lounges. If a URH (University Residence Hall) group co-sponsors you, the fee will be waived. Carol Arnold, Reservations Coordinator, X49061, [email protected]. She also is very CI friendly.

Community Impact continues to amend its website to best meet our coordinators needs. We are proud to have incorporated all of the requested changes from 2010 website feedback, and continue to welcome all suggestions. Please e-mail [email protected] with questions, comments, and suggestions. Coordinator Section: Log Ins We have created log-ins for every group. Your staff and Student Exec Advisor will have access to these pages so that they can also track your volunteer registration and expenses. User Name _________________________ Password _________________________ 2. Volunteer Registration After logging into the coordinator section, you will be able to see an up-to-date spreadsheet of all of your registered volunteers along with a button that allows you to email them. You can also manage the semester that your volunteers were working to help you better monitor and communicate with them (i.e. you can designate if they are fall and/or spring volunteers). Please note all of your volunteers should register online! 3. Budget Requests Once you log in, you can submit your budget request online. The format of this has changed so that it better matches the vouchers that you will be receiving. Please see the Treasury Procedures below for a more detailed description of how these requests work.
1.

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4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Budget History Worksheets As soon as you submit your budget request, you can see an up-to-date spreadsheet reflecting your current spending. You must update your budget history immediately after making an expense. Events Calendar We have a new, automatically updating events calendar on our home page. We encourage you to submit events online. After being approved by a staff member they will appear on the calendar. Once on the calendar, events can easily be downloaded into Outlook and iCal. Individual Group Pages Every group has an information page. Please take a moment to look at this page and let the Execs know if you would like anything updated or changed. These pages will be the face of your group to potential volunteers and we want them to be accurate and welcoming! If you have an additional page for your group (or want to create one, see below) please give the Execs the url to link it on the CI website. Resources We have uploaded a plethora of resources to help you run your program, including CI handouts and manuals as well as articles and bibliographies in the subjects and fields that you work. Blog CI maintains a blog with articles and photos from our programs. We encourage you to share a volunteer experience with us to publish on the blog. Please do so by filling out the form on the coordinator homepage.

Creating a Web Page for Your CI Program: We have created optional individual program web pages for CI groups to use should groups want their own web space to communicate with volunteers and/or clients. Though we do not directly support or maintain these sites, we are happy to help you get started. These pages can be linked to from the program page on the CI website. Introduction to Wordpress Wordpress is a content Management system No programming background is necessary Ideas for program websites: provide important dates for volunteers, volunteer applications, coordinator contact information, testimonials, pictures, etc. Logging In to Wordpress Log in at: http://www.communityimpactatcu.org/groups/Site Name/wp-admin* username: Username* password: Earlhall *We will provide you with these if you do not know them. Creating/Editing a New Page On the left-hand bar under Pages hit Add New Add your page title and content To add pictures, files, links, ect. use the buttons next to Upload/Insert MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE SIGNED RELEASES FOR EVERY PARTICIPANT WITH PHOTOS ONLINE! 37

 Use the CI logo and other images available under the coordinator section When you are done hit publish. To edit click Edit under Pages. Changing the Appearance Wordpress uses Themes to control the appearance If you know how to program you can create your own theme, contact the webmaster for help uploading your theme On the left hand side, under Appearance click Add New Themes Search for themes based on color, layout, etc. Find one you like, click Install Now and then Activate Creating a Blog From the main dashboard you can add blog posts under Quick Press Add your title, content, tags, and hit publish By default users can comment on your blog -to manage these comments go to Comments on the right hand side of the page Changing Program Home Page Want to remove the blog from your programs home page? On the left hand side of the dashboard, under Settings click Reading Change it to look something like this image Administration You should definitely change your groups password. If you like, you can create a new account for every coordinator. Under Users hit Authors and Users To change the password click the user, scroll down, and type a new password To add a user click Add New next to Users Plug-Ins Wordpress takes advantage of plug-ins, allowing you to do things like Sharing blog posts on Facebook and twitter and tracking Google Analytics code To find a plug-in click Plug-Ins on the left-hand side Search for the type of plug in you want, click install, and activate Each plug-in has a set of instructions instructing you how best to configure your plug-in Other Tips 38

Have an iphone? Download the free wordpress application to manage your pages and post blog posts on the go! Want to create a Facebook page for your group? Log onto Facebook and click create a page at the bottom. Upload a photo, enter some information, and you are good to go Want to add a Fan Box to your new website? Go to Edit Your Facebook Page, and then click Promote with Fan Box on the right-hand side Wordpress is a very popular website format. Feel free to google wordpress for a plethora of more in-depth guides. Some of our favorites are: http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Lessons and http://blog.themeforest.net/wordpress/getting-started-with-wordpress/ Like your website? Want to link to it from CIs homepage? Email [email protected]

Community Impact's Network Files

All CI files are stored on the University's H: drive, also known as 'Groups on Central1\Groups'(H:). Do not save files on any local drive. Always save files on the H: drive! You can get to the H: drive either through the Community Impact Shortcut that is on many of the desktops in the CI offices, or through Windows Explorer, or by clicking through the server when you hit File-Open when you are in an application. Files saved on the H: drive can be accessed from any CI computer. Inside the H: drive is a folder called commimpact. All CI groups have folders inside this folder. When you create new files, please file them in the most logical place and put a file ID in the footer or at the end of the document. A file ID consists of the file name and path. For example, the filename and path for this document could be: H:\commimpact\COORD GUIDE\2010coordinatorguide.doc (That would means the file is located on the H: drive (H:\)In the Community Impact folder (commimpact\) In the Coordinator Guide folder (COORD GUIDE\) And the file is called 2010coordinatorguide.doc) The .doc at the end of the file indicates that this is a Microsoft Word document. All MS Word documents can automatically be given file name and path lines by following these steps: 1. Click where you want to insert the information. (At the end of the document) 2. On the Insert menu, click AutoText 3. In the AutoText dialog box click Header/Footer 4. In the Header/Footer dialog box click Filename and Path

Printing Services Please contact Jason Cummings for your program account number. You should also use your program account number when making copies at the CI office. If you have a lot of copies to makeor copies that require a certain kind or color of paperyou can take the job to Printing Services in Journalism or SIPA. Get the printing form from Jason Cummings to bring over, and bring back the pink copy when you are finished. Make sure to add the name of your program and the number of copies you make. The Village Copier and Barnard Document Services are also good printing options. They both accept CI vouchers.

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 Key points to keep in mind

All programs must have a designated treasurer. All programs will also be assigned a Student Executive Treasurer. You may request $7-10 per person for large and infrequent events (like end-of-year celebrations) (maximum of 2 per semester) and $3-5 per person for smaller and more regular events. Use a tax exempt form for all cash advances and purchases with your own money. Coordinators must deposit any leftover cash to the University Cashier in Kent Hall. All voucher treasury requests must be made no later than Tuesday at 11 am. [NOTE: requesting a voucher a week in advance of when it will need to be picked up would guarantee that if your request is not approved or needs to be revised, there is still time prior to the event.] All other requests (reimbursements, cash advances, and check requests) must be made 2 weeks in advance to guarantee that they will be processed on time. The tab entitled Treasury History will track all of your request transactions and you can access it to check your remaining budget and prior expenses. After every purchase, you must update your Budget History. Make sure to keep all records and receipts of purchases. Your program may incur a penalty for lost/late receipts. Also, please keep a copy for your own records. DEADLINE: Coordinators must bring all receipts or documentation to the earliest Town Hall possible. All receipts older than one week past the Town Hall can be disallowed at the discretion of the DA and Student Exec Treasurers, and your program may incur penalties as a result. When submitting receipts, tape each receipt to a separate blank piece of 8.5 by 11 paper. Never use staples or paper clips! In mid-Fall you will be required to turn in a Treasury Evaluation and a Projected Summary of Expenses for your program (including approximate dates of each event/purchase), so please plan accordingly and well in advance! In early April, you will be asked to complete a Projected Budget used to determine the allocations for the following academic year. The Budget will be submitted with the Program Re-application. Feel free to contact both student executive treasurers at [email protected] with any budget-related questions or concerns.

Vouchers
Vouchers should be the primary means of requesting funds. They can be used at any of the vendors listed on the vendor list, which is located under the Coordinators-Treasury section on the website. Steps in Requesting a Voucher 1. Submit a funding request by filling out the online voucher form with all necessary information (excluding approval number). 2. Your student executive treasurer will review the request, and if he approves, he will assign an approval number and place it in the To be Approved Requests bin in your programs

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folder. (The bin is located on the outside of Departmental Administrators (Jason Cummings) door in 105 Earl Hall.) 3. Your staff advisor will sign the voucher Wednesday and it will be available for you to pick up Thursday in your programs folder in the Approved Requests bin, which is located right below the To be Approved Requests bin. 4. Once you have used the voucher, immediately update your budget history on the coordinator website. Please copy all documentation or receipts for your own records and bring them to the next Town Hall meeting. The treasurers will have copies of all vouchers to be paired with your receipts. All receipts MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE EARLIEST TOWN HALL POSSIBLE. Reimbursements Reimbursements should be used for emergencies or time sensitive needs or for purchases (such as MetroCards) that cannot be obtained through Vouchers or Check Requests. However, you should plan carefully and in advance so that you will only use this method very rarely! Steps in Requesting a Reimbursement 1. Fill out a Reimbursement Request form, to be found in the Coordinator-Treasury section of the CI website. 2. Your student exec treasurer will email you to let you know that it has been approved. 3. Then, you can go ahead and make the purchase, making sure to use the tax-exempt form, which is also located in the Treasury section of the website; otherwise, you can pick up a copy in 105 Earl Hall. As soon as the purchase is made, update your Budget History online. 4. If you must use a different vendor than you had anticipated or if you spend more than was approved, the expense will be subject to re-approval by your treasurer so please contact him immediately! Otherwise you will not be guaranteed reimbursement. 5. After incurring the expense, you must fill out one Travel and Business Expense Report. (These can also be found in the Treasury section of the website.) 6. Make copies of all receipts for your records and bring these, in addition to the Travel to the next Town Hall. Staple the Travel form (with taped receipts on a separate sheet) to the Reimbursement Request form which your student exec treasurer will have printed at the Town Hall Meeting. 7. Also, please allow at least 2 weeks for reimbursement by check from the DA Office. Check Requests Use a check request when you know the exact amount of the purchase and the vendor you are using does not accept Vouchers. Please try to use vendors that DO accept Vouchers whenever possible; however, for activities such as bowling or ice skating you may use a check request, as CI has no current vendors that accept vouchers in these areas. These should be used rarely! Steps in Requesting a Check 1. Giving yourself 2 weeks prior to your event, fill out the online form for a check request with all appropriate information and a detailed description of the event, dates, attendees, and every item that will be purchased, including prices. 41

2. Your student exec treasurer will approve and sign the request, giving it to the Executive Director, Sonia Reese, for further approval. You will be contacted if something is missing from your form or it is not approved. 3. The check will be ready for pick up by the Thursday 2 weeks after you have submitted the request. You will be able to pick it up in 105 Earl Hall. Please inquire about it with Sonia Reeses Administrative Assistant, Kaime Desire. 4. You will need to update your budget history immediately and submit all receipts for the expenses at the earliest Town Hall possible. Keep copies for your own records. Cash Advances Cash Advances should be used only when the other 3 methods cannot bei.e. when you need greater flexibility in terms of your spending and cannot do so using your own cash. This should be the most rare method of requesting funds! Cash Advance Eligibility All programs must have cash advance eligibility before requesting a cash advance under any circumstances. **Programs may only request $250 in cash at any one time, and the entire amount of any previous cash advance must be accounted for before a new cash advance is issued. **Programs can have only one open cash advance at any one time. ** Criteria considered when determining cash advance eligibility include need for cash advances and previous history of responsible treasury practices. Steps in Requesting a Cash Advance 1. Make sure that your program possesses cash advance eligibility (see above). 2. Complete a request using your programs online Cash Advance Disbursement Form (at least 2 weeks in advance). 3. Your student exec treasurer will review the expense and assign an approval number if he/she approves. A copy of the approved Form and a Cover Letter, once signed by your staff advisor, will be placed in the Approved Requests bin in your programs folder by Thursday. 4. You will need both the Disbursement Form and the Cover Letter to take to the cashier in Kent Hall to receive your cash. 5. Spend your cash, making sure to use a tax-exempt form (available under the Treasury section of the website) and collect all receipts (making one copy for your records and keeping the originals for submission). 6. If you have leftover cash, please email Jason Cummings (the DA) ([email protected]) with [Your Program]Leftover Cash in the Subject Line and in the body of the email include the following information: i. Your Name ii. Program Name 42

iii. Account Number iv. Amount of $ Returning v. Reason for leftover cash (may be as simple as: change). 7. The DA will reply with a batch number, which you will need to take to Kent Hall when turning in all remaining cash (keep the receipt from Kent Hall along with and on top of all of your original receipts from the purchase). 8. Bring the Kent Hall receipt and original receipts to 105 Earl Hall and staple them to the copy of the Letter and Cash Advance Disbursement Form, which will be in your programs mailbox (located on the left when you enter). Kent Hall Cashiers Information Location: 205 Kent Hall***Hours: M-F ***Withdrawing Cash: 9am-5pm ***Returning Cash: 9am-4pm

Appeals
Why: Programs may request an appeal if they feel that their initial allocation is insufficient for their expected level of programming. Appeals will generally not be entertained until a program has made sufficient progress in their programming to determine if an appeal is warranted. NOTE: Appeals will not be granted to programs with wasteful spending habits. When: Appeals may be made any time after the first 30 days following the initial allocation.

Inter-Program Sponsorship
Community Impact has a limited amount designated to support inter-program events. Money disbursed from this account does not reduce your programs allocation. If you are interested in collaborating with another program and would like to apply for inter-program activity sponsorship from Community Impact, please contact your Student Exec treasurer.

Tax-Exempt Status
All expenses made for Community Impact program functions are considered tax-exempt; you do not need to pay sales taxes on these expenses. (If your program is selling items, you may still be responsible to collect sales tax; contact the Departmental Administrator when in doubt). You must use a tax-exempt form when making a purchase with cash, check or reimbursement. If you fail to use the form, you will be liable for sales tax associated with your purchase.

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 There are a plethora of resources and benefits available to persons living in New York City; you just have to know where to look! Information on public and emergency resources in New York City and in the Columbia community can be found in a Referral Guide in 105 Earl Hall or on the CI website.

Coordinators are responsible for the safety of the participants, particularly children, and volunteers in their programs. Although fun and education are prime aims of our programs, safety must be our first priority. Here are some procedures to help you in your administration of Community Impact's Youth Programs.

Volunteer Screening
Only Columbia students may volunteer with CI youth programs. Grad students and part-time students may volunteer with you, but make sure to screen them extra carefully. Screening procedures may include a written application, checking references, an interview, a volunteer orientation, or other procedures, as needed. Make sure all potential volunteers are signed off on by a coordinator before they have contact with the youth.

Boundaries
No Off-site Contact Unless you are in Big SIBS or MyNYC you and your volunteers may not have any unsupervised contact with the youth in your program. In addition, it is important to train your volunteers on how to handle a chance meeting on the street, should that occur. Maintain appropriate physical boundaries Let the children initiate hugs or affectionate behavior. Be clear about your own boundaries and those set by the agency: any physical contact besides hand-holding and hugs should be cleared with your staff advisor (i.e. carrying, sitting in laps, etc). Wear appropriate clothing Remember that you are role modeling in your behavior and your dress. Also make sure to dress appropriately for the weather and the activity. 44

Program Orientation
Each program must have a way of assessing whether or not a child is appropriate for the program and a way to give information to the child, parent/guardian, and partner agency about the program, and answer any questions. This can be done individually, as a group, or, if necessary, information can be sent home to the parent - most parents/guardians will feel much more comfortable sending their child with you if there are clear expectations, they know who you are, and they feel they can trust you. Each group should have a written version of their orientation information available for distribution.

Medical and Parent/Guardian Release Forms

Parents/guardians must sign a Parent Release Form which states that they give their permission for their child to be in your program. If your program is NOT based at a school or agency you should also have each parent/guardian complete a Medical Release Form which includes information about the child's allergies, medications, name and phone number of physician, person to contact in an emergency and a signed release by the parent/guardian that you can seek medical treatment for the child in the event of an emergency and cannot reach the parent/guardian. IF YOUR PROGRAM TAKES CHILDREN ON TRIPS YOU MUST CARRY THESE FORMS WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. It does you no good to have the forms in your dorm room when a child is injured and needs to be taken immediately to the hospital. Your staff advisor should also have a copy of all CI paperwork. Downloadable copies of the release forms are found in the coordinator website online, including Photo Release Forms.

Setting Group Rules at the First Meeting

Do not assume the children know what you expect of them. You MUST set group rules/guidelines together at the very first meeting. Tell your group the rules and expectations of behavior or have the group come up with a list of rules together at your first meeting. If you have the group decide together on the rules, they will often be more committed to following them. You can draw up the list of rules and have everyone sign it; then give each person a copy. Some examples of rules might include: holding hands when crossing the street, everyone rides in the same subway car, we respect everyone by listening to them and no name calling. The group rules should be kept to a minimum and be phrased positively and succinctly. ALL VOLUNTEERS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING LIMITS, NOT JUST THE COORDINATORS.

Enforcing Group Rules

At the beginning of each subsequent meeting together, review the rules as a reminder of what is expected. Also, tell your group about where you are going and what they can expect there. You might have a special rule for that place. For example, "Shea Stadium is really crowded and has lots of strangers. Everyone must go to the bathroom or snack bar with their staff person. We do not want anyone to get lost." 45

Small Volunteer Staff to Child Ratio

A small ratio of volunteer staff to children is crucial in maintaining safety and control when working with children. A one to one volunteer staff to child ratio is preferable in Community Impact Programs. We have noticed over the years that programs that have one to one ratios are most successful, with coordinators, volunteers and children both safe and extremely satisfied with their programs. For children 8 years or younger, a one to two volunteer staff to child ratio (one staff to two children) is MANDATORY in all youth programs where children are taken outside of their school or agency. It is easy for children to wander off, get lost or separated from the group, and even get hurt. If each volunteer is responsible for only two children (each child can hold the volunteer's hand when outside) the volunteer can easily keep track of the children. It becomes increasingly difficult for the volunteer to keep track of additional children, as more children are added to his/her responsibility. If there are three or more children per volunteer, there are just not enough hands to hold! As children get older they may not want to hold your hand, but a one-to-two ratio should still be maintained. For children 9 years or older, a one to three volunteer staff to child ratio is acceptable.

Techniques to Ensure Safe Programs

Position volunteer staff in front and back of the group so the group travels together. Get stragglers to keep moving. Separate kids that are not getting along before their issues escalate. Have group FREEZE if you need to address issues immediately.

Crisis Plan
It is important to address potential crises and how you will respond to them before they happen. It is also important that all your volunteers know what to do in the event of a crisis, and it is also important that your parents/guardians know your procedure as well. What are potential crises that could arise during your program? Who will you notify and in what order? What actions will you take? If your program takes place outside of business hours, carry these numbers with you in case of an emergency:

Sonia Reese: (914)722-0319 (home), (917)880-9280 (cell) Sandy Helling: (347)703-7812 (cell) 46

Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Procedure

Tell your CI Staff Advisor IMMEDIATELY. If this person is not available during business hours, you can call Sonia Reese at (212)854-2617 or Sandy Helling at (212)854-9621. Outside of business hours, use their personal numbers on the previous page. They will help you work out the next step. Please have available the following information in reference to the incident: Date Time Name and birth date of the child or children What lead you to believe that the child is being abused or neglected, such as: o Unexplained bruises, welts or burns o Vacant or frozen stare o Illogical explanations for injuries o Unattended medical problems o Underweight, poor growth o Poor hygiene, inappropriate dress o Skin problems, bald patches o Pregnancy in a younger girl, and father is unknown o Preoccupation with sex, overly sophisticated sexual knowledge or behavior If you EVER feel that the child is in imminent danger, dont hesitate to call 911 or take the child to a hospital or police station. -

Board of Directors Mr. Keith McDermott, Chair Ms. Marcia Lynn Sells, Treasurer Ms. Donna Badrig, Secretary Staff Student Executive Committee Sonia Reese, Executive Director Michelle Abell Jacobo, External Affairs: New Initiatives, CC11 Sandy Helling, Associate Director Zila Acosta, Internal Affairs, CC11 Jason Cummings, Departmental Administrator Jason Mogen, Treasurer, CC12 Katy Saintil, Senior Program Coordinator Chloe Oliver, Public Relations, CC12 Emily Ford, Volunteer/Evaluations Officer Lauren Pully, Operations, SEAS11 Kaime Desire, Administrative Assistant Michael Strandberg, Treasurer, CC13 Juanita Erb, J.E.E.P. Coordinator Francesca Trianni, External Affairs: Event Planning, CC11 Rendolph Walker, Adult Program Coordinator Jeffrey Zeiler, Education for Success Coordinator 25 direct service programs Jessica Conley, Youth Program Coordinator 40 America Reads work-study students Diane Ezer, Development Officer 100 student coordinators Over 900 student volunteers
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