Nurturing a Commitment to Lifelong Service

Jefrey Walls

Clemson UniversityYouth Development Leadership ProgramCollege of Health, Education, and Human Development

Brandell Volunteer Center at Central Michigan University

Problem:

Is the Brandell Volunteer Center engaging participants so that they develop a lifelong commitment to public service?

No data exists from the Center that shows what students are doing post-graduation. – Without such data how does the Center justify participants development a lifelong commitment to public service?

Brandell Volunteer Center Mission Statement:To provide students the opportunity to serve their community, enhance their educational experiences and develop into caring citizens. Learn and Serve America guiding principle:Ensuring that programs improve the lives of every participant, building academic, civic, and character excellence – that participants develop a lifelong commitment to public service.

Purpose:

To understand the impact of participation in the Brandell Volunteer Center programs on lifelong commitment to service.

To better understand the nature and extent of public service engaged in by Center alumni.

Literature Review:

Key studies:• Corporation for National and Community Service, 2002-

Present• Center on Philanthropy Panel Study (COPPS), 2011-Present• Urban Institute, first national study on volunteer management,

2004

Findings include:• Four in five charities ready to take on more• College student volunteering increased by 20 % 2002-2005• Trend lines have remained ~ similar last 40 years• Latest report (2010) only 63.5% who served returned the next

year

What works:• Enriching the volunteer experience and recognition• Training and professional development opportunities• Matching volunteers’ skills to their service tasks

Guiding Questions:

1. Whether or not the Brandell Volunteer Center motivates its participants to continue service, and for how long?

2. The reasons behind a commitment to service or lack thereof?

3. Does the experiences the Brandell Volunteer Center offer match post participation experiences in communities served by alumni?

Discover more:volunteeringinamerica.gov

Brandell Volunteer Center:

President’s Community Service Honor Roll• Awarded every year since inception 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,

2010

“The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement by recognizing institutions that achieve meaningful, measureable outcomes in the communities they serve.”

Governor Service Award• Mentoring Program of the year 2010

Break Away: (National Organization, Partners in Alternative Breaks)• Staff Person of the Year, 2008• Program of the Year, 2007

Research Methodology:

Description of subjects• Matching national measurements on volunteerism, 16 and

older• Alumni, post graduation

A pilot evaluation• Sample: Distribution to 5,000 Center alumni• Survey: Online• Stakeholders: Center alumni association board, coordinator

assisting with survey

Reducing bias• A larger pool of subjects can participate (alumni association,

243 members) • Online surveys allow for more data to be collected and

analyzed• Pre-testing technological variation, unclear instruction• A longitudinal approach, testing the survey into the future -

matching subgroups, measuring rates overtime

Implications:

Connect alumni with volunteer opportunities Foster partnerships Raise greater awareness of Brandell Volunteer

Center alumni Secure funding and support

…63 million volunteers…26.3 % volunteer…8.1 billion hours of service

~$173 billion dollars

…a story: 50th anniversary ofVBYC (Van Buren Youth Camp)