In addition to researching and compiling information
online mentoring (the most comprehensive information on such, in
fact), and helping to create numerous online mentor programs, including
this one for an Austin, Texas
elementary school, I have also had the pleasure of serving as an
online volunteer mentor on several occasions. In 2005 and 2006, I was an
online volunteer blog mentor for the Young
Caucasus Women Project. Recruited from current Future
Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program students, young women from
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia currently living in the USA are being
trained in citizen journalism, and part of the training includes
learning to publish their own blogs. Once they learned the basics of
blogging, then the student's own blogging bagan. Now, at the start of
the week, an online volunteer mentor posts a suggestion for the week's
blog topic, and each student posts a blog of her own on that topic, as
well as comments on each other's blogs. The students may post on other
topics throughout the week as well. This continues until the student
leaves the USA. After the students return to their home countries, they
will receive a monthly blog assignment, but they may post to their blogs
as often as they like. The volunteer mentors are experienced adult
bloggers from around the world, with a particular focus on bloggers from
developing countries who are having an impact on the dissemination of
news from their countries.
The purpose of this Project is to:
- highlight the similarities and learn about the differences between
young women in these neighboring countries.
- promote citizen journalism in developing countries as an
alternative to mainstream media.
- promote blogs as a method of democratic expression.
- expose young women to journalism and technology.
Mentor's suggested topics that students have been asked to write blogs
on include:
- Volunteerism: just unpaid labor or a tool for empowerment? (yes,
that was mine)
- Strengths and Virtues: what are your strengths of character? What
would it be like to make the cultivation and employment of your
character strengths a significant part of your life?
- Responsibility: What are your responsibilities right now and how do
you feel about them?
- Friendship from a Distance
I can't speak to how well the program will meet its stated goals --
that's for someone else to measure and report on. But I can speak to
what it's been like to be an online mentor. In this most recent
experience, from my point of view, what's been important to remember as
a volunteer for this project is:
- that these students are not native English speakers, and are often
self-conscious about expressing themselves in writing in this language
that is not their own
- that volunteer mentors and students will never meet face-to-face,
so volunteer mentors need to maintain a very positive, upbeat approach
in their written communications, so that students feel warmly
supported by them
- that volunteer mentors are adults, and need to be careful not to
talk "over the heads" of these students, all of whom are teens, or to
write something that sounds overly critical or sounds in any way
insulting
- that these students come from areas with very different values,
very different standards of living and very different beliefs than
those of "the West."
- that misunderstandings are bound to happen; you work to avoid them,
but when they happen, you work to mend and hurt feelings.
As with all online mentor experiences, the hardest
part is when my role is over, and the young person moves on -- I will
wonder what different I made, if any, if the young people are doing well,
how their interests and planned activities have manifested, and if there
is more I could do. But various issues -- most especially safety and
logistics -- keep such continued relationships from happening.
If you are interested in creating an online mentoring program, for
young people or adults, see the Virtual Volunteering Project's information
online mentoring -- still the most comprehensive information
available.
Also:
- Microvolunteering
is virtual volunteering
A rebuttal on my blog to the claim that microvolunteering isn't
virtual volunteering.
- Short-term Assignments for Tech
Volunteers
There are a variety of ways for mission-based organizations to involve
volunteers to help with short-term projects relating to
computers and the Internet, and short-term assignments are what are
sought after most by potential "tech" volunteers. But there is a
disconnect: most organizations have trouble identifying such
short-term projects. This is a list of short-term projects for "tech"
volunteers -- assignments that might takes days, weeks or just a
couple of months to complete.
- One(-ish) Day "Tech" Activities for
Volunteers
Volunteers are getting together for intense, one-day events, or events
of just a few days, to build web pages, to write code, to edit
Wikipedia pages, and more. These are gatherings of onsite volunteers,
where everyone is in one location, together, to do an online-related
project in one day, or a few days. It's a form of episodic
volunteering, because volunteers don't have to make an ongoing
commitment - they can come to the event, contribute their services,
and then leave and never volunteer again. Because computers are
involved, these events are sometimes called hackathons, even if coding
isn't involved. This page provides advice on how to put together a
one-day event, or just-a-few-days-of activity, for a group of tech
volunteers onsite, working together, for a nonprofit, non-governmental
organization (NGO), community-focused government program, school or
other mission-based organization - or association of such.
- Finding a Computer/Network
Consultant
Staff at mission-based organizations (nonprofits, civil society
organizations, and public sector agencies) often have to rely on
consultants, either paid or volunteer, for expertise in computer
hardware, software and networks. Staff may feel unable to understand,
question nor challenge whatever that consultant recommends. What can
mission-based organizations do to recruit the "right" consultant for
"tech" related issues, one that will not make them feel
out-of-the-loop or out-of-control when it comes to tech-related
discussions?
- Myths About Online Volunteering (Virtual
Volunteering)
Online volunteering means unpaid service that is given by volunteers
via the Internet. It's also known as virtual volunteering, online
mentoring, ementoring, evolunteering, cyber volunteering, cyber
service, telementoring, online engagement, and on and on. Here is a
list of common myths about online volunteering, and my attempt to
counter them.
- Studies and Research Regarding Online
Volunteering / Virtual Volunteering
While there is a plethora of articles and information about online
volunteering, there has been very little research published regarding
the subject. This is a compilation of publicly-available research
regarding online volunteering, and a list of suggested possible angles
for researching online volunteering. New contributions to this page
are welcomed, including regarding online mentoring programs.
- Incorporating virtual volunteering
into a corporate employee volunteer program (a resource for
businesses / for-profit companies)
Virtual volunteering - volunteers providing service via a computer,
smart phone, tablet or other networked advice - presents a great
opportunity for companies to expand their employee philanthropic
offerings. Through virtual volunteering, some employees will choose to
help organizations online that they are already helping onsite. Other
employees who are unable to volunteer onsite at a nonprofit or school
will choose to volunteer online because of the convenience.
- Creating One-Time, Short-Term Group
Volunteering Activities
Details on not just what groups of volunteers can do in a two-hour,
half-day or all-day event, but also just how much an organization or
program will need to do to prepare a site for group volunteering. It's
an expensive, time-consuming endeavor - are you ready? Is it worth it?
- Recruiting Local
Volunteers To Increase Diversity Among the Ranks
Having plenty of volunteers usually isn't enough to say a volunteering
program is successful. Another indicator of success is if your
volunteers represent a variety of ages, education-levels, economic
levels and other demographics, or are a reflection of your local
community. Most organizations don't want volunteers to be a
homogeneous group; they want to reach a variety of people as
volunteers (and donors and other supporters, for that matter). This
resource will help you think about how to recruit for diversity, or to
reach a specific demographic.
- Using Third Party Web Sites Like
VolunteerMatch to Recruit Volunteers
There are lots and lots of web sites out there to help your
organization recruit volunteers. You don't have to use them all, but
you do need to make sure you use them correctly in order to
get the maximum response to your posts.
- Using Video to Support Online
Volunteers/Remote Volunteers.
Video is a great way to further support volunteers, and your computer
probably already has all of the tools you need to make a video, or to
engage in a live video conversation with others. Video isn't something
to use only with online volunteers or remote volunteers (those
providing onsite service at a different location than yours). It's
also a tool you can use with new and current volunteers. In addition
to an organization producing videos for volunteers, it can also work
the other way around: volunteers can produce videos for organizations.
This resource provides information on your options, and links to my
own short video on the subject.
- Using Real-Time Communications
With Volunteers
A growing number of organizations are using real-time communications
-- including video conferencing, online phone calls, chats and instant
messaging -- to hold online meetings with volunteers, to allow
volunteers to interact with staff, clients, or each other, or to
involve volunteers in a live, online, real-time event. This resource
provides more information on real-time communications with volunteers
-- what the various tools are, how agencies are using them to interact
with volunteers, and tips to encourage and maintain participation in
synchronous communications.
- Recognizing Online Volunteers &
Using the Internet to Honor ALL Volunteers
Recognition helps volunteers stay committed to your organization, and
gets the attention of potential volunteers -- and donors -- as well.
Organizations need to fully recognize the efforts of remote, online
volunteers, as well as those onsite, and not differentiate the value
of these two forms of service. Organizations should also incorporate
use of the Internet to recognize the efforts of ALL volunteers, both
online and onsite. With cyberspace, it's never been easier to show
volunteers -- and the world -- that volunteers are a key part of your
organization's successes. This new resource provides a long list of
suggestions for both honoring online volunteers and using the Internet
to recognize ALL volunteers that contribute to your organization..
- Lessons from
onlinevolunteering.org
Some key learnings from directing the UN's Online Volunteering
service from February 2001 to February 2005, including support
materials for those using the service to host online volunteers.
The
Last Virtual Volunteering
Guidebook 
my home page
how to support my work & this
web site
