Volunteen Program, DMHDDSAS

Type: 
Government
Location: 
Morganton, NC
Phone: 
(919) 807-4400

Major(s)

Communication, Sociology or other Human Service fields – Social Work, Psychology, Education or Special Education, Recreation, Non-Profit Management

Project Objective

The Volunteen program matches youth volunteers with staff and/or residents at J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center – a residential facility for people with mental retardation and other types of developmental disabilities. The objective of this summer volunteer project is to educate the youth about people with disabilities and to expose them to how the residents live their day-to-day lives. The program teaches the youth job skills, increases self-confidence and promotes volunteerism within the community. The intern would assist in the program by working directly with the youth and helping the Volunteer Coordinator manage the Volunteen Program.

Major Tasks

The intern is responsible for the general management of a diverse group of 50-70 youth involved in the program. This involves monitoring the Volunteens' daily activities; being a mentor/role model for the youth; matching the youth to volunteer sites; coordinating weekly meetings, field trips, lectures and special events; developing bi-monthly newsletter for Volunteens and supervisors; evaluation of the program; managing the program's budget; and photograph. The intern will be expected to create a scrapbook and video presentation that will be used for reflection and an educational tool and to be viewed at an end-of-summer recognition event.

Final Product or Outcome

The outcome of the "Volunteen" program is to provide career exploration, positive job skill development, awareness of developmental disabilities and to provide a safe and educational environment for the youth. The final product created by the intern will be a scrapbook and video reflecting different job sites and the experiences of the youth volunteer.