Program Components

Weekly Schedule

Volunteer Leaders will work five days a week, with two days off.  They will spend a minimum of three days "in the field" leading crews of short-term volunteers.  We encourage our leaders to spend as much time in the field as possible because leading volunteers in direct service has the most impact and is the most important aspect of our Leadership Program.  In addition to direct leadership, Volunteer Leaders will have an optional 1-2 days during the week to work on their focus area.  This time could be used to attend community meetings or workshops in New Orleans, research and study their focus area, develop projects or contacts in the city, or otherwise work on various program requirements.

Training

Upon arrival Volunteer Leaders will undergo a week-long, intensive training period.  During this time they will learn valuable leadership techniques, be oriented to our base and our policies, meet staff members and gain an understanding of our organization and broader network, train in the field for their various focus areas, receive tetanus shots at the local clinic, learn about the history of New Orleans and Katrina, and more.

Weekly Blog Entry

Volunteer Leaders are invited to keep a collective blog to capture their experience.  This will not be required, but we encourage all of our leaders to submit an entry at least once a week as a way to record Volunteer Leader experiences and thoughts about their work here. The blog will be available through the Hands On New Orleans website for volunteer alumni and future volunteers to read and follow.

Service Learning Presentation

Each leader will be required to develop at least one service learning presentation to share with our staff and volunteers. The presentations will take place every week on Wednesday afternoons.

Possible presentation topics could include: inviting a speaker from the community, having a facilitated discussion about affordable housing in the city, or giving a presentation on a New Orleans cultural tradition. This is a great opportunity for leaders to express their personal reactions to their experience in New Orleans in a creative manner that benefits the entire Hands On community.

Community Project

Before completing the Leadership Program at HONO, Volunteer Leaders will develop one community project reflecting their focus area. We suggest that this project be in the form of a partnership with another non-profit in  New Orleans.  Leaders will be responsible for the planning, recruiting, execution, and sustainability of their project.  The project should meet a critical community need and engage locals in their own recovery.  Project planning is one of the core competencies of Hands On New Orleans.  We hope that all of our Volunteer Leaders will learn from our model and leave our program feeling capable of developing and planning volunteer projects in their own communities.

Reflection Piece

Before exiting our program, Volunteer Leaders will be asked to create a reflection piece that expresses their thoughts and ideas about their experience here in New Orleans.  These reflections will remain at our base as a reflection and testimony to the power of the volunteer experience.