Youth Volunteer Education within Trail Christian Fellowship

Caitlin Lyon

Too often, volunteers are placed in positions which they are uneducated and uncomfortable with the tasks and/or roles which they are asked to fulfill. The purpose of my community based learning project was to educate the Jr. High and High School volunteers of Trail Christian Fellowship on the systematic procedures, appropriate teaching methods, and early childhood development education that is applicable within the Sunday School department of the organization. To accommodate the volunteers' needs mentioned, I formed a series of educational meetings addressing those issues and giving ample opportunities for these young volunteers to excel in their knowledge, skills, and confidence working in the Sunday school at Trail Christian Fellowship. As a result of completing this project, a central idea that resonated with me personally is the importance of proper personnel preparation within an organized system in order to achieve overall success for the program. In order to successfully construct and maintain a volunteer supported organization, applicable education and skills based training prior to volunteer implementation is absolutely necessary.