Proud "graduate" of the 2009 Arthritis College
Training for your charity walks does not have to be boring. A little creativity can have your participants wanting more, rather than wanting it to end quickly. This is important because people are more open to learning new ideas when they’re having a good time.
I recently had the privilege of attending the training event Arthritis College. The event was put on by the Arthritis Foundation, Virginia Chapter and the students included board members, staff , and volunteers from across the state of Virginia.
Class topics included arthritis research, charity events, and leadership. house education on these topics turn from drab to dynamic? Here are some of my observations:
- A college theme was used throughout the day. We entered as freshmen and progressed to sophomores, etc. after participating in each class. The decorations and dialog used throughout the event stayed consistent with the theme. At the end of the day, there was a graduation ceremony.
- Dr. Loren Erickson discussed his research at a level everyone could understand. He also showed how the research has already made great strides in the fight against arthritis.
- In the middle of the day, Christine Walters led a session of improvisation that had all of us laughing while we created funny dance routines and pictures with crayons.
- The instructional classes each used props and student participation throughout. Some even sprinkled contests with simple prizes to increase the fun and participation.
What are you going to do that is fun and different to help motivate and train your charity walk participants? A little applied creativity can make a big difference.
Thanks,
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Volunteering training is easy when we have such wonderful volunteers! Thanks Roger for including the AF, Virginia Chapter on this blog, and for always being eager to participate in the opportunities provided by our chapter. I feel like the volunteers and staff learned equally from one another, and all “grads” left with higher level of enthusisam for our mission. You are a “class” act Roger! ( :
Thank you Roger! Providing training for volunteers is fun for the staff when we have such a wonderful group of fun and dedicated people. No matter what we do, you’re there encouraging us and chronicling the activity. Thank you!
Annie Magnant
VA Chapter President
We had a great time seeing returning volunteers and getting to know so many new folks. Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers (or Graduates!) who took time on a Saturday to get more involved with the AF!
I had a blast at Arthritis College. Thank you for being a part of it!
With the economy as tough as it is, this provided a great opportunity to offer training to a much larger group at a reasonable cost. Volunteers who had not participated in trainings before attended sessions to inform them about opportunities with a small time commitment.
Thanks for all the great pictures and for helping us continue to spread the word Roger!
Thank you Roger for taking the pictures and sharing. Thanks to the wonderful staff at AF for hosting the 2009 Arthritis College!! It was a great day!!