Volunteer Trainings and Opportunities

Baseline Education for Community Based Welcome of Refugees and Asylum Seekers Southern Vermont Working Communities Volunteers Education Action Team

 

Community sponsorship is the core of community-based resettlement and, we believe, a successful and sustainable program. This model is the heart of southern Vermont’s work  to resettle refugees and asylum-seekers. 

 

This fall, the Volunteer Education Action Team is offering a Baseline Training  Course built on the experience of communities and organizations in successfully welcoming  newcomers. We believe these principles and practices are the same for volunteers working directly with any resettlement approach from Welcome Corps, to Asylum Seekers, to agency-based resettlement. 

   

Volunteers will complete a series of online learning modules, followed by discussion groups virtually or in person. While the curriculum is available virtually at any time, our goal is to enhance that experience by providing context for the work, connections among volunteers, and opportunities for discussion and peer learning. 

 

The ‘Baseline Training’ Course is meant to meet three needs:

• Introductory education for first time volunteers,  covering how to welcome refugees, how volunteer teams work, necessary milestones, boundary setting, and setting goals for teams and refugees.

• More advanced education for experienced volunteers, such as cross-cultural communications, anti-racism, sustaining both refugee success and team energy.

• Building networks and connections that will enable on-going support for volunteers and teams, mutual learning, information about changes to refugee policy, practice and reality. 

 

For more information on the course and registration please see the summary below. 

 

 

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What is the Volunteer Education Action Team?

 

The Volunteer Education Action Team is convened by Working Communities of Southern Vermont. The team includes: 

• CCL Welcome Fund and SHARe, Martha Tecca, Core Team Member

• CASP, Cristi Carretero, Volunteer

• Working Communities of Southern Vermont, Alex Beck, BDCC, Initiative Director

• BDCC, Jen Stromsten, Director of Programs

• St Michaels Refugee Resettlement, Jeff Lewis, Cosponsorship Leader

 

Our vision is a resilient, networked learning community of volunteers supporting and welcoming refugees, asylum seekers, and their families coming to the region. The goal of the Volunteer Education Action Team is to create and sustain a welcoming, growing, diverse community with a robust workforce, stimulating schools, and rich community life. Please join these programs for this opportunity to work and learn together from national experts, and from one another.

 

Recent Activities:

July 2023 Upper Valley Summit: New Pathways & Best Practices in Community Based Resettlement 

 

Upcoming Activities:

Diversity Equity and Inclusion training (previously offered to resettlement staff and volunteer leaders): winter 2023 training for community volunteers to be announced fall 2023.

 

Baseline Volunteer Education: SoVT WC Volunteers Education Action Team

 

The curriculum to be used is Community Sponsorship Essentials curriculum, designed by Refugee Welcome. Refugee Welcome is a joint project of the U.S. resettlement community for the purpose of education, training, and technical support of community resettlement. The local course will be run like a book club - participants do homework (online modules), then participate in discussions virtually and in person. 

 

INTRODUCTION & REGISTRATION*

Informational Zoom Meetings: October 3, 1-2pm (second date TBD)

 

Registrations to be completed by by October 9:  

1. Click here to register to access the online essentials curriculum

2. Click here to register for the course, including discussions and gatherings 

 

PART I: FUNDAMENTALS

LESSON 1: Sponsorship 101

Homework - By October 13, do the Sponsorship 101 Module at refugeewelcome.org

October 13 at 1 pm and 7 pm: Virtual kickoff Webinar and breakout discussions

 

LESSON 2: Key Mindsets

Homework - By October 20, do the Key Mindsets Module at refugeewelcome.org

October 20-27: Convene regional small groups (organized by subregional cosponsor leadership / Volunteer Education Action Team) to do the Group Discussion Module 1 together* 

 

PART I Group Convening 

Friday, Oct 27, in person, all participants, Location TBD

 

PART II: IMPLEMENTATION (DRAFT SCHEDULE)

LESSON 3: Support Area Deep Dives

Homework - By November 3, do the Support Area Deep Dives Module at refugeewelcome.org

 

November 3-10: Meet with your cosponsor team to do Group Discussion Module 2 together or attend regional webinars facilitated by Volunteer Education Action Team 

 

LESSON 4: Program Details

Homework - By November 10, do the Program Details Module at refugeewelcome.org

 

Final Lesson (Optional) - Onwards and Upwards Welcome Corps certification 

 

PART II Final Convening: November 10, 9-11 am in person (single or multiple sites TBD), facilitated discussion Group Discussion Module 3

 

*Organizational meetings for cosponsorship leaders will take place September 12 & 27 by Zoom

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For more information, contact Jack Spanierman jspanierman@brattleborodevelopment.com