How Adult Members Can Help

Any adult members of Leadership Arlington can support the Youth Program by volunteering as a philanthropy coach and/or job shadowing volunteer.

If you are interested in serving in either of these roles, please contact Leadership Arlington.

Philanthropy Coach
The Youth Program includes two sessions that help participants learn the value of philanthropy through site visits to local nonprofits in Arlington. Interacting with adult leaders is a critical element of these sessions.

Philanthropy coaches work with students to make these site visits engaging and productive. Each coach receives training and then is assigned a group of three to four students with whom they work. Specifically, the coaches:
1. Facilitate discussion among students before and after the nonprofit site visits.
2. Provide transportation for students to and from the site visits. (Liability coverage is provided through Leadership Arlington.)
3. Assist students during the site visits.
4. Provide guidance and support to students.

Philanthropy coaches must commit to the following:
1. Attend one two-hour coach training before the start of the Youth Program.
2. Attend the nonprofit site visits on Thursday, August 6, 2009 (10:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.) and Tuesday, August 11, 2009 (9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.).
3. Attend graduation ceremony on the evening of Thursday, August 13, 2009 (not mandatory but strongly advised).

Job Shadowing Volunteer
The Youth Program gives each student an opportunity to shadow someone at his or her job in the nonprofit, business, or public sector. This opportunity will give students an accurate assessment of a field in which they have specifically expressed interest. The job shadowing session should provide each student with a hands-on, experiential learning experience.

Job shadowing volunteers can structure the job shadowing experience in any way that makes sense for themselves and their organizations. For example, a job shadowing volunteer might:

• Invite the student to attend a meeting or presentation and discuss it afterward.
• Take the student to lunch either alone or with colleagues.
• Talk to the student about the volunteer’s job and the services his or her organization or company provides — and discuss the educational background and experience needed for the field.
• Introduce the student to business colleagues and talk about what they do.
• Give the student a tour of the office or facility.

The job shadowing session will take place Wednesday, August 13, 2008, from 11:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. Job shadowing volunteers must be available at this time to participate.