The Center for Creative Community

Traveling Exhibit On Volunteering @

 @ -- permission for use-with-acknowledgment

"Traveling Exhibit on Volunteering" Even the small planning grant was turned down, more’s the pity, because I still believe this would have been a great idea for educate people to the value of volunteering or confirming them in that view. It would therefore serve as an excellent foundation for recruiting (see above). Judge Keith Leenhouts of Volunteers in Probation talked about doing something like this quite a few years before this proposal and, with others, might actually have begun it, at least – possibly at the University of Alabama.

NARRATIVE
THE CHALLENGE OF VOLUNTEERING: CULTURAL TRADITION AND SOCIAL ISSUES.

(Provisional Title, Planning Grant)

1. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PLANNING GRANT? WHAT ARE SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM GOALS? WHAT IS THE ISSUE, CONCERN, THEME OR TOPIC ADDRESSED?

The planning grant period will prepare for Endowment consideration, a proposal for a traveling exhibit on volunteering, intended for adult audiences (approximately half of whom volunteer, according to current polls). Geographical target areas will be New Mexico and the U.S., with other countries considered only as conditions permit. After travel time is completed the exhibit will be housed in the VOLUNTAS museum of volunteering now being developed by the Center for Creative Community, with funding independent of the present project. (Please see enclosed VOLUNTAS brochure).

Exhibit hosts will be mainly libraries and museums in collaboration with local Volunteer Centers and state Governors' Offices of Volunteerism.

The exhibit will focus on the history and accomplishments of volunteers in New Mexico and the nation, with particular attention to some impacts which are "surprising" according to common expectations of volunteer roles. The intent is to demonstrate that all cultures and races, both sexes and all ages, etc. are volunteers, versus existing stereotypes on the limited role of volunteering; also to provide a framework for dealing with issues such as: organized agency-related volunteering as contrasted with more informal neighborhood-related activity; freelance "'maverick" volunteering done by people who want to address systems as contrasted with volunteering which supplements existing systems; volunteering as socially institutionalized expectation or obligation as contrasted with volunteering as a freely chosen path to empowerment; and the relation between paid and volunteer helping systems (mutually supportive or substitutive?).

A background catalog and learning guide will be prepared in Spanish and English, to enhance the educational impact of the exhibit. A process will also be developed to gather feedback from exhibit visitors, further enriching our understanding of volunteering.

We are requesting a planning grant rather than going directly to a final proposal for the following reasons:

***to further develop and solidify the Project team, including recruitment of a library or museum co-sponsor, and in this or other ways, to enhance our expertise in the design and construction of exhibits.

***to firm up a range of cash contributions to defray transportation costs for the exhibit, as endorsers of the exhibit, etc.

***to explore the possibility of partial precedents.

***to firm up cost estimates on production, transportation, etc.

***to achieve wider and deeper consensus on content guidelines for the exhibit and the learning guide.

2.  HOW WILL YOU ACCOMPLISH THE PURPOSES OF THE PLANNING GRANT?

a) Research in three of the largest libraries on volunteerism in the world: The Harriet Naylor Memorial Collection at the Center for Creative Community; The Volunteerism Resource Center at ENERGIZE ASSOCIATES in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Humanities Scholar Ellis); and the Library of the Virginia State Division of Volunteerism in Richmond, Virginia (Katherine Noyes).

b) two three-party conference calls of about 45 minutes each, one at or near the beginning of the planning period, and one near the end. Calls will be between resource people gathered in Santa Fe. NM, Philadelphia, PA, and Richmond, VA.

c) printing, mailing, and some long distance telephoning to develop commitments to host the exhibit.

d) some travel within New Mexico, to Santa Fe and return by resource people from other parts of the state, including Albuquerque and possibly Las Vegas as well (United World College).

e) in depth consultation with museum or other experts on the design and construction of traveling exhibits.

f) review near the end of the planning period, by New Mexico state coordinators of volunteers in museums, at an April 26, 1990 training in Santa Fe, to be conducted by Project Director/Scholar Scheier. Note that many of these coordinators of volunteers are themselves also volunteers.

3. HOW AND WHY ARE THE HUMANITIES AND THE HUMANITIES SCHOLARS CENTRAL TO THE PLANNING GRANT AND TO THE PROBABLE FUTURE PROGRAM YOU ARE PLANNING? INCLUDE BRIEF RESUMES .

Humanities Scholars--

Ivan H. Scheier, Ph.D of Santa Fe, NM was educated at Union College (Schenectady, NY), Harvard University, and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. His undergraduate major was philosophy; doctorate is in psychology with a research emphasis. He has served on the faculties of McGill University, Sir George Williams College, and the University of Illinois and is currently a Visiting Scholar for several months a year at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Dr. Scheier was the first President of the International Association of Voluntary Action Scholars, and has over one hundred publications, including six books on volunteerism, the latest of which is: EXPLORING VOLUNTEER SPACE: THE RECRUITING OF A NATION. He has also produced both audio and video works on the subject of volunteering, and has a multitude of network contacts in the volunteer leadership field.

Susan J. Ellis is President of ENERGIZE ASSOCIATES of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated Magna cum Laude from Temple University, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English; her Master of Arts Degree is from the University of Pennsylvania in Folklore and Folklife. With Katherine Noyes (see later), Ms. Ellis co-authored the only history of volunteering yet written, and is considered an authority in this area. In addition to extensive national and international work as a consultant and trainer in volunteerism, she is currently a part-time faculty member at Temple University and Pennsylvania State University, where she developed and teaches one of the few existing graduate level courses in volunteer program administration. A publisher and prolific author in the field of volunteerism, Ms. Ellis has also recently produced several successful videos in this area. For a number of years, she was Editor-in-Chief of the principal journal in the volunteer leadership field (The Journal of Volunteer Administration) and she recently received the International Distinguished Service Award of the Association for Volunteer Administration.

Dr. Mary Mokler a consultant based in Albuquerque, NMI received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Both Masters and Doctorate were from Harvard University at the Laboratory of Human Development in the Graduate School of Education. Her work as a consultant in human development includes experience as a developmental psychologist and training coordinator with the All-Indian Student Educational Team of the All-Indian Pueblo Council, as well as work with older Americans, inter-generational programs, and parent education. Dr. Mokler has extensive network experience and contacts in New Mexico.

-Others-

The planning grant period is designed, among other things, to further develop the eventual project team. We have already received an acceptance from Katherine Noyes, but have yet to define with her, her exact role in the project. Ms. Noyes of the Virginia Division of Volunteerism graduated Phi Beta Kappa in Human Relations, from Earlham College. With Humanities Scholar Susan Ellis, she co-authored the previously mentioned seminal book on the history of volunteers: BY THE PEOPLE. A HISTORY OF AMERICANS AS VOLUNTEERS. The Center has also received initial expressions of interest from the Museum of New Mexico, and these will be followed up during the planning period, along with possibilities of collaboration with United World College of Las Vegas, NM. The Center has previously served as placement site for two UWC students.

4.  HOW WILL YOU EVALUATE. ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT UNDER THE PLANNING GRANT?

Evaluation, criteria will generally be in terms of planning grant purposes as described at the end of Narrative Section 1, notably, range and amount of cash contributions pledged by potential host communities, successful recruitment of additional resource people and organizations for the final Project; discovery and analysis of possible partial precedents; and achievement of consensus on content guidelines. In addition, we will receive evaluative feedback on planning results near the end of the planning period, courtesy of New Mexico Museum coordinators of volunteers, at the April 26, 1990 meeting previously described in Narrative Section 2f. Finally, the principal product of the planning period will be a regular grant proposal submitted to the New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities. Evaluative feedback including approval or disapproval, by the endowment will therefore be a crucial indicator of the effectiveness of the planning grant.

5. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SPONSORING ORGANIZATION

The Center for Creative Community is an institute for the advanced study and encouragement of volunteering, headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Center is a non-profit, tax exempt organization whose operations began in August, 1986. Principal resources and activities include approximately 35 workshops and seminars a year; a publications capability; several newsletters; research and discovery-oriented networks; beginning materials for a museum on volunteering; and the world's largest library on volunteering. (More information on the Center is in the attached brochure).

6.FINANACIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR RECEIVING AND DISBURSING NMEH FUNDS

At the Endowment's request, the Center will establish a separate checking account for receiving and disbursing NMEN funds for the planning grant. Whether or not this is done, clear and separate accounting records will be kept for these monies, including receipts for all disbursements.

	Direct NMEH	Sponsor’s $Cash	Sponsor’s In-Kind
A. Other Than Personnel
Telephone, Long Distance (1)	$170	$20	0
Telephone, Local	0	40	0
Travel in NM	30	20	0
Printing, Mailing	0100	0	0
Facilities Rental	0	0	160
Equipment Usage (2)	0	0	40
Office Supplies	0	0	0
B. Personnel
Center’s Administrator (3)	0	480	0
Project Director (4)	0	0	1600
Scholar Ellis	100	0	0
Scholar Mokler	100	0	0
Total	$500	$600	$1800

1.The telephone company estimates the conference calls at about $50 each, plus other single-party calls, as indicated previously

2. Includes Library materials as well as usual office equipment

3. The Center will pay our administrator’s time @ an estimated five hours per week, over 16 weeks on the planning grant.

4. The Project Director, Dr. Scheier, will donate 10 hours a week over a sixteen week period, to the Project. This time would otherwise be allocated to other activities of the Center for Creative Community.  

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Ivan Scheier
Stillpoint
607 Marr
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, 87901
Tel (505) 894-1340
Email: ivan@zianet.com

For comments and editing suggestions please contact Mary Lou McNatt mlmcnatt@indra.com