Where am I?
Approaching An Agency
What do I do?
1. When initially approaching agencies, your preparation, professionalism, and genuineness will be rewarded by a positive image of your school and program and a greater opportunity for success.
2. Try to determine who would be a key initial contact person (find an inside "champion").
3. One of the mistakes which schools make is to ask agency's: "What volunteer work could youth perform in your agency?" Instead, ask: "What are the greatest needs of your agency?" Don't let others prematurely limit the roles of young people. People will appreciate your general interest in their agency and be surprised by what youth can do.
4. One long-time service-learning coordinator says that, when approaching an agency for the first time, he always confronts the same dilemma-- "What can I legitimately ask of this agency?" The goal should be that both school and agency will positively stretch the value of the partnership through strong communication and planning. Strong relationships are built over time and do not just happen.
5. When setting up relationships, remember that there are four parties. Consider the needs of the school supervisor, the agency, students and the clients/recipients who are supposed to be served. Have the views and needs of the clients been considered when the program is designed?
6. Although all sites will share some similar concerns about when and where to place students, communities will differ in the roles they give to young people. What is important is that each program develop defendable parameters for their choices and occasionally reevaluate those standards.
7. Any good collaboration takes the time to establish clear roles and responsibilities for each partner. In service-learning initiatives, who is responsible for each of the many tasks, such as recruiting, orientation, training, transportation, supervision, grading, evaluation, recognition, publicity, funding, scheduling, meetings, etc.
From National Youth Leadership Council, 1991