Program Planning Guide

This Program Planning Guide contains the following:
• Starting a Master Internet Volunteer^SM Program in your county
• Checklist of Program Activities
• Advice from the pilot project team
• Feedback from the first class of Master Internet Volunteers^SM
• Determining the cost of the program in your county
• Forms
  • Brochure and Application form
  • Volunteer Screening
  • Participant Evaluation
  • Continuing Education Units

Any University of Minnesota Extension Service county office can initiate a Master Internet Volunteer^SM Program. Read through the information about the program and decide whether the program is right for you. There is considerable time and effort involved in running a program and managing the volunteers.

University of Minnesota Extension Service county staff are responsible for teaching or arranging for instructors to deliver the curriculum in their community. The curriculum is in a modular format, allowing for guest presenters to help deliver the instruction. County offices are encouraged to look for people in their communities who may have skills and interests in helping teach some of the classes.

For more information, contact a member of the Information Technology Team:

Bill Bomash (612) 625-8776 or wbomash@extension.umn.edu
Karen Matthes (612) 624-4213 or kmatthes@extension.umn.edu
Rae Montgomery (612) 624-2773 or rmontgomery@extension.umn.edu

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Assuming the curriculum is divided up into 10 weeks:

When		What to do
6 Months Ahead:		Determine the availability of computer labs with Internet connections in the community. Schedule the computer labs. Determine the cost to run the program
2-6 months ahead:		Arrange for instructors for each class. Arrange for presentation equipment (laptop and projector) and Internet connections if needed. Decide whether you will screen volunteers.
1-2 months ahead:		Advertise the program. Register learners and collect registration fees.
1 month ahead:		Order 3-ring binders, tabs, and covers. Duplicate curriculum materials for participants.
Week 1:		Hand out Volunteer Screening forms if you are screening volunteers. Have students complete the "Begin at the Beginning" evaluation form in class. Hand out CEU forms to interested students.
Week 2:		Collect Volunteer Screening forms if you are screening volunteers. Send requests for background checks to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Collect any CEU forms and checks and forward.
Week 5:		Order Master Internet VolunteerSM nametags (4 week delivery time)
Week 8:		If screening volunteers, complete the Volunteer Screening process and send letters to volunteers.
Week 10 (last class):		Hand out nametags and certificates. Have students complete the "At the Conclusion" evaluation form in class.
Throughout the classroom training:		Be an active participant at each class. Ensure the classroom environment facilitates learning. Encourage learning outside the classroom through electronic discussions. Pay expenses for costs incurred.
For one year after classroom training:		Track volunteer time for 1 year. Guide learners to volunteer opportunities. Answer questions from Master Internet VolunteersSM throughout the year.

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The pilot project team offers the following advice to their colleagues.

Planning

• Start planning 6 - 9 months in advance. Computer labs are often scheduled up to a year in advance.
• Consider asking the local community education director and the local computer lab director to be on the planning team.
• Avoid holding classes in the winter or create an alternate plan for re-scheduling classes due to the weather. Students are concerned about driving in winter storms, especially in the evening.

Labs

Although it is possible to deliver the Master Internet Volunteer^SM Program to students through presentations, hands-on computer labs greatly enhance the instruction and the experience for the participants. The pilot project team recommends using a computer lab for every class session.

• Try to find computer labs that have IBM PC's rather than Macintosh computers. Participants in the pilot project had IBM PC's at home and had some difficulties using the Macintosh computers at the schools. A particular problem area was transferring files between IBM's and Macintosh's.
• Arrange for one computer per student. Sharing computers inhibited the learning of some of the students.
• Try to establish a partnership with a local facility in exchange for use of computer labs at no cost. Renting computer labs can drive the total cost of the program up, easily to a point where the program will not break even.

Textbooks

Although the pilot project provided a textbook (Internet for Dummies) for each student, they found it wasn't necessary. They recommend providing students with a recommended (and up-to-date) list of books about the Internet.

Volunteer Screening

Each county should make a determination of whether they will screen volunteers.

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The cost of running the program will vary depending on the costs of computer facilities in your community, your advertising costs, and whether you decide to provide 3-ring binders, paper copies of the online curriculum, certificates of completion, or purchase textbooks for the participants. To estimate the costs, decide which items you will provide for the students, then add the costs of advertising or renting facilities.

Per Student Costs:	Cost Per Student:
Volunteer screening check Nametag Certificate of course completion Empty 3-ring binder, index tabs labeled Week 1-10 Duplicating printed curriculum Textbook	$8.00 $5.50 $2.00 $5.25 $5.00 $20.00

Other Costs to Consider:

• Advertising/Brochure printing
• Cost to rent computer facilities

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