Alumni Volunteer Committee

Overview & Training

Agenda

What we will cover?

• Meet the AVC Coordinators
• Alumni Volunteer Committee origin story
• Who is AVC servicing?
• Graduates (On/Off Track)
• Forecasting Deferments
• What Support services?
• Policy & Procedures
• Workflow
• Surveys
• Data management
• Closing Case

Alumni Volunteer Committee (AVC) Coordinators

2022-23

Katherine Valyi, Christ Church Riverdale Jones Center.

• Kathy has been working with the English Language Learner & International Support Prep Academy for five years, coordinating volunteer support and other opportunities for our student population.

Jacqueline Pena, Sr. College & Career Counselor & Social Worker

• Jackie has been the lead college & career counselor for English Language Learners & International Support (ELLIS) High School. During her oversight, students have gained admissions to many of top tier College and Universities across NYS.

​

Jonathan Pinque, Level UP Program Director, MAOL, TEFL, PMP

• Program Director for the NYC Mission Society Level Up Program. 10+ years working in Federal, State, and Local level youth development programs.

Alumni Volunteer Committee origin story

• The following operation has it origins from the belief that ongoing support & services for graduates is monumental for individual success. Moreover, ELLIS-Level UP has observed that our student population, given their rapid introduction to United States multi-complex systems, need these supports & services more than others.

​

• One Example: students from ELLIS-Level UP are provided supports that enable them to have viable post-secondary plans (PSP) established in time for graduation. Yet, last year, our data shows that PSP retention rates were at 42%.

Who are AVC servicing?

The Alumni Volunteer Committee (AVC) will be providing targeted services to graduates who are both on/off track with respect to their post-secondary plans. AVC will accomplish this feat by forming part and expanding the social capital networks of our graduates.

What is a social capital network?

Social capital refers to resources such as information, support, and social control that flows through networks, rather than the network structure itself (more Info).

AVC will aim to increase the social capital of our students by either being added resources to their current network or by expanding it through supports, services, and/or connecting them to others.

​

​

What Support services?

AVC will focus on providing a select category of services (5) that will aim to support students, both on/off track, to continue thriving forward.

Below are services categories:

1. College Assistance
2. Career/Job Placement Assistance
3. NYC Benefits
4. Social Emotional Support (Mentorship)
5. Internship & Networking Opportunities.

Policy & Procedures

ELLIS+, a coordination between ELLIS, L/UP, & Jones Center coordinators, have developed a set of guidelines and safety protocols to provide a clear direction and framework of accountability to ensure this initiative’s success.

Policy Statement

​

The Ellis-Level Up Program, in partnership with community volunteers, has established a post secondary career services & support operation. All community volunteers shall provide alums with support & services that include, but are not limited to, college assistance, career/job placement support, social-emotional support (mentorship), & Internship/Networking opportunities. Prior to any caseload assignment, AVC coordinators will ensure to filter and appropriately assess matches between alums and volunteers to increase the likelihood that successful outcomes are delivered for all involved.

​

Downloadable Document

​

Workflow Chart

The following flow chart highlights the step by step process that volunteers and their matches will undertake from the start of the matching process all the way through closing of the assigned case.

Recruitment & Participation Surveys

AVC coordinators have created two surveys that will be used to kickoff the matching process and eventual support services. See below

Volunteer Recruitment Survey

• The following survey will be provided to volunteers to gauge commitment, caseload management capabilities, & overall availability.

Alumni Support Service Request Survey

• The follow survey will be provided to students to assess their needs and our gauge our abilities to supply their demands. Please note the demand will only meet capacity. For instance, AVC will only assign the number of cases to a volunteer that they have stated they can accept. Auy other students will be waitlisted.

What are the numbers telling us & what do we project?

Last year’s graduating class (57) had a matriculation rate of above 90%. However, the retention rate of that same group was about 42% by the start of their freshmen year.

​

As a result, we project that the 58% of these students will return to our program seeking support to get back on track with their post-secondary plans. For instance, a large percentage of students who deferred will need to re-activate their college profiles in October-November of this year in order to start successfully in the Spring of 2023.

What are the numbers telling us & what do we project?

Over the summer, we have been able to successfully support several students (18) with a variety of support services that enable them to remain on track and/or get back on track with their plans.

My First Match(es)

What is next?

Once the AVC have successfully assigned a match to you. The following steps are recommended to improve the success of the match and deliver outcomes.

1. Upon receiving the match email with biographics, contact information, and support service needs the Volunteer must reach out to the alum at set up a first session meeting in 24-72 hours (In person, zoom, or via phone).
• Ensure to do your homework prior to that first meeting.
2. In the first couples of session focus on building rapport, creating/setting professional boundaries, and creating plan and goals.
• Reference Tutorial & Webinar cheat sheet to help support goals & plans established between you and your match.
3. Ensure to track progress, 2 casenotes/month, in the Alumni Master Tracker Spreadsheet.
• AVC coordinators will be review notes to provide assistance when/where needed. Aslo, if a volunteer needs support from a coordinator please do not hesitate to reach out for support.
4. After completing a goal/task/objective with an alum be sure to update the final column within the Alumni Master Tracker Spreadsheet. Ensure to also provide closure to the alum.
• Please note, we expect that all caseloads will not have a 100% success rate. Thus, if an assigned match ultimately doesn’t succeeded…ensure to keep AVC coordinators informed and we will provide guidance on how to close/refer out accordingly. In this instance, we encourage volunteer to still offer closure of case to alum as well.

Data Management

Alumni Master Tracker Spreadsheet - The following spreadsheet will be used by volunteers and coordinators alike to track progress, assess supports, and ultimately close cases.

Volunteers are asked to denote two relevant casenotes each month in the master spreadsheet. In the event a match and the intended goal goes beyond a month.. The spreadsheet will be wiped clean, and the Volunteer will continue to add new casenotes in the new sheet for the present month.

The Director of the Level Up program, Jonathan Pinque, will be taking the casenotes provided by volunteers and uploading it an internal data management system (ETO) in order to report services to the Office of Postsecondary Readiness (OPSR) and the NYC Department of Education (DOE).

• AVC’s diligence, commitment, and hardwork will lay the groundwork (blueprint) for other schools to follow our model.

Case Closure

At the closure of case, the AVC coordinators will be referencing your responses from the Volunteer Recruitment survey to determine additional placements. Thus, please be sure to let us know what your initial case management capacity will be within AVC.

• Please note that your we are fine with you increasing and/or reducing this number periodically. Just keep AVC coordinators up to date

Questions, Comments, & Development feedback

​