Implementation Plan
Initiators of the model in a selected community should ensure that at least two key components: school and library (or other accepting organisation) are present, and ideally, a community organization.
Recommended implementation steps:
Agree with public libraries or other accepting organisations on the possibility of hosting IT consultations on their premises.
Inform schools about the volunteering opportunities.
Ensure the school's administration designates a person responsible for cooperation.
Provide young volunteers with all necessary information and resources for preparation.
Collaborate with local communities that have direct contact with seniors and inform them about the available IT consultations using information materials and various communication channels.
Develop a consultation schedule (facilitating communication between the librarian, volunteer, and senior).
Conduct consultations and register them.
Collect and respond to feedback from all parties.
For the model to be sustainable without financial support and external coordination, it is crucial to establish strong community ties and use creative ways to involve local people. Key factors for sustainability include:
Support from the local community: Engage local community members willing to voluntarily coordinate activities and designate more consultation spaces.
Informing and holding events: Organize campaigns and other events to promote the project to both volunteers and seniors.
Partnerships with schools: Create cooperation agreements to involve students in volunteer work and integrate the program into school volunteer work plans.
Local funding: Seek local sponsors to motivate participating volunteers and library workers and help establish more consultation points.
Local communication: Use social networks, community meetings, and other free communication methods to promote the program and attract new participants.
Those overseeing the premises where consultations take place (in this case, library workers) should monitor participant activities, collect relevant data, and register consultations so that students can receive credit for volunteer work in school.
It is important that this system is clear, reliable, and understandable to all stakeholders. The consultation schedules could be prepared and coordinated by a library staff member or a designated (involved) community representative.
Consultations with Schools
For the community model to function effectively, it is recommended that initiators consult with the general education school community to address the following questions:
What requirements does the school set for students' volunteer work?
How important is volunteering for the school? Does it help the school achieve its goals?
How much time do students typically dedicate to volunteer work weekly or monthly?
What experience does the school have in organizing student volunteering, especially outside school? Does the school collaborate with public libraries, senior organizations, or other local community groups?
What challenges does the school see in implementing this model?
Could the school contribute to preparing volunteers for consultation (by providing learning resources, explaining rules, etc.)?
How could the school contribute to the model’s implementation?
Does the school have suggestions for improving the model?
How could the school collaborate more effectively with the library (or another accepting organisation) in implementing this model?
Does the school wish to directly collaborate with senior organizations?
How does the school view the model's sustainability, and what would need to be done for it to function independently?
* We do not limit ourselves to formal senior organizations; it can also be a local community where a significant portion of the members are older adult individuals.
Consultations with Libraries
(Note: this model is not limiting to libraries, but any supervised space that is open to the public can be involved.)
To understand the goals and opportunities of local public libraries, initiators should consult with library staff and address the following questions:
What experience does the library have in hosting students for volunteer work and organizing events or consultations for seniors?
What are the library’s capacities for providing space for student volunteer work?
Would the library help create a consultation schedule and record student volunteer hours?
Does the library collaborate with the school, senior organizations, and other local groups?
How could the library inform seniors about the opportunity to receive consultations?
Would the library be willing to use consultations as a way to attract more visitors and raise its profile in the community?
How will the library ensure a safe and friendly environment for both students and seniors?
Does the library have suggestions for organizing student consultations for seniors more effectively?
Consultations with Senior Organizations
To assess the viability of the planned activities, initiators should consult with local senior organizations. As they represent the end beneficiaries of the service, it is essential to clarify the demand and communication aspects.
Key questions to address:
What are the primary digital needs of seniors? Are there specific topics they would like assistance with?
How does the senior organization view the need for student-led consultations?
What times are most convenient for seniors to attend consultations?
How can the organization inform seniors about the opportunity for consultations?
Does the organization have experience working with schools or libraries?
What challenges does the organization see in implementing such a volunteer model?
Could the organization directly organize student volunteer work (space, scheduling, registration, etc.)?
Does the organization have suggestions for improving the model?
Organization Model
The central entity in this model is a non-governmental organization (NGO), budgetary institution, or social enterprise that organizes youth volunteer work or provides assistance to seniors.
In this model, organizers are the organization’s leaders, employees, or appointed representatives.
Participants include:
The structure that organizes and provides volunteers (e.g., an NGO), which manages volunteers, schedules meetings, and communicates with the seniors or their organizations.
An organization that represents or informs seniors (e.g., a university of the third age, a retirement club, a social department, a parish, etc.).
Volunteers.
Seniors (final beneficiaries).
This model works with any organization that already has experience working with youth or seniors and wishes to expand its activities.
Participation in this project would benefit the organization by:
Expanding and enhancing its activities by contributing to community well being,
Increasing its involvement and service diversity in pursuit of its core goal of growth,
Attracting more volunteers and using them more flexibly,
Providing volunteers with new digital skills and experiences,
Reaching more organizations that could contribute to the organization’s goals.
Implementation Plan
Unlike the community model, this model relies on the organization's existing experience, skills, and relationships. It only requires offering new knowledge and resources to prepare volunteers and conduct a pilot consultation cycle.
Strengths:
Wide acceptance of volunteers from various organizations and sectors.
Coordinated work with seniors and youth, promoting intergenerational understanding.
Expansion of activities by incorporating new content or partnerships with senior (or youth) organizations.
Weaknesses:
It may be challenging to ensure that all volunteers are adequately prepared for consultations.
The organization may lack volunteers with the necessary skills.
Managing relationships with various sending and receiving volunteer organizations could be difficult.
Opportunities:
Risks:
Competition for volunteers with other organizations.
Financial risks due to the growing scope of activities and needs.
Reputational risk if the organization cannot ensure proper consultation.