Volunteers were individually trained in the curriculum by Extension specialists. Volunteers conducted 10 workshops for 162 child care providers over a two-month period. Evaluations showed significant caregiver gains in knowledge of daily curriculum planning, appropriate use of themes, and developmentally appropriate activities for preschool children. Workshop usefulness and effectiveness were also rated highly. We chose individuals who had training and experience in child development or early childhood education and who were enthusiastic and committed to the issue of child care.
Current caregivers are often interested in training others and can be tremendous resources.
It's also important to maintain excitement and motivation in volunteers. To increase ownership and enthusiasm, volunteers were able to add their own ideas and adjust the training without changing the core of the curriculum. Volunteers also received ongoing support from local Extension faculty. Each volunteer was provided with a job description clearly spelling out responsibilities. Such a description limits the volunteer's role to a task that's manageable.