COMMUNITY SERVICE TRAINING
Tulane University April 2013
COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
TRAINING OVERVIEW
Finding the right community partner
 Setting up your service experience
 Reducing risk
 Personal safety guidelines
 Preparing for your service experience
 On-site etiquette
 Tips for successful service experience

WHAT CAN COMMUNITY SERVICE DO FOR
YOU ORGANIZATION?
Increase students’ awareness of their
relationship with ever-widening circles of society
 Promote student leadership through project
development
 Advance diversity awareness
 Promote networking and collaboration among
student organizations and community agencies
 Provide easy fellowship/social programs for your
organization

FINDING THE RIGHT COMMUNITY PARTNER
Talk to your members and advisor about
their particular interests in community
service:
 Where do we want to be?
 Do we want to serve as individuals or as a group?
 With what populations of people do we want to
work with?
 How frequently to we want to serve?
 When will the community activities be held?
 What kind of work do we want to do?
FINDING THE RIGHT COMMUNITY PARTNER
If you do not already have a community
agency in mind, here are a few resources:
 CPS Information System (on-going projects)
 Other student organizations (CACTUS, SAFER,
HATT, etc.)
 Weekly updates from the TU Serves! mailing list.
(short-term or date specific projects)
 www.idealist.org (long term, short-term or date
specific projects)
SETTING UP YOUR SERVICE EXPERIENCE
When you contact the volunteer coordinator
at your community partner site, let them
know:
 Your interests
 One time or on-going placement
 Your organization’s availability
 Number of students participating


Try to give as accurate numbers as possible.
Special skills your group can offer

computer, construction, painting, cooking etc.
SETTING UP YOUR SERVICE EXPERIENCE
Questions you should ask the volunteer
coordinator:
 Special supplies needed your organization will be
expected to supply?
 Safety guidelines?
 Safety equipment needed? (e.g. goggles, gloves, work
boots, etc.)
 Required forms? Are background checks required?
 Special policies? (i.e. dress codes, lifting requirements,
non-handicapped accessible facilities, etc.)
 Lunch, snacks, or water provided?
 Site supervision?
REDUCING RISK
Student leaders should research:
 The area in which you will be serving
Be realistic about the area you are working in and
the level of safety.
 Check the city’s crime map
 Ask the site staff about safety precautions.

University policies and procedures
 The activity you will be working on

Manual labor projects
 Projects with children
 Canvassing projects

REDUCING RISK: SITE VISIT
Student leaders can request a site visit prior
to their service date. During this site visit,
students leaders can observe:
 Working conditions
 Facilities
 Clientele
 Staff Access
 Site Safety
REDUCING RISK: PLANNING
Meet with your advisor and complete all paper
work at least 2 weeks in advance
 Complete a risk assessment to determine the
level of risk involved in your activity.
 Create a risk management plan at least two
weeks before your event and train your
leadership team and volunteers
 Partner with CPS suggested community agencies
 Provide university transportation for your
volunteers
 Document and evaluate communications,
planning process, finished project, participant
feedback, and resources

REDUCING RISK: RISK ASSESSMENT
Students should consider the Seriousness of Risk
 I- May result in death or jail time
 II- May cause severe injury, major property damage,
significant financial loss, and/or result in negative
publicity for the organization, institution, or agency.
 III- May cause minor injury, illness, property damage,
financial loss and/or could result in negative publicity
for the organization and/or institution
 IV- May cause a minimal threat to safety, health and
wellbeing of participants
REDUCING RISK: RISK ASSESSMENT
Students should consider the Probability that
something will go wrong:
 A- Likely to occur immediately or in a short period
of time, expected to occur frequently
 B- Probably will occur
 C- May occur
 D- Unlikely to occur
REDUCING RISK: RISK ASSESSMENT
After determining the probability and the seriousness of risk, determine
the risk “score” of your activity.
PROBABILITY
SERIOUSNESS
A
B
C
D
I
5
5
4
3
II
5
4
3
2
III
4
3
2
1
IV
3
2
1
1
Red= Extremely Risky (4-5)
___ Initial Score
___ Final Score
Yellow= Average Risk (2-3)
Green= Low Risk (1-2)
Average to Low risk are preferable
activities.
REDUCING RISK: TRANSPORTATION

Transportation to Site
CACTUS provides transportation through Shuttles
and Transportation for many service projects.
 Check the CACTUS website about more information
on scheduling rides for your service activity.
 For more transportation options, please check with
Shuttles and Transportation.

REDUCING RISK: TRANSPORTATION
Students are prohibited from transporting other
students in personal vehicles to and from
University events.
 Student should consult the ASB Motor Pool
Policy and Safety Rules or contact the Student
Affairs Resource Assistant, Adrian McElroy, for
exceptions to this policy.

PREPARING FOR YOUR DAY OF SERVICE
Arrange transportation
 Get supplies (better to over estimate!)
 Discuss safety issues with student volunteers
 Have contact information for site and advisor
 Confirm arrangements with the volunteer
coordinator the day before your activity.

WORK/REST/WATER CONSUMPTION TABLE
Easy Work
Heat
˚F
Moderate Work
Hard Work
Work/Rest
Water Intake
(qt/hr)
Work/Rest
Water Intake
(qt/hr)
Work/Rest
Water Intake
(qt/hr)
78-81.9
NL
½
NL
¾
40/20
¾
82-84.9
NL
½
50/10
¾
30/30
1
85-87.9
NL
¾
40/20
¾
30/30
1
88-89.9
NL
¾
30/30
¾
20/40
1
> 90
50/10
1
20/40
1
10/50
1
NL=no limit to work per hour.
Source: Office of the Surgeon General, April 1998
WHAT (OR WHAT NOT) TO BRING

Bring
Water
 Snacks or lunch
 First Aid kit
 Bug Spray
 Sunscreen
 Appropriate Attire (i.e.
hats for outside work)
 University contact
information
 Community Partner
contact information


Do Not Bring




Computer, IPods, etc.
Books
Valuables
Excessive cash
ON-SITE ETIQUETTE
Be friendly and proactive, offer to assist where
needed, don’t wait to be asked.
 Turn cell phones off or place on silent
 Be punctual
 Dress appropriately, dress codes do vary from
site to site
 Be flexible and patient, changes do happen
unexpectedly

AFTER SERVICE
Once your group has completed your service:
 Do a reflection/evaluation of your service
experience
Did people enjoy the activity?
 Would they do it again?
 What improvements could be made?


Report the hours you have completed
PERSONAL SAFETY GUIDELINES
In case of an emergency, immediately contact
911. Then, contact your site coordinator and
your advisor or the Community Service
Program Manager. Always keep your
advisor’s telephone number on-hand during
service and contact him/her if any injury
occurs on-site.
PERSONAL SAFETY GUIDELINES
You should not participate in any activities that make
you feel uncomfortable.
General
 Become familiar with the site's emergency-exit procedures.
 Do no loan or give money to clients.
 Sign in at the site every time.
 Do not tolerate any verbal exchange or engage in behavior
that might be perceived as sexual with a client or
community agency representative.
 Do not tolerate any verbal exchange or engage in behavior
that might be perceived as offensive and/or inappropriate
against an individual on the basis of his race, religion, age,
gender, national origin, color, disability, or military or
veteran status.
PERSONAL SAFETY GUIDELINES
Environment: Site and Surrounding Neighborhood
 Be aware of your surroundings; educate yourself
about the site and surrounding neighborhood in
which you are working and always use precaution.
 Do not enter into personal relationships with clients
during the duration of your community service
experience; be conscientious about what personal
information you share with clients.
 Complete your service hours before sundown, if
applicable.
 Learn about safety in New Orleans and university
resources, including crime alerts and safety programs
at https://tulane.edu/publicsafety/.
PERSONAL SAFETY GUIDELINES
Traveling to and from the Site
 Take advantage of provided transportation, TU
shuttles, RTA, ASB vans
 If you choose to carpool, partner up with another
student and travel together.
 Lock your doors when at the site.
 Don’t leave valuables in sight.
 Don’t offer rides to clients.
 Have car insurance available at all times.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE
Community Service Handbook
TU Serves mailing list
 Subscription Instructions:
Send an e-mail to LISTSERV@tulane.edu
 Leave the Subject line blank
 In the text of the message, write the following:
Subscribe COMMUNITYSERVICE-L
 Don't write anything else in the email!!

CPSIS: http://cpsis.tulane.edu/
TUPD: http://tulane.edu/publicsafety/
CERTIFICATION
Thank you for reviewing this information.
Please complete the Quiz in order to complete your
certification.