Abstract

Guest trainers can bring many benefits to a training session, but they can create problems if they don't receive adequate guidance and support. Follow the advice of Mosaica's newsletter, Training Briefs, to ensure successful experiences with guest trainers.

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Issue

Guests can add much to a training session, but should be guided beforehand to mesh up with the needs of a program.

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Action

To ensure successful experiences with guest trainers, be up-front about program needs and assertive about managing the process. Take every opportunity to offer guidance and support.

Discuss and agree on:

• Participant background and needs
  
  
• Clear learning objectives
  
  
• Appropriate training approaches and activities
  
  
• Scope of training

See the source document for ways to translate these important components into effective practices for your program.

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Context

Guest trainers provide variety—a different style and focus—than your staff trainers. They may bring professional expertise and share helpful perspectives or approaches to service, and teach skills specific to a service site or community population. Guest trainers also provide networking opportunities with professionals outside the program, and more important, in the community.

Mosaica: The Center for Nonprofit Development and Pluralism, provides organizational assessments, strategic and resource development planning, fundraising capacity building, restructuring support, and assistance in financial management and oversight. Other services include board development, program design and delivery, personnel and systems management, volunteer activities, community involvement and community building, community organizing and advocacy, program evaluation, and coalition building.

The goal of Mosaica is to bring together individuals with diverse voices and experience to create an organization with a set of common values. Mosaica was established out of a commitment to social justice and a belief that within the United States and throughout the world, societies that strive for democracy, human rights, peace, individual opportunity, and pluralism must be built and maintained from the bottom up—community by community, group by group—with the active involvement of nonprofit organizations and a strong independent sector. Mosaica helps strengthen nonprofits so they can provide high quality services and advocacy in a sustainable, well-run fashion that supports communities.

 

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Citation

Mosaica's Training Briefs. Washington, D.C.: Corporation for National and Community Service, no. 7, (April 1998).

 

Training Briefs were produced by Mosaica under Cooperative Agreement #98CADC009 with the Corporation for National and Community Service during July of 1997 through October of 1999.

 

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Posted On

August 28, 2001

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For More Information

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Resources

See Guest Trainers: Ensuring Success for more information.

Source Documents

Related Practices

• Finding guest trainers
• Integrating community into training

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Related sites

Starting Strong: A Guide to Pre-Service Training

Topic Areas

• Community building
• Development
• Retention
• Supervision
• Training
• Capacity building
• Nonprofit management
• Community partnerships
• Partnerships
• Sustainability
• AmeriCorps
• AmeriCorps VISTA
• Member
• Program management

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