Volunteer Outcomes: The Consequences of Volunteering in a Youth Development Program

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Conditions for Out-of-School Time Effectiveness

Abstract

While research exploring out-of-school time contexts generally focus on youth participant outcomes, the adults who work with young people are also learning. We sought to address a gap – the consequences of volunteering on the volunteer – to improve our understanding of volunteerism in youth development organizations. We collected open-ended responses from 1,060 University of California 4-H Youth Development Program volunteers about the effects volunteering had on their personal development. We analyzed data with applied iterative inductive thematic analysis. Over half stated they developed skills; nearly a third improved indicators of well-being; a quarter described gratification, affection, or joy at working with others; a quarter identified social development outcomes; and almost a tenth described deepening their relationship with the organization.

Authors

• Steven Worker, University of California Cooperative Extension

• Car Mun Kok, University of California - Agriculture and Natural Resources

• Dorina Espinoza, University of California - Agriculture and Natural Resources

• JoLynn Miller, University of California - Agriculture and Natural Resources

• Charles Go, University of California - Agriculture and Natural Resources