Alejandra Kennedy: Profile of a NYC Nonprofit Trainer
In love with educating educators
Alejandra Kennedy is a National Training Specialist at BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life). I decided to profile her first because I know that Alex is an excellent trainer, having worked together for four years at my prior job, and she absolutely loves training. We co-facilitated a workshop together for YNPN a couple weeks ago, and it was a pleasure to see her train both because she’s so good and because she actually lights up from the joy of giving workshops.
Alex’s path to becoming a trainer
Alex originally wanted to be a teacher, and she began her work at BELL as an academic tutor while she was in college. Soon after starting this job, she began to work with the training department as well, and she eventually had her first opportunity to train.
“I fell in love with educating educators,” she says. “I felt like I was changing lives by helping develop teachers and tutors to work with underprivileged scholars. I also love how engaged people are in BELL’s mission and goals, and how the structure of training here supports that.” BELL is a nonprofit whose mission is to enhance the educational achievements, self-esteem, and life opportunities of elementary school children living in low-income, urban communities, and the children served are called scholars.
What it means to be a trainer at her organization
Alex is based in BELL’s Bronx office, but she travels to all BELL regions to deliver training to the educators and leaders who run BELL’s academic summer and after school programs. She also facilitates live virtual webinars, and she has contributed to the development of BELL’s e-learning training. She writes workshops and creates training materials, including participant workbooks, leader’s guides, and workshop slides. On the logistical side, she has project managed training nationally, and she has run training events with up to 200 participants in eight classrooms.
At BELL, the training team is organized under the program department, along with the education and assessment/evaluation teams. The focus is on making sure that BELL scholars receive the best possible service, and training topics include general topics such as behavior management, child development, cultural awareness, and team building, and organization-sp ecific topics such as how to implement the literacy and math curricula.
Any educator who has worked with the organization is eligible to apply as a per diem trainer. Alex then screens resumes, interviews candidates, rates their sample presentations, and conducts an eight-hour train-the-train er for candidates who make it through the rigorous process. She provides ongoing feedback and coaching as well.
The future
“One project I'm excited about is the launch of a new training series to provide extra support to struggling staff through shorter, more intense in-service options.”
As for the future of training, Alex predicts that technology is going to become even more important, with virtual classrooms and e-learning bringing training to more people, using fewer resources. “Bottom line: even in difficult economic times, the field of training is safe!”
Showing posts with label nonprofit trainer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nonprofit trainer. Show all posts
Saturday, April 3, 2010
NYNP blog post 10-22-09
Sam Quiah, MSSW: Profile of a NYC Nonprofit Trainer
Changing a culture and being part of a movement
Sam Quiah is a Senior Consultant at Development Without Limits. He agreed to an interview after we met via the Johns Hopkins University National Center for Summer Learning's virtual conference. (See my prior blog post "An experiment in live online training" for more info about that conference.) We facilitated back-to-back virtual workshops, and after seeing the great job he did leading his workshop “Go Global! Building Global Literacy During Afterschool and Summer,” I was interested in learning more about his experiences as a trainer. When we talked, it turned out that we’d gone through the same social work program at Columbia University – it can be a small world in NYC nonprofits.
Sam’s path to becoming a trainer
Sam got into training after graduate school, when he began running Global Kids programs in high schools. While working as a Site Coordinator, he facilitated trainings on global literacy, community service, and other general topics, and he discovered that he enjoyed training. So, he took on a Saturday consulting job with Development Without Limits, training both educators and older youth working with younger youth. After two years working two jobs, Sam decided to take the leap to freelancing full time, and so he started his current role as Senior Consultant.
Sam was drawn to a career in training and consulting because he likes the challenge of working with a diverse mix of agencies. He’s motivated by the big picture impact of being able to strengthen the field of youth development by strengthening its organizations. “I like the idea of changing a culture and being a part of a movement,” he says.
He also enjoys the opportunity to bolster organizations by applying the expertise developed over his career, which has included roles with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Youth Unit of the United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development, and South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!).
What it means to be a trainer at his organization
Sam has a varied schedule, primarily working from home or at a client site, and sometimes going to the Development Without Limits office for meetings or collaborative work. The clients he serves are both NYC-based and located around the country. In addition to leading trainings, Sam provides technical assistance to clients. His work is project-based, and he likes the satisfaction of making targeted measurable contributions on a limited time frame.
Development Without Limits’s mission is to provide dynamic and challenging learning experiences for young people and adults. The organization facilitates ready-made workshops, creates customized trainings, writes curricula, and partners with organizations on special projects. This means that Sam’s job is never the same from project to project.
New consultant trainers generally join the team via referrals rather than via resume submissions; because the organization has specific values and high standards, they prefer it when someone they trust can vouch that a potential trainer will be a good fit.
The future
One project Sam's excited about is producing afterschool curricula for various youth organizations to implement with their staff and participants.
Changing a culture and being part of a movement
Sam Quiah is a Senior Consultant at Development Without Limits. He agreed to an interview after we met via the Johns Hopkins University National Center for Summer Learning's virtual conference. (See my prior blog post "An experiment in live online training" for more info about that conference.) We facilitated back-to-back virtual workshops, and after seeing the great job he did leading his workshop “Go Global! Building Global Literacy During Afterschool and Summer,” I was interested in learning more about his experiences as a trainer. When we talked, it turned out that we’d gone through the same social work program at Columbia University – it can be a small world in NYC nonprofits.
Sam’s path to becoming a trainer
Sam got into training after graduate school, when he began running Global Kids programs in high schools. While working as a Site Coordinator, he facilitated trainings on global literacy, community service, and other general topics, and he discovered that he enjoyed training. So, he took on a Saturday consulting job with Development Without Limits, training both educators and older youth working with younger youth. After two years working two jobs, Sam decided to take the leap to freelancing full time, and so he started his current role as Senior Consultant.
Sam was drawn to a career in training and consulting because he likes the challenge of working with a diverse mix of agencies. He’s motivated by the big picture impact of being able to strengthen the field of youth development by strengthening its organizations. “I like the idea of changing a culture and being a part of a movement,” he says.
He also enjoys the opportunity to bolster organizations by applying the expertise developed over his career, which has included roles with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Youth Unit of the United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development, and South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!).
What it means to be a trainer at his organization
Sam has a varied schedule, primarily working from home or at a client site, and sometimes going to the Development Without Limits office for meetings or collaborative work. The clients he serves are both NYC-based and located around the country. In addition to leading trainings, Sam provides technical assistance to clients. His work is project-based, and he likes the satisfaction of making targeted measurable contributions on a limited time frame.
Development Without Limits’s mission is to provide dynamic and challenging learning experiences for young people and adults. The organization facilitates ready-made workshops, creates customized trainings, writes curricula, and partners with organizations on special projects. This means that Sam’s job is never the same from project to project.
New consultant trainers generally join the team via referrals rather than via resume submissions; because the organization has specific values and high standards, they prefer it when someone they trust can vouch that a potential trainer will be a good fit.
The future
One project Sam's excited about is producing afterschool curricula for various youth organizations to implement with their staff and participants.
NYNP blog post 10-11-09
Sharing NYC nonprofit trainers’ stories
A new feature of this blog
Nonprofit trainers come from such different backgrounds and do such different day-to-day work that I thought it would be fascinating to learn about the stories of some of our NYC colleagues.
So, this will be a new topic that I’ll include on this blog from time to time – I’ll profile trainers from a range of backgrounds who serve a range of clients. I hope this will be an interesting exploration of what it means to be a trainer, and a nice recognition of our peers’ hard work.
A new feature of this blog
Nonprofit trainers come from such different backgrounds and do such different day-to-day work that I thought it would be fascinating to learn about the stories of some of our NYC colleagues.
So, this will be a new topic that I’ll include on this blog from time to time – I’ll profile trainers from a range of backgrounds who serve a range of clients. I hope this will be an interesting exploration of what it means to be a trainer, and a nice recognition of our peers’ hard work.
NYNP blog post 4-13-09
A formula for creating leaders
Revisiting John P. Kotter's "What Leaders Really Do"
In Kotter's article (which I discussed in my prior blog post "Trainers as leaders and managers"), he says that effective leaders often have certain professional experiences in common, which suggests a formula that organizations can use to develop their staff into excellent leaders.
A three-step formula for creating leaders
1) Early in their careers, during their twenties and thirties, effective leaders typically have had the opportunity to face a significant challenge. This gives them the chance to attempt to truly lead, as well as to learn from the positives and negatives of the experience. This learning opportunity is an key ingredient in developing their leadership skills and perspectives. Thus, organizations that are serious about developing leaders provide challenging assignments to relatively young employees.
2) Effective leaders have also generally had the chance to break out of narrow career paths and broaden their knowledge and experiences. This happens through routes such as lateral career moves, early promotions to broad roles, assignments to special task forces, or serious management training courses. Again, organizations that want to develop leaders create these routes to broadening perspectives.
3) Effective leaders have strong networks of internal & external relationships. These networks are essential to successful leadership initiatives. Organizations can support this by offering opportunities to work on teams and build internal relationships, and they can support or encourage time spent on external networking opportunities.
Now is the time to develop leadership
This year, organizations do not have to search far for challenges to provide employees, whether early-career employees who would benefit from a first real leadership opportunity or more experienced employees who would benefit from a chance to broaden perspectives. Nonprofits can create opportunities to exercise leadership and build internal networks by setting up task forces on revenue-generat ion, cost cutting, quality assurance during budget cuts, and staff motivation and retention. In addition, because nonprofits need to collaborate and learn from each other in order to survive this moment in history, they can send employees to knowledge sharing events in the field, which offer networking opportunities and a subsequent chance to teach or lead the organization on what was learned.
How trainers can support the development of leaders
We nonprofit trainers can encourage our organizations to take advantage of the current opportunity to develop leaders. As trainers, we can build an organizational culture of continuing professional development and lifelong learning.
In the nonprofit field, we know that this is the time our communities need us the most. In the same way, as trainers, this is the time our organizations need our unique abilities the most.
Revisiting John P. Kotter's "What Leaders Really Do"
In Kotter's article (which I discussed in my prior blog post "Trainers as leaders and managers"), he says that effective leaders often have certain professional experiences in common, which suggests a formula that organizations can use to develop their staff into excellent leaders.
A three-step formula for creating leaders
1) Early in their careers, during their twenties and thirties, effective leaders typically have had the opportunity to face a significant challenge. This gives them the chance to attempt to truly lead, as well as to learn from the positives and negatives of the experience. This learning opportunity is an key ingredient in developing their leadership skills and perspectives. Thus, organizations that are serious about developing leaders provide challenging assignments to relatively young employees.
2) Effective leaders have also generally had the chance to break out of narrow career paths and broaden their knowledge and experiences. This happens through routes such as lateral career moves, early promotions to broad roles, assignments to special task forces, or serious management training courses. Again, organizations that want to develop leaders create these routes to broadening perspectives.
3) Effective leaders have strong networks of internal & external relationships. These networks are essential to successful leadership initiatives. Organizations can support this by offering opportunities to work on teams and build internal relationships, and they can support or encourage time spent on external networking opportunities.
Now is the time to develop leadership
This year, organizations do not have to search far for challenges to provide employees, whether early-career employees who would benefit from a first real leadership opportunity or more experienced employees who would benefit from a chance to broaden perspectives. Nonprofits can create opportunities to exercise leadership and build internal networks by setting up task forces on revenue-generat ion, cost cutting, quality assurance during budget cuts, and staff motivation and retention. In addition, because nonprofits need to collaborate and learn from each other in order to survive this moment in history, they can send employees to knowledge sharing events in the field, which offer networking opportunities and a subsequent chance to teach or lead the organization on what was learned.
How trainers can support the development of leaders
We nonprofit trainers can encourage our organizations to take advantage of the current opportunity to develop leaders. As trainers, we can build an organizational culture of continuing professional development and lifelong learning.
In the nonprofit field, we know that this is the time our communities need us the most. In the same way, as trainers, this is the time our organizations need our unique abilities the most.
NYNP blog post 3-30-09
Advice from senior managers for trainers
A panel of training and non-training senior managers shared their advice for training professionals & training departments at ASTDNY's Training Directors Special Interest Group on Tuesday.
The panelists were all from for-profit organizations, but two of their messages in particular were good takeaways for nonprofit trainers:
1. Be a strategic business partner for your organization
2. Market your results to enhance your credibility
Partnering with business functions to be a catalyst for positive change
As trainers, we are in a unique position to have a major impact on our organizations. The process of designing training requires that trainers understand both our organizations' big picture priorities and the details that will support our organizations' goals. This gives us a rare insight and therefore the opportunity to make an insightful difference.
For example, when we do needs assessments to uncover issues that could be solved by training, we also uncover other challenges that require non-training solutions (such as changing management policies, restructuring, improving internal processes, conducting research, etc.). When this happens we need to be proactive in proposing solutions to management, even if they challenge the status quo, so that we become true partners in improving our organizations.
The panelists also encouraged trainers to talk with the business functions, find out what's important to them, and collaborate on ways to help them solve the issues that keep them up at night.
Marketing our impact on our organizations
How many of us have gotten written feedback on workshop evaluations to the tune of "thank you for this incredible workshop that's going to help me do my job better"? Yet, how many of us have forwarded that feedback to our supervisors or to senior management? How many of us include management when our training teams meet to review our results and discuss successes, challenges, and lessons learned?
The panelists urged trainers not to keep training evaluation information to ourselves. If we're too humble, we're actually doing a disservice to our organization's decision-makers, because we're withholding information that would help them understand the value of training. We need to share information about money saved, value added, performance improved, etc.
We trainers know that we provide a valuable service. We prevent problems, improve service to our clients, increase our organizations' impact on our missions, and enhance efficiency, which saves our organizations time, money, and resources. We need to make sure we're not the only ones who know how valuable we are and how much we contribute.
The panel
The panel was organized by Lance Tukell, ASTDNY's President-Elect and Chair of the Training Directors Special Interest Group (who was also a panelist), and moderated by Diane McCulloch, ASTDNY's Vice President of Programs.
Panelists included:
- Aleksander Scekic, VP of Talent Management & Organization Development, AIG
- Lance Tukell, Director of Global Training and Development, AIG
- Don Decker, Director of Learning and Development, Barnes & Noble, Inc.
- Mark Bottini, VP, Director of Stores, Barnes & Noble, Inc.
- John M. Attinger, Technology Training Manager, Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP
- Gina Elliott - Director of Technology Support, Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP
- James O'Hern, Corporate Director of Learning, HESS Corporation
- Paul Maccaro, Corporate Director of Talent Management, HESS Corporation.
(See my prior blog post "The Value of Joining a Professional Training Association" for more information about ASTDNY.)
A panel of training and non-training senior managers shared their advice for training professionals & training departments at ASTDNY's Training Directors Special Interest Group on Tuesday.
The panelists were all from for-profit organizations, but two of their messages in particular were good takeaways for nonprofit trainers:
1. Be a strategic business partner for your organization
2. Market your results to enhance your credibility
Partnering with business functions to be a catalyst for positive change
As trainers, we are in a unique position to have a major impact on our organizations. The process of designing training requires that trainers understand both our organizations' big picture priorities and the details that will support our organizations' goals. This gives us a rare insight and therefore the opportunity to make an insightful difference.
For example, when we do needs assessments to uncover issues that could be solved by training, we also uncover other challenges that require non-training solutions (such as changing management policies, restructuring, improving internal processes, conducting research, etc.). When this happens we need to be proactive in proposing solutions to management, even if they challenge the status quo, so that we become true partners in improving our organizations.
The panelists also encouraged trainers to talk with the business functions, find out what's important to them, and collaborate on ways to help them solve the issues that keep them up at night.
Marketing our impact on our organizations
How many of us have gotten written feedback on workshop evaluations to the tune of "thank you for this incredible workshop that's going to help me do my job better"? Yet, how many of us have forwarded that feedback to our supervisors or to senior management? How many of us include management when our training teams meet to review our results and discuss successes, challenges, and lessons learned?
The panelists urged trainers not to keep training evaluation information to ourselves. If we're too humble, we're actually doing a disservice to our organization's decision-makers, because we're withholding information that would help them understand the value of training. We need to share information about money saved, value added, performance improved, etc.
We trainers know that we provide a valuable service. We prevent problems, improve service to our clients, increase our organizations' impact on our missions, and enhance efficiency, which saves our organizations time, money, and resources. We need to make sure we're not the only ones who know how valuable we are and how much we contribute.
The panel
The panel was organized by Lance Tukell, ASTDNY's President-Elect and Chair of the Training Directors Special Interest Group (who was also a panelist), and moderated by Diane McCulloch, ASTDNY's Vice President of Programs.
Panelists included:
- Aleksander Scekic, VP of Talent Management & Organization Development, AIG
- Lance Tukell, Director of Global Training and Development, AIG
- Don Decker, Director of Learning and Development, Barnes & Noble, Inc.
- Mark Bottini, VP, Director of Stores, Barnes & Noble, Inc.
- John M. Attinger, Technology Training Manager, Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP
- Gina Elliott - Director of Technology Support, Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP
- James O'Hern, Corporate Director of Learning, HESS Corporation
- Paul Maccaro, Corporate Director of Talent Management, HESS Corporation.
(See my prior blog post "The Value of Joining a Professional Training Association" for more information about ASTDNY.)
NYNP blog post 3-19-09
Trainers as both leaders and managers
As nonprofit trainers in these tumultuous times, we have the opportunity to help our organizations both manage and lead our staff. Both functions are essential.
Yesterday, I was at the March session of Community Resource Exchange's 2009 Leadership Caucus (http://www.crenyc.org/consult/consult_leadershipcaucus.php), where we spent the morning discussing the differences between leadership and management. The jumping off point for the discussion was John P. Kotter's 1990 Harvard Business Review article "What Leaders Really Do," in which he argues that management and leadership are complementary but distinct.
To sum up the article, Kotter describes managers as promoting stability, which includes putting hierarchies, processes, and policies in place. These systems organize and monitor people's efficiency and accuracy as they work on their organization's plans. Kotter describes leaders, on the other hand, as pushing for and supporting change. This includes aligning people so that everyone moves towards the same target, which is done by communicating a motivating vision of the future, and then convincing and empowering people to make that vision happen.
Applying these ideas specifically to trainers, when trainers work in service of management, we make sure that staff know how to do things like fill out paperwork correctly, follow procedures properly, and comply with regulations. When we work in service of leadership, we make sure that staff understand our organizations' missions, visions, and values, and we inspire staff to bring these to life. For training to have an impact on participants' behavior on the job, we as trainers need to do both.
This is especially true in the nonprofit world, where organizations strive for success on a double bottom line -- we measure success in both revenue and in progress toward our missions. In other words, we need to succeed with our heads as well as our hearts. A nonprofit organization could make huge amounts of money, but if that happened while making no progress toward its mission, the nonprofit's work would be deemed a failure. Conversely, a nonprofit could make wonderful progress toward its mission, but if that happened while losing huge amounts money, the nonprofit would cease to exist.
These issues of management vs. leadership and revenue vs. mission come to life for nonprofit trainers in that we need to address both our participants' skills and their motivation. We must provide staff with the tools they need to implement our organizations' program models, and we must also provide staff with the inspiration they will need to overcome challenges and strive towards the mission and vision.
Right now, with staff roles changing as nonprofits' budgets decrease and tough decisions being made that impact organizations' visions of the future, nonprofit trainers can be an overlooked resource. Many nonprofit trainers are adept at integrating the issues I described, as many of us have balanced the needs of management and leadership, skills and motivation in our workshops for years. This means that right now, we can be of great service to our organizations.
So the question for us becomes: how can each of us, in our own situations in our own nonprofits, step up to help with managing and leading our organizations through the crisis we face today?
As nonprofit trainers in these tumultuous times, we have the opportunity to help our organizations both manage and lead our staff. Both functions are essential.
Yesterday, I was at the March session of Community Resource Exchange's 2009 Leadership Caucus (http://www.crenyc.org/consult/consult_leadershipcaucus.php), where we spent the morning discussing the differences between leadership and management. The jumping off point for the discussion was John P. Kotter's 1990 Harvard Business Review article "What Leaders Really Do," in which he argues that management and leadership are complementary but distinct.
To sum up the article, Kotter describes managers as promoting stability, which includes putting hierarchies, processes, and policies in place. These systems organize and monitor people's efficiency and accuracy as they work on their organization's plans. Kotter describes leaders, on the other hand, as pushing for and supporting change. This includes aligning people so that everyone moves towards the same target, which is done by communicating a motivating vision of the future, and then convincing and empowering people to make that vision happen.
Applying these ideas specifically to trainers, when trainers work in service of management, we make sure that staff know how to do things like fill out paperwork correctly, follow procedures properly, and comply with regulations. When we work in service of leadership, we make sure that staff understand our organizations' missions, visions, and values, and we inspire staff to bring these to life. For training to have an impact on participants' behavior on the job, we as trainers need to do both.
This is especially true in the nonprofit world, where organizations strive for success on a double bottom line -- we measure success in both revenue and in progress toward our missions. In other words, we need to succeed with our heads as well as our hearts. A nonprofit organization could make huge amounts of money, but if that happened while making no progress toward its mission, the nonprofit's work would be deemed a failure. Conversely, a nonprofit could make wonderful progress toward its mission, but if that happened while losing huge amounts money, the nonprofit would cease to exist.
These issues of management vs. leadership and revenue vs. mission come to life for nonprofit trainers in that we need to address both our participants' skills and their motivation. We must provide staff with the tools they need to implement our organizations' program models, and we must also provide staff with the inspiration they will need to overcome challenges and strive towards the mission and vision.
Right now, with staff roles changing as nonprofits' budgets decrease and tough decisions being made that impact organizations' visions of the future, nonprofit trainers can be an overlooked resource. Many nonprofit trainers are adept at integrating the issues I described, as many of us have balanced the needs of management and leadership, skills and motivation in our workshops for years. This means that right now, we can be of great service to our organizations.
So the question for us becomes: how can each of us, in our own situations in our own nonprofits, step up to help with managing and leading our organizations through the crisis we face today?
NYNP blog post 3-2-09
The Value of Joining a Professional Training Association
Nonprofit trainers can benefit from joining ASTD or other organizations
In the nonprofit world, most of our organizations are small. Thus, training can frequently be handled by one person as just one part of their job responsibilities, or perhaps by a handful of people in a small department. This means that those of us who are professional nonprofit trainers don't have many colleagues within our organizations.
In order to exchange ideas about training, find out about resources, and learn how others handle similar challenges, it's valuable for nonprofit trainers to join a professional association such as the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).
I am a member of both national ASTD and the local NY Metro ASTD chapter and find value in both, but there are plenty of other professional associations available to trainers in New York City. Since I'm most familiar with ASTD and ASTDNY, I'll share what I find valuable about membership in these.
National ASTD (www.astd.org) is a great source of information and resources, as it hosts conferences, offers professional development, offers a professional certification as a trainer, offers an online community for networking, provides a job bank, and publishes research on training topics, as well as many print & online periodicals. I've used my ASTD membership to attend an excellent workshop on developing quality e-learning, and I read the helpful periodicals that come with membership. I've also published articles in one of their periodicals, T+D Magazine.
The local NY Metro ASTD chapter (www.astdny.org) is a great source of in-person networking and events to help you stay current on developments in the training field. As an ASTDNY member, I've attended monthly Gather-and-Shar e networking events, participated in the e-learning special interest group and the training directors special interest group, and attended monthly chapter events on topics such as interactive training design, training multicultural groups, evaluating training, executive on-boarding, and more.
The February 2009 ASTDNY chapter event featured amazing demos of computer simulations for developing managers' soft skills. The sample simulations were demo-ed by Dr. Glenn Albright, Director of Applied Research, and Ralph Vacca, Chief Learning Architect, of Kognito Interactive. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the cutting-edge work being done by a local organization that creates learning simulations and games, and every chapter event begins with time for networking - so if you feel moved to come to an event, I hope you'll say hi.
Upcoming ASTDNY events will cover a variety of topics, including how training professionals are working on challenges due to the economic crisis, what senior managers really think of training departments, and case studies of e-learning that develops soft skills.
For me, membership in a professional organization helps stimulate my thinking about how my team and I can continually improve our service to our organization's clients by taking advantage of the latest knowledge and technology in the training field. It also provides me with context and a bigger picture view of my work.
Are you a member of a professional training organization? If so, which one, and what do you find valuable about it? I hope you'll share.
Nonprofit trainers can benefit from joining ASTD or other organizations
In the nonprofit world, most of our organizations are small. Thus, training can frequently be handled by one person as just one part of their job responsibilities, or perhaps by a handful of people in a small department. This means that those of us who are professional nonprofit trainers don't have many colleagues within our organizations.
In order to exchange ideas about training, find out about resources, and learn how others handle similar challenges, it's valuable for nonprofit trainers to join a professional association such as the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).
I am a member of both national ASTD and the local NY Metro ASTD chapter and find value in both, but there are plenty of other professional associations available to trainers in New York City. Since I'm most familiar with ASTD and ASTDNY, I'll share what I find valuable about membership in these.
National ASTD (www.astd.org) is a great source of information and resources, as it hosts conferences, offers professional development, offers a professional certification as a trainer, offers an online community for networking, provides a job bank, and publishes research on training topics, as well as many print & online periodicals. I've used my ASTD membership to attend an excellent workshop on developing quality e-learning, and I read the helpful periodicals that come with membership. I've also published articles in one of their periodicals, T+D Magazine.
The local NY Metro ASTD chapter (www.astdny.org) is a great source of in-person networking and events to help you stay current on developments in the training field. As an ASTDNY member, I've attended monthly Gather-and-Shar e networking events, participated in the e-learning special interest group and the training directors special interest group, and attended monthly chapter events on topics such as interactive training design, training multicultural groups, evaluating training, executive on-boarding, and more.
The February 2009 ASTDNY chapter event featured amazing demos of computer simulations for developing managers' soft skills. The sample simulations were demo-ed by Dr. Glenn Albright, Director of Applied Research, and Ralph Vacca, Chief Learning Architect, of Kognito Interactive. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the cutting-edge work being done by a local organization that creates learning simulations and games, and every chapter event begins with time for networking - so if you feel moved to come to an event, I hope you'll say hi.
Upcoming ASTDNY events will cover a variety of topics, including how training professionals are working on challenges due to the economic crisis, what senior managers really think of training departments, and case studies of e-learning that develops soft skills.
For me, membership in a professional organization helps stimulate my thinking about how my team and I can continually improve our service to our organization's clients by taking advantage of the latest knowledge and technology in the training field. It also provides me with context and a bigger picture view of my work.
Are you a member of a professional training organization? If so, which one, and what do you find valuable about it? I hope you'll share.
NYNP blog post 2-12-09
Free resources for learning computer skills
Do more with less by taking advantage of existing resources
In the nonprofit sector, we often end up working so hard and on such tight deadlines that we don't pause to look around and discover the existing resources that could help us. We end up reinventing the wheel, when we could better serve our clients by spending our resources and energy on more needed work.
As an example, if a nonprofit trainer is asked to create new training on computer skills, it can be a better use of resources to do some research and then refer staff to existing free or low-cost tutorials. Then, the trainer can focus on developing more mission-critical workshops.
Free computer tutorials
Since the example above is a common one, you might find the following free online computer tutorials useful. I have included these because I have heard that they are good, but there are many other free and low-cost options online.
Also, why develop computer classes from scratch for just a few people in your organization, in this economic climate, when the NY public library offers them for free? You can register on their website www.nypl.org by clicking on "Classes."
Do more with less by taking advantage of existing resources
In the nonprofit sector, we often end up working so hard and on such tight deadlines that we don't pause to look around and discover the existing resources that could help us. We end up reinventing the wheel, when we could better serve our clients by spending our resources and energy on more needed work.
As an example, if a nonprofit trainer is asked to create new training on computer skills, it can be a better use of resources to do some research and then refer staff to existing free or low-cost tutorials. Then, the trainer can focus on developing more mission-critical workshops.
Free computer tutorials
Since the example above is a common one, you might find the following free online computer tutorials useful. I have included these because I have heard that they are good, but there are many other free and low-cost options online.
- For very basic skills such as using a mouse, keyboard, and computer screen, the BBC offers a Computer Tutor at http://www.bbc.co.uk/computertutor/computertutorone/index.shtml
- For free typing lessons & practice: http://www.typing-lessons.org/
- For free software tutorials, Edumax offers tutorials on Microsoft Office, computer programming, database software, web development, and more at http://www.edumax.com/
- For making free certificates: http://dyetub.com/
Also, why develop computer classes from scratch for just a few people in your organization, in this economic climate, when the NY public library offers them for free? You can register on their website www.nypl.org by clicking on "Classes."
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