4-H Youth Volunteer Retention in Science Projects

Retention of volunteers and participants is a critical concern for programs that rely on their manpower, but limited empirical research exists, especially on youth volunteers. This descriptive, cross-sectional quantitative study examined the influence of volunteer motivation, participation, and science project type on the retention of 4-H youth volunteers ages 12 to 19 years participating in science projects in 3 states. An instrument was created for this study that included both existing survey scales and researcher-developed items based on combined research from the citizen science, volunteer development, and youth development fields. The research revealed that consistency and engagement were correlated with the predictors of retention, but race was not. 4-H science programs have a significantly higher likelihood of retaining youth participants than 4-H citizen science programs. Suggestions for youth educators to develop retention strategies are discussed based on the findings and future research into youth volunteer engagement is proposed.

Effect of Psychological Capital of Volunteers on Volunteering Behavior: The Chained Mediation Role of Perceived Social Support and Volunteer Motivation

This study explored the role of perceived social support and voluntary motivation in the effect of psychological capital of volunteers on volunteering behavior. A sample of 1,165 volunteers who were registered in the China Voluntary Service Information System was investigated using a self-reported questionnaire, showing that the psychological capital, perceived social support, voluntary motivation, and volunteering behavior of the volunteers were significantly and positively related to each other. The psychological capital of the volunteers affected volunteering behavior not only directly, but also indirectly through the mediating role of voluntary motivation. Moreover, perceived social support and voluntary motivation also played a chain role in the relationship between the psychological capital and volunteering behavior of the volunteers. Therefore, increasing the psychological capital of the volunteers should promote their perceived social support and inspire voluntary motivation, in turn affecting their volunteering behavior.

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY OF STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

This article considers a motivation of the students to a volunteer activity in the context of nutrition. Key categories of volunteer motivation were explained based on sociological study of the students volunteers joined to project “Hercules” at the Kursk State Medical University.

Generation Z volunteer motivation

Even now, young people are becoming the main driving force in the labour market and the implementation of volunteer activities on the territory of the Russian Federation This article reveals the connection between motivational profles and values of generation Z, which allows us to develop more grounded incentive systems for volunteering in various spheres of life.

Evaluating the motivation of Red Cross Health volunteers in the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study protocol

IntroductionVoluntary organisations provide essential support to vulnerable populations and front-line health responders to the COVID-19 pandemic. The French Red Cross (FRC) is prominent among organisations offering health and support services in the current crisis. Comprised primarily of lay volunteers and some trained health workers, FRC volunteers in the Paris (France) region have faced challenges in adapting to pandemic conditions, working with sick and vulnerable populations, managing limited resources and coping with high demand for their services. Existing studies of volunteers focus on individual, social and organisational determinants of motivation, but attend less to contextual ones. Public health incertitude about the COVID-19 pandemic is an important feature of this pandemic. Whether and how uncertainty interacts with volunteer understandings and experiences of their work and organisational relations to contribute to Red Cross worker motivation is the focus of this investigation.Methods and analysisThis mixed-methods study will investigate volunteer motivation using ethnographic methods and social network listening. Semi-structured interviews and observations will illuminate FRC volunteer work relations, experiences and concerns during the pandemic. A questionnaire targeting a sample of Paris region volunteers will allow quantification of motivation. These findings will iteratively shape and be influenced by a social media (Twitter) analysis of biomedical and public health uncertainties and debates around COVID-19. These tweets provide insight into a French lay public’s interpretations of these debates. We evaluate whether and how socio-political conditions and discourses concerning COVID-19 interact with volunteer experiences, working conditions and organisational relations to influence volunteer motivation. Data collection began on 15 June 2020 and will continue until 15 April 2021.Ethics and disseminationThe protocol has received ethical approval from the Institut Pasteur Institutional Review Board (no 2020-03). We will disseminate findings through peer-reviewed articles, conference presentations and recommendations to the FRC.

A Holistic Investigation of Special Event Volunteer Motivation

Over 1,400 food, wine, and beer festivals are held in the United States annually, many ofwhich are dependent on volunteers to provide the labor necessary once the event starts, so as tokeep costs manageable. The purpose of this study was to obtain a holistic understanding of specialevent festival volunteer motivation. Specifically, this study utilized a survey with closed and openendedquestions to address student motivation for participating in the 2018 Food Network &Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF®). The results demonstratedthat students were motivated by three factors: Purposive, External Traditions/Commitments andSolidary. Moreover, the findings revealed that there were issues of obligation and conveniencethat served to demotivate individuals from participating as a volunteer for this event.