Today’s post comes from Stephanie Manciagli, an AmeriCorps member of the HandsOn University team. Stephanie is the Resource Development Specialist for HandsOn University.

In Stephanie’s post, she reflects upon the positive experience she had with the HandsOn Service Leader Certificate Program.

I recently took the Service Leader Certificate Course online through HandsOn Network and had the most amazing experience!  The course was exactly what I had hoped for: a great instruction for planning service projects and leading teams.  I am usually not very tech-savvy so I was very pleased with the course’s easy-to-use format.

Upon registering through the Hands On website, I received a confirmation email within seconds that directed me to the course home page.  The home page has links to each course and its accompanying assessment. To start, all you have to do is click the “Course 101” tab, and it will open up a new page to start the course. When you are done with each course, I liked that I could exit out of the course and the original course home page was still up.

The courses are set up like a slide show.   On certain pages there is text to read, and in others there is a speaker elaborating on bullet point text. The format allows you to pace yourself through the course, by pausing after each slide. Tabs on the left of the screen allow you to pause, rewind, and fast forward at your will, which is great for taking notes or taking a break.  I also liked that the course tracks and saves your progress as you go, so if you [accidently] exit out of the course, you can resume where you left off when you open the course again. Another thing I liked was the assessment questions that followed each course.  Realizing that I had retained the information that I had just learned reinforced my excitement for learning the material and challenged me to do better in each course…………………..

Courses 101-103 taught me the skills I need to know to be a Service Leader.  I have volunteered in the past, and have been interested in taking on leadership positions, but always felt that I lacked the proper skills to excel in such a position.  This course taught me what I need to know, such as, how to inspire action, mobilize others to effect change, and manage a team.  The text gives both broad outlines and specific examples of how to plan a project from beginning to end, which is extremely helpful for someone like me, who has only served as a volunteer at service events, and never planned an event.  Even more than teaching me the skills I need to know, I found these courses inspiring.  Every month I write in my planner, “Volunteer somewhere!,” or “Plan a Service Project,” but never actually do it, due to one thing or another.  After taking this course, I feel motivated and prepared to make a difference, and know I will feel proud as I reintegrate service into my life.

The Service Leader Certificate Program is an excellent way to advance your volunteer skills. National Volunteer Week is coming up (April 15 through April 21)  this is the perfect time to advance your service knowledge and become a certified service leader!

Have you taken this course? How did you benefit?

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