Community Volunteer Training Program

State of Pennsylvania - 2006 - PA Governor's Award for Local Government Excellence

Summary

The Solebury Township supervisors created the Community Volunteer Training Program to recruit and retain citizens who serve on municipal advisory committees. The program teaches the volunteers’ roles and responsibilities through a series of educational seminars; topics range from storm water management to historic resource protection.

Description

The Solebury Township supervisors created the Community Volunteer Training Program to recruit and retain citizens who serve on municipal advisory committees.

The program teaches the volunteers’ roles and responsibilities through a series of educational seminars; topics range from storm water management to historic resource protection. The program encourages all volunteers to advance the goals of the township’s comprehensive plan and fosters a positive environment in which the volunteers see themselves as part of a single team. The program runs throughout the year, attracting approximately 75 percent of the volunteers. It represents a progressive and innovative approach to increasing advisory committee participation, productivity and effectiveness. The program also encouraging citizens to be active participants in their community.

For its efforts to promote innovative community and governmental initiatives, Solebury Township is honored with the 2006 Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence.