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Introduction: Research on outcomes of volunteering in later life largely focuses on the health of volunteers. This is in contrast to studies of youth, where attention is directed toward the effects of volunteering on subsequent productive and citizen behaviors. In this study, we examined the effects of volunteering on subsequent social and civic activity of older adults., Method: This study was conducted with volunteers from Experience Corps® (EC), a national program that brings older adults into schools to work with students. Data were derived from a baseline survey of older adults who were new EC volunteers in fall of 2006 and 2007. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 338 volunteers in fall 2010 to capture work, education, and community activities undertaken subsequent to joining EC., Results: Subsequent to joining EC, 16% of volunteers reported that they started a new job, 53% started another volunteer position, 40% started a community activity, and 39% took a class/started educational program. When asked if and how EC participation played a role in their new involvements, 71% said it increased confidence, 76% said it increased realization of the importance of organized activities/daily structure, and more than 40% said they made social connections that led to new involvements. Most reported they were more likely to be involved in advocacy efforts for public education., Discussion: Volunteering among older adults is a means as well as an end--just as it is for young people. Programs can do more to attract and serve older adults by promoting volunteering as a pathway to other engagements, including work, social, and civic activities., (© 2014 Society for Public Health Education.)

There are hundreds of tutoring programs that utilize community volunteers being implemented across the country; however, there are few rigorous efforts to evaluate their effectiveness. This article presents findings on reading achievement from an evaluation of the New York City Experience Corps[R], a program that uses older volunteers to work with students in public elementary schools. Two hundred and eighty-eight first- and second-grade students participated in a pre-test/post-test two group design with randomization to assess the impact of the program on their reading abilities. Reading was assessed using the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) and Early Childhood Literary Assessment System (ECLAS). Results indicate that Experience Corps is effective at improving reading scores. This study provides evidence that older volunteers can be successfully utilized to tutor young readers. (Contains 3 tables.)

Volunteer-based programs are increasingly designed as interventions to affect the volunteers and the beneficiaries of the volunteers' activities. To achieve the intended impacts for both, programs need to leverage the volunteers' engagement by meeting their expectations, retaining them, and maximizing their perceptions of benefits. Programmatic features that may increase volunteer engagement include supervision, flexibility, assistance, training, recognition, and stipend support. Using longitudinal data from a study of older adult volunteers in Experience Corps (N=208), the present study tested the facilitative effects of these features on volunteer engagement. Regression results indicated that positive perceptions of supervision and assistance predicted exceeded expectations, whereas supervision, flexibility, and recognition predicted retention and benefits. Stipend receipt also predicted benefits. Results indicated that these facilitation measures are conceptually and empirically similar and have an overall positive impact on volunteer engagement outcomes when treated additively. In the context of the study's implications, findings suggest that volunteer management "basics" facilitate volunteer engagement among the sample of older adult volunteers, with implications for practice and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore changes in daily activities associated with high-intensity volunteering, this study assessed activities in a sample of 180 new Experience Corps (EC) volunteers serving low reading students in urban schools.Methods: Level of activity in 15 areas (visiting friends, reading, watching TV, etc.) was obtained at the beginning of this high-commitment volunteer experience and after 9 months of service. Latent class analyses were used to identify activity patterns, and regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with changes in activities.Results: At pre-test, 37% were classified in the low-activity group and were more likely to be first time volunteers, older, non-White, and have less education. At post-test, only 17% were classified as low activity. An increase in activity was more likely to occur for those who were low activity before joining the volunteer program.Implications: These findings demonstrate that increase in activity does occur for less active older adults who join a volunteer program. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

What is the role of stipends as an institutional facilitator in volunteer civic service? By examining the relationship of stipend receipt to volunteer diversity, time commitment, and perceived benefits from a longitudinal study of older adults serving in Experience Corps, this article assesses stipend status relative to volunteer sociodemographic characteristics, motivations, intensity and duration of time served, and volunteers' self-reported benefits. The findings underscore how stipends may promote participant diversity. In particular, stipended older adult volunteers serve for longer periods of time, but their motivations for serving do not differ. Stipended volunteers report higher perceived benefits than nonstipended volunteers. The results suggest that stipends may leverage wider inclusion, increase retention, and contribute to other benefits, but additional research is needed using more controlled and comparative designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]