Final Chappaqua Update of 2017

Final Chappaqua Update of 2017

Dear AFS-USA Volunteers,

Happy New Year! We’d like to provide a final Chappaqua update for 2017. As a reminder, Chappaqua is the project name for AFS-USA’s dedicated efforts and investment in strengthening our volunteer organization, and it includes a variety of initiatives.

We are very pleased by the progress that has been made in 2017, including the establishment of an Organizational Development staff unit, the restructuring of our field staff to better support Chappaqua priorities, and the launch of MyAFS, which is the online platform tailor-made for AFS-USA Volunteers. A full list of 2017 highlights is included below, and we’d like to draw special attention to the following two items, which are new since our last communication in early November.

  • Success of the Fall 2017 Volunteer Survey
    Nearly 40% of AFS-USA Volunteers completed the second annual volunteer survey to assess current needs and activity in each of our 80 volunteer Area Teams. The data is now being analyzed, and it will be used to update each team’s profile on the Team Planning Site. THANK YOU to everyone who completed the survey and provided valuable information that will help us, and your team leaders, strategize for greater impact. Be sure to check MyAFS News for more information about the survey results in early 2018.
  • New Functionality in MyAFS
    We’re excited to announce the imminent launch of the new MyAFS Sending widget, which will allow you to “Say Hello” to new applicants and their parents, introducing them to your Team. Keep an eye on MyAFS News for an announcement in early January, as well as resources to help you navigate the new widget, including instructional webinars offered by the MyAFS Team and other content in Help & Learning.

NOTE: All Chappaqua-related messages will be posted in MyAFS News and tagged as “Chappaqua Project.”

2017 Highlights
2017 was a year of remarkable progress for Chappaqua. Here’s a look back at some of the biggest accomplishments:

  • March: Staffing changes were implemented to provide better support to AFS-USA’s Volunteer teams, including the restructuring of Team Development Staff and the creation of the Organizational Development Unit.
  • April: MyAFS, the online platform for AFS-USA Volunteers, was launched at the National Volunteer Assembly in Chicago! The NVA’s content was heavily focused on Organizational Development and MyAFS.
  • May: MyAFS News and Help & Learning were added to the MyAFS platform, allowing volunteers to access important information, resources, and training tools all in one place.
  • July: The Team Planning Center launched, which provided each volunteer Area Team with a customized profile displaying performance metrics and activity trends. The goal is to help team leadership with planning and assessment.
  • November: An annual volunteer survey was implemented to evaluate the current needs and activity of teams, and to update the Team Planning Site.

Thank you for everything you do for AFS-USA. We will continue to keep you informed in 2018, during which a number of exciting new Chappaqua initiatives will be unveiled, so stay tuned! If you have questions or comments about Chappaqua, please don’t hesitate to send them to us at: steeringchange@afsusa.org

With best wishes for the New Year,

Tara Hofmann and Mary Porterfield
Co-Chairs, Chappaqua Steering Committee

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ABOUT THE CHAPPAQUA PROJECT
The Chappaqua Project is an organizational development initiative that aims to:

  • ALIGN our volunteer teams with the business needs of the organization
  • ENGAGE volunteers so that they are committed to achieving goals and have a self-fulfilling experience

It is part of AFS-USA’s Strategic Plan 2017 priority to re-imagine the volunteer role for the future. 70 years ago, it was volunteers—American Field Service WWI and WWII ambulance drivers—who founded AFS as a means of promoting understanding among nations. We are committed to ensuring that in the 21st Century, volunteers remain at the heart of the organization and the core of our mission to build a more just and peaceful world through international education.