Who volunteers? How do they get involved? What are the dynamics of midlife on work, family and volunteering? What roles do volunteers play, and what benefits do they reap? How do families share volunteer projects? How can organizations prepare for the "new" middle-aged volunteer? What are the trends in the workplace regarding volunteering? What are the connections between volunteering and spirituality?
These issues, among others, will be the foci of national volunteering experts at the National Forum on Life Cycles and Volunteering: The Impact of Work, Family and Mid-Life Issues today and Friday in the Statler Auditorium.
Sponsored by the College of Human Ecology, the forum will examine the latest research and trends in volunteerism and how life-course factors affect volunteering; will develop a deeper understanding of specific life-cycle segments; and will identify areas that need more research or better practices. There also will be a live, national videoconference from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and the Special Children's Center. The broadcast will feature presentations by leaders from national volunteer organizations and experts in human development and the life course.
"This conference is the first to focus on midlife and will define new directions in research and better practices," said Peg Hendricks, director of the Cornell conference.
Speakers will include executives from the Points of Light Foundation, YMCA of the USA, Association of Junior Leagues International, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, National Retiree Volunteer Coalition, Non-Profit Management Center, as well as numerous academics who study life-course issues and volunteerism.
In addition, the American Red Cross is sponsoring up to 100 of its national sites to host the videoconference, and America's Promise, chaired by Gen. Colin Powell, the follow-up to the President's Summit on volunteerism in Philadelphia is recognizing Cornell for the national forum.
For registration information, call Karen Kramer at 255-1933 or John Newton at 255-6290. More information on the conference is available on the web at http://www.human.cornell.edu/volunteerism.
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