August 17, 2009

ELGIN, IL – Children's Disaster Services (CDS) has updated the workshop and curriculum used to train its volunteers. CDS is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren serving children and families following disasters.

"It started with a gathering of experienced trainers, where we discussed the workshop, its vital concepts, and updates that were needed," reported associate director Judy Bezon. Training materials were enhanced through consultation with Kathy Fry-Miller, a CDS volunteer who writes curriculum and trains child care givers professionally. The result is a workshop that has both an instructor's and a participant's manual, and an updated "look."

The updated curriculum is designed to be easier for instructors to present, offering a selection of activities to tailor a training workshop to individual teaching styles while ensuring that participants receive a standardized curriculum and learn the things they need to know to work with children after a disaster.

"We then tested the new curriculum to see what worked well and what needed to be changed before it was finalized," Bezon reported. The updated curriculum was tested at workshops in March and April, one in La Verne, Calif.; and the other in Fort Wayne, Ind. "As a result of these workshops, we found things that needed to be fixed – places where the instructor's and participant's manuals could be clearer, and additional ideas that would enhance the workshop. These ideas are being incorporated into the final version of the curriculum," Bezon reported.

Two "Train the Trainers" workshops are being held in August at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The three-day workshops will cover principles of adult education, the revised curriculum and its presentation, and the basics of using PowerPoint slides to enhance instruction.

For more information contact Children's Disaster Services at 800-451-4407 ext. 5.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 125,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service