The Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center (LCDC) is a children’s museum and community resource for children, parents, caregivers, families and schools. The LCDC features exhibits and displays that children can touch, climb or move; an art center equipped for messy, hands-on art making; and a variety of arts-based classes and camps. The LCDC also provides volunteer opportunities for teens and adults within the community and they use VolunteerSpot to schedule and track these volunteers.
Today, our spotlight shines on Kim Walker, Associate Director of Programs & Events at LCDC.
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Please tell us a little about yourself and about your work with LCDC.
I was thrilled when the LCDC offered me the position as Associate Director of Programs & Events. My work experience includes teaching, school counselor, co-owner of an automotive repair shop, and owner of a small email marketing/social media company to name a few. I’ve found great happiness being involved in several charities and non-profits which are close to my heart. My work with the LCDC allows me to pull from all of those experiences in a harmonious way. My love for children and working with them and their families found its home here at the LCDC because I get to do many things, but most importantly planning, managing and implementing the educational and special programming for our guests. I also oversee the volunteer programs which led me to VolunteerSpot!
What are your volunteer needs for LCDC? How does it work?
We are a valuable resource to our community and as a non-profit we have a unique set of needs which allows us to offer multiple volunteer opportunities. We are located close to Southeastern Louisiana University and have formed a wonderful partnership with a few of the departments on campus such as the Teaching & Learning and the Family & Consumer Sciences departments. We are an approved field experience site for the teacher candidates and Family Studies students to earn their field experience hours. We are fortunate to have many volunteers from these departments; they offer wonderful direct teaching and interaction with our visitors. We are also connecting with local civic and service organizations within our community and high schools such as Key & Beta Clubs. We are also putting together a force of “Junior Volunteers”,from the Junior Beta Clubs, to earn community service hours.
VolunteerSpot is an incredibly efficient, effective way to manage the scheduling of all our volunteers, including daily opportunities to interact with families in the exhibit areas or for special events. It's a win-win and has made the process seamless! From our opening in October through November we have had over 130 volunteers earning over 1,400 volunteer hours! Our mission is to provide an exceptional environment where play & learning inspire children to embrace the world and we are able to do that through our great team of volunteers.
How did you get interested in volunteering?
My first volunteer experience was as a “Candy Striper” at the local hospital when I was 13 years old. Since then, I have found great joy in giving my time to many organizations and enjoy passing that trait on to my son. I believe that the heartbeat of America is in small businesses and volunteers! I have volunteered in churches, with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), professional associations, my son’s school, the Caring Community Foundation and more.
What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?
My biggest piece of advice is to always remember that volunteers are giving of their own very special time. Though they’re not looking for thanks, remember that they are a huge asset and are to be valued!
Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot? How did we work for you?
Soon after accepting my job with the LCDC in June 2010, I began thinking of the unique volunteer opportunities our center would offer, but our museum software had no way to schedule and track volunteers. I began using social networking sites to find out how others were scheduling and tracking volunteer hours, but it wasn’t until I posed the question on the ChildMus list serve for professionals within the Children’s Museum industry that I got my ultimate answer. I received several resources but VolunteerSpot was the most effective, for me. I love how easy it is to setup and share. But more important than what I think about it is what our volunteers think about it. The feedback has been nothing but positive! It has made scheduling a dream. We find it a great win-win for everyone involved. I put the schedule out there, share it, email it, post it and our volunteers can schedule based on their own availability. We love it!
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To learn more about the LCDC, please visit http://www.lcdcofhammond.org/.
We salute Kim and all the other volunteer coordinators, working to make it easier for volunteers to do their good work. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected]
