The Volunteer Development Sparks module is a great way to explore updated models for faith development volunteer engagement! It’s recently updated/rewritten, so if you’ve taken the “Teacher Development” module in the past… you haven’t taken THIS one!

This module will take place online Fridays, July 10, 17, 24, 31 and August 7, 2-4pm ET / 1-3pm CT / 12-2 MT / 11-1 PT / 10-12 AKST / 8-10 HST. The module will be facilitated by Kirsten Hunter, CRE & religious educator Skyla King-Christison. Registration is limited to 15 participants and the fee for this 5-session module is $250, payable on a sliding scale according to availability to pay. More payment details are available in the registration form. The registration deadline is July 2, 2026.

Module Requirements

The Volunteer Development module is an online learning experience that includes five two-hour webinars with reading and other assignments for each session, hosted on the UU Institute. Credit will be offered for full participation in the module. Full participation includes:

• Online attendance and active participation in five two-hour sessions;
• Reading and reflection to prepare for each session, which will require about two or three hours per session;
• Completion of all module assignments; and
• Submission of the Participant Evaluation within one week after module ends.

Learning Objectives

The Volunteer Development module will help you

• Develop skills for recruiting and equipping volunteers and nurturing their spiritual engagement and health;
• Assist volunteers in connecting with and developing quality relationships with people of all ages and across neurological and other differences;
• Teach volunteers to center inclusion and practice pastoral presence in their volunteer work;
• Understand the implications of new models of religious education on volunteer recruitment, training, and retention; and
• Apply a faith development lens not only to the work that volunteers do but to how you engage volunteers in that work.

Required Reading

The required reading for this module is on UU Institute. Information to access this course material will be shared with you two weeks prior to the course start.

Technical Considerations

The webinar platform is Zoom, which you can download from Zoom.

In order register and access module materials, participants must have or create a UU Institute profile. On UUinstitute.org, click on “Log In/Register” at the top right and follow instructions on the page to Register. If you have already participated in a UU Institute training, you will be able to use the account you have already created once your facilitators add the course to your profile. In your course registration at the link below, you must provide the email address affiliated with your UU Institute account for facilitators to add you to the group and begin the preparation required before the first session.

Register here!

Copy the iCalendar (ICS) link address to subscribe to this event (or download the file to import it) in a program which supports the iCal format.