A Fall 2019 DLab Case Study
The Ladder Up DLab team has been working closely with the staff and volunteer coordinators of Treefort Music Fest to address challenges faced by their Under-21 volunteer program. According to Gus Marsden, one of the leads for the U21 volunteer program, the program as a whole has been very successful, but Treefort has had some struggles with organization, transparency, and lack of engagement in their volunteer system.
Guided by the question, “How Might We identify and reward passionate volunteers with meaningful skills, knowledge, and experience?”, The Ladder Up DLab team has worked extensively with previous and potential U21 volunteers to design a mentorship program to provide the most passionate volunteers with memorable experiences and long-lasting skills. In this program, select volunteers will be filtered through to more prestigious positions based on a “Ladder Up” system that offers extra support and mentorship for those most invested in Treefort and its mission. These positions will exist in areas ranging from sound engineering and stage management, to marketing and digital design, where volunteers will “Ladder Up” rung by rung from new apprentice to skilled assistant to independent lead.
The knowledge and skills that the Ladder Up volunteers will gain will not only result in a highly engaged volunteer force, they will also lead to year-over-year retention, skill and resume building, and future academic and professional opportunities.
Design Team: Athena T., Greta B., Aiden H., Cade T., Ethan T., Dilyn W.
