This page is currently under review by Special Olympics Ontario
Welcoming the New Volunteer
Upon registration, volunteers are asked to complete the online SOC orientation modules. The three modules, which provide information on the organization, working with athletes with an intellectual disability and basic risk management, can be found on the solearn.ca website.
Each new volunteer should also receive an orientation to the organization by the Head Coach or Community Registrar. This orientation would cover a brief overview of how the local community council works, who is on the local council, an introduction to the other volunteers in the program the volunteer will be helping with along with an outline of all risk management plans and a clear outline of what the volunteer’s role will be in the program. SOO has provided all local councils with a copy of an orientation PowerPoint that can be modified and adapted for use in your community. All SOO provided resources can be found in your communities Google Drive.
New volunteers should be provided with the following key contact information:
- Head Coach- volunteers should inform their head coach of any times they will not be able to participate in a scheduled event and of any issues they are having with the program they are volunteering with
- Point of Contact on Community Council- the volunteer can connect with the community council when they are having issues with their head coach, when they would like to explore further options with the organization or when they would like to help out with scheduled community events (fundraisers, competitions, registration events etc)
- District Developer- the volunteer can contact their District Developer when they have an issue with their community council, if they have a question that they can not get answered in the community or if they would like to help with Provincial/National initiatives or would like to apply for District or Provincial volunteer positions
- Special Olympics Ontario- the volunteer can contact Special Olympics Ontario with any questions they have, please note if the questions are related to the community they may be directed back to the community council or to their District Developer
Special Olympics Ontario has developed the Resource Library, which is an in-depth resource for all members of the organization. Volunteers are expected to be familiar with the Resource Library.