Every once in a while, I get a phone call or an email at Plan to Protect
®
that really surprises me – someone asks a question I’ve never heard of before. The truth is, I’ve worked at Plan to Protect
®
for almost six years and usually the questions we receive are the same or very similar. But one day I was sitting at my desk and a member called and asked me something new. She shared with me that they have some staff members and volunteers who work entirely online. They don’t interact with the vulnerable sector in person, but they do over the internet. She wanted to know if we had training or any policy ideas for online engagement. Within two weeks of that phone call, I heard from four other clients asking the same question. Welcome to the future!
Utilizing volunteers or staff for online small groups, digital youth events, online mentoring and counselling, forums, live streamed messages, and community social networking sites is a great way to involve a workforce from all over the world and find new and creative ways to engage an online community.
However you’re doing or planning on doing online engagement, it’s a great idea to have a plan for protection.