English Club on Best Buddies and Volunteer Programs

Topic: Best Buddies and Volunteer Programs

Fun Fact of the Day: “The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is the most-visited museum in the U.S.  [It] gets 8.3 million visitors a year and is second only to the Louvre in attendance worldwide” (http://todaytravel.com).

Special Presentation: Best Buddies Ukraine.  “Best Buddies International is a nonprofit organization.  It consists of volunteers that attempt to create opportunities for people with intellectual and development disabilities.”

 Topic:

1. What did you learn about Best Buddies from this presentation?  Are you interested in participating in such an initiative?  What are the biggest personal and community benefits of this program?  How does it help promote acceptance and cooperation?  Do you believe that even one person can make a large difference in a community by helping others?

2. Have you heard of any other similar programs in our community?  Do you know of separate programs designed to meet the needs of specific groups of children or adults?  Are there any special programs in schools or projects designed to help orphanages?  What additional initiatives do you think should be implemented in Vinnitsa to increase quality of life for everyone?

3. How do projects like Best Buddies promote volunteerism on an international level?  What is volunteerism and how does it affect all of us?  How important do you think volunteer work is within a community and worldwide?  Would you volunteer your time for a particular cause?  If so, which is the most important to you?

4. Would you ever take part in a larger global volunteer project, perhaps living abroad for your work?  If so, would you choose to work at a “nonprofit organization”?  What are the benefits for working and volunteering at a nonprofit organization?

5.Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan once said, “… let us remember the large numbers of citizens who, day in and day out, through acts of volunteerism large and small, bring hope to so many of the world’s disadvantaged.  Let us ensure that this wonderful resource, available in abundance to every nation, is recognized and supported as it works towards a more prosperous and peaceful world” (www.doonething.org).  Do you agree that we are all a “resource” for volunteerism?  Do you think that volunteer work can create a “prosperous” and “peaceful” world?  How can we each improve the world we live in?