EARS Volunteer Training Workshops: 2010

EARS volunteers are trained to work in emergency animal shelters and to educate the public about disaster preparedness.

Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers are the backbone of our efforts to provide lifesaving care and sheltering for animal victims of natural and human-caused disasters. Volunteers come from across the United States and Canada and from all walks of life, but they have one thing in common: a commitment to helping animals in need.

To become an EARS volunteer, you must complete one of our training workshops. During the workshops, participants...

• Assess the immediate impact of evacuation
• Clarify the scope, focus and role of the EARS program  
• Assess personal preparedness and experience ways to educate others
• Describe how different types of emergency animal shelters may impact a volunteer's decision to deploy
• Discuss elements of criminal seizure, puppy mills and hoarding cases
• Examine volunteer roles and responsibilities
• Imagine what it's like at an emergency response
• Review the purpose of the VoluntE.A.R.S. Network Profile and feel situated within the EARS network
• Share tips about packing for an emergency response
• Inventory emotions to expect and identify available resources to cope
• Apply the VoluntE.A.R.S. profile, personal preparedness, deployment steps, and personal decision-making to a mock deployment situation
• Place UAN into the larger emergency management system
• Recognize common acronyms and collaborative organizations
• Hear about the EARS leadership structure
• Describe essential procedures, protocols, and policies at a temporary emergency animal shelter
• Determine ways to stay active all the time with EARS
• Reflect on own readiness and further skills needed and identify next steps.

The workshop registration fee of $60 includes a workbook, an EARS t-shirt to wear while volunteering, a photo ID badge and a certificate of completion. 

This seven-hour workshop is designed to be an introduction to emergency animal sheltering and EARS. Participants will be considered trained EARS volunteers. Please be aware that the workshop DOES NOT include animal handling or rescue training. Opportunities for ongoing training and other type of involvement will be discussed. Participants must be age 18 or older.

Workshop Schedule

2010 Workshop Dates
Dallas, Texas [download flier]	Saturday, September 18	[sign up]
Dallas, Texas [download flier]	Sunday, September 19	[sign up]
Cedar Rapids, Iowa [download flier]	Saturday, September 25	[sign up]
Washington, DC [download flier]	Saturday, November 6	[sign up]
Washington, DC [download flier]	Sunday, November 7	[sign up]
Palatine, Illinois	Saturday, March 27	[completed]
Palatine, Illinois	Sunday, March 28	[completed]
Nashville, Tennessee	Sunday, May 16	[completed]
Indianapolis, Indiana	Saturday, June 12	[completed]

SIGN UP to stay informed about future EARS workshops.

Hosting a workshop: UAN does not currently have a formal system to request to host the EARS volunteer training workshop, but we keep a record of requests and accommodate requests when possible. If you represent an agency or organization that wishes to host an EARS volunteer training workshop in 2011 or beyond, we invite you to contact us.

EARS VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION WEBINARS

Want to learn more about how the EARS volunteer program works before you attend a workshop? Get answers to frequently asked questions and an introduction to what being an EARS volunteer is like by attending a free*, hour-long online webinar, hosted live with a UAN staff member. They are offered the third Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. Pacific time.

Tuesday, September 21 at 10 a.m. Pacific time	[Sign up]
Tuesday, November 16 at 10 a.m. Pacific time	[Sign up]
Tuesday, December 21 at 10 a.m. Pacific time	[Sign up]

*There is no charge to participate in the orientation, but no toll-free calling number is available.

Scholarships

Several workshop attendees at each workshop location are granted scholarships to cover most of their workshop fee. The participant is responsible for $20 of the workshop fee and his/her own transportation and lodging. Scholarship award winners are committed to becoming active EARS volunteers and participating in future disaster responses. They have a temporary financial need that makes affording participation in a workshop a hardship. Shelter volunteers and workers are especially encouraged to apply. Scholarship award winners will be asked to arrive early or stay late to assist with workshop set-up and/or clean up.

To request consideration for a scholarship, send an e-mail  briefly (less than 250 words) explaining your interest in EARS and your financial hardship, and mentioning which workshop you would like to attend. We will only consider requests to attend a specific workshop; scholarships to attend a future workshop are not available.

Please note:  Scholarships are only available if the workshop has open spaces.

Cancellations