UAE School Volunteering Principles

Important Terms and their Definitions:

Term	Definition
*Volunteering*	The effort and work carried out by any one person to serve his community and nation in synergy with one's capacities, skills and experiences, without any returns or profits, according to the surrounding environment and needs and without prejudice to all the applicable rules, regulations, laws and legislations, giving safety and security a priority, in view of the tasks and time of his volunteering.
*Professional Volunteering*	A group of directed paths, through which volunteers are qualified and enabled to act as professional volunteers in a specific professional field based on the skills and programs he/she obtained and passed during the path.
*Student Volunteer Award*	An award launched by MOE in the field of the voluntary fields and community services which represents the achievements of the individuals, community and authorities in the volunteering circle. The award criteria include: hours, initiatives and training programs in the field of volunteering, and the contributions in volunteering and community programs.
*Volunteer Councils*	To directly interact with volunteers, listen to their ideas and suggestions, develop voluntary programs and works, discuss the different volunteering and community service issues, while presenting the ideas and initiatives that may be applied, and providing solutions for the challenges faced by volunteers.
*Student Volunteers Forum*	A forum that brings together all concerned parties and the best volunteering practices and initiatives. The forum provides an opportunity to exchange voluntary experiences, and it encourages volunteers to continue their efforts and to further volunteer in other works.
*Charity Points*	Programs that enhance and assess volunteers by counting their works and rules, and providing to them charity points to qualify them to get several benefits in different fields.
*Volunteer Clubs*	Such are established within the project of students clubs established in the state schools. A volunteer club shall be established in each school, which shall serve the voluntary Programs, projects and events at schools and the voluntary initiatives in the state, and according to the Guide rules and regulations.
*School Volunteering Supervisor*	One of the teachers assigned to carry out the plans for the voluntary Programs, to refer the same to the manager for approval, and to generally supervise implementation, counting and approval of the same.
*Volunteering Coordinator in Sector*	One of the teachers assigned to carry out approvals and to generally coordinate programs and events, while counting, approving and coordinating efforts with the Sector's Executive Manager.

Introduction:

On November 27^th, 2017, the Cabinet approved the "Document of Conduct and Ethics of Emirati Citizen", which aims to spread awareness among the UAE nationals of their responsibilities and obligations as citizens. This is how the Professional Volunteer Guide has been devised by MOE, in light of the "Volunteering Guide in Government Work Environment", stemming from our belief in the role of the educational and pedagogical environment in enhancing the concepts and importance of the document with regards to promoting values, and renewing their allegiance to the wise vision of our government.

Definition of Volunteering:

Volunteering is the effort and work carried out by an individual to serve his community and nation in synergy with one's capacities, skills and experiences, without any returns or profits, according to the surrounding environment and needs and without prejudice to all the applicable rules, regulations, laws and legislations, giving safety and security a priority, in view of the tasks and time of his volunteering. (Ref. Volunteering Guide in Government Work Environment).

Volunteering Objectives:

Voluntary works achieve many objectives at the level of the individual, workplace and community as follows:

At the level of an individual

Enhance the sense of belonging.
Improve skills, knowledge and experiences and help volunteers gain new ones.
Build social relations based on the love of good and giving without returns.
Give a feeling of self-satisfaction and fulfillment.

At the Level of Workplace

Serve as the optimum investment of resources and capabilities (like human experiences and knowledge, time, money and others).
Boost the teamwork spirit.
Increase the productivity and decrease rates of absence.
Enhance employee engagement and harmony and employee well-being

At the Community Level

Deeply root the principle of solidarity and cooperation among the community individuals.
Promote hard work for the sake of achieving the community objectives.
Effectively contribute to the community development by keeping the values and traits which distinguish the community, in addition to achieving economic development through deeply rooting the concept of giving and cooperation in building public service entities like schools, hospitals and others. (Ref. Volunteering Guide in Government Work Environment).

Volunteer's Rights and Obligations:

We need to stress the fact that the volunteer shall voluntarily participate, without compensation, outside his official working hours, and that the purpose of explaining the volunteer's rights and obligations and organizing the relationship between the volunteer and the Authority is to contribute to the success of the volunteer's efforts. Hence, volunteers are required to read the Volunteer's Code of Conduct comprised of the disclaimer and the declaration, and then, agree to the terms and conditions thereof.

Volunteer's Rights:

Introducing objectives of the voluntary activity and expected results.
Treating the volunteer with respect and trust, and giving him the agreed upon tasks and responsibilities.
Abiding by the timetable of the voluntary activity from the side of the Authority and not wasting the volunteer's time.
Qualifying and training on carrying out the required voluntary activities.
Providing required sources to establish the volunteer's work.
Treating the data of the volunteer's work as confidential.
Maintaining the volunteer's safety and security.
Granting the volunteer a written statement from the Authority explaining the details of his voluntary activity, the number of hours and others.

Volunteer's Obligations:

Completing all the required registration data at the national volunteering platform.
Attending any introductory sessions or reading the details of the assigned voluntary tasks.
Maintaining the confidentiality of the data and information obtained during the voluntary work.
Providing the improving remark and suggestions.
Showing good behavior towards the other cultures.
Not advertising, promoting or propagating any commodities or services while practicing the voluntary work.

Fields of Volunteering:

Field	Definition
*Education*	The field related to the educational matrix like: participation in workshops, conferences, educational activities and exhibits.
*Community*	The field related to the community matrix like: the school community awareness program to increase the awareness of voluntary work, address the behavioral phenomena, making camps and trips to elderly houses, people with determinations, sick people and others.
*Enhancing the National Sense of Belonging*	The field which enhance the sense of belonging and allegiance to the state like: (the national celebrations: National Day, Martyr's Day, Science Day), in addition to the national cultural trips and national contests.
*Environment*	The field related to enhancing the school environment like: halls, classes and the attractive facilities, in addition to increasing the awareness environment protection, and recycling, (reserving natural and mineral resources, beach, school, and desert cleaning campaigns, etc.), and the participation in spreading the culture of protecting the animals threatened of extinction.
*Sports and Health*	The field related to public health and diseases prevention programs –health dieting programs – and the related international days, sports programs, physical fitness programs and sports contests, scouting camps, etc.
*Charity, Humanitarian and Relief Works under the Supervision of Official Authorities*	The field related to charity and humanitarian works like: the relief campaigns in cases of catastrophes and disasters, participating in the MOE campaigns and the other campaigns launched by official authorities and assemblies to help the distressed countries, gathering clothes/ furniture/ toys and donate the same, blood donation campaigns (charity initiatives), the distribution of water and juices to workers, helping the families in need and others.
*Safety and Security*	The field related to increasing the awareness of public and potential risks in the school community like: using the school bus, school facilities, laboratories, in addition to increasing the awareness of the laboratory tools, civil defense programs for fire prevention, protection and evacuation, dealing with fire, using extinguishers and others.
*Economy*	The field related to participating in the economic programs (encouraging students to take part in the small merchant program, SMEs management, training on making feasibility studies of projects etc.), in addition to the power conservation programs and the optimum use of power.
*Outdoor and Indoor School Activities*	The field related to the indoor and outdoor school activities like: preparing school bags for some classes and distributing them, preparing and circulating educational pamphlets following the approval of the same by technical authorities (subject coordinator – support supervisor, training specialist, etc.) colleague watching classes, translation of useful documents and books, working in cabinet committees, providing indoor and outdoor training courses and others.
*Technical and Technological*	The field related to training on assistive e-programs, software programming, preparing useful smart programs, robots and making the related film material, etc.
*Media*	The field related to media like: the execution of magazines, training on writing articles, writing press news, media coverage of events and occasions, etc.
*Culture and Heritage*	The field related to the programs for introducing the customs, traditions, professions and commodities (establishing a corner or a heritage village, courses in the Emirati traditions, trips to the museums and heritage places, participation in the heritage days, preparing seminars, conferences, cultural programs) awareness programs, researches and studies, arts programs, reading festival, book fair, childhood festivals, etc.
*Organization*	This is the field related to the organization of events, workshops, initiatives and conferences.
*Creativity*	The field related to the participation with ideas and creative initiatives and the implementation of creative works serving the community service and voluntary work.
*Training*	The field related to participating in the voluntary training programs.
*Professional Fields*	The field related to participating in the professional initiatives and programs.

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