GetNvolved® 2011 Online Help
Update Version: August, 2011
Watch “HOW IT WORKS”, a 5-minute video that explains the process.
GetNvolved® is an online service that helps Students find volunteer and work experience opportunities, engage in service, record their experiences, and build portfolios. It also gives schools and agencies verified records that substantiate Student efforts. Students do the data entry while adults provide oversight and validation. Record-keeping and reporting is done online and makes it easier for everyone.
GetNvolved® is often used to monitor School-to-Work programs, community service participation requirements, and groups like the National Honor Society. Schools participate by sending an electronic version of their Student directory each fall to Nvolved, Inc.
GetNvolved® is the property of Nvolved, Inc., 2911 Sandy
Ridge Driver,
BASIC
INFORMATION FOR ALL USERS
LOGIN (First Time) www.getnvolved.org
The Find Opportunities (OPPS) Grid
Volunteering from the OPPS Grid
The STAR Form – Student Tracking & Activity Record
Form
Recording My Own Hours: Volunteering that is not on
the Opportunity Grid – Watch the Video
To volunteer Using the Opportunity Grid - Watch the
Video (See Figure 2)
Editing Existing Records (STARS)
Notes – A Case Management Feature
Create Opportunities for Schools (Post OPPS) – See the
VIDEO
Active & Inactive Opportunities (OPPS)
BATCH STAR CREATE (Assigning Multiple Students to the
Same OPP)
APPROVE STARS after Student uses Submit for Final
Approval feature
APPROVE STARS without VERIFY (the email request for
approval)
REASSIGN a STAR to a different (Site) OPP
ADDING NEW USERS – Watch the Video
FORGOT PASSWORD (Passwords are case-sensitive) – Watch
the Video
Login Page, “Forgot password?” link
ASSIGNING STUDENT AFFILIATIONS
Create Opportunities for Schools (Post OPPS) – Watch
the Video
STUDENT TRACKING AND ACTIVITY RECORDS (STARS)
APPROVE STARS after Student uses Submit for Final
Approval feature
REASSIGN a STAR to a different OPP (Created by a
Teacher or MA, only)
PASSWORD RECOVERY (Passwords are case-sensitive.) –
Watch the Video
Adding Schools and Member Agencies
Work-Based Learning /
School-to-Work
Student Tracking and Activity Records (STARS) for WBL
(Watch the Video)
Developing Worksites and Entry into WBL (Watch the
Video)
The COPY STAR Feature (Watch the Video)
Assigning Students to Worksites
Reassigning STARS to a Different Opportunity
The GetNvolved® CONTACT Help Video (Watch the Video)
Click on the hyperlink in the Right
Column to view a video. (Some schools
block access to video sites.)
|
|
Title |
Screencast URL |
|
1 |
||
|
2 |
||
|
3 |
||
|
4 |
||
|
5 |
||
|
6 |
||
|
7 |
||
|
8 |
||
|
9 |
||
|
10 |
http://www.screencast.com/t/lgTZr5dBSV |
|
|
11 |
http://www.screencast.com/t/i7USJ2J477N |
Obtain a username and password from your school. If your school does not participate in GetNvolved®, visit www.nvolved.com to learn more about how to started.
If you cannot find your answers here, email info@nvolved.com for more help. You can also visit www.nvolved.com for information not covered in this document.
|
ADMIN |
A User that
oversees the entire GetNvolved® system for Nvolved, Inc. |
|
APPROVE |
The CONTACT has
reviewed the STAR and clicked APPROVE |
|
CATEGORY |
A type of service
defined by the Corporation for National and Community Service and others |
|
CLEAR |
Removes Search and
Filter parameters from a grid: displays all records |
|
CONFIRM |
An email is sent to
the Contact when APPROVE is complete |
|
CONTACTS |
The people that
VERIFY Student Tracking and Activity Records (STARS) |
|
COORDINATOR |
A User that oversees
a region that generally includes more than one school |
|
COPY Feature |
Duplicate a record
for repetitive activities; payroll periods in work-based learning |
|
|
Use the Start Date,
End Date, Grad Year to sort or filter grids |
|
FILTER Feature |
Enter a word or
number in the space at the top of a column on any grid to find matches |
|
GRIDS |
OPPS, STARS, Users
are all displayed on grids that can be filtered or sorted |
|
AFFILIATIONS |
National Honor
Society, Key Club, Student Council, Peer Helpers, Service-Learning Class,
others |
|
MEMBER AGENT |
(MA) A user
affiliated with a Member Agency |
|
MEMBER AGENCY |
The organization
that supervises a particular volunteer activity, usually a nonprofit or
school |
|
NOTES Feature |
Private text boxes
that can be attached to STARS, OPPS, USERS to assist in record-keeping |
|
NOTIFY |
The automatic email
that tells the Contact of the Student’s interest in volunteering |
|
OPPS, ACTIVE |
Volunteer
Opportunities visible to Students on the OPPS Grid; Active Box checked |
|
OPPS, INACTIVE |
OPPS not visible to
Students on the OPPS Grid; Active Box unchecked |
|
OPPS, SITE |
Created by Teachers
or Member Agencies; may be selected by Students to create STAR |
|
OPPS, STUDENT |
Created by Students
and results in a new STAR and sometimes a new MA |
|
PROFILE |
Personal information
on a user that includes email, phone and address |
|
REASSIGN MA |
Merges duplicate
Member Agencies; usually a result of a STUDENT OPP |
|
REASSIGN STAR |
Disconnect a STAR
from one OPP and connect it to another |
|
SCHOOL |
A high school or
higher education institution, and probably your school |
|
SEARCH Feature |
Find matching
records on a GRID by entering text in the top cell of a column |
|
SELECT |
Left click to
produce a checkmark in the box. Check
again to unselect |
|
SERVICE AREA |
Identifies
sponsors, beneficiaries, or recipients of the service |
|
SORT Feature |
Arrange a grid
alphabetically or numerically by clicking on the column name |
|
STARS |
Student Tracking
and Activity Records, the basic record of volunteer service |
|
STAR STATUS |
In Progress,
Pending (approval), Approved, Changes Required |
|
STUDENT |
A User enrolled in
a school |
|
TEACHER |
An adult user from
a school (generally faculty, administrator, advisor, counselor, etc.) |
|
USERS |
Anyone on
GetNvolved® |
|
VERIFY |
When Students click
Submit for Final Approval, an email goes out to Contacts for Approval |
Watch the Video, "Logging in for the First Time" (3 minutes)
1. Go to www.getnvolved.org
2. Login (Student Username and Password)
3. Click on the “Privacy Policy” link (blue) to display the document
4. After reading, close the “Privacy Policy” window
5. If you accept the policy, click “Agree”. (If you do not accept, you cannot not use GetNvolved®.)
6. Click Continue
7. The Change Password page displays, BUT YOU CAN KEEP THE SAME PASSWORD by entering it three times.
8. Click Change
9. Click Continue
10. The Profile form displays. ADD A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS!!! Do not use capital letters in the email address. (This allows you to recover your password and communicate on GetNvolved®.)
11. Click SAVE
The system may lock you out. This happens usually after a user tries several times to login without success. The program thinks it is being hacked and prevents that user name from getting in, even if the right password is finally given. Teachers with GetNvolved access can fix this. To remove the lock, use the following procedure:
1. Logon (Teachers)
2. At the HOME Page, click the Admin Tab
3. At the Admin Page, Click the Users Tab
4. At the Users Grid, filter using the Username or Name of the Student
5. Click the Yellow Pencil Icon by the User you wish to edit
6. At the bottom of the Profile form, uncheck the "Locked Out" box
7. SAVE the form
A similar procedure works for other Teachers and Member Agents that get locked out. Again, the Lock Out mechanism prevents hackers from using automated scripts to enter the site. For more information, see “Password Recovery.”
All users have access to their Profile Page. Here, you can update your online information. If your email, phone number, address, or anything else changes, please update your Profile.
Students can use the Profile Page to join Groups. Make sure you are a member of a Group before you add yourself to it. Use the Groups dropdown list to pick the Group or Groups. To select more than one Group, hold down the <CTRL> key while you left click your selections. (Teachers can assign or remove Students by editing the Student profiles.)
1. HOME
2. PROFILE TAB
3. Group Dropdown List
4. Click on the Group you wish to join or leave (Hold down Ctrl Key to select multiple Groups.)
5. SAVE
Important note: If the Group you wish to join does not appear on your list, contact you Teacher.
Your Home Page is like a dashboard. It gives you a quick look at recent activity. It gives you a count of hours, a list of messages, and your most recent STARS. Tabs take you different pages on the site.
Figure 1 The Student HOME Page
The Student Home Page gives statistics on their hours of service. Students, Teachers, and Member Agencies see messages. There are six navigational tabs for Students and eight for all others. (Students do not have an Admin Tab or the Notes Tab.)
The two main areas visited by Students are the Find Opportunities Grid (Figure 2) and the My Records Grid (STAR Grid, Figure 3). The OPPS Grid displays the opportunities posted by the school and other agencies.
Students can also create their own OPPS and STARS that are not associated with OPPS found on the OPP Grid. This is very common. The procedure is described in detail elsewhere in this HELP document.
Volunteer opportunities are listed in the OPPS Grid. Students see Active OPPS that may be 60 days old to 180 days in the future. To see other OPPS, enter a wider date range or click the word, “Clear” in the upper left corner of the grid. This removes all filters and displays all OPPS, even very old ones.
IMPORTANT
NOTICE: MAKE SURE YOU ARE GOING TO FOLLOW THOUGH BEFORE CLICKING the GETNVOLVED
BOX OR THE YELLOW STAR
THE
CONTACT PERSON MAY CALL OR EMAIL THE STUDENT WITH MORE INFORMATION, BUT THE STUDENT
CAN CALL THE CONTACT IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS.
1. Login
2. Find Opportunities Tab
3. Click on the OPP Name to see the details
4. Click on the OPPS Tab to return to the OPPS Grid, or…
5.
To volunteer, click on the Yellow Star
Figure 2, Find Opportunities (OPPS) Grid
See Figure 4, “The STAR Grid”
1. Login
2. WELCOME Page
3. My Records Tab
Figure 3 STAR Grid
The STAR Grid looks different for different users. It can be filtered with a date range; clear the date range to view all STARS. Students see all the STARS that belong to them. Teachers see STARS belonging to all the Students from their school. Member Agencies see Students that have volunteered for that agency. Coordinating Agencies see all the STARS in their service area.
Delete – Deletes all selected STAR(S)
Figure 4 ACTION Box, Student View
Selection – Mark entire page or ALL records on all the pages of the grid
Export – Create a new file for use offline. Can be a PDF of selected STARS, the cover page for a portfolio.
Note: If you select a STAR or STARS for a Report and use the PDF file format, you create a very nice multi-page, printable document that can also be emailed. Add a Grid Export of the selected STARS to add a cover page summary.
In the upper left cell of the STAR Grid is a green CLEAR icon. Clicking that icon clears ALL the filter and sort criteria from the STAR Grid. Use it to display everything on the grid.
To delete a single STAR, click the Red X Icon. Delete STARS that you do not wish on your full reports. These STARS may be deleted automatically if they have no hours and the End Date has passed. A 30-day delay occurs before this automatic deletion.
Use the Edit icon to access the STAR for editing. Students, Teachers, and Member Agencies can add hours and comments.
All features in the ACTION box require that a STAR (or STARS) be selected using the Check Boxes
STARS have numbers that identify them. No two STARS have the same ID number. Clicking the STAR ID opens the STAR EDIT page.
All schools and Member Agencies fall within a Coordinating Agency territory. These are often volunteer centers or nonprofits with regional or community-wide responsibilities.
The MA column identifies the organization that posted the Opportunity.
The school is listed in the School column. Teachers see only their school. MA’s see only Students that contact them, not the entire school population. CA’s see all Students from the CA service area.
The year that the Student is expected to graduate displays in this column. This makes it easy to filter by grade.
Each Opportunity has an ID number. Clicking the OPP ID or OPP Name opens the Opportunities Edit Page.
This column gives the title of the Opportunity. . Clicking the OPP ID or OPP Name opens the Opportunities Edit Page.
Start and
End Dates –
The Start and End dates define the time when the Opportunity is available
for Students to volunteer. Date ranges
can be used to filter or sort the STARS on the Grid. The default START/END dates are assigned by
the current school year.
Status
– STARS can be In Progress, Pending, Approved, or Changes Required.
This is the date upon which the STAR was Approved.
The recorded hours show up here. If the STAR is In Progress, this number can be edited by the Student. HOUR SHOULD BE IN DECIMAL FRACTION TO THE NEAREST QUARTER HOUR. That means two and one-half hours = 2hrs and 30 minutes = 2.5 (the decimal fraction). Please make sure the hours are entered in that manner: X.25, X.5, X.75, X.0 (where X = whole hours).
STARS can be assigned to a Service
Area. These include the National Honor
Society, Student Government, Peer Helpers, Faith-based, Paid Work Experience and
others. Sometimes, a Student may be able
to claim hours from a single Opportunity in two different Service Areas. The Student should create two (or more) STARS
and assign a portion of the hours to
each Service Area. This prevents a
duplicate count.
Important note: If the Group you wish to
join does not appear on your list, contact you Teacher.
This is the date upon which the STAR was last saved. The person saving is recorded on the STAR Form.
Figure 5 STAR EDIT
See the “My Records (STAR) Grid” section above for more information on STARS.
The STAR Form gives the details surrounding the volunteer activity performed by the Students. It includes the hours, reflections, journaling, and comments by the Contact, the person approving the STAR.
The address and phone number are included on the STAR Form making it easy for Students, Teachers and MA’s to communicate.
The Contact is the person responsible for approving or denying the STAR. The specific information on the Contact includes email and phone number. The Contact is generally the person overseeing the volunteer service performed by the Student.
Three text boxes encourage Students to add comments on what they did, what they learned, and how they feel about this volunteer service experience.
Use the Service Area drop down and select one. If you want to assign hours from one OPP to more than one Service Area, you must create separate STARS .
Important note: If the Service Area you wish to join does not appear on your list, contact you Teacher.
The Submit for Final Approval button send an email to the Contact Person so they can Approve or Deny the STAR. It is not necessary for the Contact to have an account on GetNvolved®.
Many times, Students have volunteered or worked on opportunities that are not posted on GetNvolved®. These opportunities are “off the grid”. Recording these hours takes two steps: creating the opportunity and editing the STAR. The number list shows the step-by-step procedure. Below the list is a description of some tasks on the list.
1. Logon (Student)
2. Click the Find Opportunities Tab
3. Check to see that the OPP is not already on
the grid! If not, proceed.
4. Click the Record My Own Hours Tab
5. When the Create Custom Opportunity Page opens, select the Member Agency from the dropdown list. If the Member Agency or business is not on the list, enter information in the Member Agency section.
6. In the Contact section, select the Contact person from the dropdown list. If the Contact is not on the list, enter the name, phone and correct email for the Contact so your hours can be approved. If the Contact’s information is not correct, your hours may not be approved!
7. Add a good title and description. The title should be different than any other OPP. Adding dates or other information in the title makes it easier to tell them apart on the STAR Grid.
8. Add
the Start and End Dates. A one-day event
has the same Start and End Dates. For Work-Based Learning (WBL) activities,
use the payroll periods start and end dates and create a new record for each
pay period. (The Copy Feature can make
this go very quickly.)
9. SAVE. The STAR Grid opens.
10. Click the Yellow Pencil (Edit Icon) by the newly created STAR.
11. Fill in the STAR Form completely by adding in your hours, the tasks you performed, what you learned, and how you feel about what you did.
12. If you are going to add more to the STAR later, SAVE. If you are finished with your service Submit for Final Approval (Locks STAR and sends it to the Contact Person)
Figure 6 Create Custom OPP Form - Students, only
Check the
Member Agency dropdown list to see if the organization is listed with
GetNvolved®. If not, enter the address,
phone and other information about the organization.
Figure 7Create Custom Opportunity Form, Top Half
These can be nonprofits, schools,
faith-based groups, service clubs, and others.
If there is no agency or organization associated with the opportunity,
use the INFORMAL VOLUNTEERING item at the top of the dropdown list.
Figure 8 Create Custom Opportunity Form, Bottom Half
Give the name, phone number and email address of the person supervising your volunteer service. When you are finished with your service, click Submit for Final Approval and your record will be emailed to this person.
Add words to the title that define the activity. It should be about five words or more in length. For instance “My School Key Club Spring Fund Raiser – 2009”, “My Town’s River Clean Up”, or “My Church Disaster Relief Trip” would be good sample names.
“The Member agency is raising money to help homeless people”, “The Spring Clean Up beautifies the lakeshore for our community”, or “The Fall Bird Count helps the state of Wisconsin track migratory birds” would all be good. These descriptions can be long and detailed as you need them to be.
A one-day event has the same start and end date. Some opportunities can last a year.
1. Logon (Student)
2. From the HOME Page, click the Find Opportunities Tab
3. The Opportunity Grid appears (If you know that you want to volunteer, you can simply click the Yellow STAR in the left column, or…)
4. Click on the Opportunity Name to view a description
a. If you read the description and want to volunteer, click the Volunteer using GetNvolved box at the top right portion of the Opportunity Form. (This sends an email to the Contact Person. Your name, email, phone, and other information is given to the Contact Person)
b. If you don’t want to volunteer, click the Cancel box
5. Your new Student Tracking and Activity record (STAR) will open.
Generally, the Contact Person is responsible for emailing or calling the Students that ask to volunteer. If the Contact does not connect with the Student, the Student should call or email the Contact Person. To view the Student Tracking and Activity Record (STAR) associated with this Opportunity, go to the STAR Grid.
Teachers cannot edit STARS created by students. Students must do it themselves. To change the Member Agency, Contact information, Name of the Opportunity, Description, or Start and End Dates, use the following procedure.
1. Logon (Student)
2. From the HOME Page, click the My Records Tab
3. Click on the OPP Name for the record you wish to edit
4. When the Opportunity Edit Form opens, make changes to the form
5. SAVE
To make changes to the hours, text boxes (Tasks, Learned, Feel), use the following procedure.
1. Logon (Student)
2. From the HOME Page, click the My Records Tab
3. Click on the Yellow Pencil or STAR ID Number for the record you wish to edit
4. When the STAR Edit Form opens, make changes to the form
5. SAVE
NOTE: Pending or Approved STARS cannot be changed. You must contact a GetNvolved® administrator to have that done. Email info@nvolved.com for more help with this task.
Please read the Student Section. You need to know about the My Records (STAR) and Find Opportunity (OPPS) Grids described in the Student section of this HELP document. Viewing their videos will also be of great value to your understanding of how GetNvolved® works.
Adults on GetNvolved® have a Note feature that allows them to keep private comments attached to STARS, Users, and OPPS. This helps manage Student volunteers and adult users of the system. Students do not have the ability to create notes. Click Notes on any screen and add text in the box. All your Notes will be displayed on your Notes Grid. Notes are generally seen by their authors, only. (Notes can be retrieved by GetNvolved® Administrators.) Notes are limited to 1,000 characters.
This is a typical activity for Teachers. OPPS for a small group or an entire school can be posted. Any Student from the same school as the Teacher posting the OPP will see it.
1. Login (Teacher)
2. Find Opportunities Tab
3. Action Box
4. Add
5. Fill in the form (See Student section for definitions: Opportunities Edit Form)
6. Make sure the Start & End Dates fall where you want them.
1. Only Active OPPS with Start Dates AND End Dates with the date range on the OPP Grid will appear to Students: 60 days prior and 180 days after “today’s date”.
2. When defining a Report, both the Start and End Date are considered.. A Report from Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009 will include any STAR with an OPP Start AND End Date within that date range.
7. Make sure the ACTIVE Box is checked, if you want Students to see it. (INACTIVE OPPS do not display to Students.)
8. SAVE
Always use descriptive titles for OPPS. “My School Grill” is not a good title. “My School Grill – Student Council – Fall 2008” is much better. Running reports becomes much easier when standardized, yet distinctive titles are used for OPP identification.
The Opportunity Edit Form
The OPP form is filled in by the person creating the OPP. This could be Teachers (for their schools) or Member Agencies (for one or many schools). The details on how to fill in this for is given in the section, “To record volunteering that is not on the Find Opportunities Grid.”
Figure 9 Opportunity Edit Form, Teacher and Member Agent View
|
ID |
A number that
identifies the OPP |
Added
automatically by GetNvolved® |
|
CA |
Coordinating
Agency |
A regional
organization that serves many schools and agencies |
|
MA |
Member Agency |
The agency posting
the OPP |
|
CONTACT |
The person
responsible for APPROVING the record |
Use the dropdown
to see if they are on GetNvolved® or add them |
|
NAME |
CONTACT’S First
and Last Name |
REQUIRED |
|
EMAIL |
CONTACT’S email |
REQUIRED |
|
PHONE |
CONTACT’S phone |
REQUIRED |
|
OPPORTUNITY |
The title of the
OPP with identifying information |
Not “Car
Wash”. “9th Grade Car Wash
for Labor Day” is better. |
|
DESCRIPTION |
Complete overview
of the OPP |
Like a job
description; contains the “who, what, when, where, why.” |
|
START DATE /END DATE |
Defines the time
period when volunteering occurs |
Same date for
one-day events |
|
APPROVED / ACTIVE |
Defines if OPPS
display to users |
Only ACTIVE OPPS
are seen by Students |
Active OPPS show up on the OPP Grid and Students can see them. Inactive OPPS do not display to Students. When the Active Box is checked at the bottom of the OPP Form, the OPP is Active. If it is not checked, Teachers may see it, but not the Students. This helps Teachers place OPPS in a cue for display at a later or hide it after a sufficient number of Students volunteer.
WARNING: NEVER
DELETE AN OPP WITH STARS ATTACHED. THE
STARS WILL BE DELETED, TOO.
When an OPP has enough volunteers, it should be made Inactive so Students can no longer see it and volunteer.
Teachers can create STARS for Students. This can be done before or after the opportunity ends. First, make sure the OPP exists; create it if necessary.
1. HOME
2. Find Opportunities
3. Action Box
4. Add
5. Fill in the form and SAVE
OPPS created by teachers are seen only by students from the teacher’s school. If you are working with a particular Affiliation group, filter and sort the Students before you create the STARS.
6. Admin Tab
7. Users Tab
8. Filter/Sort as required
9.
Select Students (Individual Check Boxes, or use
the Select All Box.
If more than 100 students are listed,
use Select All in the Action Box)
10. Action Button
11. Create STARS
12. Select one OPP from the Drop Down Menu
13. (Optional) Assign the OPP (hours) to a Group
14. Click the Create STAR(s) Button
IMPORTANT: Only selected Students that display on the current grid page are affected. Filter and sort can help cut the number down. To select all the Students available on all grid pages, use the ACTION Box, Selection > Select ALL.
Important note: If the Affiliation you want does not appear on your list, contact info@getnvolved.com.
A Teacher is often the Contact Person, especially for school-based opportunities. The process used in this case is the same as that used by Member Agencies.
1. Student (or the Teacher, MA, or CA) clicks Submit for Final Approval
2. Contact receives the VERIFY email
3. Contact clicks “View STAR” link
4. Contact reviews STAR and adds COMMENTS
5. Contact clicks APPROVE or DENY
Important note: Denied STARS are label “Changes Required” and sent back to the Student for revision. It can be resubmitted and approved using the same process.
If, after clicking the link the Verify Email, a blank GetNvolved® screen appears, it means the record has been deleted after it was submitted for approval.
Teachers can approve a STAR without waiting for the Student to request approval. However, this will lock the STAR and the Student will no longer be able to edit the STAR. If the Student comment boxes are empty, they will remain that way.
1. Login (Teacher)
2. STAR Tab
3. STAR ID# or View STAR icon
4. Teacher Clicks APPROVE
Sometimes Students mistakenly create OPPS and STARS without checking the Find Opportunities Grid. This causes a “duplicate” (similar to the original) to be created. The Reassign feature gives Teachers, MA’s and CA’s a tool to clean up these duplicates. During Reassign, STARS are attached to the correct OPP.
1. My Records Tab
2. Select STARS by clicking on the boxes at the left
3. Hover over the Action Box
4. Click REASSIGN
5. Select the new OPP from the drop down list
6. SAVE
Caution: STARS can only be
REASSIGNED to OPPS created by Teachers or Member Agents. The target OPP must be ACTIVE on the Find
Opportunities Grid before the REASSIGN procedure begins.
The STARS by School Report gives a complete listing of all STARS, the number of hours, and related information in an overview format. The STARS by Students gives a very detailed account made up all the STAR forms for the selected Student(s). Other reports are being developed. Specialized reports and analysis can be obtained by contact info@nvolved.com and making a request.
1. REPORTS Tab
2. Select Report
3. Fill in the form
All the Usernames and password for the Students are contained in this report, even if the Student has changed the password. Any Teacher with a GetNvolved® account can look up the Student’s name and password.
The STARS by Schools Report gives a summary of each Student’s Approved hours.
The STARS by Students Report displays every STAR for every Student selected by graduation year. This report can easily be over 2,000 pages in length, but need not be printed.
Reports can be saved, printed or exported in various formats including Excel. This is a very powerful feature and should not be overlooked. It allows sophisticated analysis of data.
IMPORTANT: Contact info@nvolved.com to obtain your GetNvolved® School Identifier Number before you start this process.
When Students transfer into a school, they need to be entered into the system manually. Teachers adding new Students MUST use a prescribed format: ###LLLLLLF***.
1. ### is the GetNvolved School Identifier. Each school has a different number
2. LLLLLL is the first six letters of the last name. If there are less than six letters, use the full last name.
3. F is the first initial
4. *** is a three-digit counter that eliminates duplicate Usernames. If John Jones and Jane Jones are in the same school (234), they need to have different Usernames. Their names would be 234jonesj001 and 234jonesj002, respectively.
Follow this procedure to add new students:
1. ADMIN Tab
2. Users Tab
3. Hover over the Action Box
4. Click Add to open the User Type page
5. Select the User Type
6. Click Continue
7. Fill in the form
8. Make sure the Active Box is checked
9. Click Next
10. Enter the Username as prescribed by the formula above
11. Enter the password for this user in the two boxes provided (School Student ID # is suggested)
12. Enter an email address for the Student. If none is known, use TBA@nvolved.com
13. Click Create User and then Continue
The most common problem faced by users is the loss of their login information. Having an email address in their Profile solves most of these problems.
Login Page,
“Forgot password?” link
1. Enter Username or email address (that matches a Profile)
2. The password will be sent to the email address!
Important note: Teachers can access Student ID and passwords using
the Login Report
HOME > ADMIN TAB > REPORTS TAB > Login Report
1. HOME Page
2. Admin Tab
3. USERS Tab
4. Select Edit icon (Pencil) of the Student
5. Select from Affiliations dropdown list and check the appropriate boxes
6. Click on the SAVE Box
Important note: If the Affiliation group you want does not appear on your list, contact info@getnvolved.org.
Nonprofits, faith-based entities, governmental organizations, service groups and others can be Member Agencies. They are the groups that benefit from the volunteer service provided by GetNvolved® youth.
Active OPPS show up on the OPP Grid and Students can see them. Inactive OPPS do not display to Students. When the Active Box is checked, the OPP is Active.
See Figure 3 for definitions and display.
1. Login
2. Opportunities Tab
3. Hover over the Action Box
4. Click Add
5. Fill in the form
a) Select a school or multiple schools (hold down the Ctrl key during multiple school selection) Default = ALLS SCHOOLS SHOWN
b) Always include the Contact person’s email address
c) Date ranges should not cross into the next calendar year. Use two OPPS to cover different years: 12/31/YYYY End Date, and a 01/01/YYYY Start Date for extended times.
6. Make sure the ACTIVE Box is checked (INACTIVE OPPS do not display to students, so use it to hide cued OPPS .)
7. SAVE
All grids support searches and sorts. If you plan to use both features, sort before searching (filtering). To sort, place your cursor on the column title and click. Repeat to sort in the reverse order.
To Search, enter a few letters or numbers in the top row of any.
The CLEAR icon empties all search and sort data. When searching and sorting, make sure only the fields you want have information in them.
Sometimes data is not displayed as expected. This is a bug in some browsers. Hit your F5 key to refresh the screen.
1. Contact receives the VERIFY email
2. Contact clicks “View STAR” link
3. Contact reviews STAR and adds COMMENTS
4. Contact clicks APPROVE or DENY
Important note:
Denied STARS are sent back to the Student for revision. It can be resubmitted and approved using the
same process. The process can continue
for many rounds before the Contact is satisfied, but this is very rare.
1. Login as using your MA or CA account
2. Click STAR Tab
3. Click STAR ID# or View STAR icon
4. Click APPROVE
Coming soon: Batch APPROVE will allow MA’s to APPROVE many OPPS at
once.
Sometimes Students mistakenly create STARS without checking the Find Opportunities Grid. This causes a “duplicate” (similar to the original) to be created. The Reassign feature gives Teachers, MA’s and CA’s a tool to clean up these mistakes. During Reassign, STARS are attached to the correct OPP while the wrong OPP is deleted from the system.
1. My Records Tab
2. Select STARS by clicking on the boxes at the left
3. Hover over the Action Box
4. Click REASSIGN
5. Select the new OPP from the drop down list
6. SAVE
Caution: STARS can only be
REASSIGNED to OPPS created by Teachers or Member Agents. The target OPP must be ACTIVE on the Find
Opportunities Grid before the REASSIGN procedure begins. The “old OPPs” (Student-created) are deleted.
IMPORTANT: MA’s adding new Students MUST use a prescribed format: ###LLLLLLF***.
· ### is the GetNvolved School Identifier. Each school has a different number
· LLLLLL is the first six letters of the last name. If there are less than six letters, use the full last name.
· F is the first initial
· *** is a three-digit counter that eliminates duplicate Usernames. If John Jones and Jane Jones are in the same school (234), they need to have different Usernames. Their names would be 234jonesj001 and 234jonesj002, respectively.
Contact info@nvolved.com to obtain your GetNvolved® School Identifier Number before you start this process.
MA’s adding users must be very careful that the user (Students) do not already have accounts on GetNvolved®. You will need to know their GetNvolved® School Number, the Student ID number and possibly other information before attempting this. Contact your CA or info@nvolved.com before attempting this for the first time.
1. ADMIN Tab
2. Users Tab
3. Hover over the Action Box
4. Click Add to open the User Type page
5. Select the User Type
6. Click Continue
7. Fill in the form
8. Make sure the Active Box is checked
9. Click Next
10. Enter the Username as prescribed by the formula above
11. Enter the password for this user in the two boxes provided
12. Enter an email address for the Student. If none is known, use test@nvolved.com
13. Click Create User and then Continue
The Member Agency Report gives a complete listing of all STARS, the number of hours, and related information. Other reports are being developed. Specialized reports and analysis can be obtained by contact info@nvolved.com and making a request. Reports can be exported in several formats including PDF, MS WORD, and EXCEL.
1. REPORTS Tab
2. Select Report
3. Fill in the form
The OPP End Date and the Start / End Date Range define which records will be displayed in this report. The OPP End Date must fall within the selected range.
Reports can be saved, printed or exported in various formats including Excel. This is a very powerful feature and should not be overlooked. It allows sophisticated analysis of data.
1. Login to www.getnvolved.org
2. Login Page, “Forgot password?” link
3. Enter User ID or email address (that matches Profile)
4. A new password will be assigned and sent to the email address!
5. Logon and change your password
Site Messages and emails can be sent to selected users from the My Records or Users Grids.
Site messages are short notes that stay within the GetNvolved® website. When users logon and the Welcome page opens, a list of site messages appears (if any have been sent to the user). Clicking the Message Tab reveals all undeleted messages. Users can reply via site message.
Email messages go out over the Internet to the users’ email inboxes, if they have a valid email address entered in their Profiles. The email address of the sender is always getnvolved@nvolved.com. Theses emails are “one-way”, only. RECIPIENTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO REPLY TO A DIFFERENT ADDRESS, IF THE SENDER WANTS A REPLY.
The procedure is similar for Site Messages and emails.
1. Welcome
2. My Records OR Admin > Users
3. Select the users
4. Hover over the ACTION Box
5. Select Message or Email
6. Fill in the form
7. Send
To avoid your recipients’ spam filters, try and send emails out in smaller batches of no more than 20. If you need to send out a large number of emails, contact info@nvolved.com and ask about bulk email services using Constant Contact®.
Coordinating Agencies (CA) oversee GetNvolved® operations across a region that includes a collection of school districts. CA users see almost all the information posted by Students, Teachers, Member Agencies (MA), Contacts, and other CA users within the same region. (CA users do not see Notes written by Teachers or Member Agency users.)
The primary function of a CA user is to make operation of GetNvolved® easier for the other users. The CA user monitors the activity on the site, corrects errors in the data, promotes the development of volunteer opportunities, and communicates with users regarding proper operation of GetNvolved®. The CA user may also run specialized reports for schools and MA users.
Many CA user tasks are routine. Some occur only when a new school is added to GetNvolved®. A fulltime CA user can monitor and support tens of thousands of students, teachers, and Member Agency users. Organizations serving as CA could include volunteer centers, youth-serving nonprofits, school districts, or other organizations approved by Nvolved, Inc.
Though the mechanics for adding a school are simple, the process of becoming a GetNvolved® school is more complicated. CA users wanting to add schools should consult with Nvolved, Inc. before adding a school. Administrative commitments, billing procedures, training for users, and an evaluation of the intended uses of the system must be considered. Memos of Understanding are required and must be on file with Nvolved, Inc. prior to adding any Student or Teacher user accounts to GetNvolved®.
Youth Apprenticeship, Certified Co-op, Traditional Co-op, Employability Skills Certificate, Work Experience, Service-Learning, Youth Leadership Skill Standards Certificate, and Job Shadowing are some of the Work-Based Learning (Work-based Learning (WBL) programs that may be available in your area. WBL programs generally require a higher level of accountability than community service and general volunteering. Employers, state standards, and labor laws make rigorous WBL oversight necessary. GetNvolved® helps track hours, inform students of worksite availability, facilitate communication between all parties, collect required data, and produce reports. Students, teachers, and employers can access GetNvolved® from any computer with an Internet connection.
IMPORTANT: Support for teachers is provided by the GetNvolved® Coordinating Agent (CA), usually a GetNvolved Specialist at Nvolved, Inc. Many of the behind-the-scenes functions are performed by the CA. CA’s are necessary because many schools, agencies, and businesses operate in the same region. CA’s can cover many of the routine tasks for teachers, if requested to do so.
Every pay period, the student or teacher creates a new “page” in the record: a STAR. Each STAR is represented by a row on the STAR Grid and displays the hours, comments, and other details. If the WBL program involves wages, information from students’ pay stubs or time cards can be recorded by the student or teacher. Approval is always done by either the teacher or employer. Students, teachers, and employers all see the same STAR.
The first STAR in a series represents the start of a program that may take many weeks to complete. This initial STAR is very important. The rest of the weeks will be recorded on copies of this first STAR; a very easy process.
Tracking WBL hours has two main methods: the teacher enters the hours, or the student enters the hours. In both cases, an adult approves the record: a teacher or employer/jobsite supervisor.
Ongoing routines may look something like this:
1. Student gives the teacher a copy of the pay stub or time sheet
2. Teacher logs in to GetNvolved® and edits the STAR / APPROVE or DENIES
3. Student uses COPY Feature to create the STAR for the next pay period
4. Repeat until WBL program ends
1. Student logs in to GetNvolved® and edits the STAR / Submits for Approval*
2. Student uses COPY Feature to create the STAR for the next pay period
3. Student gives the teacher a copy of the pay stub or time sheet
4. Teacher views STAR and APPROVE or DENIES
5. Repeat until WBL program ends
* Note: The Contact (a teacher or other adult) will receive an email from GetNvolved® when the student submits a STAR for APPROVAL. Left-clicking the “View the STAR” link in the email opens the STAR for inspection.
Students often find worksites themselves. Using GetNvolved®, they can enter the contact information about the job site and begin producing records without assistance. This is much like the “Recording My Own Hours: Volunteering that is not on the Opportunity Grid” procedure.
Here is the procedure students follow for creating the first record in a series for WBL; use the Copy Feature to create subsequent records.
1. Left-Click the Record My Own Hours Tab
2. When the Create Custom Opportunity Page opens, select the Member Agency from the dropdown list. If the Member Agency or business is not on the list, enter information in the Member Agency Section.
3. In the Contact Section, select from the dropdown list the Contact person who will approve your record. This is generally a teacher or jobsite supervisor. If the Contact is not on the list, enter the name, phone and correct email for the Contact so hours can be approved. If the Contact’s information is not correct, approval could be delayed!
4. Add a good title and description that starts with, “WBL-”. The title should be different than any other OPP. The “WBL” in the title will allow these items to be filtered. Adding pay period dates, week number, or other information in the title makes it easier to tell them apart. A good title might look something like this: “WBL – City Hall Assistant, Sep 1, 2012”.
5. Add the Start and End Dates. For WBL activities, use the payroll periods’ start and end dates and create a new record for each pay period. (The Copy Feature can make this go very quickly.)
6. SAVE. The STAR Grid opens.
7. Click the Yellow Pencil (Edit Icon) by the newly created STAR.
8. Fill in the STAR Form completely by adding in your hours, the tasks you performed, what you learned, and how you feel about what you did.
9. Assign the STAR to the correct Service Area that contains “WBL” in its name. (Ask your teacher for the correct label.)
10. If you are going to add more to the STAR later, SAVE. If you are finished, click Submit for Final Approval (Locks STAR and sends it to the Contact Person)
All STARS will eventually be Submitted for Final Approval; SFA. This locks the STAR and sends a copy to the Contact. The Contact can either Approve or Deny the STAR and add comments.
A second method of worksite opportunity development requires that the Coordinating Agent, employer, or teacher post an opportunity that invites students to apply. This is very similar to the “Create Opportunities for Schools (Post OPPS)” procedure.*
*TIP: Use this method to announce WBL opportunities to students. After enough students respond, make the OPP INACTIVE so other students will not see the OPP. The student can use the COPY Feature to create the subsequent STARS used to validate hours, collect comments, and build reports.
This is a typical activity for teachers. All students and teachers from the same school as the teacher posting the OPP will see it.
1. Login
2. Left-Click the Find Opportunities Tab
3. Hover over the Action Box (Do not click.) The dropdown menu appears
4. Left-Click “Add”
5.
Fill in the form (See Student Section for
definitions: Opportunities Edit Form).
TIP: Use “WBL” prefix in the title so you can filter for these items later.
6. Make sure the Start & End Dates fall where you want them. It may be best to use the same date in both boxes because this OPP is actually an announcement. Only Active OPPS with Start Dates less than 60 days in the past AND End Dates less than 180 days in the future will appear to Students. (“Today’s actual date” is the reference point.) When defining a Report, both the Start and End Date are considered. A Report from Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009 will include any STAR with an OPP Start AND End Date within that date range.
7. Make sure the ACTIVE Box is checked, if you want Students to see it. (INACTIVE OPPS do not display to Students.)
8. SAVE
Always use descriptive titles for OPPS. “ACME Manufacturing” is not a good title. “WBL - ACME Manufacturing – Fall 2012 – Recycling” is much better. Subsequent years and jobs can be easily and distinctly labeled. Running reports becomes much easier when standardized, yet distinctive titles are used for OPP identification.
If a STAR already exists, it may be copied. This is very common in WBL programs because each pay period requires a new STAR. Here is the procedure:
1. Login and left-click the “My Records” Tab
2. Open the STAR to be copied by left-clicking the Yellow STAR icon
3. Left-click COPY, a warning will appear that says save this before copying, if you made changes
4. Continue, and enter the Start and End Dates for the next pay period
5. Save, and the new STAR will display on the My Records Grid.
Teachers can connect students to OPPS that were created by a teacher. Imagine a teacher creates the OPP, “WBL - ACME Manufacturing – Fall 2012”. Each student working there could edit their own STAR by adding job description identifiers like, Main Office”, “Metal Fabrication”, or “Recycling”.
IMPORTANT: Teachers
cannot connect students to OPPS created by students. A new OPP needs to be created manually by the
teacher and then STARS can be reassigned to the new OPP. Email the CA at
Here is the procedure for Assigning Students to OPPS.
1. Open the Find Opportunities Grid
2. Identify the OPP or create the new OPP; the ACTIVE Target OPP
3. Left-click the ADMIN Tab
4. Left-click USERS
5. Select the students you would like associated with the Target OPP
6. Hover over the ACTION Button above the USERS Grid
7. Select Create STARS from the dropdown list
A new STAR will be created for each student selected. Students will be able to add their hours and comments the next time they login. Using the COPY feature, students will be able to replicate the STAR as many times as necessary for their weekly reports.
Students sometimes create STARS that are not associated with the correct OPP. These STARS can be REASSIGNED to the correct OPP by teachers and CA’s. Here is the procedure.
1. Left-click the Find Opportunities Tab
2. Identify the ACTIVE Target OPP Number (created by a teacher Coordinating Agent)
3. Left-click the My Records Tab
4. Select STARS by left-clicking the on the boxes at the far left (Hold down the CTRL key to select multiple STARS)
5. Hover over the Action Box
6. Left-click the Click REASSIGN
7. Select the Target OPP from the drop down list (Check the number! Make sure you have the right OPP selected.)
8. Left-Click REASSIGN
The STAR(S) will be connected to the Target OPP.
Caution: STARS can only be REASSIGNED to OPPS created
by Teachers, Member Agents or Coordinating Agents. The target OPP must be ACTIVE on the Find
Opportunities Grid before the REASSIGN procedure begins. Once REASSIGN is completed, you may want to
make the Target OPP INACTIVE to prevent further action on it. Contact info@nvolved.com for assistance with this procedure.
The Contact is the person named on the STAR, the person who will APPROVE the STAR. This is generally the person supervising the work or volunteer activity. For school-based OPPS, a teacher is often the Contact.
The Contact is the only GetNvolved® user that does not login to the site. The Contact receives he VERIFY Email requesting that the STAR be approved and clicks the “View the STAR” link to open the STAR EDIT Form. The Contact sees only the STAR(s) that contains the Contact’s email address.
There are times when a Contact cannot approve STARS online. In that case, students should print their STAR Forms and have the Contact add comments, a signature, and the date anywhere on the printed document. Then, it should be turned in to the teachers as soon as possible.
1. My Records
2. Select the STAR(s) you want to print
3. Hover over the Action Box
4. Hover over the Reports
5. Click the STAR REPORT
6. When the next page opens, click Generate
The STAR Report will appear. Printing requires another series of steps.
7. Click the PRINT icon
8. A dialog box will open(You may have to enable pop ups for this site)
9. Click “OK”
10. A PDF document will appear. Click the PRINT Icon to create a hard copy of the PDF.
Note: You must be connected to a working printer.