Motley Zoo's training videos made for the post COVID return to work are highlighted in The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement's feature on ways to get back to saving lives!
We are honored that our videos have been cited as great examples of how to try to move past COVID in the workplace, especially when animals and volunteers are involved.
See the excerpt below, first published on the AAWA's site, October 12, 2020.
"Whether you’re just starting to bring back your volunteers or are fortunate enough to have done so already, you’ve had to put new protocols in place to keep everyone safe and healthy. Redmond, WA-based Motley Zoo Animal Rescue has come up with a great way to train volunteers on these new protocols and processes. Check out these fun and instructional videos, and see if this idea could work at your agency.
Motley Zoo’s volunteer training videos were created on a very simple premise, says the organization’s founder, Jme Thomas: “People like to see what they need to do, and the videos have made a big difference.”
Training Video: Motley Zoo’s Clocking-In Protocol
The health screening and clocking-in video walks volunteers through the process. (Note, since the video was made in June, they’ve switched from paper to tablet, but the rest of the wipe-down and sanitizing steps remain.)
Training Video: Dog Transfer
Volunteers and doggy daycare clients were sent videos on traffic flow through the lobby and, as shown in the video above, the transfer of pet from client to staff or volunteer during drop-off and pick-up.
Training Video: Wipe-Down Process
This video demonstrates the new wipe-down process that volunteers are required to keep up throughout the day, as well as at the start and finish.
So what’s the verdict on these training tools?
“Having volunteers watch the video really cuts down on training time, because it’s already a review when we ask them to do the task the first time,” shares Thomas. “We have a quiz for each video that tracks responses in a Google sheet.”
They’ve also added QR codes to the videos at each of the appropriate stations along the way, so people can review at any time. Adds Thomas, “The volunteers have said they really appreciate the videos, and we have started doing videos for EVERYTHING!”