Theory and practice of training students to volunteer work with children of deviant behavior

The article presents the issue of training of the student youth for volunteering activity with vulnerable children, the number of which has significantly increased in recent years, which actualizes the problem of finding effective methods and forms of educational preventive work with them. The importance of volunteering in the work with young deviants and involving the student youth to it has been substantiated. Volunteering is a universally recognized resource of social work. The volunteer movement has many positive aspects worth of being used in the training of future social workers. The volunteering activity for the youth is not only a way to spend free time, a way of self-realization, and the opportunity to contribute to a society, but also the possibility to stimulate future professional growth and development. Here we should note, that volunteers are not only altruistic people, they also work for the purpose of gaining experience, special knowledge and skills, establishing important personal and professional contacts. The volunteering activity allows a person to largely realize a sense of personal civil responsibility. At the same time, it is an important step for the further professional development. The study was conducted at Uzhhorod National University with Social Work students and took place in stages. The aim of the study is to reveal the peculiarities of the future social workers training for volunteering activity with deviant children. The following research methods have been used: questionnaire, individual and group interview, observation (direct and indirect), testing, method of explanation and narration, method of conversation, interactive methods, the method of projects, trainings, excursions, case-study. On the basis of methods used: the essence of volunteering activity has been clarified as a voluntary non-profit activity of persons-volunteers aimed at providing assistance to individuals in difficult living conditions. The important role of volunteering in working with deviant children has been proved as well as the necessity to involve student youth in this work; the content, forms and methods of social workers-to-be training for volunteering with deviant children have been grounded; the conditions of effectiveness of formation of readiness of students for volunteering activity with deviant children have been revealed: the combination of theoretical, practical training and scientific-research work of students; formation of interest in the problem of volunteering with deviant children; use of various forms and methods of work in the training of future professionals for volunteering activities.The generalization of the results of the conducted experimental work has shown the significant increase of indicator of the level of readiness of students for volunteering activity with deviant children.