5 Tips for Volunteering in Schools

Tomorrow I'm volunteering at a public elementary school in my neighborhood. I started volunteering with this "reading partners" program last spring, and started up again last week. Each week I read for half an hour with a third grade student, and then for half an hour with a second grade student. I just love it.

If you're interested in volunteering in a school in your community, here are a few tips:

1. To find a volunteer opportunity at a school near you, search on WE Volunteer, contact a school directly, check with the PTA, or see if your school district has a volunteer program.

2. If volunteering during the school day doesn't fit your schedule, see if help is needed during an after school program, or at a special event. Check out Seven Ways to Volunteer at Your Child's School: When You Have No Time to Volunteer at Your Child's School for more ideas.

3. Depending on your school district, you might need to go to a volunteer orientation, provide letters of recommendation, get a TB test, and/or get a background check before you can start volunteering, so prepare for a little lag time before you can start.

4. If you're having challenges working with a particular student, be sure to let the teacher, or volunteer coordinator know, and check out these Volunteer Resources, compiled by San Francisco School Volunteers, for suggestions on how to work with English Language Learners, unmotivated students, readers with learning disabilities, etc.

5. Be flexible. School schedules and young people can be unpredictable. Things like assemblies, field trips, testing, and illness can mean that you might show up to volunteer and discover that the student you have been working with isn't available that day.

Bonus tip: Have fun!

Have you volunteered in a school before? If so, share your experiences in the comments, or on the WE Volunteer Facebook Page.