What You Can Do

Reading Tutors - Volunteers are trained to take a major role in reading tutoring. An example of this is the Read and Achieve program at Shorewood High School. Individual schools and the school district have all the resources on hand to be able to train capable reading tutors.

English Language Learners (ELL) - There are approximately 400 students in the district enrolled in ELL classes. Volunteers can alleviate the stress in the classroom by giving individual attention to a student within the classroom or working with the student separately to help the student gain skills needed for the classroom. Training is also available for volunteers working with these students.

Mentors - A mentor is a friend, a guide, a good listener, and a responsive and reliable adult. Mentors are paired with students who need a caring adult to give them time and attention. This time and attention helps the child to feel better about school and to be a better student. Volunteers are trained to be positive role models for the students. The usual time commitment is 30 minutes per week per student.

Library - A great way to make a contribution in the schools is to help in the Library of a school. Librarians are very busy these days and keeping books ready for students to use requires lots of hands. Often volunteers who do not want to interact directly with students, find working in the Library very satisfying.

Classroom Helpers – Many times, volunteers will develop a partnership with a particular classroom teacher. These volunteers may work with small groups, help with special projects, listen to kids read, or help with whatever the teacher needs.

Classroom assistants - These adults work with a teacher and are adaptable to his/her style and needs. The teacher provides the planning and supervision for these adults. The level of participation by the volunteer varies greatly from classroom to classroom.

Cut-n-chat - A group of volunteers work together to prepare materials for all teachers in one building. This lightens the drudgery of the many repetitive actions (cutting, stapling, gluing) by creating a social atmosphere where camaraderie can happen. This is good for volunteers who may have some handicap (hearing impaired) that make is hard for them to interact with students. This also allows teachers to plan more creative activities knowing they don’t have to do all the preparation by themselves.

Specialized tutors - Many volunteers have skills that can be utilized to improve specific academic achievement. For example, retired teachers, engineers, and scientists often like to tutor in mathematics. If you've often thought your experience would be helpful in a school setting, give the volunteer coordinator a call.

Volunteer Coordinator