Volunteer at a Local School
“My favorite part of volunteering was getting to know a picture of the whole family.”
Practice
Be a safe person. Complete the necessary background check to be available.
Consistency is key. Commit to consistent involvement, even once a month.
Acknowledge education is complex work. Approach volunteering with curiosity about the students and staff in your neighborhood.
Few practices connect us to our neighborhoods more than volunteering at our local school. Local schools are where diverse families from the neighborhood daily converge in car lines and classrooms. Volunteering at your local school provides a front row seat to your neighborhood’s needs and dreams.
Tina Lin volunteered and worked at Denver’s Isabella Bird Community School for 9 years. “Education is uniquely challenging work,” Tina says. “Volunteers don’t fix everything, but they ease the load.” Volunteering at a local school does not require a teaching background or a child enrolled at the school. What is needed most is the willingness and consistency to show up. Whether it’s helping with reading or being an adult presence during recess or lunch, being there makes a difference. “Your presence helps create a sense of safety for students and staff,” she says.
Schools are where the neighborhood and needs intersect clearly and consistently. Elementary Schools need and welcome the most volunteers—from classroom reading buddies to lunch monitors and field trip chaperones. Reading one-on-one with a student is a simple and significant way to show up—especially in Title I schools where needs are high and volunteers are few. “It’s simple,” Tina explains. “You sit with one student to read, and over time, you get to know their family, their story.” As students grow, volunteer opportunities shift. Middle school volunteers are required for field days and support staff. High Schools benefit from adult involvement with a PTA, extracurricular activities, and opportunities for mentoring relationships. Wherever you serve, it’s less about the tasks and more about the trust you are building with the students and staff at the school.
The local school is a place where the needs of many in our neighborhoods are met every day. Students and staff both benefit from adults showing up and serving. The local school is a place to practice the Way of Jesus, being one who comes not to be served, but to serve.
Thank you to Tina Lin for her conversation and contribution to this article.
