Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Schools

Back to school: Pinellas volunteer opportunities

By TIMES STAFF
Published August 5, 2007

Below is a list of volunteer opportunities at most schools and administrative centers of the Pinellas County School District.

Tutor

A tutor may work one-on-one with a student or with small groups of students who need to reinforce basic skills in a subject. Placements are made with students from prekindergarten through high school and with students in workforce development schools. Training is available.

Mentor

Mentors work with struggling students to motivate them to stay focused on school.

Through tutoring, setting short-term goals and serving as role models, volunteers can provide encouragement and friendship to help students build self-esteem. New mentors are required to attend a mentor workshop.

Adult literacy tutor

These tutors work with adults who are learning basic skills. The one-on-one tutoring program is designed to accommodate the adult learner. Volunteers are assigned to adult centers, where students are preparing for their General Educational Development (GED) exams or learning basic skills.

Classroom helpers

Volunteers work closely with classroom teachers and staff members, assisting in various projects, keeping records, preparing instructional materials and interacting with students. Duties in elementary schools may include telling stories, reading with children and preparing bulletin boards. Duties in middle schools, high schools and adult education centers may include working on special projects, operating audiovisual equipment, performing clerical duties, making instructional materials, reviewing homework and assisting with testing.

Gus A. Stavros Institute, home to Enterprise Village and Finance Park

Enterprise Village is the school system's "mini-mall," an economic education project for fifth-grade students. Volunteers help students as they learn about the free enterprise system through hands-on experiences in one of the mall businesses. Volunteers serve as shop supervisors, shop owners or consumers, as well as doing tasks such as pricing merchandise, advertising products, serving customers and managing a small business. Training is required.

Finance Park is the hands-on simulation for eighth-grade students, which helps them build foundations for making intelligent, lifelong personal and financial decisions. Volunteers assist students in developing their budgets and managing their finances, as well as answering questions and assisting in the distribution of materials.

Office/clerical assistant

Clerical assistants help staff members at a school, administrative center or adult/community education center. Duties may include typing, computer entry, copying, bookkeeping, record keeping, answering telephones and other office work.

Media center/ library assistant

Volunteers in the school library/media center help fill teacher and student requests for services. They also may work at the circulation desk, catalog and shelve books, use a computer, mend books and operate audiovisual equipment.

Computer helpers

Computer helpers share their computer skills and knowledge of various models of computers and software. Volunteers assist students and/or school personnel in classrooms or administrative offices.

School Advisory Council member

Schools elect members of the SAC to represent a broad cross section of the school's student population and the area in which the school is located. Volunteers from the community may express an interest in becoming a member of a council. The SAC functions as a resource for the principal on school improvement goals.

Classroom partners

These partnerships are designed for businesses or organizations interested in becoming involved with, and participating in, the activities of a particular class of students or an entire department in one school.

School partners

School partner relationships are ongoing throughout the year and typically involve the whole school. Regular communication, mutual objectives and specific outcomes are part of these relationships. Recommitment usually is done informally each year.

Corporate/community volunteer program

This is a partnership program involving employees and members of area companies and organizations as school volunteers. Participants are encouraged by their organization/company to become tutors or mentors for struggling students. In many cases, businesses allow flexible schedules to accommodate volunteer time during the day.

Off-site tutoring projects

To expand community involvement in schools and to expand availability of instructional tutors for students, the community involvement department assists local community groups seeking to establish tutoring centers for neighborhood students after school. St. Pete Reads is a model for off-site tutoring projects.

Speakers Bureau

Speakers use their professional skills and life experiences to bring enrichment to the curriculum and the classroom.

Great American Teach-In

Members of the community are invited into the schools for an hour, a few class periods or a day in mid November each year (Nov. 14, 2007). Participants may tell students about a career, hobby or personal experience; organize an activity; read a story; or teach a class.

For more information on becoming a volunteer, contact family and community relations at 893-2988.

To become part of the Speakers Bureau, call Donna Finnegan at 588-6000, ext. 1460.

To participate in the Teach-In, contact your local school or Kay Masters at 588-6000, ext. 1951.

[Last modified August 4, 2007, 22:02:27]