Individual Opportunities
There are a number of different ways to volunteer here at Mi Escuelita! Many regular volunteers adopt a classroom as a reader or a classroom assistant and get to form relationships with the children. Some people can't commit to a regular time, so they volunteer when and as they can. Every little thing you do helps us commit more of our resources to our children. Contact Caroline Smiley at csmiley(at)miescuelita(dot)org or 214.526.0220 ext. 20 to find out how we can work with your schedule and interests.
Readers
Come and read to a classroom of 18 adorable and loving preschoolers for thirty minutes! This usually takes place from 12-12:30, and you can come as many time as twice week or once a month, whatever works for you. Reading to the kids encourages in them a love for reading and helps them with pre-reading skills. Exposing the kids to various people and accents deepens their understanding of English.
Requirements:
Time: 30 minutes a month or week or every other every other week.
Skills: Patience, ability to read in English
Classroom Assistants
Spend time in a classroom, usually in the mornings, working with the kids in the different centers, reading books with them, playing on the playground, or helping the teachers. Exposing our kids to more English, new faces, and giving them more one-on-one attention helps them learn more. It is also an encouragement to the teachers.
Requirements
Time: Between 30 minutes and three hours weekly, preferably in the morning.
Skills: Patience, love for kids, or props and good plan if you are teaching a lesson.
Resource Room Organizers
Help us keep our Resource Rooms/Libraries organized for the teachers and parents. We have libraries at each site that parents check books and other resources out of, and we want to keep them pleasant and organized. It makes it easier for parents to find the books and resources they need to work with their child, and it lets the teachers and staff spend time with the kids instead of organizing.
Requirements
Time: An hour a week or month.
Skills: Organization.
Teach a Lesson
Have a special talent or skill or knowledge? Did you grow up in another country? Others have done presentations on teeth brushing, hand washing, nutrition, different countries, musical instruments, safety with animals, and a variety of things relating to the lesson plans. This would involve usually around a 30 minute or so activity in each classroom. Kids at this age are like sponges. They soak up new information, so lessons about nutrition, etc., help them start good habits early.
Requirements
Time: Between 30 minutes and two hours depending on how many classrooms you want to present to.
Skills: Whichever one(s) you want to sure.
Host a Party
Help the kids and/or the teachers celebrate a birthday or holiday by hosting a party in a classroom. It's a great way to do something special for the kids and teachers.
Requirements
Time: About an hour.
Skills: Ability to bring party supplies.
Organize a Donation Drive
We need supplies of all kinds. Donate your old arts & crafts materials or organize a drive for age-appropriate books in English and in Spanish, toothbrushes, bandages, school supplies, backpacks, etc. Check out our wishlist for more ideas. It saves Mi Escuelita money and time that we would have to spend buying or asking for donations of these materials. It also keeps the classrooms bright and fresh and the kids healthy.
Requirements
Time: Flexible.
Skills: Driven personality.
Photography/Media Volunteer
We are always looking for fresh ways to tell our story through pictures, video and graphic design. With six sites, we have a lot of fun events and activities that we like to take pictures of to share with parents, volunteers, and the community. Your help will improve our marketing both to potential families and to potential volunteers or donors. It also saves us time and money that we can spend on the children.
Requirements
Time: Flexible
Skills: Good with photography or media design.
Office Volunteer
Our administrative staff stays busy throughout the year, and sometimes big administrative projects come up that require extra hands. There may be opportunity to work on on-going projects or one-time projects, as needed. We run a very slim administration so that we can devote as much of our resources as possible to the children. Unfortunately, at times that stretches our staff a little thin. Helping around the office makes sure that everything is getting done on time and that our organization can more effectively impact students' lives.
Requirements
Time: Flexible.
Skills: Organized, willing to potentially perform monotonous tasks.
Holiday Volunteers
Barnes and Noble Gift Wrapping
Wrap presents at the Barnes & Noble store across from North Park between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This activity generates cash contributions and children’s books for Mi Escuelita.
Navidad en el Barrio Gift Project
Between Thanksgiving and early December, help sort donated gifts. This activity generates Christmas gifts for Mi Escuelita children and their siblings.
