Minneapolis Schools Volunteers

 

Volunteers are a much-needed resource in all of District 186 schools. Areas in need of volunteers are mentoring, tutoring, library assistance, etc. Each school has identified a need for volunteers so if you have the talent and time to invest in a young person’s life – this is the organization to be involved with. Volunteers can assist throughout the school day from before-school activities to after-school activities based upon their individual schedule and the school needs.The B.J. Reed Award Created in 1988, the B.J. Reed Award recognizes the work of volunteers in the Minneapolis Schools. The B.J. Reed Award was named in honor of Batty Jane Reed who founded the Community Resource Volunteer Program in 1965. B.J. Reed was a Minneapolis School educator who went on to be an author, poet and mentor. Originally the Community Resource Volunteer Program was intended to give entertainers, craftspeople, professionals, civic leaders and other working adults the opportunity to share their time and skills by becoming a part of the school curriculum giving classroom presentations. The CRV Program later expanded its focus and became the WISE Resource Volunteer Program.

This program aims to have volunteers engaged in various functions across the Minneapolis Schools. B.J. Reed retired in 1981 but continued to be an integral part of the WISE Resource Volunteer Program until her death in 1995. The B.J. Reed Award is given annually to someone who has made outstanding contributions to Minneapolis students and the community. Lawrence Looking Elk the 2006 B.J. Reed Award Recipient The Sullivan Elementary School, one Minneapolis School, has gained a great deal from the volunteer work of Mr. Lawrence Looking Elk. Lawrence Looking Elk has become an almost permanent member of the Sullivan School community. The work he does at the school includes, but is certainly not limited to, volunteering in the Media Center, out on the playground during recess and in the lunchroom during breakfast and lunch. Lawrence Looking Elk has established a bond with the parents, teachers and students at Sullivan School. The parents of the school have been overwhelmed by their children love and devotion to Lawrence Looking Elk, who has developed the student’s trust in him based on his kind, gentle and understanding approach toward them. Lawrence Looking Elk has worked closely with the student’s in Sandy Chapman’s classroom at the Sullivan School. Ms. Chapman attributes many of the scholastic gains her students have made to Lawrence Looking Elk and his work in the classroom.

Lawrence Looking Elk has volunteered in the Sullivan Elementary School for three years and donated nearly 3100 hours of his time. Lawrence Looking Elk is active in other ways in the Minneapolis Schools. He volunteers with many organizations including the Parent Committee for Indian Education, is Chairman of the Indian Education Board, and South High School Site Council (PUSH). In addition to volunteer work with these groups, he vigorously works to raise funds for activities for Native American Students. Lawrence Looking Elk’s experience from being in the schools and classrooms gives him the insight to know what changes are needed and he has the tenacity to work for the changes in the Minneapolis Schools that benefits all students. Lawrence Looking Elk received the B.J. Reed Award at June 13th meeting of the Minneapolis Board of Education. Last month, Looking Elk was also honored by his colleagues and friends at the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon held at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis.

In May , the first Annual CIS Volunteer Recognition dinner was held to honor all of the hard work every volunteer contributes to the school district and to increase awareness about CIS’ programs and activities. Look forward for this opportunity for volunteers to get together and learn how they really make a difference in the lives of young people today! There is no secret that volunteering activities at the school level enable families to share their time and talents to support the school, teachers, and students. It matters not if volunteers are working at the school, in the classroom or in the community, they are essential to promoting parent involvement and student achievement. It’s no secret that some teachers can be territorial when it comes to letting someone into their classroom or accepting assistance from individuals not employed by the school district. Sometimes it is easier to just do everything alone or ask family or friends to help out on weekends or after school hours. What would happen however if a teacher took a chance and decided to consider working with one or two committed volunteers? Various strategies may be used to recruit and train volunteers and to match their time and talents to the needs of teachers, students, and administrators. Two years ago a middle school in Michigan recruited six parents as “Den Mothers” responsible for contacting parents about issues and concerns addressing the grade they were assigned. Two sixth grade parents would create flyers for the sixth grade teacher concerning field trips, remind parents about upcoming parent meetings and conduct fundraisers used to purchase items the teacher needed in her classroom.

There were two parents assigned to the seventh grade and the eighth grade. The group of “Den Mothers” met twice a month to talk about parent communication methods and met once a month with each teacher. Additional correspondence was made via email and phone calls. The principal met with the teachers and their assigned “Den Mothers” every six weeks. Each “Den Mother” was responsible for creating a Parent Resource Directory for their assigned grade. The directory was used to solicit volunteers for field trips and special school events. There is little doubt that parent volunteers who serve as assistants and contributors to school and classroom programs and as audiences at school activities and events help strengthen school programs. By organizing and training volunteers to assist in the schools, educators are sending a clear message that parents and others are welcome and that their time and talents are valued. Here are a few rules you might want to remember when planning a volunteer initiative. - In operating a volunteer program, it is important to keep a broad view of potential volunteer involvement. Do not assume that the only people who are likely to volunteer at your school are the same types of people who previously volunteered. - Program planning and design begins with an initial assessment of why the school wishes to use volunteers and what benefits and problems are likely to be resolved with the use of volunteers. - What are the benefits of having school volunteers?

Delivery of service at a reduced cost – There are a number of volunteers that will be able to assist the school in areas that might otherwise topple a school’s budget. If the school in able to create a pool of retired volunteer teachers to help in the reading or math lab, or with students one-on-one sessions, this is a great benefit to students, teachers and parents at virtually no cost. - Teachers and parents can not do everything that is needed to increase student achievement. Volunteers are needed to assist in listening to a poor reader, acting as hall monitors, walking through the neighborhood before and after school and planting flowers so the school and community can take pride in their school. - Additional eyes and ears in the school and in the community – Parents, business owners and other community members are the eyes and ears of the school community and when something is not what it should be; rest assured someone in the community knows the story. - Training is the process of instructing volunteers in the specific job-related skills and behavior that they will need to perform their particular volunteer job. This is particularly important in a school setting because staff and students will focus on the task and behavior exhibited by the volunteer in the school setting. - Volunteer training at the school level should be practical, and tailored to the individual needs of the volunteer. If a parent is not a good reader, do not have her read to a group of 2nd graders while the teacher is administering a make-up standardized test.

 

Contact your principal or a school district administrator to see how to start a parent volunteer initiative at your school. If you do not have a volunteer initiative plan, contact the Red Cross. They wrote the book on volunteer initiatives and will be able to create a skeleton plan for your school. Remember to include parents and community members on your school volunteer initiative planning committee.