Opportunity Details

The Butler County Early Care & Education Council is writing to request YOUR involvement in local activities to celebrate the National Week of the Young Child this April. This annual celebration provides a special time to renew our community’s commitment to ensuring that every child has quality early experiences to help them grow up healthy, safe, and ready for school.

This year, we are again planning a community-wide event which will provide fun, educational activities and resources to support families of children ages birth through eight. With 90% of brain development occurring before age five, children’s experiences during these critical years provide the foundation for all future learning.

This year’s event theme, “Bugging Out about Books” will promote school readiness with a focus on using imagination and creativity to build critical early literacy and S.T.E.A.M education skills (Science Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) following the theme of the book “Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!, by Bob Barner. Each family attending will receive a FREE copy of the book which will be read at 3 times throughout the day by local children's librarians.
The evening will feature a family puppet show from Pittsburgh Puppet Works as well as many of the activities available during the daytime session.

Your help is needed to make this year’s celebration a success!

The County-wide event will be held:

 Friday, April 24th from 10 am – 2 pm and 5 – 7 pm, North Main Street Church of God, Butler

YOU can help in ANY of the following ways:
 Become an event Sponsor
 Volunteer to help where needed
 Donate door prizes for the children and families
 Donate food to feed volunteers and/or provide snacks/dinner for families
 Provide additional resources/presentations on Development and/or School Readiness
 Participate as a VENDOR*. (please read below)

*Organizations wishing to participate as VENDORS on Friday, April 24th must complete the attached form AND provide/participate in an activity for children that promotes learning using a bug/spring related theme. For additional information about the book and sample activities, see the back of the registration form or visit www.paonebook.org.

To learn more about how YOU can get involved, contact Julie Thumma at Lifesteps (724) 283-1010 x310.

We look forward to partnering with you!

Available Shifts

Shift Name	Signup Max	Start	End
Daytime shift	8	n/a	n/a
Evening Shift	5	n/a	n/a

Opportunity Details

An annual book sale put on by the Friends of the Library group where the proceeds go back into the community and local public library.

Available Shifts

Shift Name	Signup Max	Start	End
Set up	5	n/a	n/a
Morning	5	n/a	n/a
Afternoon	5	n/a	n/a
Clean up	5	n/a	n/a

Opportunity Details

Lincoln Park Elementary hosts a Mardi Gras Parade each school year. All of our school partner are invited to attend.

Available Shifts

Shift Name	Signup Max	Start	End
General	10	n/a	n/a

Opportunity Details

School Supplies for Treasure Beach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brings educational and teaching resources to underserved schools and learning centers in rural Jamaica. We need a website administrator to update our optimize our site and make regular updates. Willingness to send out email updates to subscribers a plus.

We are based in Minneapolis, MN. Volunteers can be local or work remotely from other areas.

Please contact us at katrina@schoolsupplies4treasurebeach.org if you are interested in helping!

Opportunity Details

Join us! Engage with our Erie team to support our students' learning, become a math or reading tutor. Our students do not always receive the support off campus that they need to succeed, become part of their road to success. Can't commit weekly? Become a pop-in mystery reader and surprise a whole class by reading aloud to them.

Want to do a team building exercise that supports our school? Find out how by contacting us!

For more information or other opportunities to support our arts and music program, reach out to Jaclyn Fierro, Director of Development, jfierro@eriecharterschool.org or call (773) 486-7161.

Opportunity Details

We will have opportunities ranging from helping with the registration table to setting up and breaking down tables. You will have an opportunity to witness talent from diverse cultures of the world.

Available Shifts

Shift Name	Signup Max	Start	End
Early Shift	5	n/a	n/a
Late Shift	5	n/a	n/a

Opportunity Details

Writers’ Exchange literacy mentors are positive role models who help kids from inner-city neighbourhoods aged 6 to 18 boost their literacy skills and self-esteem. With your support, kids complete super fun reading and writing activities, and they even create professionally designed and published books!

Mentors cheer kids on throughout their literacy journeys and act as consistent role models. Our program staff is there to support you 100%. We’ll plan the activities and manage behaviour, so that you can focus on having fun and being an awesome mentor (though we always love to hear your silly program ideas). Not a strong writer? Not super outgoing? No problem! Being a mentor is about providing encouragement and support, not high-energy literary perfection.

Many of the kids we work with have low self-confidence when it comes to reading and writing, but when mentors like you make the kids feel safe and supported, the kids get excited about literacy and build self-confidence to set them up for long-term success!

In operation since 2011, every year the Writers’ Exchange serves 600 kids with the help of 250 Literacy Mentors. Our programs operate in the highest-needs neighbourhoods in East and South Vancouver.

If you are excited to learn how memes and super heroes can get kids excited about reading, writing, and their own potential, then this is the perfect role for you! Keep reading for more details, or visit our website at vancouverwe.com.

In-School Programs
• Working in Vancouver School Board inner-city schools, mentors work with 3 to 4 students to complete curriculum requirements in a super creative way
• At the end of the program, creations from the entire class are combined into a publication, like “The BIG Book of Legendary Challenges”.
• Commitment: 1.5 hours/week (programs usually run weekday mornings) for 5 to 6 weeks, on the same day/time each week
• Mentors MUST attend all sessions of an in-school project

After-School Programs
• Mentors work one-on-one or with small groups of kids to help them complete fun writing projects, homework, awesome crafts, and a published book, like "Give me Space"!
• Program hours: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Commitment: the same 2-hour program each week for 3 to 4 months
• Mentors are allowed to miss no more than 2 weeks of an after-school program per term to ensure that the kids receive the consistency they crave.

THE IMPACT OF YOUR TIME AND ENTHUSIASM:
KIDS BUILD POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS!
97% of kids in our programs say there's an adult at the Writers' Exchange who cares about them

KIDS HAVE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE!
96% of kids in our programs love coming to the Writers' Exchange

KIDS ARE MOTIVATED TO READ AND WRITE!
98% of kids in our programs are excited to do the activities

KIDS SUCCEED LONG-TERM BECAUSE OF A HUGE SELF-ESTEEM BOOST!

WHAT YOU’LL DO TO CHANGE LIVES:
• Be a consistent positive role model for the kids
• Bring your creativity, enthusiasm, and kindness to all shifts
• Demonstrate compassion for the communities in which the Writers’ Exchange is situated
• Become familiar with the Writers’ Exchange and our mission and culture
• Commit to constantly learning how you can best support the kids

WHAT MAKES A GREAT MENTOR:
• Adaptable, committed, compassionate, consistent, flexible, friendly, fun, genuine, kind, loves to learn, open-minded, relaxed, team player, trustworthy, and understanding
• Thrives in a space that is loud, fun, energetic, and constantly changing
• Previous experience working with children is great but is not required. A genuine enthusiasm to connect with awesome kids over glue and glitter is more important
• Eager to participate in ongoing training activities

HOW TO JOIN THE TEAM:
• Fully commit to at least one in-school program (1.5 hours / week for 5 to 6 weeks) and/or after-school program for at least one full term (2 hours / week for 3 to 4 months). Our terms run from September - December, January - March, April - June, and July - August.
• Mentors MUST attend all sessions of an in-school program.
• Mentors are allowed to miss no more than 2 weeks of an after-school program per term to ensure that we provide the consistency the kids crave.
• We encourage Literacy Mentors to make an even longer-term commitment to cultivate close, supportive relationships with kids.
• Be at least 16 years old
• Provide two references
• Complete a BC Criminal Records Check (we’ll help you though this process - please note it can take up to 4 weeks to process a criminal record check, so please apply ASAP)

We encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds, including LGBTTIQQ2SA folks, Indigenous peoples, people of all colours, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, or another equity-seeking group with which you identify.

“Writers' Exchange creates community through literacy, intergenerational interactions, and creative fun!” - Tara, Literacy Mentor

HOW TO APPLY:
Please visit https://vancouverwe.com/volunteerspring2020 for all the details and to fill out an application form by Monday, March 2nd.

Orientation dates for new literacy mentors:

• Tuesday, March 31st, 6pm - 9pm or
• Saturday, April 4th, 11am - 2pm

“At Writers’ Exchange we can do anything our mind wants to imagine!” - Erin, age 11

Available Shifts

Shift Name	Signup Max	Start	End
General	no limit	n/a	n/a

Opportunity Details

We are looking for Kohls volunteers to help with the GCPS Book Mobile 5k. Volunteers would assist with checking in runners, helping with children's games such as the jumpy castle, serve snow cones, and cheering on participants. This annual family event is the primary fundraiser for purchasing books for the Gwinnett County Public Schools Book Mobile. This program improves literacy by putting awesome books into students' hands. Since 2017, over 55,000 Gwinnett children have received new books at the 296 school and community visits.

Available Shifts

Shift Name	Signup Max	Start	End
General	no limit	n/a	n/a

Opportunity Details

This is the first Leaders and Literacy Day in Dearborn organized by Communities In Schools of Michigan. During this 2 hour event over 200 community volunteers will be reading one-on-one with students at Salina Elementary School. Each student will walk away with their own hard copy of “The Breaking News” by Sarah Lynne Reul. Readers help students make the connection between literacy and the pathway to leadership and future opportunities. During their time together the volunteers and students read the book, play games, have a discussion, and then the readers dedicate the book to their students.

Be the one to help unlock potential in our students and sign up today!

Available Shifts

Shift Name	Signup Max	Start	End
Volunteer Reader	no limit	n/a	n/a

Opportunity Details

This is the 5th annual Leaders and Literacy Day organized by Communities In Schools of Michigan. During this 2 hour event over 200 community volunteers will be reading one-on-one with students at Elmwood Elementary School. Each student will walk away with their own hard copy of “The Breaking News” by Sarah Lynne Reul. Readers help students make the connection between literacy and the pathway to leadership and future opportunities. During their time together the volunteers and students read the book, play games, have a discussion, and then the readers dedicate the book to their students. This has become a celebratory event on fostering a love for literacy for students who need it most.

Available Shifts

Shift Name	Signup Max	Start	End
Volunteer Reader	no limit	n/a	n/a