by Heinz Sladek

Created on: July 24, 2008

Volunteering can be one of the most rewarding things that you will ever do, especially when it is attached to your child's schools. There are many benefits to volunteering, including the increased success of your child at school. There are many opportunities for parents to volunteer at school, some that involve coming up to school, and others that involve your free time.

Depending on the individual situation, there is no reason why a person cannot volunteer at his or her child's school. Many schools will send home volunteer activity forms at the beginning of the school year. However, if your child's school does not do this, I encourage you to contact your child's teacher regarding volunteer activities.

At the elementary level, there are many opportunities. Some of these include reading to and with struggling readers. This is a great way to make a positive impact on the community and to assist teachers in their efforts to help students to be successful. Some schools will ask parents to volunteer in the front office, doing basic office work, or even answering phones. Teachers may need volunteers to cut out things in preparation for lessons, or may ask for help as a classroom tutor. Another fabulous way to volunteer at your child's school is to join the school's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) or Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). These organizations are responsible for supporting the school with fundraising activities, staff support, and community activities. If joining an organization like a PTO, you will find the opportunity to volunteer at school fairs, rummage sales, or bake sales. They may host school wide activities like dances or entertainment which all need volunteers for them to be successful.

When you get to the secondary level, PTA and PTO are usually still available but, booster clubs also become more popular. Booster clubs are parent organizations that are meant to support extracurricular groups such as school sports teams, cheerleaders, dance teams, and band. These organization, do a significant amount of fundraising and supporting the coaches and directors all for the sole purpose of the groups success. Also, be looking for other organizations that support the school, such as Project Graduation.

You can also volunteer at the school system administration level by participating in focus groups and investigative committees on behalf of the school board. This is a terrific way to become more familiar with the inner workings of the school system and for you to become more active in the community.

There are so many opportunities for a parent to volunteer and his or her child's school. It is extremely important to be an active participant in your child's education and this goes beyond academic support. Take the opportunities as they are made available to be an active volunteer at your child's school. You will not be sorry and the rewards will be abundant.

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