“I've been teaching at this school for years. I thought this was an unknown neighborhood – but there are people out there who care… I'm overwhelmed with gratitude at the number of people here today.”
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Literacy Support Volunteer
Teachers face larger class sizes and a wider range of proficiency levels among their students—one lesson does not fit all— we are piloting a program designed with input from San Francisco teachers to train volunteers to work alongside teachers to provide one-on-one support for struggling readers, helping them reach the reading goals they set for underperforming students in underserved schools.
Multiple longitudinal studies on children from first to fourth grade show that children who do poorly in reading in the first year are likely to continue to do poorly as they get older; students who fall behind do not catch up without intervention. You can help provide the necessary intervention.
Activities
This is a pilot program that intensively trains volunteers to support 1st and 2nd grade readers that are one grade level behind. Volunteers will work with the teacher to identify exercises that will help a student given their individual learning needs.
Commitment/Days and Times
Literacy support volunteers commit to volunteering a minimum of two hours per week for an entire school year. These two hours are split between two visits (minimum of one hour per visit) during literacy instruction time- which is determined by the teacher, but often times happens during the morning.
Training and Clearance Needed
Orientation
Every new volunteer attends a two-hour orientation to learn the roles and responsibilities of volunteering in the San Francisco Unified School District. Volunteers meet with our staff to discuss their interests and skills in order to find a placement that best fits them.
Literacy specific trainings
Volunteers attend four additional hours, the training addresses:
- Reading aloud to students to develop a love for reading.
- Listening to students read to develop fluency.
- Using specific activities to help students develop their ability to read and understand.
Application Packet
Volunteers must submit a completed voluneer packet containing the following documents:Fingerprinting
The full cost for background clearance is $73.00 per person, and we ask every School Volunteers applicant to cover this cost through a donation to the San Francisco Education Fund. If you are able to contribute more than $73.00, your contribution will directly support the School Volunteers program, enabling us to extend this program to more students, teachers, schools, and volunteers.
The San Francisco Education Fund is committed to engaging the community in our city’s public schools, and we believe that everyone, regardless of means, should be able to volunteer in schools. As a result, the Education Fund raises funds for scholarships to off-set the cost of volunteer clearance for individuals who can’t afford to pay the full cost. If your current financial situation prevents you from paying the full $73.00, we ask that you contribute as much as you can, and we require all School Volunteers applicants to pay at least a small amount to demonstrate their commitment to volunteering. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please complete the scholarship form and bring it with you to orientation.