Education: Volunteer Opportunities
Gain valuable firsthand experience in youth development, teaching, and nonprofit work while building and sustaining important connections with the greater Portland educational community.
SEEDS@Schools
SEEDS@Schools for 2021-2022 will provide virtual volunteer opportunities with SUN at Lane Middle School, SMART Reading, and The Children's Book Bank. These opportunities seek to support literacy efforts in the Portland community by providing 1 to 1 peer support as well as increasing access to the necessary tools to improve literacy.
Email SEEDS@School Coordinator if interested!
Book Restoration with Children's Book Bank
Interested in community engagement? Enthusiastic about spreading knowledge? Like working with your hands? Sign up to be a book restorer for The Children’s Book Bank, organized through SEEDS! We‘ll give used, damaged books new life. The Children's Book Bank is also tentatively seeking organization and leadership positions eligible for federal work-study and community engagemnet credit, apply via Reed's Handshake.
Lane Middle School After School Support (SUN)
Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) is a program at Lane Middle School (and many others) dedicated to providing educational support and skill development as well as enrichment and recreation activities. Located a short 12-minute bus ride or 7-minute drive from Reed, Lane is an ethnically diverse middle school where 100% of the student body receives free or reduced lunch. Lane’s students are offered a variety of after school extracurriculars, including but not limited to cooking, wewing, rec sports, and study hall. Reedies support Lane students by serving as classroom assistants to provide an extra set of hands for the teacher, as well as engage with the students and their activity. Program choice is on a first-come first-serve basis. A background check form and proof of vaccination are both required.
SMART Reading
SMART Reading is focused on providing literacy support and fostering in them a love of reading and writing. There are three different programs, with volunteers accordingly assigned depending on need. Classroom Read-Aloud volunteers commit to reading for one session or multiple sessions determined by volunteer availability. Virtual SMART Readers commit to reading a minimum of one hour per week during an 8-week session. There are three 8-week sessions that Virtual Volunteer Readers may participate in throughout the year. Pen Pals commit to corresponding about books and reading with their assigned student/s. All programs are remote.
Email SEEDS@School Coordinator Sophie Klingborg '22 if you are interested to get invovled with these volunteer opportunities!