33 Ways to Make A Difference in Schools
From September 26-30, NBC will host Education Nation, a nationally broadcast, in-depth conversation about improving education in America.
Event highlights include a summit with top leaders in education, multi-media coverage on all NBC stations and online outlets, Teacher Town Hall with Brian Williams and interactive exhibits in Rockefeller Plaza.
Two of our national partners, University of Phoenix and American Express, are sponsors of this effort and will showcase opportunities for volunteers to make a difference in schools.
We hope this incredible conversation will inspire you to become part of the solution.
Here are 33 ways you can make a difference in schools:
- Assist a classroom (support a teacher)
- Coach a sports team
- Tutor
- Mentor a student
- Teach job and/ or professional skills
- Start a School Club: Books; Music; Drama; Art; Writing; Homework; Cooking… (What are you good at?)
- Volunteer as a Crossing guard
- Donate time as a Hallway monitor
- Become a playground monitor
- Support Service-Learning activities (see section: Practicing Service-Learning)
- Support the school Computer Lab
- Support the school Library
- Read a book to a classroom
- Start a school garden
- Support other parents/guardians by: carpooling, walking children home from school, waiting with children at the bus stop.
- Coordinate donation drives to support teachers and students
- Organize an annual school supply drive
- Organize a Fundraiser
- Supervise or judge the science fair
- Supervise evening or weekend activities
- Write grant proposals
- Attend School board meetings
- Chaperone events on and off school grounds (field trips, sports games)
- Read a book to a classroom
- Participate in PTA or school board meetings that take place once a week or once a month
- Create a classroom website for parents from home
- Organize a phone or email tree for parents
- Create classroom curriculum or materials from home
- Organize files for teachers from home
- Provide homework help to your child at home
- Encourage recreational reading and writing over television and video games to your child at home
- Supervise evening and weekend activities
- Organize a one-time project such as painting classrooms, school ground beautification, or a school-cleanup day
To learn more or to find a volunteer project near you, visit HandsOn Network’s Education Nation project search page.
Also, did you know that October 23rd is Make A Difference Day,the largest, annual day of service?
Make A Difference for kids in your community.
you owe it to yourself to know me
396 S.W. Summerhill Glen*Lake City, FL 32024*
(386) 758-6067 ba C (386) 365-3057
roseEgrier@att.net itsneveryourfault.com
To Whom it May Concern,
I have created an advocate/teacher/counselor book “Never Ever Your Fault” and a middle school and high school presentation on PowerPoint complete with scripts. “Never Ever Your Fault” is a comprehensive program for use in Middle and High school classrooms, guidance offices, or auditoriums. It teaches boundary establishment and esteem building with the age specific educational material. It has a script for victim advocates and educators complete with age specific tests and exercises. It has been field tested for two years with grand success. I am also developing a pre K-5 version called “The Heart of the Matter” which includes a poem that can be put to song “Only I can Touch Me there’” using a set of parrot puppets which are seen throughout the book. Also included is a book that teachers can print, cut, fold, and staple together or bind as a project. I hope to make it into a hard cardboard chunky book as well called “Today I am”.
The book houses the “Educational program” mapped out in biography format as advised by the “Director Of Special Projects” from Hiram College in Ohio. Roger Cram is one of my biggest encouragers. It was originally in 5 separate books. Roger felt I should sew them all together into one book. Roger donated my site, now with over 6000 visitors. Many have communicated their thanks. I am currently communicating with a student that Daniel Keck (Marietta, Ohio) raped and molested. His mother found and contacted me from the site.
I co-illustrated this program with our daughter. Her work from age thirteen on, adds an authentic appeal for teens and most of the art pages are actual posters. There is student participation laced throughout my program. I hired a student to make the HS PowerPoint disk cover, and another to print art on the actual disk. There is other student art in the book as recognized in the back of the book in the Gallery.
The history of my incest experience is in the book. It is for those who want to read the experience and get a broader view of the healing process from incest to wellness. It is entitled "Journal of Innocence Stolen"(graphic) I fictionalized my age as a request by our daughter and wrote it journal entry style as a murder mystery. It is a true account of what happened to me, slightly fictionalized. The poetry compilation "New Light Same Sun" was written during my two years as a victim advocate. It charts my feelings from anger to forgiveness.
I was in the classroom full time working with the students and connected directly with the fresh new issues of the day. I asked them what they needed from me. They spoke and I listened. I was told I might have three disclosures a year. With this program I had over thirty in my two-year term some were boys and teachers! I wrote all of my own material. Being in the fields and trenches, I found and was told much of the material I was given to script from was outdated, condescending and gender biased unfairly tipping the scales against boys. Many got defensive. My teachers and students strongly encouraged me to write a book based on my presentations. I resigned at the end of the 2002 school year. And began writing. When I felt close to completion, I wrote Gavin de Becker (He and his associates found Jodi Foster’s stalker) and asked if he would do the foreword. His representative said he would likely do so upon publication.
My husband of twenty-five years, and both our son, now nineteen, and daughter, twenty-four wanted to be a part of my healing. I incorporated their input creating a comprehensive representation of my healing process to date.
I am actively pursuing publication/funding. I appreciate your time and efforts concerning this project.
I have submitted the disc to the Department Of Education in Tallahassee, FL. in hopes of stimulating interest and funding for program development. I met with a task force at the State’s Attorney office and showed my High School PowerPoint. It was met with very positive input. The books follow guidelines as laid down by the Sunshine State Standards for Health Education. I have also gone to the National level for appeal looking for corporate sponsors. I have received my Victim Services Practitioner Designation from the Attorney General. The program is copyrighted with the Library of Congress. All quotes are appropriately approved. I have been working on this for 11 years. I lend myself whole-heartedly to the youth of the world. These are hot societal issues, ripe with purpose.
Thanks again.
Sincerely;