VOLUNTEER AT USD116

Volunteer Information

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact the following mentor and community involvement coordinators for detailed descriptions of open volunteer positions at each school. Please return completed applications to the school in which you wish to volunteer marked Attention: Volunteer Coordinator. If you do not have a school preference, please send completed applications to Urbana Middle School, 1201 S. Vine St., Urbana, IL 61801 Attention: Angie Armstrong.

Volunteers must complete a background check before working with students. Mentors must complete a fingerprint background check. Please contact the Mentor and Community Involvement Coordinator at the building where you would like to mentor in order to proceed with your application and fingerprints.  If you do not have a preference for any particular building, contact the District Mentoring & Community Involvement Coordinator, Angie Armstrong.

What is Urbana Classroom Tutoring?

The tutoring program is a program designed to match collegians one-to-one with middle school students in need of personal and academic support. Tutors meet with their students once or twice a week during the school day on school grounds. They help students get caught up with school work, reinforce concepts they’re learning, and listen and talk with students about their concerns. Although we target college students, you do not have to be a student to volunteer as a tutor.

How are students referred to the program?

Students are referred by teachers or counselors for one or more of the following reasons underachieving academically, exhibiting low self-esteem, irregular attendance, needing an adult role model, and/or having few positive peer relationships.

Who can be a tutor?

You can be a tutor if you have a genuine interest in youth, a flexible schedule, good listening skills, time (preferably one hour twice a week between 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.), commitment (you must be able to continue to the end of the semester and come at your scheduled time), and transportation to the school

How do tutors benefit?

Tutors get hands-on experience at a local school, have a chance to impact the community’s youth, and return to college campus refreshed and energized

How do I become a tutor?

  • Fill out an application form. Return completed applications to the school in which you wish to volunteer or if you do not have a school preference, send the form to Urbana Middle School attention District Mentoring and Community Involvement Coordinator, Angie Armstrong. 
  • Attend an hour and a half training session at Urbana Middle School.
  • Agree to come to your tutoring session consistently and to stay with the tutoring relationship for one semester.

Classroom Volunteers

Parents, grandparents, and other community members can offer their time as Classroom Volunteers. The specific tasks that Classroom Volunteers do are fitted to the needs of the teachers and the interests and abilities of the volunteer. Common tasks for classroom tutors include:

  • Tutoring students one-on-one
  • Helping students get organized
  • Helping absent students catch up
  • Taking notes beside student during teacher presentation
  • Setting up materials for special art/science activities
  • Doing clerical work, copying, covering books
  • Creating bulletin boards, making games
  • Teaching enrichment units
  • Sharing knowledge and skills pertinent to curriculum

How do I become a parent classroom volunteer?

  1. Contact the Coordinator at the school in which you wish to volunteer.
  2. Fill out an application form and release statement and a criminal background check form. Return completed applications to the school in which you wish to volunteer or if you do not have a school preference, send to Urbana Middle School.
  3. Commit to a regular volunteering time
  4. Participate in a volunteer orientation
  5. Start coming to school!

Mentoring

Mentors play a key role in our schools, making a positive difference for students. C-U One-to-One is a school based mentoring program which began in 1994. It is a relationship building program designed to build student’s self-confidence and encourage them to stay in school and graduate. Mentors meet with their “mentees” for one hour a week during the school day on school grounds. If you have a genuine interest in youth, flexibility, good listening skills and can follow through on your commitments, mentoring may be right for you! For additional information, visit the C-U 1-to-1 website at www.cu1to1.org or contact:

USD116 Director of Mentoring and Community Involvement: Angie Armstrong 

What is mentoring?

  • The C-U 1-to-1 Mentor Program is a school-based program.  Mentoring occurs on school grounds, during the school day, during the school year.  It is a relationship-building (not tutoring) program.
  • Mentors commit for one year and are given the opportunity at the end of that year to continue for the next school year.  
  • Students who stay in the program through high school graduation receive a college scholarship.
  • There are four steps to become a mentor:  1. application; 2. interview; 3. one two-hour training; 4. background check with fingerprinting.
Translate-Traducir-Traduire
Skip to content