Many volunteer opportunities are available through Denver Public Schools' office of Community Partnership/ Enterprise Activity.

Following is a list of programs that may spark your interest in assisting schools and children during the 2001-2002 school year:

Breakfast Buddies
Breakfast Buddies are needed to assist students who sometimes arrive not quite fully prepared for the day. Volunteers help students select weather-appropriate clothing, keep students company during breakfast, and help them tidy up before class begins.

Career Fairs
These fairs illustrate the connection between academic/technical ability and career fields. They offer students a safe environment for structuring goals. They also clarify the similarities and differences between industries, which students at all grade levels find helpful.

Chess Clubs
Volunteers are needed to teach chess in the schools and to help run chess clubs for interested students. Individuals may also help chess clubs acquire necessary equipment, provide snacks for weekly meetings, and organize student participation in area tournaments.

Classroom Assistants
Individual classroom volunteers assist teachers in helping the classroom run smoothly. Volunteers may lead small group activities, assist in coordinating large-group efforts, and help students individually as needed.

CLOUT Program
The Coalition for Learning and United Tutors (CLOUT) is an after-school tutoring program for fourth and fifth graders, sponsored by the US Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the Midwest Research Institute. Community volunteers meet weekly with students for a 1-hour period, helping students reinforce their reading and writing skills. A DPS teacher supervises volunteers at the program's 16 sites during each session.

Collaborative Decision Making Teams
Parents and business representatives are sought to assist with management issues facing school-based collaborative decision-making teams. These teams consist of 4 teachers, 3 parents, 1 business representative, 1 non-teacher staff person, the principal, and student(s) at each of the Denver Public Schools. Team efforts focus on issues including curriculum, staffing, and strategies to enhance student achievement.

Options for Kids Tutoring Program
The Options for Kids Tutoring Program provides an afternoon and evening study setting for students, where homework and special projects are completed with the help of a community volunteer. Students and volunteers meet once a week for 1-1/2 hours, working together in one-to-one pairs. A supervising teacher is always on site at each of the 46 geographically diverse sites.

Drives for In-Kind Goods
This program provides valued resources to Denver students, who are in constant need of school supplies, books, clothing, eyeglasses, dental work, sports equipment, etc. all drives for the in-kind donation of goods and services are welcomed. They allow businesses a terrific opportunity to pull together for the common good of our students.

Employee/Teacher Exchange
Through this program, community members and teachers trade resources and perspectives for a single day or an ongoing timeframe. Both schools and business benefit greatly in applying their expertise to a new work environment.

Food Service Assistants
Servers are needed in schools during peak lunch hours to assist with meal service to students. Volunteer service placements often lead to paid positions.

Grant Writing
Schools can utilize the skills of good writers to assist in the pursuit of funds for greatly needed programs to enhance education.

Imagination Destination
In this extra-curricular program, teams of students are presented with challenging problems and given a timeline for completing their assignments. Team coaches and competition judges are needed to join the program in the spring of each year. Imagination Destination is a greatly energizing experience for all involved.

Mentors
The mentoring program allows community members to work with students around issues of shared interest. Mentoring relationships can propel both students and volunteers to new heights of achievement. Mentors provide tutorial assistance or the offer of friendship, which helps prepare students for success in lasting ways.

Parents on Patrol (POPS)
Parents are needed to keep an eye on student activities, which occur during school hours in hallways, on playgrounds and in activity areas. Parent supervision helps assure a smooth and effective day for all.

Publishing Centers
Elementary schools are in need of a few volunteers weekly to assist students in writing, illustrating, and binding their own books for permanent collection. Time frames are adjustable to suit volunteers.

Scholarship Funds/ Opportunities
The establishment of a scholarship for individual schools or student qualities provides tremendous incentive to students. Parents and students often need assistance in researching scholarship opportunities and qualifications.

Science Fairs
In these fairs, students are inspired by adult expertise and imagination in the design and completion of science projects. Problem solving is always more productive with the help of a friend.

Shadowing Programs
Shadowing programs provide opportunities for students to [base "]shadow[per thou] or follow community volunteers through a particular activity, day or project. These programs help students see how education may be applied in the real world. Individual programs can be organized to meet the specific needs of participating students and businesses.

Spanish Language Volunteers
Many classrooms can utilize additional help from volunteers who have Spanish-speaking ability or other language skills. These individuals can assist students with both Spanish and English language learning in the classroom.

Speakers Bureau
Speakers are often sought for presentations to students, parents, and staff on various issues. Topics include personal interest issues, developmental concerns, career opportunities, motivation, self-esteem, etc.

Special Education
Individuals are always needed to assist in special education classrooms, both during the school year and over the summer. Students' special education needs may range from physical disabilities such as hearing or sight impairment to emotional and mental disabilities. Volunteers with a particular interest or expertise in working with special education students are always welcomed.

Spellbinders Storytellers
The Denver Spellbinders program works to build community through storytelling in the schools. Spellbinders provide 20-30 minute storytelling sessions in the classroom, sharing fairy tales, folk tales, literary tales, legends, personal experiences, and other stories of interest. Participation in monthly Spellbinders meetings help volunteers to hone their storytelling skills and maintain connections with other group members. An in-depth training program gets new storytellers off to the right start.

Staff Development
Staff development programs can be offered to Denver Public Schools faculty and staff in a variety of ways. Businesses may choose to include school staff in existing training seminars offered to employees, for instance. This training can greatly enhance the overall school climate by enabling school faculty to broaden their perspectives.

Student Service Learning
In these programs, businesses team with students to provide a needed service to the community, such as park renovation, neighborhood cleanup, or holiday meal serving at homeless shelters. These experiences enhance student learning from a practical perspective, engaging students in valued, hands-on activities, enabling them to give back to their communities.

All volunteer opportunities offer orientation and ongoing training to interested community members. We welcome all interested individuals and organizations to join in the challenge of helping students succeed.

For further information, contact the Community Partnership/ Enterprise Activity Office at 720-423-3694.