Ways You Can Volunteer with VIBES
One-on-one
As a one-on-one volunteer, you meet weekly with the same student. Placements are available for tutors and mentors, althought you will probably do a little of both either way. Students greatly benefit from one-on-one attention from a caring adult.
Small Group/Classroom Academic Tutor
Classroom academic tutors support all students. Their role in the classroom depends on the teacher. Volunteers may circulate around the room, helping students that need extra assistance that day, or they may work with small groups of students. Volunteering in the classroom is a great way to explore teaching as a career or earn volunteer hours for a Masters in Teaching program.
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
The AVID program is currently recruiting volunteers to facilitate small group discussions among AVID students. AVID is a student-support program designed to ensure that all students, especially the students in the middle, complete a college preparatory path. AVID teaches study skills and questioning strategies to help these students succeed. AVID coaches go through the VIBES application process and orientation, and they receive additional training to prepare them for working in the AVID classroom.
College Corps
Help high school seniors with any part of the college application process for which they need assistance. College Corps volunteers assist students with their college research, applications, personal statements, and scholarship essays. College Corps runs from early October through mid-January on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-4pm at Sammamish and Interlake High School only. Volunteers are asked to commit one and a half hours per week. Training provided.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)
Sammamish High School (SHS) is a recipient of an Investing in Innovation (i3) federal grant. The goals of the grant are to prepare students for post high school studies and careers through Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Volunteers can support SHS teachers during the process of problem formulation, facilitate small problem-solving groups, evaluate products created by student teams, or work one-on-one with students who need extra support.
Big Picture School
Share your expertise, ignite interest in your field, guide a young student's learning, or host a student intern and model real world applications. Big Picture middle school students need in-school mentors from professions that match their interests - lawyers, artists, engineers, lab technicians, musicians...it could be anything. High school Big Picture students spend part of their school day in off-campus internships, learning and developing skills in the real world; they need on the job mentors.
*VIBES is an in-school program. VIBES volunteers work on campus during schools hours only. See School Bell Schedules here.