Volunteer Opportunities
Urgent volunteer opportunities
We are piloting new tutoring programs at John Muir Elementary and Meany Middle School.
Join the After-school Literacy Volunteer Team at John Muir Elementary!
Read and write with young scholars at Muir Elementary to help them reach a critical 3rd-grade milestone. Sign up to volunteer for the after-school literacy team at John Muir today!
Seattle Public Schools is kicking off an afterschool pilot program at John Muir Elementary for students needing extra reading and writing support. This culturally diverse school is located in the beautiful Mount Baker neighborhood, where students are nurtured and learning is celebrated.
Location:
3301 S Horton St, Seattle, WA 98144, in Mt. Baker neighborhood – just 1.5 miles south of Rainier Ave/I-90.
- 8-min walk from the Mt. Baker station (Light Rail – 1 Line)
- 4-min walk from Walden/Rainier Ave S bus stop (served by bus routes 7, 14, 106)
Volunteers will:
- Receive a 90-minute onboarding and training overview covering the curriculum and alignment with the Science of Reading.
- Be part of a special pilot volunteer team modeling a new program in Seattle Public Schools,
- Be supported by an on-site coordinator.
- Support students furthest from educational justice in achieving a milestone academic goal.
Volunteer commitment:
- Choose at least one 45-minute volunteer shift per week.
- Volunteer shifts are 2:30-3:35 pm on Mondays and 1:15 pm-2:15 pm on Wednesdays.
- Volunteer for three or more months.
What we are looking for in Volunteer Tutors:
- A positive attitude toward learning, diversity, and students.
- Open to feedback and coaching.
- Patience and empathy for students while holding high expectations.
- An ability to interact effectively with diverse student populations.
- Commitment to your student(s) and tutoring schedule.
Volunteer Role and Responsibilities:
- Work one-on-one or two-on-one with an elementary school student(s).
- Follow the Reading Partners’ structured curriculum.
- Attend a 90-minute tutor orientation.
- Complete the SPS volunteer application process.
- Follow the Tutor Code of Conduct guidelines.
Celebrating Diversity
At Seattle Public Schools, we celebrate diversity, nurture cultural and ethnic pride in our students, and honor home languages. John Muir Elementary is a very diverse community!
- Muir serves 70% of students of color furthest from education justice.
- 30% of students are English Language Learners who speak Spanish, Vietnamese, Amharic, and Oromo at home.
John Muir students will:
- Receive four 45-minute weekly tutoring sessions for 180 minutes of extra literacy support.
- Boost reading and writing confidence to support reaching 3rd-grade-level academic goals.
Sign up to volunteer at today!
From learning to read to reading to learn
Seattle Public Schools is recruiting volunteers to impact our students’ academic learning through 1:1 or 2:1 literacy tutoring after school. In support of the District’s five-year Strategic Plan, Seattle Excellence, one of the Focus Goals of High-Quality Instruction and Learning Experiences is ensuring students can read at Grade Level by the End of Third Grade. At the end of third grade, students transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Students can quickly fall behind in other subjects if this milestone isn’t met. This priority goal focuses on making sure all students are reading at grade level by the end of third grade, with a specific focus on supporting students furthest from educational justice. John Muir was selected for this afterschool pilot in part because of its culturally diverse student population and concentration of students of color furthest from educational justice (Black/African American, Native American, Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latinx, Southeast Asian, or Middle Eastern/North African).
In alignment with this Focus Goal, the District has expanded our partnership with Reading Partners to an afterschool model, which will be piloted at John Muir first.
About Reading Partners
Reading Partners is an education nonprofit that mobilizes communities to provide literacy tutoring to aspiring elementary-aged readers. Reading Partners provides structured, evidence-based tutoring programs for students and offers tutoring programs and other literacy resources and services for students and families. Reading Partners complements tutoring with home involvement strategies such as the Take Reading with You program, which distributes free age- and skill-appropriate books for students to start home libraries.
Tutor Math at Meany Middle School this winter!
Edmond S Meany Middle School is recruiting math tutors to volunteer with 6th- 8th-grade students in our math homework club on Mondays after school.
Volunteer commitment:
- Volunteer every Monday at 3:45 pm for one hour.
- Volunteer for three or more months.
It takes time to build rapport with your students before you can be effective in supporting them academically. This is why we require a minimum three-month commitment of at least one weekly volunteer shift. Tell us about yourself and your availability in this interest form, and you will hear from us within three business days.
Seattle Public Schools believes it is vital to engage families and community members in the life of the school as a community center of learning. Review the following ways you, too, can get involved with SPS!