Volunteerism

WELCOME TO THE VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE LEARNING CENTER!

Our objective is to provide volunteer opportunities to CMSD students with the ultimate goal of serving the needs of our children while enriching the lives of those participating in our programs.

Why Volunteer?
Volunteering is about giving back to the community, getting to know your neighborhood school community, spending volunteer time with students and teachers, sharing expertise to help with unique projects, gaining new experiences and acquiring new skills. Volunteering is about building a close relationship with your school community, offering your hands and mind to help others. 

" Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."       -Margaret Mead 

Our school community needs helping hands to alleviate some of its problems. According to the U.S. census, just in Ohio alone, there are 1.1 million children who are hungry or at risk of hunger. In our city- -16.4 percent of families live in poverty (U.S. Census). Within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District approximately 25 percent of secondary education students are considered at risk of dropping out. As you see, your community needs you!

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean.
  But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."     -Mother Theresa

College Student Volunteer Initiative
This volunteerism office will serve as a clearinghouse for agencies and student volunteers. The CSU, Tri-C, and Case University Student Volunteer Initiative will be implemented in the Fall of 2008.  The objective is to give college students the opportunity to organize and to lead service events that would benefit the public school community and the CSU, Tri-C and Case student body. The goal is to allow college students to coordinate events and programs for students in K-12, recruit over 3,000 volunteers/tutors per year from all academic disciplines.

Hats Off Day
Our CMSD Hats Off To Cleveland’s Kids Day would serve as the first project for the academic year.  Through campus volunteer and internship offices we will seek to recruit over 3,000 volunteers each year, creating a greater impact in the community through the one-day service event in addition to bringing the community closer together. With the help of CSU, Tri-C, and Case faculty, staff, and students as well as public and private agencies and businesses in the Cleveland area, Hats Off Day will become CMSD’s traditional day of service.

Additionally, in an effort to strengthen the connection between academics and volunteerism, the Volunteer Center will incorporate a service learning component into its student programs in the Spring of 2009, creating CSU, Tri-C and Case Students Enriching Education through Service (CTC SEES). This student organization will promote and support service learning across all disciplines at all three campuses.  The ultimate goal is to have a CMSD Volunteer and Service Learning Center.

With over 3,000 students added each year, the Volunteer and Service Learning Center will grow and develop with the commitment that every CMSD student will have the opportunity to benefit from this service to the community by the time they graduate.

CMSD Volunteer Database
Hundreds of non-profit agencies, business and corporate partners, college students, staff and faculty are in search of service opportunities with CMSD.  The District will create a link for volunteerism that will be updated and accessed on a daily/weekly basis.  We encourage you to register your organization and post your volunteer, mentor or tutor availability!

"The great difficulty in education is to get experience out of ideas." 
                                                                               -George Santayana

CMSD Service Learning – Academic Tutoring
Service Learning integrates volunteer community service and guided reflection into the academic curriculum to enhance and enrich student learning while meeting a community need. Service learning volunteers are a wonderful resource for PreK-12 schools, but also are not your "typical" volunteers. Volunteers will have specific learning objectives related to the focus of their career or courses they are enrolled in. The Coordinator of Strategic Partnerships and the service learning volunteer should complete a service learning contract to clarify the service learning objectives, duties, and purpose. This document will be shared with the principal. In this way expectations are clear for all involved.

Join Us for Volunteer Fairs
The Volunteer Fair is a wonderful opportunity for volunteers who are interested in working with CMSD to learn more about the District’s needs for children.  Individuals who attend our annual Parent Roundups and Community Forums may register to volunteer on the spot.  Online registration is also available.  Agencies, college students and/or corporations should email their name and general contact information to  ernesto.montalvo@cmsdnet.net and details will be emailed to you.

Project 2010 – Keep Cleveland Schools Beautiful
Be a part of one of the largest single day service projects in Cleveland!

The Project is CMSD’s annual Day of Service event, designed by students to benefit the many school neighborhoods. Partnering with Keep Ohio Beautiful, agencies, corporations and college students, faculty, and staff spend the day together, working on one of many jobs offered at the selected site of the one day event, local PreK-12 school. Jobs include painting, landscaping, trash pick-up, constructing playground equipment, and other general beautification duties specific to the site.

There are THREE WAYS to be involved in Project 2008!

• General Volunteers sign up to participate in three-hour shifts or all day, and are assigned a duty upon arrival.

• Student Organizations can sign up as a group to work together on one project for the day, to be assigned upon arrival.

• Team Leads are responsible for directing a task on-site, and will be in charge of the volunteers 
  assigned to that site. (2 day commitment).

CEO'S Volunteer Service Award

The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
President George W. Bush created the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation in 2003 to help recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our Nation.

The Award
The President's Volunteer Service Award is issued by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation on behalf of the President of the United States to recognize the best in the American spirit, and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service and civic participation.

Categories of the Award vary by age and hours of service completed within a 12- month period.

Presidents Volunteer Service Award Levels
            Young Adults- Ages 15-25 
                        • Bronze Award 100-174 hours
                        • Silver Award 175-249 hours
                        • Gold Award 250 or more hours 
            Adults- Ages 26 and up 
                        • Bronze Award 100-249 hours
                        • Silver Award 250-499 hours
                        • Gold Award 500 or more hours

President’s Call to Service Award
Individuals who have completed 4,000 or more volunteer service hours over the course of their lifetime are eligible to receive the President’s Call to Service Award.

All Award recipients receive a personalized certificate of achievement, a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States, a congratulatory letter from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, and an official President's Award pin.

Guidelines
Any CMSD volunteer is eligible to earn the award. Individuals must sign in at the volunteer location and keep a record of volunteer activities* and hours served online.

This award is a completely voluntary process, and only those that are working to earn this award should record their information. This record will be submitted to the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, the registered Certifying Organizations, who will review and verify the record and distribute the Award.

Volunteers are encouraged to participate in service that addresses particular areas of need in our Nation, those almost all service hours’ count. Priority areas include youth achievement, parks and open spaces, healthy communities, public safety, and emergency response. Activities should be unpaid.

*Volunteerism is "a freely chosen beneficial act, where meaningful service is done with no expectation of" ( www.vslc.org ).

National Volunteer Week
The mission of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center is to promote, organize, facilitate, support and reflect on community engagement for the CMSD school community.  

How can I volunteer in schools?

Attendance Improvement 
Bus Stop Supervision
Cafeteria Support
Extracurricular Activities
Hall Monitoring
Library/Media Center Office Assistant
School Events/Field Trips 
Teacher Assistant 
Tutoring 
Other opportunities (please specify when completing the form)
Volunteer opportunities through the Division of Safety and Security

• Door Monitors

• Parent Patrol

Please state in the "Comments" area below in the Volunteer Registration Form if you choose to become a Door Monitor or participate in the Parent Patrol.

 

How can I volunteer district-wide?

Community Events Hats Off Day 
ICARE (painting, gardening, beautification projects)
Parent Roundup
Principal For A Day 
Other opportunities (please specify when completing the form)