Make A Difference Day: 33 Ways to Help a School

October 23rd is Make A Difference Day.

A great organization to connect to Hands On Network connects volunteers with programs across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino.

This is a great list of 33 ways people can support/contribute to your school:
1. Assist a classroom (support a teacher)
2. Coach a sports team
3. Tutor
4. Mentor a student
5. Teach job and/ or professional skills
6. Start a School Club: Books; Music; Drama; Art; Writing; Homework; Cooking… (What are you good at?)
7. Volunteer as a Crossing guard
8. Donate time as a Hallway monitor
9. Become a playground monitor
10. Support Service-Learning activities (see section: Practicing Service-Learning)
11. Support the school Computer Lab
12. Support the school Library
13. Read a book to a classroom
14. Start a school garden
15. Support other parents/guardians by: carpooling, walking children home from school, waiting with children at the bus stop.
16. Coordinate donation drives to support teachers and students
17. Organize an annual school supply drive
18. Organize a Fundraiser
19. Supervise or judge the science fair
20. Supervise evening or weekend activities
21. Write grant proposals
22. Attend School board meetings
23. Chaperone events on and off school grounds (field trips, sports games)
24. Read a book to a classroom
25. Participate in PTA or school board meetings that take place once a week or once a month
26. Create a classroom website for parents from home
27. Organize a phone or email tree for parents
28. Create classroom curriculum or materials from home
29. Organize files for teachers from home
30. Provide homework help to your child at home
31. Encourage recreational reading and writing over television and video games to your child at home
32. Supervise evening and weekend activities
33. Organize a one-time project such as painting classrooms, school ground beautification, or a school-cleanup day

Print this out and distribute it to teachers and parents. You might be surprised at how the community steps up to assist your school.

Find out more about Hands On Network and Make A Difference Day.