When Susan Gill walks into a Berkeley public school classroom, she brings decades of teaching experience and the quiet assurance of someone who understands that a love of learning begins with deep, intentional connection.
Susan, a retired community college English instructor, began volunteering in Berkeley public schools in 2015, the year her granddaughter started kindergarten. Since then, she has supported classrooms at Emerson Elementary, Malcolm X, Willard Middle, and Berkeley High. Over the years, she’s guided students through essays, helped them refine their writing, and taken the time to simply pause, and listen.
“I introduce myself, shake their hand, and look them in the eye, and remember their names,” she says. “I try to establish that I am a friendly ally, there only to help them.”
Susan is one of more than 220 Berkeley Schools Volunteers (BSV) placed in classrooms each year through the Classroom Volunteer program, a 30+ year program of the Berkeley Public Schools Fund—an independent and long standing nonprofit that partners closely with the Berkeley Unified School District. The Schools Fund recruits, screens, and trains volunteers, offering ongoing support through orientations and workshops throughout the academic year.
The goal: to reduce adult-to-student ratios, provide more personalized support, and help teachers meet the needs of every learner.
“As an essay reader, I feel excited to, in some small way, ‘level the playing field’ by providing expert advice—the kind only a few students have the resources to pay professionals for,” Susan shares.
This year, she volunteered in Mr. Joe Poppas’ Multilingual World History class at Berkeley High and in Ms. Anna Halversen’s 8th grade English classes at Willard Middle. In both classrooms, she saw how a supportive environment, shaped by teachers and volunteers alike, encouraged students to share ideas and uplift one another. Student mentors emerged—some offering peer editing guidance, others tutoring classmates in shared home languages. Susan’s own presence reinforces this culture of collaboration and care.
“I ask students how they feel about their own work and what kind of feedback they want from me. I don’t assume—I ask,” she explains. “It’s about respect and meeting them where they are.”
The presence of trusted Berkeley Schools Volunteers continues to transform learning environments in meaningful ways. Teachers regularly cite improved classroom culture, deeper student engagement, and emotional support as key impacts.
At King Middle School, math teacher Lara Collins shared: “Our volunteer has become our class mathy grandmother. The kiddos adore her. She is kind, patient, discreet with her support and nurturing.” Another teacher, Leah Katz at Berkeley High, noted the power of thoughtful, consistent support: “When our volunteer pulled up a chair next to any one of our students, he always struck up a conversation. Each student was willing to talk with him.”
Berkeley Schools Volunteers themselves echo this impact. One reflected on the joy of watching young readers gain confidence and grow throughout the year: “The enthusiasm of the kids reading to me and watching their enormous growth is so inspiring. This experience enriches my life.”
And Susan Gill agrees. “At the end of the day,” she says, “I don’t just walk out of Willard and Berkeley High — I float out, feeling so fulfilled to have done useful work that I know how to do.”
Through its Classroom Volunteer program, the Schools Fund is helping build a love of learning where relationships fuel education, and where community is at the heart of student success.