Thank you for your interest in hosting volunteers! Our onboarding season for 2023-24 has closed. BSV onboards new and returning Classroom Volunteers on a rolling basis each year, August-early March. If you have any questions, please contact Jissel Poblete at jisselpoblete@berkeley.net
Who Can Request Volunteers?
BUSD educators, both certificated and classified, may request volunteer support from BSV’s Classroom Volunteers program anytime between August and February each school year.
Who Are Classroom Volunteers?
Classroom Volunteers come from all walks of life. They are high school and college students, parents, working professionals, and retirees who are eager to bring their skills and passions to Berkeley’s students and classrooms.
What’s the Volunteer Commitment?
How often Classroom Volunteer volunteers is determined by your needs. Most commit to at least one hour a week, for the entirety of the school year. Last year, the average BSV volunteer gave between 3-4 hours/week. Our primary requirement is that they maintain their commitment through the end of the school year.
What Can Volunteers Do?
Volunteers add adult capacity to the classroom’s instructional team so that all students receive more personalized support. Volunteers can support learning activities whole class, in small groups, and/or 1:1. Volunteers are most successful when they are not supporting the highest needs students in a classroom, as that is best left to instructional experts.
How Does the Process Work?
BUSD educators formally request volunteers (Aug-Feb). Volunteers from the community (both new and returning) apply to BSV each year and are screened and oriented by BSV. BSV then matches individual volunteers to requesting teachers, based on interests, skills, and availability. BSV reaches out to a requesting Host Teacher prior to finalizing a placement, to confirm a good fit.