Volunteer Opportunities

We are always grateful for volunteers who can spend time with us during the day or on Saturdays. This can be rewarding not only for the children but for you as well. We recognize that not everyone has the time to spend helping out during the day. We are grateful for any time you can give us. Please call the office in advance to plan volunteering days, or contact the PTA to see what volunteering opportunities are available. Past volunteers have served as:
Mentors: Develop and maintain a supportive relationship with a student by calling him or her regularly and attending enrichment outings. This is at minimum a six-hour per month commitment, ideally over a period of two years or more.
Tutors: Assist one to three students with completing their homework and studying for examinations at least two evenings a week. This is at minimum a four-hour per week commitment, for at least one academic year.
Writing Coaches: Support one to three students with brainstorming, writing, and editing their high school admission essays or term papers. Volunteers for high school admissions make a seasonal commitment from mid-October through December, working with students at least four hours per month. Volunteers for alumni commit to assisting students with writing and editing term papers at least two hours per week, for an academic year. This support can be provided to students either in person or via e-mail.

More Ways to Help

Guest Speakers: Share your story with middle and high school students! As students consider their future and the relevance of education, it is crucial that they have a broad perspective on what it means to be successful. This includes being informed of the various talents, hobbies, and career paths that they may choose to pursue. By sharing your experiences from high school, college, and beyond, you can help students to envision their long-term goals and the choices they must make now to achieve them. This is a one to two hour commitment, scheduled as needed throughout the year.
Internship Hosts: Each summer, alumni will be eager to explore their academic and professional interests. Students can gain invaluable insights on their career interests by shadowing and working alongside adults in the workplace. By hosting a student in your office, you will coordinate functional projects for a student, as well as providing frank and practical feedback on professional skills such as attire, punctuality, time management and initiative. This is at minimum a two-week commitment, with students working four hours per day.
Administrative Support: The high school admissions process requires a high level of organization, paper management, and coordination with parents and families. Especially in the fall and winter, there are ample opportunities to contribute to the school by providing administrative support. This is at least a two-hour commitment, scheduled as needed.
Donations: The alumni at KIPP: DC will need a variety of educational and monetary resources in order to succeed in high school and have the best opportunities to attend competitive colleges. We welcome in-kind donations including books, computers, and other school-related supplies, especially as we work to develop an alumni library with high school and college-level educational materials. Additionally, even small monetary donations can make a big difference to help bridge the gap between a family's income and the costs for books and tuition associated with attending private and parochial high schools.

How to Get Involved

If you would like to help a talented KIPP DC student stay on the path to college, contact Jennifer Rawlings at jennifer.rawlings@kippdc.org.