Volunteers have specific duties assigned to them and work under the supervison of school staff.  Below is a listing of available volunteer opportunities at most schools and administrative centers in Pinellas County Schools.  Customized school volunteer placements that best utilize your skills can be discussed with the person responsible for the volunteer program at the school.  All volunteers must complete a registration form before volunteering.

Instructional volunteers provide direct services to five or fewer students on a regular basis.  Typically, tutors and mentors are in this category.

Tutor
A tutor may work one-on-one with a student, or with small groups of students, who need to reinforce basic skills in an academic subject.  Placements are made with students from prekindergarten through high school and with students in vocational/career/technical schools.

Mentor
Mentors typically work one-on-one with a Doorways student or a struggling student.  Their major task is to motivate the student to stay focused on school.  Through tutoring, setting short-term goals and serving as a role model, volunteers can provide encouragement and friendship to a student needing to build self-esteem.  New mentors are required to attend a free Pinellas County Schools mentor workshop.

Adult Literacy Tutor
Adult literacy tutors work with adults who are learning basic skills.  The one-on-one tutoring program is designed to accommodate the adult learner.  Volunteers are assigned to adult centers where students are preparing for their General Education Diploma (GED) exams or learning basic skills.

ESOL - Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages
ESOL- tutors help non-English-speaking students increase their skills in understanding, speaking, reading and writing English.  Volunteers do not need to speak the students' native languages.

Support Service volunteers provide assistance to school personnel frequently or on a regular basis. Classroom and office/clerical helpers and field trip drivers are in this category.  All volunteers attending meetings held at the school such as PTA/PTSA, boosters and SAC are also in this category.

Classroom Assistant
Volunteers work closely with  classroom teachers and staff, assisting in various projects, keeping records, preparing instructional materials and interacting with students.  Duties in elementary schools may include telling stories, reading with children and preparing bulletin boards.  Duties in middle and high schools, and adult education centers, may include working on special projects, operating audiovisual equipment, performing clerical duties, making instructional materials, reviewing homework and assisting with testing.

Office/Clerical Assistant
Clerical assistants help staff members at a school, administrative center or adult/community education center.  Duties may include typing, computer entry, copying, bookkeeping, record keeping, telephone and switchboard operator, as well as other office work.

Media Center/Library Assistant
Volunteers in the school library/media center help fill teacher and student requests for services.  They may also work at the circulation desk, catalog and shelve books, use a computer, mend books and operate audiovisual equipment.

Chaperone
Volunteer chaperones have the opportunity to enjoy museums, exhibits, musicals and plays as they accompany students and teachers on field trips.  Trips may involve free transportation on a bus and occasionally free admission tickets.  Like all other volunteers, field trip drivers and chaperones must be registered volunteers.

Clinic Assistant
Clinic assistants work in the clinic during school hours to assist with basic first aid.

Computer Helpers
Computer helpers share their computer skills and knowledge of various models of computers and software.  Volunteers assist students and/or school staff in classrooms or administrative offices.

Activities volunteers lend a hand to support school extracurricular clubs, groups and events.  Areas of involvement for  activities volunteers include participating in organizations such as PTA/PTSA and booster clubs; serving as volunteer coaches; and assisting with sports, music or drama programs.

Gus A. Stavros Institute - home to Enterprise Village and Finance Park

• Enterprise Village is the school system's "mini-mall" -- an economic education project for fifth-grade students.  Volunteers help students, as they learn about the free enterprise system, through hands-on experiences in one of the mall businesses.  Volunteers serve as shop supervisors, owners or consumers, as well as doing tasks such as pricing merchandise, advertising products, serving customers and managing a small business.  Training is required.
• Finance Park is the new hands-on simulation for eighth-grade students which enables them to build foundations for making intelligent, lifelong, personal and financial  decisions.  Volunteers assist students in developing their budgets and managing their finances, as well as answering questions and assisting in the distribution of materials.

School Advisory Council Member (SAC)
Schools elect members of the SAC to represent a broad cross section of the school's student population and the area in which the school is located.  Volunteers from the community can express an interest in becoming a member of a council.  The SAC functions as a resource to the principal, as members work as a team, to accomplish school improvement goals.

Off-Site Volunteering
All volunteer activities take place on the school grounds, during school hours, under general supervision of school personnel.  Exceptions can include chaperoned field trips, school sponsored athletic activities, extra-curricular events, and "at-home" volunteer projects such as creating newsletters, phone recruiting of other volunteers or helping classroom teachers.  Those who do clerical volunteer work at home, or work out of the school with a club activity, should be registered and keep a written record of their hours of service.  

Partnership Programs
Partnerships match community resources to identified needs of the school district or individual schools.  Schools, in turn, provide resources to meet identified needs of a particular partner such as a business or community group.  Partners often contribute more than money to the program -- they donate time and expertise, send tutors and mentors to volunteer in the classroom, speak to classes about their business or organization and invite students on field trips.