Rochester Public Schools

Volunteers Are Important
Volunteers have played, and will continue to play, an important and valuable role in education. Students, teachers, administrators, parents and the community benefit from the work of people like you who freely share talents and resources.

As a volunteer, you will find many rewards. You will find yourself filling the needs of students in a role that is harmonious with your own talents and interests. Voluntary assistance in the education of students of all ages offers ways for you to contribute to your community while, at the same time, experience a deep sense of personal accomplishment.

Volunteer Opportunities
The volunteer who patiently helps a struggling high school student prepare for the Minnesota Basic Standards Test may be the pivotal influence that sets that student on a course for a better future. The retired volunteer who reads to a young child may be the spark that ignites a love of reading. And the business volunteer who teaches computer skills, or who brings career information and opportunities, can expand the classroom walls and prepares students for a world of possibilities.

There are many opportunities to volunteer in Rochester Public Schools. All you have to do is decide you want to volunteer. Make a commitment and we will help train you and find a school/student that needs your skills.

Volunteers work with students and schools in many ways including tutoring students, reading to students, helping with music and assisting in the media center with computers. They also support activities outside the classroom such as after school homework clubs, chaperoning field trips, Vision and Hearing Screening, Art Awareness, ESOL, etc.

For an hour a week or one day a month, your caring presence and high expectations for children can motivate them to achieve.

Volunteers in Education Goals

• To contribute to the total education process of the students in Rochester.
• To support classroom teachers and staff with group or individual aid, as requested.
• To create an atmosphere that encourages openness and awareness between school and community.
• To provide philosophy and specific training for both volunteers and professional staff.
• To emphasize that importance of discretion, confidentiality, dependability and a professional attitude on the part of all volunteers.
• To offer support and to facilitate that sharing of ideas among the building coordinators.

Make a Difference in the Education of a Young Person!
The presence of volunteers sends an important message to students. Individual caring adults can affect students' attitudes toward learning as well as their academic outcomes. With positive adult role models in the classroom, more students will see that their community values their success. Join the many parents and community members who play a dedicated and significant role in the education of our young people. Whether you volunteer an hour a week or an hour a year, your commitment to education is an important one!

Lifelong learning for all Create an environment where lifelong learning is valued, excellence is expected and improvement is continuous. The Volunteers in Education program was started in 1977 to add a new dimension to volunteer work done in the schools. This new dimension deals with academics. Volunteers become involved with the ViE program to help children learn either directly in the classrooms or media centers or indirectly by working for staff so they have more time with the students. Volunteers in Education plays a role in the measurement of the Rochester Public School District Aims, Goals, Measurements and Results. Building Coordinators are selected from the ranks of volunteers at each school with approval of the building principal and the District ViE Coordinator.