Volunteering in an Elementary Classroom: Another resource for Hale Cook?

As part of my participation in the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Program, I volunteer for several different organizations around the City. It has been an incredible way to meet new people, learn more about some phenomenal non-profits doing great work in Kansas City, and further appreciate the difference one volunteer can make in changing our collective future.

Next week, I'm excited to report that I will be volunteering at the Genesis Promise Academy in their kindergarten class! While I have done some volunteer work with children of this age, I have never actually facilitated a classroom environment for children of this age. I will be paired with another fellow Centurion, Wendy, to host a two and a half hour workshop to help these children learn about the economic role of individuals.

The program is part of Junior Achievement USA (JA), a nonprofit organization financed by businesses, foundations, governments, and individuals. The purpose of Junior Achievement is to educate and inspire young people to succeed in a global economy. Since its founding in 1919, Junior Achievement has contributed to the business and economics education of more than 100 million young people in the United States and throughout the world.

In preparation, Wendy and I have received a very comprehensive package to help orient us to the program, outline the curriculum and lesson plan, and provide us with all of the tools we'll need to execute. We've also been given the teacher's name and contact information, a roster of students, and a great deal of advance information to help us prepare for what's to come. I am very excited to participate in this volunteer opportunity because we have envisioned parent and community volunteers helping out in the classrooms of Hale Cook Elementary. Would a program like this work well in our neighborhood school?

I will also have the opportunity to get more information from the Genesis Promise Academy's principal, Philip Hickman, another fellow Centurion. What is it like for teachers and administrators to have community volunteers in their school? What challenges have they seen? What opportunities have been available that would not otherwise have been possible without community involvement? How do the children respond to outsiders coming in for a few hours during their school day to get involved? What lessons can we learn?

I look forward to reporting back after next Wednesday's volunteering - stay tuned!