Education Volunteer Opportunities in Manhattan

With the return of cooler fall weather, New Yorkers of all ages are headed back into the classroom and since schooling is on our minds, NYXT has pulled together a list of exceptional education volunteer opportunities to add to your autumn schedules.
 

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Inside Schools

When the city’s children return to class this month, Inside Schools will also be headed back to school. The journalists, parents, and public school advocates who run Inside Schools conduct hundreds of school visits and interviews every year, collecting data that helps parents to understand the administration, policies, performance, and demographics of their children’s schools. Together they help parents to advocate for better facilities and more diverse student populations and keep standards of instruction high. Despite all that Inside Schools does for the New York City community, they operate with a small paid staff and welcome volunteers. Write to them at contact@insideschools.org to get involved.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Not all learning happens in the classroom! With Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York, you can help a child in your community to develop self-esteem, confidence, and support their academic and creative development. Becoming a “Big” is an opportunity to make a life-long impact by meeting with a child in your neighborhood twice a month. Thousands of children apply to be matched with their Big Brother or Sister each year: Could it be you? If you can’t become a Big right now, consider joining one of BBBS’s Affinity Groups to help with outreach and fundraising.

 

Reading Partners

Reading Partners works with underserved schools and communities in need, helping students by providing individualized attention to early learners. Volunteers are needed in NYC to help tutor and mentor students, helping them build literacy skills, confidence, and a love for learning. One in five NYC residents and 25% of children live below the poverty line, so without an excellent education, there's little chance the next generation can break the cycle of poverty. If you are interested in volunteering, click here to read more about the requirements and find out more information.

 

The Lower East Side Girls Club

The Lower East Side has the third-highest number of young people living in poverty. Luckily, The Lower East Side Girls Club is providing opportunities for neighborhood girls to learn and grow, based on a ‘whole girl’ approach. With dozens of programs from college prep and STEM classes, to fitness, entrepreneurship, and the arts, the Club addresses academic growth as well as building self-esteem and civic engagement. The Club seeks volunteers to act as mentors in their Museum Club, which introduces girls to the arts at the city’s best museums and galleries, and as part of the Wonder Woman Literacy Book Club, where girls receive academic support and improve their reading and writing skills. Mentors are required to meet regularly with their mentees over the course of the school year. If you’re not ready to make the monthly commitment, the Club also seeks volunteers to support special events and fundraising efforts.

 

Girls Write Now

If you are a talented writer, editor, or media producer, consider volunteering your time to Girls Write Now. A dynamic community of professional women work one-on-one with aspiring writers, and participate in monthly writing workshops to empower girls to develop strong, unique voices and explore different modes of storytelling. The organization is also looking for digital media volunteers to help capture and share the infectious energy and positive impact of their work. Learn more about how getting involved can make a meaningful change in one girl’s life by visiting their site.

-->> Read an interview with a Girls Write Now mentor on our blog: "Press Play: Girls Write Now"

 

Discover volunteer opportunities with Idealist

If nothing you’ve read so far feels just right, head to Idealist.org. Over 2 million people each month are matched with volunteer positions through their database. You could volunteer with the Education Department at the Morgan Library, be a tutor in the Bronx, or help pull off “PROM” with The Center for Anti-Violence Education. With over 1,000 volunteer positions posted by New York organizations you’re bound to discover the ‘ideal’ opportunity for you.

 

Whether you hope to improve the quality of our city’s public schools or make a personal impact in the education of one child, New York needs you! To explore these and other education volunteer opportunities, be sure to check out our content partners:

 

  • Inside Schools are education advocates providing authoritative and independent information about New York City's public schools and dedicated to improving education in NYC.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters has sought to provide mentoring for youth facing adversity since 1904. BBBS connects more than 5,000 New York youth with adult mentors every year.
  • The Lower East Side Girls Club gives girls and young women 8-18 pathways to grow, learn, have fun, & develop confidence in themselves and their ability to make a difference in the world.
  • Girls Write Now pairs professional writers with underserved young women to help them discover the power of their own voices.
  • Idealist aims to connect people who want to do good with opportunities for action and collaboration.
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