These are some volunteer opportunities for contributors and everyone else which involve writing, reading, and music and other arts – great for resume-building and references, and also a chance to use artistic and writing skills for others’ benefit. Synchronized Chaos is all about networking and mentorship, so here are some mentorship opportunities! And, come on, singing with preschoolers is just plain fun!
Yes, I know this list is a bit Bay Area-centric…but many of these organizations have chapters in other states and countries, and schools in many countries would love volunteers and reading/writing and art mentors. This is just encouragement from the editors of Synchronized Chaos to find a program where you are to share your skills with children, students, or up and coming people in your field of any age.
Please feel free to comment if you are, or plan to start, mentoring – either informally or through a program such as these, and we’ll give you publicity and a shout-out in our magazine! Also, there are plenty of writers, artists, etc right here in our Synchronized Chaos community who’d love mentors – if you’d like to work with someone over email as time allows, please let me know and I’ll drop some folks’ names and contact info your way. Maybe you have some work up in a gallery or some stories published in an anthology and you’d like to give some feedback on a beginning artist’s work…please let us know, we will give you extra publicity in our pages for your service to the community and to the artistic fields.
East Bay Agency for Children – Sequoia Healthy Start. Help with after-school program and enrichment activities, 1 hour a week. Contact Reka Lal, reka@ebac.org
East Bay Agency for Children – Hawthorne Family Resource Center. Seeking Spanish speakers, a few hours a month to work with students and prepare for special events. Reach Allison Delgado, allison@ebac.org
Experience Corps Oakland, 55+ years old folks sought to mentor kids one on one or in small groups with reading and homework. 2hrs a week. Reach David Moren, dmoren@aspiranet.org
Lafayette School Mentoring Project – Get trained in language arts or math tutoring, then help in classrooms. 1.5 hours a week, includes evening sessions. Reach Jessica Bilksy, lsmptutor@yahoo.com
Oakland Parents Literacy Project – Help promote parental involvement and literacy, through Family Reading Nights. 2-3 hours, Wed/evening events. Denise Geer, dlgeer@comcast.net
Oakland Public Library’s Books for Wider Horizons. Receive training, and then read and sing with preschoolers through Head Start or Child Development programs. 1-2 hours a week. Reach Chris Waller, kwaller@oaklandlibrary.org
Reading Partners. Receive training, and tutor a student struggling with reading. 1 hour a week, with semester commitment. Reach Salleha Chaudhry, volunteer@readingpartners.org
Super Stars Literacy – Help disadvantaged K-2 students with their reading. Also accompany them on weekend field trips, 3 days a week for three weeks, and/or 4-5 hours Saturday. Reach Erin Drake or Jessica Berry, erin@superstarsliteracy.org, jessica@superstarsliteracy.org
Brothers on the Rise – Help set up and develop this organization. Looking for men to speak for the Speakers Series, for Fruitvale boys from 8-14 years old. Contact John Gilgoff, info@brothersontherise.org
Faith Network of the East Bay – Training provided, serve as a reading tutor or library assistant, or math tutor, or classroom assistant. Reach Randy Roth at randy@faith-network.com, or Rebecca Buckley at rebecca@faith-network.com
Oakland Unified School District Library – work in the school library, a few hours a week. Ann Gallagher, ann.gallagher@ousd.k12.ca.us
AVID – Help middle and high schoolers to prepare for college, using this socratic curriculum. 1-2 hours a week. Reach Robert Wack, elrwack@aol.com
BUILD – Work together with another person to lead a small group of high schoolers in developing and starting their own business. 1-5 hours a week. Reach Hillary Fernandes at hillary@build.org
Be a Mentor – Training provided, mentor kids socially and academically. 1 hour a week. Reach Ryan Gray, rgray@beamentor.org
WriterCoach Connection – Community Alliance for Learning. Training provided, work one on one with teens on their writing assignments. 1-2 hours a week, 2-4 weeks a month. Reach Lynn Mueller, writercoachconnect@yahoo.com
Oakland Schools Volunteer Office – Ask about a program not listed, such as art or music or science, or a specific school. Reach Risha Riley – rishariley@ousd.k12.ca.us or call 510-434-7765.