Alachua County Public Schools provide public education for students in 40 schools in Alachua
County.
Contact : Liz Stark, starkef@gm.sbac.edu, (352) 955-7250 X6411
Alachua County District Office: 620 E. University Ave., Gainesville, FL, 32601
What they do: Volunteers in Alachua County Public Schools assist staff and teachers, help
students improve in academics, provide opportunities for curriculum enrichment, and assist in
identifying additional resources to match identified needs.
What YOU can do to help: There are many ways you can volunteer in Alachua County Public Schools.
Lunch Buddies is a lunchtime mentoring program where adults are paired with students in need of extra attention and companionship of a caring adult. Businesses, organizations and individuals are encouraged to get involved. The schools participating are Alachua Elementary, Lake Forest Elementary, Metcalfe Elementary, Terwilliger and Williams Elementary. Mentors are generally paired with 3rd graders. However, some exceptions may be made for students in need.
The Speaker’s Bureau is for volunteers willing to speak in various classrooms about a
particular hobby, talent, job, travel, etc. We also need science fair judges If you'd like to help us enrich student learning by becoming a classroom speaker, thank you! We are always looking for dedicated volunteers who would like to spend time teaching students about their career and passions.
To register, please go to our Speaker Registration Form. Note that you will also need to email me (speakersbureau@gm.sbac.edu) an outline of your presentation or a copy of your slideshow presentation. This is for the safety of our students. We want to ensure that the program is appropriate for the age of the students and that you are respecting speaker/volunteer guidelines. For questions contact Samantha Johnson at 352-955-7250 X6413 or speakersbureau@gm.sbac.edu.
Classroom Assistants are volunteers who get to work very closely with teachers in the
classroom. They assist with projects and activities, help keep records, help prepare instructional materials, interact with students, read books, listen to children read, assist with testing, review homework, and perform clerical duties.
College Volunteers are students at UF or SFC who wish to volunteer in area schools. Sign-ups for placement in schools are held at the beginning of the fall and spring semester at UF and SFC. Appointments can also be made to find placements at the School Volunteer Office.
The Partners in Education Program works to strengthen the educational process through
promoting and facilitating collaborative efforts between schools and the private sector.
Partnerships involve community businesses and organizations working with schools and/or
programs individually as well as on a district-wide basis. The largest partnership initiative is the Adopt-A-School Program, which began in 1988 through a partnership with the Gainesville Area Chamber Of Commerce.
The MentorGNV Program began as a partnership with the student government at the
University of Florida in 1991. Over 5000 students have volunteered since the program began.
Volunteers commit to be matched, one-to-one with children in elementary and middle schools,
and as special friends, to visit them at school, during school, once each week, for about an hour. Volunteers commit for one semester, although many continue beyond. Formal recruitment, orientation, and placement of volunteers is done at the beginning of fall and spring semesters. Currently we are partnering with MENTORGNV to recruit, place and train college mentors in this program.
If you wish to volunteer, contact the School Volunteer Office or the school of your choice. Each
school has a Volunteer Coordinator who can assist you. Or call the School Volunteer Office for
more guidance. Once you have found a placement, you will need to fill out the Volunteer
Application at the link below. The School Volunteer Office is located at 2802 NE 8 th Avenue, Gainesville, FL, 32641.