Volunteer
Do you want to make a difference in the lives of families and adults?
Do you believe in the importance of a good education?
Have you always wanted to explore a career in teaching or community service?
Get involved in your community and volunteer with a D.C. LEARNs member organization in the D.C. Metro area. You can volunteer in the daytime, evenings, and on weekends. These community-based family and adult education programs need your help with program administration, providing education services and executive planning activities.
In Program Administration you are expected to:
- fulfill the day-to-day administrative and communications needs of the organization’s education programs
- assist with student recruitment and/or fundraising initiatives
- perform data entry, answer phone calls, help learners sign up for classes, and grade tests
- represent the organization at special events.
In Education Services you are expected to:
- teach a class of (young) adult learners
- mentor a child or an adult
- read to a child and/or family
In Executive Planning you are expected to:
- plan fundraising events
- write grants
- advise or govern on a board of directors.
(You are expected to have relevant experience in non-profit organizations or philanthropy driven projects)
Time Commitment and Training
Your time commitment will vary based on the organizations’ needs. Typically, program administration activities are flexible and done throughout the work week, whereas programs that need volunteers in education services request a time commitment of at least a semester (8-10 weeks). If you are interested in executive planning activities you may be asked to attend fundraising committee meetings/events in the evenings or prepare time-sensitive grant proposals.
You will be oriented and trained for program administration and teaching-related positions by the organizations’ staff or experienced volunteers already in the program. In programs where you directly work with children, you may be asked to complete a criminal background check, as required by D.C. law.
Volunteer Activities Chart
You can volunteer with a D.C. LEARNs member listed below. Here, you can find contact information for the organizations’ volunteer coordinator and a link to its website which contains more information on volunteering (where available).
**Refer to the description of activities above for more details
| Organization | Pgm. Admn | Edu Svc. |
Exec Pln |
Contact Information |
| Literacy Volunteers & Advocates | X | X | Henry Appy, info@lvanca.org | |
| The SED Center | X | Doris Ruano, dorisruano@sedcenter.org | ||
| For Love of Children | X | Amber Shollenberger, ashollenberger@floc.org | ||
| Concerned Black Men | X | Nikki Pearson, npearson@cbmnational.org | ||
| Living Wages Adult Education Center | X | Betsy Hartson, BHartson@rscj.org | ||
| Washington Literacy Council | X | X | Nicole Lubar, nicole.lubar@washlit.org | |
| Little Lights Urban Ministries | X | Mijin Paik, mijin@littlelights.org | ||
| Washington National Cathedral Literacy Program | X | Carrol Hulburt, schurlburt@verizon.net | ||
| Language ETC. | X | X | Steven White, swhite@languageetc.org |