This webpage was created to support multilingual families when applying to be a volunteer. On this page, you can find translated resources, guidance on navigating the application process, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

To translate, use the Google Select Language button located at the top right of this page.

• Español: Vea el sitio en su idioma,
• Af-Soomaali: Ku fiirso Webside-ka SPS Luqadaada,
• 中文: 用您自己的語言查看西雅圖公立學校網站 谷歌,
• Tiếng Việt: Xem trang web SPS bằng ngôn ngữ của quý vị

Why volunteer at your child’s school?

Students are motivated to achieve more when parents, caregivers or other significant adults get involved in their school. Positive effects of parental involvement include:

• Higher grades, test scores & graduation rates
• Better attendance
• Increased motivation & self-esteem

There are many ways to get involved! Consider becoming part of the school community by helping once a week, a few times per year, or by volunteering from home. 

“Volunteering is a way to make a direct contribution to something I care deeply about: education. As I strive to make a positive impact on students, I also gain a sense of community and partnership with teachers and families. Best of all, I get a delightful peek into my children’s day!“ Kaori Tanaka, Thornton Creek Elementary School

What can I do as a school volunteer?

• Think about your availability, skills, and interests.
• Look for volunteer requests from the teacher or check with the librarian.
• Check your school website, community boards, and/or the principal’s newsletter.  
• Ask the school office if they need volunteers for playground monitoring or a lost & found items helper.
• PTA or an after-school program may also be looking for volunteers – they will have their own but similar volunteer application process.

Examples of volunteer opportunities your school may be recruiting for:

Classroom or library help: Read or listen to students read in your native language, organize books, prepare materials, tutor math, and more!

Time before and between classes: Help for 30-40 minutes during recess, in the lunchroom, or as students arrive in the morning. Your positive presence will brighten students’ days, keep them safe, and help them behave at their best. 

Events and field trips:  Chaperone an evening event or a field trip, share your country’s cuisine at a school event, or attend career day and tell students about your job, business, or the leadership role you play in the community. 

Lost & found: Offer to organize lost-and-found items once or twice per month.

Special talents: Schools have many specialized needs. Are you fluent in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, or Chinese? Can you lend a hand in the learning garden or the robotics club?

Volunteer from home:  Ask the teacher for a project you can work on at home, or offer to help with the school newsletter or event, like Rachel Hart Rios from Ballard High School:

Barriers to volunteering

We appreciate all SPS families for their diverse contributions to our school communities. Volunteering is optional – there is no pressure to volunteer. However, if you face barriers to completing the volunteer application process, please let your school know if we can help with technology, interpretation, or the national background check fee (required for families new to Washington State).

Support for Multilingual Families

Interpretation and Translation Assistance

• The required Sexual Misconduct Prevention Course is available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, and Chinese. A written Amharic translation is available from your school volunteer liaison.

• Our online volunteer application instructions are available in many different languages via Google Translate. Scroll to the top of the page and click on the “Select Language” drop-down menu on your right. Next, select your preferred language – page translation will be available instantly.

• Our volunteer portal also features a built-in Google Translate tool – it can be accessed in the same way as described above. This is where you can log in to your previously submitted application to renew or update it.

• Human-translated versions of the online volunteer registration form are available in Amharic, Chinese, Somali, and Spanish. Please reach out to your school volunteer liaison for a copy in your language.

• Use TalkingPoints to text your student’s teacher about their volunteer needs, upcoming field trips, or assistance with the volunteer application process.

• If your school has a Bilingual Instructional Assistant (IA) who reaches out to families in your language, ask the school volunteer liaison if the IA can assist you with the volunteer application process.

Technology Tips

• Our online volunteer application process can be completed via a smartphone; however, we recommend using a larger device, if possible.

• Don’t have a tablet, computer, or internet at home? Please visit your local library or community center with free access to computers and the Internet. This City of Seattle website will help you find the most convenient location. 

• If you experience problems creating your volunteer application in the volunteer portal, refer to our volunteer portal guide for helpful tips – it has a Google Translate built in.

Financial

Since SPS only has access to free state background checks, we selected an online vendor to offer affordable national and international background checks for volunteers who need those. The fee is usually $21, unless you have lived in the State of New York. If this background check fee is causing you financial hardship, please contact your School Volunteer Liaison to ask if the school can sponsor your volunteer background check. Let your school know they can cover background check fees for low-income families using PTA funds, levy performance funds, or Self-Help funds. Field trip-related background check fees can be covered through the field trip budget. The school needs to contact the Volunteer Program Admin to set up a free background check for you.

Work schedule

We know many families have strict work schedules that don’t allow them to take a few hours off during the day. Some families miss their pay when taking a day off to chaperone a field trip. It’s OK if your work schedule makes it too hard to volunteer. You can show your student(s) that you care about their education by talking to them about school, responding to teachers’ emails and texts, and reading principal newsletters to stay in the know.

Caretaking

Caring for multiple children or family members can make it difficult for SPS families to formally volunteer at school. However, all the ways you support your child—ensuring they are prepared for school each day, getting them there on time, partnering with their teachers, and engaging in conversations about their school experiences—demonstrate your commitment to their education and are just as meaningful. Opportunities to volunteer will be available throughout your child’s time at SPS.

Why are SPS volunteers background checked?

In the United States, volunteer application processes in organizations that work with vulnerable people, including children and the elderly, include a criminal background check. This is a requirement for all public schools created by the state legislature. Additionally, insurance companies that provide coverage to organizations like SPS also require that volunteers follow specific processes before being approved to help out in our schools. We understand that criminal background check requirements may cause some SPS families and communities to think twice before applying to volunteer, especially those members of our community who have disproportionate or negative experiences with law enforcement, including immigration law enforcement. Please know that most options for participating in your child’s education do not require a background check, including:

• family events at the school, e.g., the new school year bash, curriculum night, parent-teacher conferences,
• Parent Teacher Organization-organized events (PTSAs, “Friends of” organizations),
• socializing with fellow SPS families at the bus stop or during student drop off or pick up,
• families supporting each other with walking students to and from school (when arranged among families),
• supporting your child’s learning at home, reviewing their schoolwork or homework, discussing school with your child, and facilitating after-school friendships among schoolmates.

What can I expect from the background check process?

• While completing the online volunteer registration form, you will be asked to agree to have your background checked.
• Our online volunteer registration process includes a free, automatic, state background check (Washington State Patrol Background Check). We ask that you be honest when completing the criminal history section; omitting any information can make you ineligible to volunteer with SPS.

Getting started

We believe that every parent or caretaker should have the opportunity to participate in their student’s education. While we require student-related volunteers to complete the same application process as community volunteers, we make accommodations for SPS families. 

• Complete the online volunteer application process. Once approved, your online application will be active for as long as you volunteer with SPS, even as your children transition to other SPS schools.
• You may join a volunteer opportunity at any point during the school year. 
• Processing applications takes time—please allow at least four weeks.
• We are building a diverse, inclusive, and culturally competent volunteer program to best serve our students. We encourage people of different cultural, ethnic, educational, and national backgrounds to apply to volunteer with us.

If you do not have access to a computer or the internet at home, you can try one of the following:

• Visit your neighborhood library, where you can use a computer for up to 90 minutes per day. Find the most convenient library.
• The John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence, located at 2445 3rd Avenue South in SoDo, has two computers available to community members applying for employment and volunteer opportunities with SPS. You can find them between our Enrollment and Security offices.
• If your child attends the school where you wish to volunteer, check in with the school office about computer availability. If the school computer lab is not used by students, schools can offer SPS families access to computers to complete their volunteer application.

Please notify school staff if you are experiencing one of the following challenges so we can assist:

• Don’t have access to a computer or the internet to view the ASM Prevention video.
• Can’t afford to pay the national background check fee.
• Don’t have a credit/debit card to place an online background check order.

Schools can cover background check fees for low-income families using operating or program budgets, or request PTA assistance. Field trip-related background check fees can be covered through the trip budget. The school office can request that the Volunteer Office provide a special link for the school-sponsored screens.

For detailed instructions and resources on the volunteer application process, please visit https://www.seattleschools.org/volunteer.

“We show what we value by what we spend our time on. By spending time at their school, I show my children that I value education and theirs in particular.” Harold Baker, South Shore PK-8