Application for New Volunteers

Application Process for New Volunteers

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Seattle Public Schools! Whether you are a parent, a family member, or a community member, the following resources will help you prepare to volunteer with our students.

Tip: Use your preferred AI tool for questions about applying or volunteering with SPS. SPS web pages contain information AI uses to answer most questions. To check accuracy, review the resources the AI provides.

Crayon drawing depicting diverse children under a rainbow-colored umbrella.

Safety First! Only approved volunteers can serve in SPS schools.

SPS serves 50,000 children and youth. We are committed to carefully screening volunteer candidates to ensure student safety as required by law, SPS policies, and the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool (our insurance provider).

Learn about our volunteer application process below.

Important: Read First Before Applying!

Only individuals recruited by SPS to directly support SPS personnel during their SPS job duties may use the following volunteer application process. If you are a community partner staff or volunteer, a PTO/PTSA volunteer, private service provider, enrichment vendor, or receive payment from any source (SPS or otherwise) for the services you plan on providing, you are not eligible to proceed.

The volunteer application process varies by type of volunteer. Please carefully read about each type below to determine which application process is right for you.

There are two types of volunteer applications and roles at SPS:

Tier 1 – Supervised School Volunteer

Volunteers recruited by SPS and supporting SPS-sponsored activities under staff supervision. SPS-sponsored activities include classroom instruction, day field trips, lunch and recess, and do not include after-school enrichment or clubs unless they are free and directed by SPS staff.
This volunteer role can include direct student contact if the volunteer is supervised by staff.
District personnel must be on-site and within view if the volunteer will interact with students.
Examples: classroom or library assistance, office or recess support, day field trip chaperone, and school newsletter editor.

Tier 2 – Unsupervised School Volunteer

Volunteers recruited by SPS to chaperone SPS-sponsored overnight school field trips.
Volunteers recruited by SPS staff to support SPS-sponsored activities that involve contact with students without SPS staff present. Activities can be in-person or remote (e.g., online tutoring). Examples: breakout room facilitator (in a virtual classroom), volunteer facilitating an official school club, one-on-one tutor (remote or at the school), mentor.

To apply to be a field trip chaperone or driver:

Must be at least 21 years old for K-8 field trips and 25 years old for grades 9-12.
Must be familiar with the Basic Rules of Seattle Public Schools (a.k.a. “Code of Conduct”).
Must be an approved Tier 1 (for day trips) or Tier 2 (for overnight trips) school volunteer.
Must carefully review and sign the Chaperone Guideline Form collected by the SPS staff member organizing the field trip.

You can review current Chaperone Guideline Forms on the district’s Field Trip Procedures webpage under the “Resources” section.

Student Volunteers

SPS students who volunteer at schools other than their assigned school must complete and submit the volunteer application for a supervised role. Submitting the application is also advised if the student is volunteering in their own school to document service-learning hours.

The online application generates a parental agreement section when the applicant is a minor. Please note that minors must be supervised by adults when volunteering with SPS students.

To apply to be a student school volunteer:

Reach out to the school of your choice to check their current volunteer opportunities.
Follow the Application Process steps listed on this page below.
Upload your student ID in lieu of the government photo ID if you do not have one.

Employee Volunteers

Full-time and part-time employees can volunteer their time in roles that differ from their paid work duties and outside their paid time. They must complete the SPS school volunteer application and, if applicable, chaperone guidelines. National background checks or proof of completing the Adult Sexual Misconduct Prevention course are not required (previously verified by HR). Please apply using your SPS email address for easier identification.

Substitute employees interested in volunteering with SPS must complete the same steps as non-employees.

To apply to be an employee school volunteer:

Follow the Application Process steps.
In the application, please use your SPS email address for easier identification.
Notify your School Volunteer Liaison so they are aware you are eligible to skip certain steps of the application process.

One-Time Volunteer Enhancement Projects Volunteers

One-time Volunteer Enhancement Projects volunteers must complete a short Event Volunteer registration in the online Volunteer Portal.

To apply to be a one-time project volunteer, review instructions on the Volunteer Enhancement Projects page.

Ongoing Project Volunteers

Volunteers who care for learning gardens or provide other project support to schools on a regular basis, must be approved as Category A school volunteers (see school volunteers section above).

To apply to be an ongoing project volunteer:

Reach out to the school of your choice to check their current volunteer opportunities.
Follow the Application Process steps listed on this page below.
Review more instructions on the Volunteer Enhancement Projects page.

All Club Sports Coaches are onboarded by the school as Unsupervised School Volunteers (Tier 2) with extra requirements (CPR & First Aid, Concussion, and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Courses).

To apply to be a Category C school volunteer:

Follow the Application Process steps listed on this page below.
Provide copies of CPR and First Aid certificates and proof of completing Concussion and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Courses to the staff member in charge of Sport Club Volunteers at that school.
Once you are approved as a Tier 2 volunteer, the staff member overseeing the club must ensure all role and coaching requirements are met, gathers required files, and submits them to the School Volunteer Liaison.

Club sports include:

Cheer
Cross Country
Futsal
Lacrosse
Ultimate Frisbee
Boys Volleyball (high school)
Water Polo

Athletic volunteers who work with student-athletes apply directly to the Athletics Department. Do not proceed with the Volunteer Application Process outlined below.

Visit the Athletics Department page for more information.

Athletic sports include:

Baseball
Basketball
Bowling
Cross Country
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Soccer

Softball (Fast Pitch)
Softball (Slow Pitch)
Swim & Dive
Tennis
Track & Field
Ultimate Frisbee (Middle School only)
Volleyball
Wrestling

Volunteers who support athletic team events, organize gear, handle team logistics, etc., apply using the school volunteer registration process below.

How to Apply

Please follow these steps if you have never filed an electronic volunteer application with SPS. If you have, please go to our page for renewing and returnig volunteers.

Step 1: Select Your Volunteer Role and Schedule

Each school recruits and selects its prospective volunteers. Please inquire with the school office or your child’s teacher about their volunteer support needs this school year. In some schools, the School Volunteer Liaison maintains a list of current volunteer needs; however, in most buildings, it’s the educators who determine volunteer needs for their classroom or program.

Once an SPS staff member assigns you to a volunteer role in their classroom or program, continue with the following steps.

Step 2: Online Training – Preventing Sexual Abuse

Nationally, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before age 18. Through this course, you will help protect children by learning to recognize and respond to sexual abuse.

Complete the 20-min Adult Sexual Misconduct Prevention training.
Answer test questions during the training and on your volunteer application.

Step 3: Review the Volunteer Handbook

Carefully review our online Volunteer Handbook to learn about the laws and policies volunteers must follow, their rights, and tips for successful volunteering.

Step 4: Review Background Check Requirements

Our online volunteer application includes a state or national background check. Review the Background Checks page to determine what type of background check you will need, and whether there is a cost associated with it.

Step 5: Apply Online

After signing up for a specific role (e.g., lunch helper every Tuesday or field trip chaperone on Oct 30), locate your school on the volunteer portal and select the correct application link (Tier 1 or 2).

SPS volunteer registration is currently under construction – a new registration link will be posted on this page by September 2.

You should submit your application at least three (3) weeks before the planned start date of your volunteer service. For overnight field trips, submitting five weeks in advance is recommended.

If you experience problems creating your volunteer application in the volunteer portal, refer to our volunteer portal guide for helpful tips.

If you have questions about your application or background check, or experience technical difficulties, please contact the school office or email the school volunteer liaison.

Step 6: School Approval

To ensure student safety, schools must process each volunteer application and submit an approval form to the district office before the individual can sign up for their first volunteer shift.

If your dashboard in the volunteer portal lists your status as “Eligible” and you are signed up for a volunteer shift your school is recruiting for, your school will prioritize approving your application.
If you did not upload a government-issued photo ID to your volunteer application, please provide it to your school volunteer liaison in person or via email.
The school volunteer program liaison will verify that:
- you provided a complete answer to the Adult Sexual Misconduct Prevention course question on the application.
- your name, DOB, and likeness match those on your photo ID.
The school volunteer liaison will submit your volunteer approval to the district.
Your name will be added to the Approved Volunteer List at the school’s sign-in tablet or computer.

You must sign in at the school electronic kiosk (tablet or computer) and wear a volunteer badge every time you volunteer. You will need the email address used on your volunteer application to sign in on the visitor tablet or computer. Our visitor sign-in system will recognize your email address and take your photo to create a volunteer badge sticker. A reusable volunteer badge will be issued at a later date.

If you have questions about your application or background check, call the school office or email the school volunteer liaison.

Step 7: Orientation and Training

Each school is expected to provide an orientation that orients new volunteers to the school building and community, as well as expectations for volunteers. Some schools host required volunteer orientation as the last onboarding step.

Seattle Public Schools