Volunteer Opportunities |
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May 26, 2015, Volume 61, No. 35 |
The Workshop School Gateway Project: At the end of tenth grade, students at the Workshop School are required to complete a “Gateway Project,” an opportunity for them to show that they are ready for more freedom and more responsibility when they enter eleventh grade. This freedom includes the ability to design their own projects, to enroll in college classes and to intern with a company or organization in a field of interest to them. The responsibility includes the ability to manage their time and workload, and to represent the School in the wider community. We refer to this collection of autonomies and opportunities as the “Upper House.” The review panels are important. They are charged with assessing each student’s performance. The scale is similar to a dissertation defense: pass, pass with revisions or fail. And the stakes are high: students who pass transition into a different version of eleventh grade than those who do not. Specifically, they are allowed to design their own projects and are eligible for internships and college courses starting in September. (Students who don’t pass have to keep working on their Gateway until they do, at which point they too will gain access to these opportunities.)
Because this is an important milestone for their students, the School is looking for volunteers who appreciate that this is a serious commitment. Reviewers will go through a short training (probably an hour, and they can come do it at Penn if that helps), and will need 30-60 minutes to review the student’s work ahead of their presentation. The presentation itself (including reviewer feedback and Q&A) will run about an hour. Gateway presentations will be held on June 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 in the morning (9 a.m.-noon). The presentations themselves, including a Q&A period, will run for approximately 45 minutes each. A reviewer may choose to attend a single student presentation, or sign up to spend a morning at the school, which will include 3-4 presentations. For more information about this opportunity please contact Matthew Riggan at matthew.riggan@workshsopschool.org
Volunteer to Teach at the Nonprofit Institute (NPI): The Netter Center for Community Partnerships offers a free accelerated Certificate Program that gives participants the tools needed to manage nonprofit or faith-based organizations more efficiently. This program will take place over the course of six days: June 10-12 and June 17-19. Do you have an area of expertise you can share with members of the community? Join the volunteers that teach at the NPI. Volunteers are needed in the areas of using social media for business, event planning and more. We welcome your suggestions. Join us to teach at the upcoming Nonprofit Institute and cultivate the skills needed in order to successfully manage an organization. This program is free for participants.
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