Learning Buddies

Starting this year our Study Team volunteers are called Learning Buddies.

You must be reliable, timely, patient, positive, and a Teen Advisory Board member.

 You will be working directly with children in Grades K-6 under the supervision of Ms. Cheryl and Jess

*No application will be required this year. Instead we have invited a core group of past homework helpers to help us steer our updated program. All other slots will be open sign up much like our other volunteer opportunities. You are welcome to sign up for multiple weeks at a time as long as your schedule allows.

You must first attend a training meeting, which is scheduled at 4:45pm each Tuesday, immediately before the learning buddies’ session. Training is mandatory for everyone before volunteering as a reading buddy and there will be a training session available each week for volunteers new to the program. You only need to attend 1 training a semester but you cannot volunteer as a reading buddy before attending training. After that, you’ll typically assist each week with set up then help at a 1 hour session by either overseeing literacy games or listening to children grades K-6 reading aloud then chatting about the story to assist with reading comprehension. Then you will also assist with cleaning up the Story Time room and Children’s area. You do need to arrive by 5:15 latest and stay until 6:40 each session. If enough kids do not show up, we can usually offer alternate service projects during that session. 

We will also be foregoing seasonal sessions this year and will instead meet most Tuesdays Oct-April. We don't meet during Mason school breaks, holidays, or some weeks before school breaks. Sessions end before AP tests start.

Dress code: Business Casual + a Teen Advisory Board shirt. For example, a TAB shirt with un-ripped jeans or khakis is preferred. Leggings, sweats, and shorts (among other things) are considered too casual.

We ask our Buddies to make regular attendance and timeliness as high a priority as their patient support of the younger kids. That means really planning ahead in order to balance teen homework versus volunteering commitments. Absences due to studying, school-sponsored events, family travel, and illness still count as absences. If you're in Band, Choir, or Orchestra or on a team, check your performance and competition schedule for conflicts.

All Teen Volunteers are expected to be courteous to their fellow volunteers by giving at least 24 hour notice when canceling a volunteer commitment. This allows time for someone else to arrange transportation and fill the spot. Not showing up for a volunteer slot you committed to, canceling with less than 24 hour notice, not following dress code, arriving late or leaving a shift early, or using your phone in front of library customers are all tracked as Problems. Three or more Problems lead to at least a 3 month suspension from shift eligibility. Repeated issues lead to dismissal from the volunteer program and impact eligibility in future years.