March 12, 2012

Volunteer groups wanted to ‘adopt’ classes in city schools

More than 30 Baltimore City Public School teachers have requested ongoing assistance in one-on-one projects, small group activities and overall classroom support through Adopt-a-Class, a Johns Hopkins Takes Time for Schools initiative.

Adopt-a-Class provides support to Baltimore City classrooms by matching them with five or more volunteers from a JHU department/office. Eligible volunteers can use their two days of volunteer time provided by Johns Hopkins Takes Time for Schools to support a specific classroom for the remainder of the school year.

Volunteers can share their expertise and talents, assisting with such activities as encouraging kindergartners’ creativity by developing magazines, books, maps or a rock band; tutoring fourth-graders on multiplication tables; supporting sixth-graders with an ancient history reading project; demonstrating science skills to eighth-graders; and organizing a ninth-grade classroom library and guiding students to books that will encourage them to read independently.

All volunteers must have supervisor approval for participation, be full-time, benefits-eligible members of the university, be in good standing and not currently in disciplinary action, meet or exceed performance standards and pass a sex-offender check conducted by city schools.

If you and four or more of your co-workers are interested in learning more about Adopt-a-Class or would like to be matched up with a classroom, contact Kathleen Crostic at kcrosti1@jhu.edu or 443-997-0138.