Hey dopers and dopettes.
As some of you may know, I have a job where I work out at sea for a month at a time, then I have a month off in between. It’s a great schedule and I love it a lot, and as you might expect, I have a fair amount of free time.
As some of you may also know, I used to be a high school teacher and I really miss working with the kids. I love my job now of course and don’t want to quit it, but I was thinking of ways I might be able to spend time with some youngsters.
So, I was curious about various volunteering organizations or opportunities that I could do on my months off, but one where I wouldn’t be obligated while I’m out on the high seas.
One well known example of course is Big Brothers, but… I don’t know if that’d be good for me since I could only do mentoring every other month. I’m not sure though so who knows.
Are there any other options you can think of that might be good for me? I’m open to all sorts of suggestions, for kids of all ages really. Thank you!
What kind of skills to do you bring to the table? As a teacher, I assume you were/are good and enjoy leading groups of kids in activities. Do you like hands on (let’s build a boat today!) or more lecturish stuff (let’s go to the museum!)? Do you like working with special needs kids? Or Kids in Distress type kids?
Answers to those might help bring ideas to the thread.
Not a direct answer, but one resource I use is my local paper. The Sun-Sentinel has a weekly section called Society Scene. A large portion of that section covers charity events, and, once each year, does a volunteer guide. If I have a specific type of charity I want to find, I e-mail the editor of the section, and she checks her notes. Of course, it helps that I’m friends with the editor from outside of all this, but she’d help a random person with a reasonable request too.
Maybe there’s a similar set up where you are?
Good luck finding something…and good on you for wanting to give back in your spare time.
-D/a
How about your local library? I volunteered at mine when I was in high school and college, and I frequently helped plan and run kids’ events like storytime and arts and crafts. I really enjoyed it, even though I’m not really a kid person.
Try Volunteer Match for a wide range of ideas.