Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students have returned from the winter break and are working hard to be successful in school. While some kids are excited to be back at school, others may feel differently. Not everyone learns at the same pace. Some students need additional support to achieve personal success in one or more subjects. LINKS volunteers can help these students to achieve personal success by providing extra academic support and encouragement.

LINKS receives volunteer requests from staff that range from volunteers needed to work with small groups of kids on math or reading to academic mentors who work one-on-one with a student needing more focused support. Mentors help a student in one subject until the student is able to achieving success on their own. This can take months, or it can be a short-term match. In both cases, students show improvement more quickly when they receive additional support. Students who participated in this program last year showed noticeable improvement and felt more confident about their ability to do well in school. They proved to themselves they can achieve better grades with the added support of a volunteer.

Several middle and high schools throughout the district have started lunchtime and after-school study programs. Many students voluntarily meet with a tutor to receive extra help in a particular subject. Math, science and English are among the most common request; however, there can be more subject-specific needs in some schools.

LINKS depends on community support to fill the growing number of volunteer needs throughout LWSD. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit the LINKS website at: www.lwsd.org/links. To register for an upcoming volunteer orientation, email Nanci Wehr at nwehr@lwsd.org or call (425) 936-1410 for additional information.