In the time that it takes to watch your favorite crime drama on TV, you could inspire a child to be successful in school. Just one hour per week can make an impact on the life of a student. Become a LINKS volunteer today.

Here’s how you can help:

• Become an academic mentor: Academic mentors are carefully matched with a student at the elementary, middle, or high school level. This volunteer opportunity takes place during the school day. The timeframe can vary from 30 minutes to an hour. Core classes are often the subjects students need extra help with and include math, reading, writing, and science.
• Become a Lunch Buddy: Lunch Buddies are matched with a student and they meet one day each week during the student’s lunch hour. Volunteers bring their own lunch and meet the student in a designated area.  Most schools have fun games the volunteer and student can play together. They talk, laugh and have fun. Volunteers often share that it’s the best day of their week.
• Become a classroom helper: Classroom helpers usually assist in one classroom and help with several students each week. Volunteer opportunities vary depending on the needs of the students. The most common subject areas include reading, writing, math and science. Volunteers work closely with school staff to determine how their personal strengths can best be used in the classroom to benefit students.
• Become a tutor. Tutoring provides academic support to one student or a group of students, typically focusing on one subject. This volunteer opportunity is held during school hours or during an after school study program in an assigned area.
• New for 2015-16: Become an AVID Facilitator. AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) is a national program designed to better prepare students for college. The facilitators work with a small group of students one or two days a week for one hour. This program is new to the district in 2015-16 and will run at two schools: Evergreen Middle School and Redmond Middle School.
• New for 2015-16: Become a Health Room Volunteer. Health room volunteers work in the school health rooms. They support office staff by assisting students who come to the health room for various health issues. Volunteers are needed throughout Kirkland, Redmond and Sammamish to help in classrooms and provide valuable support to teachers and their students. Teachers and counselors submit requests for volunteers to support students academically and socially to assist kindergarten through high school students.

Most volunteer opportunities are 45-60 minutes per week. Volunteers are asked to commit to their assignment through the end of the school year.

Make a difference in a school near you by becoming a LINKS volunteer. Your crime drama can wait. Isn’t that why the DVR was invented?

Nanci Wehr is the LINKS program coordinator.