One person. One hour per week.
That’s all that it took to give one fourth grade student in Lake Washington School District (LWSD) the confidence to believe in herself. With that confidence came improved grades.
“My lunch buddy made my life happier by giving me things I always wanted,” said the fourth grade student. “She comforts me when I doubt myself. She is a good friend. She makes me believe in myself to do the homework. My grades have gone up a bit since having a lunch buddy. I think everybody should have a lunch buddy because it is good to have a lot of friendship.”
Do you have an hour a week to spare? There are currently 28 LWSD students waiting to be matched with a lunch buddy. That means 28 students have been identified as needing an adult mentor in their lives. Can you be that mentor?
Lake Washington School District’s LINKS Volunteer program is seeking volunteers to help students achieve success in school. You can share the gift of your time in the following ways:
• Be a lunch buddy: LINKS lunch buddies are matched with a student and meet with them 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. Many lunch buddies report that it is the best hour of their week.
• Be 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 or on site after school. 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.
• Be a classroom helper: Classroom helpers usually help 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.
• Be a tutor. Tutoring provides academic support to a student or a group of students, typically focusing on one subject such as reading or math. Some tutoring options take place in a classroom or during an after school study program in an assigned area at a school. Make a difference in a school near you by becoming a LINKS volunteer.
To learn more about LINKS volunteer opportunities, visit the LINKS page on the LWSD website. To register for an upcoming volunteer orientation, email Nanci Wehr at nwehr@lwsd.org or call 425-936-1410.
