Parents

How Can Parents Help Schools?

Come to School to Assist

1. Share information with a student or class about a hobby, career or a country you visited or lived in.
2. Tutor one or a small group of students in reading, math, or other area.
3. Help coach an athletic team.
4. Help check a student's written work.
5. Help put out a school or classroom newsletter (can also be done at home).
6. Help sew or paint a display.
7. Help students work on a final exhibition or project or an academic competition.
8. Help plan a theme-based presentation for students.*
9. Demonstrate cooking from a particular country or culture to students.*
10. Share a particular expertise with faculty (such as use of computers, dealing with disruptive students).
11. Help students plan and build an outdoor garden or other project to beautify the outside of the school.
12. Help bring senior citizens to school to watch a student production.

Help Arrange Learning Opportunities in the Community

1. Help set up an internship or apprenticeship for a student at your business, organization, or agency.*
2. Host a one-day 'shadow study' for one or a small group of students about your career in business or some other organization.
3. Go on a local field trip with a teacher and a group of students.
4. Go on an extended (3-5 day) cross-country field trip with a teacher & students.*
5. Contact a particular local business or organization regarding possible cooperation.*

Serve on an Advisory or Decision-making Committee

1. Serve on a school council or a district committee.
2. Serve as an officer in the school's PTA.
3. Help organize a parent organization for the school.
4. Help design and conduct a parent and/or student survey for the school.

Share Information or Advocate for the School

1. Write a letter to legislators about the school.
2. Go to another school to provide information about this school.
3. Help design a brochure or booklet about the school.
4. Help translate information from the school into a language other than English.
5. Write an article for publication in a magazine about the school's activities.
6. Help arrange for a political leader (mayor, city council, state representative, member of Congress) to visit the school.

Increase Financial Resources Available to the School

1. Donate materials to the school.
2. Arrange for a business or other organization to donate materials to the school.
3. Help with a fundraiser for the school.

This page was developed with resources from:
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/famncomm/pa1lk20.htm