Family and Community Involvement; Sources and Resources

A strong volunteer program can be a valuable resource to every school. If a school is not utilizing such a program, the students, as well as their families, are under a great disadvantage. This project answers the question of how schools can advance their volunteer programs in order to utilize volunteers effectively. It also looks at the value in volunteering and what constitutes volunteering. To answer these questions, the author decided to investigate current volunteering trends in schools. The main theoretical foundations of this project come from Funds of Knowledge as well as School, Family, Community Partnerships. The author created a volunteer handbook that combines the best practices of these two concepts to create a complete volunteer program for kindergarten through fifth grade schools in the United States. Volunteering has positive impacts on not only student’s academic progress, but also their behavior. In implementing a volunteer program where families and community members use their valuable skills and talents to enhance student learning, volunteers also feel positive toward the school and education. This affirmative response is of increasing importance in today’s changing political climate.