Turning the Page . Volunteer

Turning the Page's programs rely heavily on the talents and energy of volunteers for their success.

We need volunteers to assist us with Community Nights and Carpe Librum, our annual used book sale. Please read the following position descriptions to see how you can help us support D.C. Public School students and their families. If you would like to volunteer, please send Kathleen Rice an email with your contact information and details about what your volunteer interests would be.

Community Nights Family Mentors

To encourage parent interest and attendance at Community Nights, Turning the Page seeks volunteers to serve as family mentors. Mentors read with elementary schoolchildren while their parents attend educational workshops geared towards improving parents' ability to engage their children in literacy-based activities at home. Mentors also engage children in fun learning activities and encourage children to be excited about reading.

Qualifications: An interest in working with children and promoting literacy.

Time Commitment: Family mentors attend all four or five sessions of Community Nights to ensure we maintain our student/mentor ratio at each school. All Community Nights take place on a particular weeknight from 6-8pm. All family mentors also attend an orientation/training where volunteers will receive background information on Turning the Page, tips on mentoring and reading to students, and samples of the activities that they will do during Community Nights. All family mentors will also have the opportunity to attend other Turning the Page events with the partner school at which they mentor.

Carpe Librum Book Drive Hosts

Turning the Page seeks volunteers to coordinate book drives at their residences or places of work for our annual fundraiser, Carpe Librum. Book drive hosts set up drop boxes for books in a common area and publicize the book drive and sales.

Qualifications: None.

Time Commitment: Each book drive host can determine the length of their book drive. An hour or two will be needed to set up the drop box and publicize the book drive.

Carpe Librum Book Collectors

Turning the Page seeks volunteers to collect the books that have been donated at book drive sites and deliver them to the storage space. Book collectors will work in teams of two using driving directions provided by Turning the Page.

Qualifications: Ability to lift heavy boxes of books. Car and driver’s license desired, but if you do not have one of these, you can be paired with a volunteer or Turning the Page staff member who does.

Time Commitment: At least three weekday hours between 9am and 6pm.

Carpe Librum Book Sorters

Turning the Page seeks volunteers to sort books into designated categories and label boxes according to category.

Qualifications: None. High school students seeking community service hours are especially encouraged to apply for these positions.

Time Commitment: At least three weekday hours between 9am and 6pm.

Carpe Librum Book Movers

Turning the Page seeks volunteers to assist in moving boxes of books to and from our storage and sale sites.

Qualifications: Ability to lift heavy boxes of books.

Time Commitment: At least three hours weekday hours between 9am and 6pm.

Turning the Page would like to thank the following organizations for their consistent and generous volunteer support:

Volunteer with Turning the Page!