Volunteer Opportunities From: PENCIL Connect

On Thursday, April 2nd, PENCIL will host an all-day Proctor Party to prepare and match volunteer test proctors for Metro Schools in need. A proctor is required by law to help ensure the testing environment is secure and maintain test integrity. Every Metro School will need volunteer test proctors, and PENCIL is here to help!

The Proctor Party will be hosted both Virtually and In-Person throughout the day. See the schedule below.

Generally, school testing begins the week of April 13th and ends the first week in May. There will be LOTS of opportunities to proctor tests throughout these 5 weeks! All hands on deck!

Join the PENCIL Partnership Team for one hour on April 2nd to learn more about being a test proctor and to select the school you'd like to proctor in. (PLEASE NOTE: We are hosting Virtual AND In-Person sessions throughout the day - see below for the schedule, and sign up accordingly).

SURPRISE! One volunteer will be drawn AFTER testing season ends for a ROUND TRIP SOUTHWEST AIRLINES TICKET!

PROCTOR PARTY SESSION SCHEDULE:

Once you sign up, we will send you a calendar invitation for your selected time slot.

Questions can be directed to PENCIL's Director of Partnerships, Alayna Cate at acate@pencil615.org 

The Moses McKissack Race to Greatness event is an exciting opportunity to support our community and celebrate the achievements of our students. We are seeking volunteers to help with the Parade Line, which involves cheering on the students as they walk down to the event space.

Stratton Elementary School is seeking guest speakers from various career industries to participate in their annual Career Fair hosted on April 10th from 10am-12pm!

Guest speakers will be asked to host a table representing your career, industry, or organization, share insights about your professional journey, and engage with small groups of students as they rotate throughout the event! 

For questions, please contact Felicia Dismukes at Felicia.Dismukes@mnps.org and Kendra Broome at Kendra.Broome@mnps.org.

Thank you in advance for helping make this event a success for our students! 

The Whites Creek Cluster is hosting a joint Family Field Day on April 11th at Hartman Park from 10:30am-1pm and need your support to make this event a success!

Volunteers are needed to assist with set up/cleanup, lead activity stations, greet families, and more! 

Volunteers may sign up for their specific volunteer role here: Whites Creek Cluster: Whites Creek Cluster Family Field Day Volunteers

For questions, please contact Railyn Lamb at Railin.Lamb@mnps.org.

James Lawson High School would like to invite you to participate in their upcoming College and Career Fair on TUESDAY, April 14. This event will serve approximately 400 junior students and provide them with meaningful exposure to post secondary and career opportunities. Students will attend in two separate groups. Student Participation Time: 8:25–10:40 a.m.

Representatives will be provided with tables and chairs for their booths. They ask that all participating organizations sign up on PENCIL Connect OR complete the registration form link below to confirm attendance & participation.  

James Lawson High School College and Career Fair Form

Volunteers are needed to help proctor and monitor classrooms for TCAP testing. Testing will start at 8:00 am and end at around 12:30pm from April 14th to April 23rd. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time. A brief overview of proctoring will be provided via email. For questions, please contact Misty Thurman at Misty.Thurman@mnps.org.

***Hours may be tweaked slightly closer to time.

You can park in any of our 3 parking lots.

Inglewood Elementary School is in need of volunteer test proctors April 14 through 23.

Proctors are essential for all schools undergoing TCAP or end of course testing. You will help monitor students and assist the classroom teacher as students take their tests. Other volunteer functions may be assigned (such as hallway monitoring, assisting with restroom breaks, or other real-time needs of the school). 

Proctor Schedule

7:30-8:00AM - Arrival and front office checkin
8:00-8:15AM - Report to assigned classroom
8:15-8:30-AM - Assist teacher with pre-testing activities
8:30-10:00AM - Monitor students and support teacher
*Note: Your shift may vary in length, with some tests lasting 90 minutes, and some closer to 40 minutes - please be prepared for either case.

Training and Expectations

PENCIL provides training through our annual Proctor Party, hosted Thursday, April 2. You can sign up for this training here, or you may sign up to volunteer as a proctor without participating in PENCIL's training. Expect the school to also provide some short training and expectations when you arrive for your proctoring shift. 

Incentives

One lucky test proctor will receive a FREE Southwest Airlines round trip ticket as a thank you from PENCIL for volunteering in this much needed activity across MNPS! To be entered to win, you must complete a proctoring shift through one of our posted PENCIL Connect proctoring opportunities (such as this one). 

Please contact PENCIL's Director of Partnerships, Alayna Cate, acate@pencil615.org if you have any questions for PENCIL - or contact the school directly otherwise.

Thank you for volunteering!

Head Middle School is seeking volunteers to visit 7th and 8th grade classrooms and share about their career and career journeys. Through this speaker series, we hope to expose students to the paths people have taken to their profession!

This opportunity is perfect for recent college graduates and young professionals. All industries from engineers to artists are encouraged to participate!

Guest speakers may visit on either Friday, April 17th or Friday, April 24th from 10am-11am! In person is preferred, but virtual visits are welcomed as well.

For questions, please contact Chuck Brown at Chuck.Brown@mnps.org.

Thank you for making this series a success!

Join fellow ELB members for a volunteer shift at the DG PENCIL Box, PENCIL’s free teacher supply store for Metro Nashville Public Schools educators. Volunteers will help teachers shop for classroom materials, restock supplies, and keep the store running smoothly.

This volunteer opportunity is just before PENCIL's A Little Night of Music, so we will have volunteer activities to help PENCIL prepare- examples include: cutting paper and putting it in the programs, preparing auction displays, putting wine in bags for wine pull, etc.

This is a great way to see PENCIL’s mission in action and connect directly with the educators we support every day.

We’ll have two volunteer shifts available — sign up for one or stay for both!

Greetings partners and friends,

We are excited to launch a new initiative at Chadwell Elementary School (321 Port Dr., Madison, TN) designed to introduce our students to a wide variety of career paths early on.

During the second semester, we will host four Career Days, and we would be honored to have you join us as a guest speaker.

By sharing your career story, you will help inspire our students—from Kindergarten through 5th grade—and open their eyes to the many possibilities their futures can hold. Our students are eager learners, and your participation would make a meaningful impact.

Career Day Dates & Times

Tuesday, January 27 | 8:30–10:30 a.m.

Wednesday, February 25 | 8:30–10:30 a.m.

Wednesday, March 25 | 8:30–10:30 a.m.

Wednesday, April 29 | 8:30–10:30 a.m.

**This page is for the April 29th date only**
(To sign up for other dates, please navigate to those postings)

Each Career Day consists of two one-hour sessions. You’ll present your career story to one group from 8:30–9:30 a.m., then move to a second classroom from 9:30–10:30 a.m. An MNPS staff member will be present in each classroom to support you throughout the visit.

Here's a Sample/suggested Schedule

7:30–8:00 a.m. – Arrive at Chadwell/Sign in at front desk

8:00–8:30 a.m. – Get settled, familiarize yourself with the school, and visit the two classrooms where you will present

8:30–8:50 a.m. – Share your career story

8:50–9:00 a.m. – Brain break/move around room/etc

9:00–9:20 a.m. – Complete activity or project (materials provided, or bring your own!)

9:20–9:30 a.m. – Q&A and/or brief break

9:30 a.m. – Transition to the second classroom and repeat the schedule

10:30 a.m. – Wrap-up and dismissal

We hope you will consider partnering with us to inspire and encourage our students. If you are interested in participating and have questions, please feel free to reach out to Kelly Richter at Kelly.Richter@mnps.org

Thank you for supporting Chadwell Elementary—we look forward to welcoming you! 

Warmly,

Kelly

Metro Nashville Public Schools is hosting its 2nd Annual MNPS Elementary Music Festival where all of the Elementary Schools come together to produce one concert. This year's event will be hosted on April 30th at Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC). Months of planning goes into this festival, and we are seeking 10 volunteers to help us make this day a huge success!

Event Agenda

Volunteers may stay the full day or sign up for shifts.

Parking directions will be given after signing up. We have a discount code for McKendree Parking lot, near the Downtown Public Library.

For questions, please contact Kara Kindall at Kkindall@mnps.org or 6159443630.

Cumberland is excited to host our ISOA BEEM Career Fair on Friday, May 1, 2026 from 11am-2pm. The Fair is designed to expose elementary children to a myriad of career options. It is unrealistic to believe that children will grow up and have a successful career if they have no concept of the options available to them and if they have never been exposed to successful professionals.

We are seeking career professionals to set up a booth displaying information on your company and/or profession, give a brief presentation to each group of students as they move throughout the fair, and provide handouts and/or child-friendly promotional items for about 500 students.

Students will rotate every 15 minutes from 12pm-1:30pm and the event will conclude with an Awards Program ending at 2pm.

For questions, please contact Dr. Monique L. Gant at MoniqueLGant@gmail.com.

Glengarry Elementary School is having a Career Fair on May 6th from 1PM to 3PM and we need your help!

We would like to have as many careers represented as possible. We want our students to get a wide variety of jobs and experiences. We would like to invite you to come and have a table at our career fair. Students will move from table to table learning about all the jobs. Please be able to explain your job within a few minutes and feel free to bring information for students to take. We will try and have an interpreter for you if needed. However, if you speak Spanish or have someone that could come with you, that is a bonus.

For questions, please reach out to Sarah Kohlman, Glengarry School Counselor at sarah.kohlman@mnps.org or 629-910-1199.

Thank you in advance for helping make this event a success for our students!

We are gearing up for our MNPS Drone Scrimmage, and we are seeking volunteers and community members to fill the stands!

This event brings together middle school teams from across the region who are competing for a coveted spot at the National Championship. Your support is crucial to the success of this event!

Event Details:

For questions, please contact Cheryl Wilson at Cheryl.Wilson@mnps.org.

Become a Lunch Buddy at Inglewood ES! 

At Inglewood Elementary, we are working hard to support our students in coming to school every day. One of our biggest challenges is chronic absenteeism, which occurs when a student misses 10 or more days of school—10% of the school year. When students are not in school, they miss valuable opportunities to learn, grow, and connect.

We know community partnerships make a powerful difference. That’s why we are inviting caring volunteers to become Lunch Buddies and invest in our students’ success. We have identified 36 students who would greatly benefit from having a consistent, encouraging adult to spend time with them.

Lunch Schedule:

Kindergarten: 11:00 AM

1st Grade: 10:55 AM

2nd Grade: 11:45 AM

3rd Grade: 12:00 PM

4th & 5th Grade: 11:10 AM

Your time, presence, and encouragement could be exactly what a student needs to feel seen, valued, and motivated to come to school each day.

If you’re interested in investing in one of our amazing students, we would love to have you join us.

Joelton Elementary's kindergarten friends are in need of monitors to help with their computers during their WIN time ("What I Need" - this is a personalized learning time). Kindergarten WIN time is Monday-Friday from 10:15am-11:00am.

This is a daily occurrence in their schedule, but volunteers can support at their desired frequency - one time, weekly, whenever you are available!

Please contact Sarah Finney at sfinney@fcsnashville.org for more information.

Share the Joy of Reading with our Lions of Literacy! 
Are you passionate about storytelling, literacy, and connecting with young minds? Our school is inviting dedicated volunteers to join us in a special reading initiative aimed at inspiring a love of books and boosting student confidence

What’s Involved: 
Join us three days a week from Tuesday- Thursday for an hour blocks to read aloud with students, spark conversation, and build lasting relationships through literature. Your time and presence make all the difference.

Days Needed: Flexible scheduling available—let us know your preferred days! 
Time Commitment: 1 hours per day: Tues. Wed. Thur. 9 am - 1 pm
Location: 455 Rural Hill Rd | Nashville TN 37217 | lakeview@mnps.org

Antioch High School is needing help to refresh and reorganize the Resource Center so that it is efficient and ready to meet the needs of our students and family. Please contact Shatina Marshall if you/your team would like to help give the Antioch Resource Center a Refresh. The space is located on the Antioch High School campus.

When: Ongoing, starting Aug. 4th

We are seeking volunteers (18+) to assist in our school libraries with weekly shelving and collection maintenance. We also need volunteers willing to help on occasion with special projects. Volunteers must complete and pass a background check before participating. Upon Registration, you will receive a secondary email asking for more information about your interest. Please check your email. 

Once registration is complete, you'll be matched with a school in need as a Volunteer or Special Project Volunteer.

Volunteers commit to a regular schedule for volunteering to help shelve books, inventory new arrivals, and help with unboxing of new materials. Special Project Volunteers will be contacted as needs arise to assist with collection inventory and relocation.

En Espanol:

Buscamos voluntarios (mayores de 18 años) para ayudar en nuestras bibliotecas escolares con el mantenimiento semanal de estanterías y colecciones. También necesitamos voluntarios dispuestos a ayudar ocasionalmente en proyectos especiales. Los voluntarios deben completar y pasar una verificación de antecedentes antes de participar. Al registrarse, recibirá un correo electrónico secundario solicitando más información sobre su interés. Por favor, compruebe su correo electrónico. 

Una vez completado el registro, se le asignará una escuela necesitada como Voluntario o Voluntario de Proyectos Especiales.

Los voluntarios se comprometen a cumplir un horario regular para ayudar a archivar los libros, hacer inventario de los recién llegados y ayudar a desembalar los nuevos materiales. Los voluntarios de proyectos especiales serán contactados cuando surjan necesidades para ayudar con el inventario y la reubicación de la colección.

Tasks, such has unpacking new books and assisting with collection moves, may require lifting 10-20 lbs.

Volunteers will not be working directly with students.

For more information, please contact Lindsey Kimery, Coordinator or Library Services via email at lindsey.kimery@mnps.org. 

En Espanol:

Las tareas, como desembalar libros nuevos y ayudar a trasladar colecciones, pueden requerir levantar de 10 a 20 libras.

Los voluntarios no trabajarán directamente con los estudiantes.

Para obtener más información, póngase en contacto con Lindsey Kimery, Coordinadora de Servicios Bibliotecarios, por correo electrónico en lindsey.kimery@mnps.org .

Our High School counselors and Front Office organize student packets every week. We need help from volunteers to sort and stuff these folders.

Occasionally, we may need support with other similar, light tasks.

This support is needed each week on Tuesday. We'll accept a one-time sign up or weekly commitment.

Dress: Please dress comfortable and appropriately for a school setting. Closed-toed shoes are suggested.

Parking: STEM Prep High School is located at 1252 Foster Ave. You can park in the front lot. You'll see a large blue mural.

Check In: Please check-in at the Front Office and have your picture ID ready.

Let us know if you can commit to coming in weekly on Tuesdays or for a one-time sign up. Your initial point of contact is Jeremy Quiñonez, jquinonez@stemprepacademy.org. 

As part of combining STEAM and AVID in my building, I'm setting up a Career Speaker Series for my students. My goal is to have Career Speakers in my classes bi-weekly, then have my students create a video/podcast episode that can be distributed to the rest of the student body. 

I'd love to get as many different careers represented as possible with as wide a range as possible...from common to uncommon. 

If you are interested, please complete the interest form.

Weekly Reading Partners (Grades K–2)

We are seeking 20–30 volunteers to provide 20-minute reading support sessions during our Hive Thrive times.

Register here and get connected with school Community Coordinator, Rikitta Dews.

This is a fun way to celebrate student success and keep them motivated! Students who earn enough credits during the week can shop at the Student Store during lunch. We need an extra hand to pass out the items they purchase, organize materials, and greet our students.

Our students are working in teams to develop innovative business ideas, and we are looking for professionals to guide and support them through this entrepreneurial journey. If you know of any individuals or businesses that would be interested in mentoring our business management seniors, please spread the word!

Program Details:

J.E. Moss Elementary is looking for female and male volunteers to serve as Lunch Buddies for students. Lunch Buddies is designed to help reach students who would benefit from having an additional positive role model. The Lunch Buddy Program helps create healthy attitudes and behavior in youth, as well as provide skills, resources, and positive experiences that will aid them in becoming successful, productive citizens. We ask that volunteers commit to weekly or bi-weekly lunch visits with students. All volunteers are required to complete a Background Check through PENCIL before pairing with a student. If interested, notify us of the lunch time that you'd prefer to volunteer for this. The Lunch Buddies Program will run from January 2026 to May 2026.