Volunteer Opportunities From: PENCIL Connect

On Friday, September 12 (1:00–2:30 PM), Stratton Elementary will celebrate AVID Day by introducing 4th–5th grade students to the world of college and career possibilities. The school is inviting guest speakers to share a 15–20 minute presentation about their university, profession, or personal career journey. This is a meaningful way to spark curiosity and inspire students as they begin thinking about their futures!

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

The week of September 15 is College and Career Week in Metro Schools. We would like to have community members come and speak about their college and career experiences with our students. If you are available please use the following link to sign up and share with others.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F094DA4AD2EA5FC1-58274023-career

Amqui K-8 is seeking volunteers to support their quarterly Transformation Tuesday sessions! This is an opportunity for partners to provide real-world experiences and fun activities in the classroom while teachers receive professional development training to enhance their classroom skills.

These sessions will be hosted from 8am-10am on the following dates: 

September 16th (6th-8th grade)

November 18th (4th-5th grade)

January 27th (2nd-3rd grade)

March 17th (Kindergarten-1st grade)

*Volunteers may commit to 1 hour or 2 hours as their schedule permits.*

Guest speakers are needed on the following topics:

Please contact Phil Osborne at Phil.Osborne@mnps.org for questions. 

Students will be joining us for a day of learning about various college and career opportunities within our community. We ask that volunteers bring a one-pager of relevant facts about the occupation or college and something interactive for demonstration purposes. 

Set up: 11:30am

Event begins: 12:00pm

Event ends: 3:00pm

Note: Please bring whatever is necessary to entice students to join your profession! If you bring items or food, do not bring stickers or anything with nuts.

Wright Middle School is seeking volunteers to support their monthly Workshop Wednesday sessions! This is an opportunity for partners to provide real-world experiences in the classroom while teachers receive professional development training to enhance their classroom skills.

This session will be hosted on the following dates (2 sessions) from 9:10-10:10am and 10:20-11:20am for grades 6-8. 

Workshop Wednesday Dates:

September 17

October 22

November 19

January 21

February 18

March 18

Volunteers may commit to 1 hour or 2 hours as their schedule permits.

Guest speakers are needed on the following topics:

Please contact Phil Osborne at Phil.Osborne@mnps.org for questions

The Dove Store is part of Hull-Jackson’s PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) initiative, where students earn points for positive behavior and redeem them for fun items.

Volunteers will:

Event Details:

Help us celebrate and reward positive behavior in our students!

Hull-Jackson is hosting a Literacy Night to bring students and families together for an evening of learning and fun!

Volunteers will assist with:

Additional Details:

Come help make this a welcoming and engaging event for our school community!

This opportunity is for employees of BMI only.

Tom Joy Elementary School has several volunteer projects needing to be completed! 

1) Courtyard gardening prep and basic landscaping around the courtyards and front of the building

2) The hallway just outside the cafeteria area needs painting

3) Teacher name signs on the doors throughout the school need to be fixed (installation was incorrect)

4) Teachers have various closet spaces needing organized/cleaned

5) Our stage area needs cleaned

While we'd love to get all five of these needs accomplished, we'll do as much as we are able with your generous support!

This opportunity is for employees of BMI only.

Pearl-Cohn is seeking volunteer support to refresh and revive two spaces - the Community Room and the Salon.

Volunteers will support by:
- Organizing supplies and resources
- Cleaning and refreshing the space
- Updating bulletin boards with current information and visuals
- Painting to brighten and renew the rooms' atmosphere

When: September 2025

Where: Community Room and Salon at Pearl-Cohn High School

Why: To create a more welcoming, functional, and inspiring space for students, families, and community partners as we launch into fall programming. This project is a great opportunity to make a visible impact and help set the tone for a successful school year.

Volunteers will be split into two groups to complete their respective room resets.

This opportunity is for employees of BMI only.

Thank you so much for supporting Antioch High School with your volunteer time! We have two projects in need of completion.

1) Picnic Tables
- Sand and paint picnic tables (10-12) so they're safe, comforable, and appealing for students to use

2) Portable Transfer
- Help move furniture, supplies, etc. from one portable classroom to another
- May involve cleaning, organizing, and other spur of the moment needs

Moving from one portable to another will be a major undertaking for a teacher alone, so we are extremely grateful to have support in this task!!

This opportunity is for employees of BMI only.

We welcome volunteers to join us in sprucing up our outdoor spaces in front of the school.

Volunteers will help us trim bushes, weed and create welcoming areas at the entrances to our school and around our front marquee.

Any gardening or landscaping tools you could bring to help accomplish this project would be extremely helpful. 

A bonus would be flowers or plants added to four flower pots we have outside the front of the school.

This Volunteer Opportunity is only for employees of BMI.

This opportunity is great for people who love gardening and lawncare. There are two major projects:

• Courtyard Cleanup to Courtyard Garden & Arbor
Removal of Magnolia roots
Grading around tree removal areas
Clean off concrete pad
Move picnic tables to concrete pad
Planting a few bushes around foundation

• Grading Around New Sidewalks
Clean up of run-off at blacktop and Mayor’s Playground
Grade and prepare dirt for grass seed
Stake off planted area to protect


Quick Projects

• Mothballs in mole holes (front yard)

• General clean-up of large limbs and leave piles around school property

This Volunteer Opportunity is only for employees of BMI.

Volunteers will help sort, organize, and bundle classroom supplies to support programs serving students across the district, including Community Achieves, Extended Learning before and after school, and Promising Scholars. Together, we’ll create ready-to-go supply bundles for schools to ensure students and staff have what they need at the start of programming.

Agenda

Shifts: Volunteers may choose either the morning or afternoon session (80 total volunteer slots available).

Parking: Free parking is available in the main Cohn School lot, accessible from Park Avenue. Please follow signage for volunteer parking.

Building Access: Volunteers should enter through the main entrance on Park Avenue. A check-in table will be set up inside.

What to Wear: Comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes. Work stations will be set-up inside and also outside, and the items are on pallets.

What to Bring: Water bottle. Gloves and water will be provided for all volunteers. We will provide light snacks.

This Volunteer Opportunity is only for employees of BMI.

We're looking for individuals with a passion for organizing and clearing things out.

They will assist faculty in organizing the school since our move into the new building. Help teachers in their classrooms with materials that need to be unboxed and organized. Help sort manipulatives and assist with class material preparation.

Our days are busy and time is very limited as classes have already begun. Please help us get into a groove by being a second set of hands.

This project begins August 13th and extends throughout this school year. Volunteers can support up to 5 hours per day. Tuesday -Friday. 9am - 1pm

On Thursday, 10-9, James Lawson High School will be having their Experiential Learning Day.  As part of this day, students in the 10th grade Business and Health Sciences Academy will participate in mock interviews.  You don’t have to be familiar with health sciences or business, and you will be provided the questions and a rubric to grade students.  They will start at 8:00am and will end by 11:00am. 

You will briefly interview students and grade them on their interview skills and provide feedback. 

The school will have several other activities planned for the other academies and grades, so thank you if you are assisting in any way with those. 

On October 21st, James Lawson High School will be hosting a Professional Day for their 9th graders.  9th grade students will hear from several different speakers. They will have 3 groups, and each group will hear from 5 different speakers. 

You can decide what topic you would like to focus on, but listed below are some possible ideas:

How to get your first job or your first job experience

Interview skills (how to speak, dress, present yourself)

Types of degrees and certifications (associate, bachelor's, master's, doctorate)

What’s required for different career paths

Financial Literacy

Conflict Resolution

Mental Health Awareness

Leadership Development & Motivational Speakers

(Any other relevant life skills or student-interest topics would be greatly appreciated)

They would like to have a variety of different speakers for students to hear from.  Each session would be about 25 minutes. 

It is always impactful for students to meet and interact with business partners and professionals in the work place. Please feel free to share with your networks as well! 

Should you have any questions about the event, you are welcome to contact Academy Coach Mary York.

Join us in supporting our school’s Data Night—a fun, engaging event for students and their families!

The event will take place on October 23rd, tentatively from 4pm-6pm. Parking is available in front of the building. Wear comfortable clothing.

Volunteers will help by:

Your support will help make this night a success for our school community! For questions, please contact Kristen Lockert at Kristen.Lockert@mnps.org

McKissack Middle is seeking volunteers to help set up and run booths at their annual Fall Festival. 

Supporters are also welcome to donate treats if they are interested. 

For further questions, contact Alonzo Rhodes at alonzo.rhodes@mnps.org

A.Z. Kelley Elementary is looking for female and male volunteers to serve as Lunch Buddies for 3rd-5th grade 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 September 2025 to March 2026.

Lunch Times:

4th Grade - 11:25-11:55

5th Grade - 11:45-12:15

3rd Grade - 12:00-12:30

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.

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 .

Margaret Allen Middle School is looking for volunteers to serve as reading buddies. Reading buddies will read with 1-2 students for 30 minutes, at least once a week during PLT block (8:55-9:45) or Academic Support block (3:05-3:55).

Please let us know what time would work best when you sign up.

Anyone who plans to volunteer with students 1:1 or unsupervised must clear a complimentary background check through PENCIL first.

Please complete the information for the background check at your earliest convenience through this link - Background Check.

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.