AT-RISK YOUTH
Mission: 826NYC is dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.
Website: https://826nyc.org/volunteer-us/
Volunteer signup link: http://tinyurl.com/hlr326b
Email: Liz Levine, liz@826nyc.org
Phone: 718-499-9884
What volunteers do:
teach writing classes (e.g., science fiction, music criticism, comic-book writing)
homework help and writing instruction for students 6 to 18
provide one-on-one writing assistance in public-school classrooms
offer sixth, seventh, and eighth graders individualized attention on writing projects at Writers’ Room in East Harlem
FYI:
orientation session required for all volunteers
most commitments are three hours/week during daytime hours
short-term commitments include field trips and workshops
Borough: Brooklyn, Manhattan
Mission: Abyssinian Development Corporation provides resources and services that empower Harlem residents to realize their goals and dreams. For over 25 years, the Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC) has accomplished a great deal through its mission to “rebuild Harlem, brick by brick, block by block.” As we continue our commitment to uplifting the Harlem community through comprehensive programs and services, fortifying the family unit from early childhood to seniors is crucial to completely fulfilling this charge. ADC continues its aggressive plan to transform education in Harlem into a system of high-quality top-performing public schools that ensure all children are prepared for college, the workplace, and success. To engage and inspire the entire Harlem community, ADC works with residents of all ages. Our programs include workforce development for young adults, social services for families, facilities for elderly citizens, and housing for the homeless. ADC’s real estate division manages a portfolio of rental and homeownership opportunities for the Central Harlem community.
Website: http://www.adcorp.org/volunteer
Email: http://www.adcorp.org/contact-us
Phone: 646-442-6599
What volunteers do:
mentor youth for career and college readiness
lead group workshops for ServiceWorks scholars (3-year youth civic-engagement program)
care for seniors
participate in events with students
make improvements to property (gardening, mural painting, beautification)
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: The Ali Forney Center houses and protects homeless LGBT youth living on the streets of New York. Our Street Outreach Team educates teens about safe sex and HIV prevention. We have grown to provide medical and mental health services. We also provide volunteer mentors, educational and career programs, life skills training and much more. Our goal is to not only provide food, water, and shelter: Our goal is to transform the lives of these young people so that they may reclaim their lives and never live on the streets again.
Website: http://www.aliforneycenter.org/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/
Phone: 212-222-3427
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:
administrative assistance during work week
career/education mentor
tutor
conduct mock interviews (4-month commitment)
drop-in center help (multiple tasks, 3-month commitment)
food service/youth counselor (3-month commitment)
2x/month committees on events/fundraising
FYI:
interview and background check required
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Apex for Youth delivers possibilities to underserved Asian and immigrant youth from low-income families in NYC. We recruit working professionals to volunteer and become positive role models who inspire youth to expand their horizons and envision what is possible for their lives. Through mentoring and educational programs that serve students from 1st to 12th grade, Apex volunteers guide and support youth to become confident, be ready for college and give back to the community.
Website: http://www.apexforyouth.org/volunteer/
Email: info@apexforyouth.org or Belinda.Lin@apexforyouth.org (middle-school mentoring) or Jessica.Song@apexforyouth.org (high-school mentoring) or angela.tse@apexforyouth.org (elementary test prep) or joseph.yi@apexforyouth.org (SAT prep) or Nelson.Yu@apexforyouth.org (basketball)
Phone: 212-385-3574
What volunteers do:
mentors work one-on-one with mentees (grades 5-12) to build confidence and prepare them for college; meet with mentee on Saturdays and attend Apex for Youth workshops (commitment of one year, 2 meetings/month)
4th-grade tutors help students prepare for middle-school entry (2 hours on Saturday mornings; semester-long commitment)
tutor for SATs (2 hours on Saturday mornings; semester-long commitment)
coach elementary students in basketball (2 hours on Saturday morning or early afternoon)
read to 1st- and 2nd-graders to help instill a love of reading (Saturday mornings)
work with special-needs youth (prior experience required)
FYI:
recruitment period is from July through January (July-September for mentors); at other times of the year, you may experience a brief wait before you are contacted
mentors must be over 21, college graduates preferred, youth experience preferred but not required
application, interview, orientation, training, and fingerprinting ($30) required for mentors
average wait for mentee match after interview is two months
tutors must be over 21 and college graduates
application, interview, training, and fingerprinting ($30) required for tutors
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Art Start uses the creative process to nurture the voices, hearts, and minds of historically marginalized youth, offering a space for them to imagine, believe, and represent their creative vision for their lives and communities. Through consistent workshops with long-term partners, including youth organizations, schools, alternative sentencing programs, and residences for youth and families experiencing homelessness, art becomes the starting point of a larger life process, and the start of larger conversations about the future of our communities.
Website: http://www.art-start.org/volunteer
Volunteer form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSehy_ou_hCT9XY1Ygd1VYx6yb6vqOxrIjJgRHq32roejeQmeA/viewform
Email: http://www.art-start.org/contact
Phone: 212-460-0019
What volunteers do:
help lead Creative Collectives workshops in visual arts, music, dance, theatre, photography, gardening, and music recording for children between 5 and 21
mentor youth between 14-20 in the Creative Connections program program (help youth set and achieve project goals, learn or improve a creative skill, visit cultural events)
FYI:
Creative Collective workshops are 1.5 hours long and take place on weekdays between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Creative Collective commitment is one night per week for a three-month session
Creative Collective volunteers must have background or interest in the arts and willingness to help lead a project
Creative Collective volunteers must have experience working with groups of children or teens (classroom, summer camp, daycare, large family)
group info session, one-on-one interview, $60 fingerprint and background check and 2-3 hour mentor artist orientation required
mentors meet mentees two to three times a month
Borough: Brooklyn and Manhattan
Mission: In 1979, Avenues for Justice first reached into some crowded Manhattan criminal courtrooms and found kids who might turn their lives around if they only had a second chance. What AFJ did next was unheard of. We presented the courts with an option: instead of sentencing youth to jail, judges could send them to AFJ for counseling, training, education and employment assistance. That simple tactic -- keep kids out of prison -- has saved the lives of hundreds of young people every year for more than three decades. At a time when the U.S. incarceration rate is the highest of any nation in the world and a cycle of arrests and imprisonment has become the norm within many low-income communities, AFJ has bucked the trend to become one of history's most successful and cost-effective crime prevention programs.
Website: http://avenuesforjustice.org/about/volunteer
Email: info@avenuesforjustice.org
Phone: Elizabeth Frederick 212-349-6381
What volunteers do:
artists, educators, and assistants help with weekly art projects
tutors help students with school work, and prepare them to take Regents tests in history, English, math, and science
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Behind the Book’s mission is to inspire New York City public school students to love reading by bringing accomplished authors and their books into classrooms and creating rich, innovative literacy programs. Our programs take place in underserved public schools, are part of the class curricula and meet the Common Core Learning Standards.
Website: http://www.behindthebook.org/join-us/volunteer/
Email: volunteer@behindthebook.org
Phone: 212-222-3627
What volunteers do:
support classroom activities/projects/assignments based on a book the students have read (assist students in crafting stories or essays, doing research, illustrating or making crafts to accompany their writing) commitment 90 minutes to 2 hours each visit, 2-4 visits per project
photograph the classroom in action for Behind the Book’s and sponsor websites
supervise students during field trips
classroom opportunities are project-based and change monthly
media coverage and public relations
community outreach
support fundraising and promotion through mailings and events
Borough: All
Mission: BBBS of NYC is considered the founding agency of the nation’s youth mentoring movement. Since 1904, our mission has been to give all children in New York City who face adversity an opportunity to experience a strong, enduring professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationship with adults that will help change their lives for the better. Currently there are 508,503 children living at or below the poverty level in New York City. 43% of children in New York City are from single-parent families. Every year, BBBS of NYC connects more than 5,000 of these kids with a “Big” who can help them believe that their present situation doesn’t have to be their future.
Website: http://www.bigsnyc.org/how-to-become-a-volunteer-mentor-faqs
Email: volunteer@bigsnyc.org
Volunteer application: http://www.bigsnyc.org/volunteer-sign
Phone: 212-686-2042
What volunteers do:
meet with mentee (aged between 7-17) twice a month, minimum one year commitment
FYI:
in particular demand: male mentors and speakers of Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean
application, orientation, interview, screening, background check/references, two-hour initial youth-development training
ongoing connections provided to program manager and social worker
Boroughs: all, but highest need in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens
Mission: In Bigs & Littles NYC’s keystone mentoring program, youth ages 7-19 are carefully matched with a Big Sister or Big Brother who serves as adviser, role model, and adult friend. “Littles” tend to come from low-income, often single-parent households. Our holistic approach to mentoring consists of working closely with the entire family to ensure better outcomes. We know the program works: 100% of our kids avoid pregnancy, 100% avoid arrest, 95% are promoted to the next grade, 100% graduate from high school and 100% matriculate into college or a training program.
Website: https://bigslittlesnyc.org/volunteer
Volunteer application: https://bigslittlesnyc.org/become-a-mentor
Email: info@bigslittlesnyc.org
Phone: 212-475-3291
What volunteers do:
mentor a child 7-19 (enrollment until age 17)
take “Little” on outings (e.g. agency workshops, museum visits, time spent outdoors and sports activities) and speak by phone
pick up/drop off “Little” if they don’t travel independently
attend workshops and activities throughout the year at the Bigs & Littles NYC office for hands-on match support and skill building
FYI:
commitment is two visits a month for a total of approximately eight hours, plus one phone call per week
application process includes phone inquiry with a staff member; application and updated resume; interview with a staff member; background check and screening process; and mentor training
matches are supported by a dedicated Professional Program Manager to oversee and guide the relationship, offering referrals and additional resources as needed
volunteers must be at least 21 years old
men, people of color, volunteers age 50+, individuals of all faith backgrounds, and Spanish speakers particularly needed
volunteers finance outings so low-cost/no-cost outings encouraged
Borough: All
Mission: BioBus works towards a future in which all people have experienced the power and beauty of making a scientific discovery. We cultivate this vision by creating immersive laboratory environments in which scientists join students and the general public for hands-on scientific exploration. The BioBus mobile science lab parks in front of schools and gives teachers and students access to research microscopes. On a typical day, 6 classes of up to 30 students each can board the bus. This new kind of laboratory space is accessible and unintimidating, facilitating scientific engagement even amongst populations historically underrepresented in science professions. Within this space, scientists share their expertise and knowledge through direct, hands-on experiences, allowing participants to reshape their view of science through participation in the discovery process. Through this work, we believe a future is possible in which every human being has experienced science in an exciting, authentic, hands-on setting.
Website: http://www.biobus.org/volunteer/
Email: http://www.biobus.org/contact/
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
teaching volunteers conduct demonstrations and hands-on experiments, and help students deepen their understanding of scientific principles and careers in science
event volunteers help with logistics, greet guests, keep events running smoothly
write grants
legal support
accounting
computing
web development
FYI:
teaching volunteers need to be one of the following: college student, Ph.D. student, post-doc, research scientist, or independent investigator.
Mission: There’s a dearth of African-American women in science, technology, engineering and math professions, an absence that cannot be explained by a lack of interest in these fields. Lack of access and lack of exposure to STEM topics are the likelier culprits. Black Girls provides young and pre-teen girls of color opportunities to learn in-demand skills in technology and computer programming at a time when they are naturally thinking about what they want to be when they grow up. That, really, is the Black Girls Code mission: to introduce programming and technology to a new generation of coders who will become builders of technological innovation and of their own futures. Imagine the impact that these curious, creative minds could have on the world with the guidance and encouragement others take for granted.
Website: http://www.blackgirlscode.com/volunteer-signup.html
Phone: 510-398-0880
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:
tech instructor
tech assistant
classroom assistant
social media
general office/admin help
general IT/tech support
Mission: Since 1997, Bottom Line has addressed the low college graduation rates of low-income and first-generation students. Our organization was founded on the belief that students need a mentor and a guide during the college application process and throughout college to succeed. By providing consistent one-on-one support, Bottom Line has helped thousands of low-income and first-generation students stay in college and complete their degrees.
Website: https://www.bottomline.org/content/volunteer
Volunteer form: https://www.bottomline.org/content/volunteer-registration-form
Email: rgenn@bottomline.org
Phone: 347-889-7627
What volunteers do:
host an event to introduce students to the program
mock interviewers help students hone interview skills
informational interviewers share career paths with students
FYI:
must be a professional with 3+ years experience if you have a bachelor's degree, or 10+ years experience without a bachelor's degree
Borough: Brooklyn office
Mission: BCS works in neighborhoods impacted by systemic poverty. We strengthen communities by fostering the educational success of children, the leadership development of youth, the employment and housing stability of adults, the advancement of individuals living with disabilities, and the empowerment of seniors and families.
Website: https://wearebcs.org/take-action/volunteer/
Volunteer form: https://a107257.socialsolutionsportal.com/apricot-intake/5fe86615-be67-49eb-91e4-e527f28931fa
Email: info@wearebcs.org
Phone: 718-310-5600
What volunteers do:
mentor and tutor youth
maintain community garden
staff events and workshops
provide resume help and financial literacy support
support the operation of mobile shower buses by distributing soap, shampoo, towels (warmer months) and PPE (year-round)
clean the shower bus between clients
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: The mission of Brooklyn Public Library is to ensure the preservation and transmission of society's knowledge, history and culture, and to provide the people of Brooklyn with free and open access to information for education, recreation and reference. Brooklyn Public Library will be a vital center of knowledge for all, accessible 24 hours a day, and will be a leader in traditional and innovative library services which reflect the diverse and dynamic spirit of the people of Brooklyn.
Website: http://www.bklynlibrary.org/support/volunteer
Volunteer application: https://bpl.bklynlibrary.org/volunteer/
Email: https://bpl.bklynlibrary.org/questionpoint/write_us.aspx
Phone: 718-230-2100
What volunteers do:
adult literacy tutors work with a small group of adults who read below a 5th-grade level on reading, writing, technology, and critical thinking (commitment of 2 2-hour sessions/week or 1 3-hour session/week for one year)
homework helpers assist children one on one and in small groups on homework and use of library materials (commitment 2-3 hours/week between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for six months)
Book Buddies are youth volunteers who work with younger children on reading, arts, crafts, and library activities; assist library staff (commitment 2-3 hours week for 3 months; in summer, 3-9 hours week for three weeks)
Citizenship exam coaches work with small groups on speaking, reading, writing, navigating the naturalization process (commitment 2-3 hours/week for 6 months)
computer coaches assist library patrons in use of computers both for library tasks and advanced software programs (commitment 2-3 hours/week for three months)
English conversation group leaders select material for discussion in small groups and lead conversations (commitment 2-3 hours/week for a minimum of 6 months)
First Five Years volunteers work with children birth to five and their parents and caregivers, assisting in selection of materials, reading aloud, supporting library programs and maintaining First Five Years space (commitment 2 hours/week for six months)
high school tutors help students with homework, standardized tests and college applications; shifts are between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. M-Th (commitment 2-3 hours/week for six months)
Reading Troubadours work alone or in teams of two at non-profit health care clinics reading to children, and their parents/ caregivers; distribute donated books; introduce parents and caregivers to libraries and services; submit monthly reports on activities; shifts between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. M-F and between (;00 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays (commitment of 2 hours/week for six months)
shelf organizers help BPL staff maintain materials in proper locations (commitment 2-3 hours/week for 3 months)
resume coaches assist library patrons/visitors with resumes, cover letters, job applicatiosn, thank you lettesr and other employment related letters, providing critique, editing, and suggestions for revision (commitment 2-3 hours/week for 3 months)
Central Library Welcome Ambassadors assist patrons in navigating the library and answering other Brooklyn-related questions (commitment 2-3 hours/week for 6 months)
FYI:
most but not all positions require volunteers to be 18
application, interview, information session, initial 20-hour training and follow-up training required for adult literacy tutors; materials and curriculum provided
online application and background check required for tutoring children, First Five Years program, Reading Troubadors
training provided for citizenship exam coaches, English conversation group leaders, high-school tutors, Reading Troubadors, resume coaches
knowledge of a second language useful but not required (Spanish and Cantonese particularly helpful for Reading Troubadors)
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: The Brotherhood/Sister Sol (Bro/Sis) provides comprehensive, holistic and long-term support services to youth who range in age from eight to twenty-two. Bro/Sis offers wrap around evidence-based programming. The organization focuses on issues such as leadership development and educational achievement, sexual responsibility, sexism and misogyny, political education and social justice, Pan-African and Latino history, and global awareness. Bro/Sis provides four-six year rites of passage programming, thorough five day a week after school care, school and home counseling, summer camps, job training and employment, college preparation, community organizing training, and international study programs to Africa and Latin America. Our theory of change is to provide multi-layered support, guidance, education and love to our membership, to teach them to have self-discipline and form order in their lives, and then to offer opportunities and access so that they may develop agency.
Website: http://brotherhood-sistersol.org/support/volunteer
Volunteer form: http://brotherhood-sistersol.org/support/volunteer/volunteer-registration
Email: info@brotherhood-sistersol.org
Phone: 212-283-7044
What volunteers do:
mentor 1-3 children ages 8 –12 (Monday evening sessions 6-7:30 & monthly trips)
mentor for ages 13-18, exploring career or college, life journey or other interests (can be monthly or seasonal meetings)
tutor to provide academic support and homework help to youth, ages 8-12 and/or 13-18
guest speaker to group of youth on career, college, or important issues
one-time staffing support
fundraise
coordinate special events
work in community garden
staff special events (registration, cleanup)
administrative assistance
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: The mission of the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES) is to increase public safety through innovative services that reduce crime and incarceration, improve behavioral health, promote recovery and rehabilitation, and create opportunities for success in the community. We believe public safety is best protected through alternatives to incarceration that combine accountability and support with empowerment and opportunity.
Website: https://www.cases.org/other-ways-to-help/
Phone: 212-553-6300
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:
serve on community advisory board to help youth identify effective community-improvement projects
career speakers
mentor high-risk youth
mentor program graduates on jobs/careers
Borough: Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan
Mission: Center for Family Life, a program of SCO Family of Services, is a neighborhood-based family and social-services organization with deep roots in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Our mission is to promote positive outcomes for children, adults, and families in Sunset Park through the provision of a comprehensive range of neighborhood-based family and social services. These include family counseling and neighborhood-based foster care; cultural, educational, and recreational programs at neighborhood public schools, adult and youth employment programs; and an emergency storefront for food and advocacy. We partner with the community to provide access to resources and opportunities for personal growth and the development of interpersonal relationships that sustain and nurture families, support youth to develop into confident, capable adults and enrich the quality of life for neighborhood residents.
Website: http://sco.org/get-involved/connect-with-us/
Phone: 718-895-2555
Email: jbrockway@sco.org (be specific about preferred commitment/availability)
What volunteers do:
supervise homework, tutor, mentor pre-college students, assist in theater program (available slots weekdays 2:30-6; some sites open until 9 at night and Saturdays; weekly commitment for several months)
teach specialized skills to kids and/or adults (e.g., sewing, knitting, crocheting, music, gardening)
short-term help in food pantry
teach adult literacy, GED (Spanish and Mandarin extremely helpful in some of their sites)
FYI:
free fingerprinting required to work with students if no other adult will be present
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: CIANA serves new immigrants in New York City, providing culturally competent and language appropriate services to newcomers from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Newcomers are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities available to them, to enjoy the freedoms and protections that the US offers, to take pride in their cultural heritage and to blend the best of their ethnic identity with that of their new country.
Website: http://www.cianainc.org/index.php
Phone: 718-545-4040
Email: info@cianainc.org
What volunteers do:
assist ESOL instructor and/or civics instructor (10-1, T, W, Th, adult education or ESOL experience required)
case manager
tutor elementary-school kids
social media, community outreach, write grants, fundraise, PR, web development, office assistance
pro-bono immigration attorneys lead one-hour Saturday Pathway to U.S. workshops at sites around Queens or 4 hours on-site per week (assist with changes of status, petitions for family members, DACA renewal, and N-400 applications)
FYI:
Arabic, Spanish, Bengali very helpful
Borough: Queens
Mission: To embrace children of incarcerated parents & empower them to break the cycle of intergenerational involvement in the criminal justice system. CPNYC is the first and only after-school program and summer day camp specifically designed to meet the needs, interests and concerns of children left behind by parents serving time in prison.
Website: https://www.cpnyc.org/volunteer/
Phone: 718-483-9290
Email: info@cpnyc.org
What volunteers do:
homework assistance
tutor
mentor
create special outings for children
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: The Children’s Aid Society helps children in poverty to succeed and thrive. We have been serving children for over 160 years, a longevity that is a testament to our ability to adapt to the ever-changing needs of today’s youth. Today, Children’s Aid serves New York's neediest children and their families at more than 40 locations in the five boroughs and Westchester County. Our caring begins even before birth, through prenatal counseling and assistance, and continues through the high school years with college and job preparatory training programs. All aspects of a child’s development are addressed as he or she grows, from health care to academics to sports and the arts. And because stable children live in stable families, a host of services are available to parents, including housing assistance, domestic violence counseling and health care access.
Website: http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/volunteer/direct-service-volunteers
Email: volunteer@childrensaidsociety.org
Phone: 212-949-4800
What volunteers do:
tutor
homework help
assist with workshops
FYI:
direct service opportunities may require an interview in person or on the phone, an online application, fingerprinting, training, and medical clearance
Borough: Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island
Mission: Based in New York's Chinatown/Lower East Side, the Chinese Progressive Association works towards social and economic justice for our community. We build ties with other communities and support justice and equality for all. We provide educational, advocacy, service, and organizing programs that raise the community's living and working standards, involve residents in the decision making processes that affect our lives, bring together people from of diverse backgrounds and walks of life.
Website: https://www.cpanyc.info/volunteer.html
Volunteer application: https://www.cpanyc.info/volunteer.html#volunteer%20form
Teaching application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTp8S9Cbyzxb05_F-uQp5OE1e5QBBfuSStXxG9SKUrTNH-9g/viewform
Email: cpanyc@cpanyc.org
Phone: 212-274-1891
What volunteers do:
voter registration and education (Chinese Political Empowerment Project)
teach English & citizenship classes
outreach and education, citizenship application clinic (Immigrant Rights Project)
facilitate Shared Stories Youth Program (plan and run social activism activities for youth ages 15-21)
work on Environmental Health and Justice Project
plan special events
translate and interpret
FYI:
training provided for community outreach
Immigrant Rights Projects volunteers work Saturdays or Sundays
teaching commitment is 2 hours/week weekday mornings or evenings; preference given to volunteers able to commit to 2 semesters; teaching experience preferred; bilingual skills a plus
youth group sessions are Sundays, 10:30-1:00
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Founded in 2012, Code Nation (formerly ScriptEd) equips students with the skills, experiences and connections that together create access to careers in technology. With a volunteer teaching corps of nearly 350 professional web and software developers and a network of school and company partners, we provide coding courses and work-based learning programs to students who attend under-resourced high schools.
Website: https://codenation.org/volunteers/
Volunteer form: http://codenation.org/volunteer-intake
Email: info@codenation.org
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
teach HTML, CSS, Javascript, and advanced Javascript
participate in day-long hackathons to help students complete projects
host company-based field trips and workplace learning experiences
FYI:
volunteers work in teams of 4, with a Code Nation Project Manager
classes meet 2x/week throughout the school year, for one hour or an hour and a half, either in the morning or the afternoon
Mission: Community-Word Project is an arts-in-education organization that inspires children in underserved communities to read, interpret and respond to their world and to become active citizens through collaborative arts residencies and teacher training programs.
Website: http://communitywordproject.org/get-involved/
Email: http://communitywordproject.org/contact-us/?message_propouse=5
Phone: 212-962-3820
What volunteers do:
work one-on-one with CWP students to prepare their original poems for publication in an anthology which each student receives and shares with friends and family (anthology days)
join young artists in painting a collaborative canvas mural based on a class community-poem (community paint days)
support student performers as they take the stage and share their writing and artwork with their classmates and teachers (end-of-year celebration)
organize cultivation or fundraising events
guest blog on arts education topics in your area of expertise
Mission: Comprehensive Development, Inc., or CDI, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged, older and immigrant NYC students to graduate from high school prepared to succeed in college and careers. CDI provides academic, career readiness, and social support. Our focus is on preparing students through individualized and intensive services to graduate from high school and go on to college or into the workforce. Students who receive CDI services graduate from high school, and get into and stay in college at higher rates than students who don’t receive our services. Our newest programs focus on job training certificate programs that give our graduates practical job skills. Our students are determined to succeed despite the life challenges they face. The vast majority live below the poverty line, many are older, 17-21 years old, and are completing high school while juggling work and families. As a network of three schools, we have the scale to bring transformational opportunities to young people, especially when preparing them for life after high school.
Website: http://www.cdi-ny.org/volunteer
Email: Andrée Lockwood andreelockwood@cdi-ny.org
Phone: 212-353-2010 x181
What volunteers do:
career coach (share career path and experiences, help young people identify their skill sets and prepare resume and reference list); 2-hour commitment at a school or your workplace
guest speaker after school to talk and answer student questions about career, hobbies, travel experiences or motivational; 2-hour commitment at a school
lead a career or college-readiness workshop (resumes, professional etiquette, leadership skills) 2-hour commitment at school or your workplace
conduct mock interviews one-on-one or in small groups (questions and feedback parameters provided); 2-hour commitment at a school or your workplace
help students navigate a college or career fair to get the most out of the experience (preparation and questions provided) 2-hour commitment at school
help edit students’ college essays (resources and prep session provided); 2-hour commitment at school or your workplace.
after-school homework help in general academic subjects, from English conversation skills to basic writing and math, and in advanced math or science (curricular support provided); one hour a week at school or your workplace
computer literacy coaching in Microsoft Office Suite for college or careers (staff assistance provided); schedule flexible, meetings at school
lead financial literacy workshop for students or parents, or work one-on-one with students to give information on basic banking including checking and savings accounts, budgeting, loans, financial aid applications, and suggestions on how to save for college (CDI helps design appropriate-level information); schedule flexible, meetings at school or your workplace
participate in dining etiquette workshop with students in preparation for networking dinner; 3-hour commitment at your workplace or a restaurant
Mission: We provide youth with outdoor experiences to build soft and hard leadership skills so that they can transform public spaces into safer spaces where they teach the community soft and hard skills and become greater assets to their community and beyond.
Website: https://concretesafaris.org/individual-volunteers/
Garden volunteer calendar: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/volunteer-at-bkrot-big-moves-tickets-63332953569
Email: info@concretesafaris.org
Phone: 646-869-1503
What volunteers do:
assist children with homework, cycling, gardening, architecture and design, or field trips
seasonal garden maintenance
rake leaves
create paths
plant trees, shrubs, seeds, and vegetable, herb, and fruit transplants
wheelbarrow and shovel topsoil, wood chips, and compost
pick up trash
build garden beds
FYI:
weekly school-year commitment for afterschool program
prior experience volunteering or working with children required for afterschool program
background check required for afterschool program
no minimum commitment to work in educational garden
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: The National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association, together with its state and local member programs, supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so every abused or neglected child in the United States can be safe, have a permanent home and the opportunity to thrive. Volunteer special advocates get to know the child by talking with everyone in that child's life: parents and relatives, foster parents, teachers, medical professionals, attorneys, social workers and others. They use the information they gather to inform judges and others of what the child needs and what will be the best permanent home for them.
Website: http://www.casaforchildren.org
Signup form for Brooklyn North: http://nc.casaforchildren.org/volunteerinquiry/default.asp?id=11360
Signup form for NYC advocates: http://nc.casaforchildren.org/volunteerinquiry/default.asp?id=10386
Email: n/a
Phone: 800-628-3233
What volunteers do:
as special advocate, determine child's best interests and needs with support from professional staff throughout process (must pass background check, participate in 30-hour pre-service training course and agree to stay with a case until it is closed, a year and a half on average)
fundraising
data entry
general office support
online support
special events
PR/marketing
serve on board of directors or advisory council
Mission: We seek to serve the more than 72,000 residents of Cypress Hills, a neighborhood located in the northeast corner of Brooklyn. Ours is a diverse community where an estimated 58% of residents speak a language other than English in the home, and the most common countries of origin are the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Bangladesh, Ecuador, and Trinidad and Tobago. With community residents leading the way, the mission of CHLDC is to build a strong, sustainable Cypress Hills and East New York, where youth and adults achieve educational and economic success, secure healthy and affordable housing and develop leadership skills to transform their lives and community. Many high school students in our community have aspirations of going to college, but between figuring out financial aid and navigating the application process, it can be challenging — especially for low-income students who are the first in their families to apply. We help young people overcome those barriers by supporting them in planning for college and succeeding once there.
Website: http://www.cypresshills.org/chw/volunteer-opportunities/
Email: Emily Blank emilyb@cypresshills.org
Phone: 718-647-2800 ext. 104
What volunteers do:
spend an afternoon with high school students sharing how college experiences led to your current career (small-group activities and discussions give students a chance to explore various aspects of applying to college, college life, and career pathways)
participate in a career-day panel and speak with students at Franklin K. Lane High School about your career path
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Premised on the belief that the arts are an effective vehicle for social transformation, Dance Theatre Etcetera unites artists and community members as co-creators in dynamic cultural activities. DTE offers both school-based and community-based arts education programs that provide rigorous instruction in performing arts and digital media, emphasizing collaboration, critical thinking and engagement. Employing an arsenal of techniques from Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed to documentary filmmaking, youth are encouraged to challenge themselves and their peers to become active participants in their schools, their communities and in determining the direction of their own lives as they develop their skills as socially engaged artists.
Website: https://dtetc.org/individuals/
Email: Maria Soriano maria@dtetc.org (for teaching artists)
Phone: 718-643-6790
What volunteers do:
help at annual Red Hook Fest
visit entrepreneurship/media classes to share your employment success story
serve on benefit committee for annual fundraiser
speak to In Transition students about your personal journey from high school to adulthood
FYI:
teaching artists can send resume, cover letter for in-school and community-based programs
Borough: Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Bronx
Mission: Day One partners with youth to end dating abuse and domestic violence through community education, supportive services, legal advocacy and leadership development. Day One uses an empowerment model that invests and involves young people in maintaining safe relationships for themselves and their peers.
Website: https://www.dayoneny.org/volunteer-with-us
Email: info@dayoneny.org
Phone: 646-535-DAY1 (3291)
What volunteers do:
spread the word about the organization via social media, public awareness campaigns, and distribution of educational materials
help with newsletters, email blasts, mailings, written appeals
grant writing and research
plan annual benefit (solicit auction items, organize sponsorship opportunities), resource development
research sex-trafficking topics, attend training on sex trafficking, help develop PowerPoint and Prezi presentations
Mission: Our mission is to encourage inner city youth, especially girls, to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. We are motivated by the United States overall lag in producing an adequate number of STEM professionals and the under representation of women and people of color. Through early application, hands on training, mentorship, tutoring and social events Digital Girl, Inc. will boost confidence, raise self esteem and STEM career awareness within less fortunate areas to create professionals who can be positive contributors to society.
Website: http://www.digitalgirlinc.org/volunteer
Phone: 347-857-8647 or 347-635-4045
Email: inbox@digitalgirlinc.org
What volunteers do:
work in afterschool STEM/coding programs (afternoon slots, M-F)
provide administrative support (flexible hours)
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: The Door’s mission is to empower young people to reach their potential by providing comprehensive youth development services in a diverse and caring environment. The Door is unique in its ability to meet the complex needs of New York City's disconnected youth. Each year The Door serves nearly 10,000 young people from all over New York City, with a wide range of services including reproductive health care and education, mental health counseling and crisis assistance, legal assistance, GED and ESOL classes, tutoring and homework help, college preparation services, career development, job training and placement, supportive housing, sports and recreational activities, arts, and nutritious meals - all for free, completely confidentially, and under one roof. No other organization provides the range of services we do all in one place. As the needs of New York City youth continue to shift and change, we work hard to shift our services in response.
Website: http://www.door.org/volunteer
Email: info@door.org
Phone: 212-941-9090
What volunteers do:
tutor
mentor in Serviceworks
administrative support (stuff & stamp envelopes, etc.)
arts (drama, audio engineering, visual, etc.)
FYI:
application on site
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Founded in 1958, East Harlem Tutorial Program (EHTP) prepares students with the academic skills, strength of character, and emotional well-being to excel in high school and college, to lead in their communities, and to realize their best possible selves. East Harlem Tutorial Program gives kids the opportunities they would have if they were born 20 blocks south. We challenge our students with a demanding academic program and stimulating learning environment so that they develop the skills necessary to succeed in high school and graduate from competitive colleges. To thrive in the 21st century workforce and successfully pursue boundless possibilities, our students learn to question, analyze and apply their learning meaningfully. Students develop the essential critical reasoning and leadership skills to succeed in their endeavors, both inside and outside the classroom. We place a premium on students’ cognitive, creative, social and emotional growth and physical health, blending rigor with joy to ensure our scholars are inspired to learn. Our learning community instills in all scholars a deep sense of self-esteem, cultural pride and global responsibility so that they become active citizens of the 21st century and develop into their best possible selves. Diversity is an asset to our learning space, and our scholars are engaged with and aware of different backgrounds and perspectives as they develop a rich understanding of the world in which they live. Families and the wider community are mutual stakeholders in our scholars’ educational success. Having access to a comprehensive support system positions students to reach their fullest potential, and our scholars’ commitment to service promotes our vision of social justice and a desire to help those in need.
Website: https://ehtp.org/
Volunteer Application: http://bttr.im/ubhw2
Email: volunteerinfo@ehtp.org
Phone: Jaime Rodriguez 212-831-0650
What volunteers do:
Classroom Buddies assist with homework, walk students through engaging classroom activities, and support assistant and lead teachers in Kindergarten through 5th Grade after-school classes(commitment, 2x/week, Monday-Thursday from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
work with small groups of elementary school students on homework (commitment Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
work with students in activity-based clubs (e.g., dance, theater/drama, music/percussion, capoeira, and soccer) (commitment Fridays, 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
Road to Success volunteers provide homework help to small groups of middle-school students (commitment 2x/week, Monday-Thursday from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
help middle- and high-school students one-on-one in math, English, science and history (commitment 1x/week, Monday or Thursday 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
mentor high school students one-on-one through the entire college application program (one-year commitment, Tuesday or Wednesday 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
work in full-day academic and enrichment summer program, supporting academic instruction, field trips, outdoor activities and clubs, including comics, drama, dance, and sports (shifts 7:45 a.m-12:15 p.m. and 12 noon – 4 p.m, Monday – Friday; commitment of three shifts or two full days per week for the month of July)
FYI:
subject tutors for middle- and high-school students should have confidence tutoring and grade-level proficiency in their subjects
Mission: Edible Schoolyard NYC’s mission is to support edible education for every child in New York City. We partner with New York City public schools to cultivate healthy students and communities through hands-on cooking and gardening education, transforming children’s relationship with food. We believe in a future where all children are empowered to make healthy food choices for themselves, their communities, and their environments.
Website: https://www.edibleschoolyardnyc.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Volunteer form: https://airtable.com/shrCeOC4Q2WeTkrqH
Email: https://www.edibleschoolyardnyc.org/contact-us/
Phone: N/A
What volunteers do:
create fun, familiar cooking lessons
help with food prep, setup, and cleanup
maintain the garden garden
photography
carpentry
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan
Mission: The Fairy Godsister, Inc. (FGS) is dedicated to supporting high-potential women and girls through the developmentally crucial ages of 16-24. We offer a unique mentoring program that seeks to build organic sisterly relationships between accomplished female professionals and promising young women whose circumstances have denied them the opportunity to realize the full extent of their capabilities. By pairing them with older women who have demonstrated significant success in their field, we empower our mentees to develop leadership skills, attain academic success, grow both personally and emotionally, and ultimately fulfill their long-term professional and personal goals.
Website: http://www.thefairygodsister.org/join-fgs
Email: info@thefairygodsister.org
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
support mentee on ongoing basis through one-on-one meetings and weekly communication by email and telephone
FYI:
background check required
Mission: The Family Center’s mission is to strengthen families affected by crisis, illness, or loss to create a more secure present and future for their children. With a business-minded approach to running our organization, The Family Center provides expert social and legal services, including health-care coordination, to vulnerable New York families confronting crisis or loss. Clients and the larger community benefit from the Family Center’s immediate, hands-on assistance to families facing a crisis, particularly problems stemming from the loss or serious illness of a parent or primary caregiver. Our coordinated support programs promote sustainable family stability and build communities among families who support one another.
Website: http://www.thefamilycenter.org/how-can-i-help/become-a-volunteer/
Phone: 718-230-1379 x122
Email: tcollins@thefamilycenter.org
What volunteers do:
buddy program 6-10 hours/month
sort donations for annual toy drive
join leadership council
Mission: Free Arts NYC provides underserved children with a unique combination of educational arts and mentoring programs that help them to foster the self-confidence and resiliency needed to realize their fullest potential. Free Arts NYC provides underserved children with a unique combination of educational arts and mentoring programs that help them to foster the self-confidence and resiliency needed to realize their fullest potential.
Website: http://www.freeartsnyc.org/volunteer/
Volunteer application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKQUUNNN1JL8d0z7LBSCq1Jkf-KJlviKA1ilLXA3PK9iZjLg/viewform
Phone: 212-974-9092
Email: volunteer@freeartsnyc.org
What volunteers do:
portfolio mentors work one-on-one with a teen on their portfolio for one of the specialized arts high schools
museum mentors accompany teens to studio visits and museums, participate in creative workshops, develop interactive art activities
creative career mentors meet one-on-one with a mentee to develop their communication, networking, resume writing, interview and other professional skills
FYI:
application, orientation, interview, and references required; accepted volunteers will be fingerprinted youth-development experience preferred
portfolio mentors must have BFA or MFA
portfolio mentoring is a 60-hour commitment over 8 months
museum mentors meet with mentees two Saturday afternoons a month from October to June (includes four group sessions -- visit to a museum or studio, interactive workshop, and meal)
museum mentors should have studio art or art history background
career mentors receive six hours of youth-development training
creative career curriculum provided
creative career mentors meet mentees in person one afternoon a month between October and June and 2-3 additional times/month via email, phone, or Skype
mentors receive museum discounts
Mission: If a girl can change her own life, she can change the lives of girls everywhere. We envision a world in which every girl is valued and encouraged to be a leader and change maker. Girl Be Heard develops, amplifies, and celebrates the voices of young women through socially conscious theatre-making.
Website: http://girlbeheard.org/join-the-movement-2/mentor-a-girl/
Phone: 718-222-4475
Email: volunteer@girlbeheard.org
What volunteers do:
mentor a girl aged 12-21 who is participating in the theatre program (minimum of monthly in-person meetings with mentee plus interim communication)
Mission: We’re dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology. Tech jobs are among the fastest growing in the country, yet girls are being left behind. While interest in computer science ebbs over time, the biggest drop off happens between the ages of 13-17. The gender gap in computing has actually been getting worse since the 1980s. By 2020, there will be 1.4 million jobs available in computing related fields. US graduates are on track to fill 29% of those jobs. Women are on track to fill just 3%. Girls Who Code is building the largest pipeline of future female engineers in the United States. When girls learn to code, they become change agents in their communities. Whether it’s a game to illustrate the experience of an undocumented immigrant or a website to provide free college prep, our girls create technology that makes the world a better place.
Website: https://girlswhocode.com/volunteer/
Phone: n/a
Email: https://girlswhocode.com/contact-us/
What volunteers do:
facilitate a club 3-4 hours/week
FYI:
curriculum provided
no computer experience needed, but teaching experience important
Mission: Girls Inc. delivers life-changing programs that inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Research-based curricula, delivered by trained professionals, equip girls to achieve academically, lead healthy and physically active lives, manage money, navigate media messages and discover an interest in science, technology, engineering and math. Girls Inc. develops research-based informal education programs that encourage girls to take risks and master physical, intellectual and emotional challenges. Major programs address math and science education, pregnancy and drug abuse prevention, media literacy, economic literacy, adolescent health, violence prevention, and sports participation.
Website: http://www.girlsincnyc.org/volunteer.html
Email: volunteer@girlsincnyc.org
Phone: 212-531-7620
What volunteers do:
help in after-school programs
participate in career roundtables
participate in college life workshops
community projects
guest facilitate workshops
Mission: With eighteen years of experience under our belt, Girls Write Now knows a lot about community-building, mentoring, empowering women, writing, and more. We put that knowledge into action through our programs — highly-structured, yet personalized; challenging, yet rewarding; and designed to provide creative and engaging opportunities for women of all ages. Our mentoring programs match girls with professional women writers and includes portfolios, readings, and publication, supplemented with supports like workshops and college prep. Through our college prep offerings, we help New York City area girls navigate the college admissions process. Our CHAPTERS Reading Series and QWERTY Digital Exhibition, held annually in the spring, are open to all and showcases the city’s best teen writers. We take girls seriously for who they are, as well as who they will become. The relationships we foster tear down stereotypes, building a community of women writers of all ages who work to inspire and support one another with every pair session, every reading, and every workshop.
Website: https://www.girlswritenow.org/get-involved/be-a-mentor/
Phone: 212-336-9330
Email: mentor@girlswritenow.org
What volunteers do:
in-person weekly one-to-one mentoring sessions, monthly writing workshops, and special events for a full school year (September to June)
FYI:
two years of professional experience in writing, print, or digital media plus background check required
Borough: Manhattan office
Mission: At GLSEN, we want every student, in every school, to be valued and treated with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We believe that all students deserve a safe and affirming school environment where they can learn and grow. We accomplish our goals by working in hallways across the country -- from Congress and the Department of Education to schools and district offices in your community -- to improve school climate and champion LGBT issues in K-12 education. We conduct extensive and original research to inform our evidence-based solutions for K-12 education. We author developmentally appropriate resources for educators to use throughout their school community. We partner with decision makers to ensure that comprehensive and inclusive safe schools policies are considered, passed and implemented. We partner with dozens of national education organizations to leverage our shared expertise into creating great schools and better opportunities for every student. We empower students to effect change by supporting student-led efforts to positively impact their own schools and local communities. Every day GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Together, we can transform our nation’s K-12 schools into the safe and affirming environment all youth deserve.
Website: http://www.glsen.org/chapters/nyc/getinvolved
Email: newyorkcity@chapters.glsen.org
Signup form: http://newyorkcity.glsen.org/page/s/glsen-new-york-city-volunteer-application
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
support days of action like No Name Calling Week, Day of Silence, and Ally Week
table at events, conferences, or LGBT Pride events
support teachers through full-day or half-day professional-development opportunities
fundraise (online solicitations, mailings, work events, write grant proposals)
community outreach (social media, press releases, tabling events, networking, public speaking)
graphic design
event planning
communications
school engagement
manage volunteers
Borough: all
Mission: Our mission is to shape the futures of low-income New York City public school children by providing critical academic, social, and emotional support starting in the early elementary years. The GO Project provides year-round educational and family support services to children who are performing below grade level and equips them with the confidence and skills needed to succeed at school, at home, and in life.
Website: http://www.goprojectnyc.org/get-involved/volunteer#saturdaytutors
Email: info@goprojectnyc.org or Emily Ong eong@goprojectnyc.org
Phone: 212-533-3744
What volunteers do:
assist lead teacher in Saturday program (tutor 2-4 students, prepare and put away classroom materials, communicate with lead teacher) 9 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.; 9 Saturdays in fall session or 14 Saturdays in spring session
FYI:
application, orientation, and training required
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Goddard Riverside Community Center serves some 17,000 people each year through 26 programs on the Upper West Side and throughout Manhattan. We work every day for a fair and just society where all people have the opportunity to make choices that lead to better lives for themselves and their families.We believe that a fulfilled life extends beyond the basics of food, clothing and shelter to include opportunities for education, continuing education, cultural enrichment and meaningful interaction with others.We believe in nurturing community life and supporting connections and neighbors.
Website: https://www.goddard.org/grcc/volunteer/
Tutoring applications here: https://www.goddard.org/grcc/volunteer/starlearning/
Email: Brianne Kilpatrick bkilpatrick@goddard.org or for tutoring Deena Hellman dhellman@goddard.org
Phone: 212-873-6600 ext 314 or for tutoring ext. 303
What volunteers do:
bring meals to homebound older adults (arrive between 9:30-10, Sunday-Friday, deliver until 2 pm)
in senior program, teach art, lead current events discussion, share meals, offer computer support, read poetry and short stories written by seniors
on Thanskgiving and Christmas, bake pies and cookies, carve turkeys, prepare stuffing, serve meals, deliver meals to homebound seniors
provide one-on-one tutoring to students in grades 2-12 (during the school year or summer program, late June to mid-August, commit 2 hours/week, application required)
unpack and sort books at fundraising book fair
staff book fair
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Good Shepherd Services goes where children, youth, and families face the greatest challenges and provides resources that build on their inherent strengths to help them thrive. We operate over 80 programs, which help nearly 30,000 youth and family members in struggling neighborhoods throughout New York City. All of our programs are united by a common goal—to create opportunities that help our participants succeed at school, at home, and in their community. We go where the need is greatest—where problems are deeply entrenched, obstacles are high, and neighborhoods are often untouched by other support systems.
Website: https://goodshepherds.org/join-us/volunteer/
Phone: 212-243-7070
Email: volunteer@goodshepherds.org
What volunteers do:
mentor young people in foster care, supportive housing, or group residences
contribute specialized skills
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan
Mission: Eliza Hamilton established Graham Windham as the first private orphanage in New York City in honor of her husband, Alexander Hamilton. 210 years later, Graham Windham's mission to support kids and families lives on. Today, Graham serves more than 4,500 kids and their families. Most of these kids have had a tough start in life. But through their own strength and Graham's support -- whether through family counseling and treatment, or after school academic help, these kids can thrive into adulthood. In full partnership with families and communities, Graham Windham strives to make a life-altering difference with children, youth and families affected by abuse, neglect and delinquency by providing each child we serve with a strong foundation for life: a safe, loving, permanent family and the opportunity and preparation to thrive in school and in the world. Eliza's dream was to give every kid their shot -- that mission lives on today.
Website: http://www.graham-windham.org/volunteer/
Email: info@graham-windham.org
Phone: 917-816-6044
What volunteers do:
digital communications
marketing
advertising
social media
storytelling
assist in Cornerstone program (prepare materials & equipment for afterschool activities; aid age-appropriate group activities; maintain daily attendance log; assist with group control)
FYI:
for work with children, at least one year of relevant experience with school aged children & teens required
cornerstone programs are open M-F, 12-8
Mission: Groundswell brings together artists, youth, and community organizations through our Scaffold Up! model to use art as a tool for social change, for a more just and equitable world. Our projects beautify neighborhoods, engage youth in societal and personal transformation, and give expression to ideas and perspectives that are underrepresented in the public dialogue. Our vision of youth development is to engage underserved, marginalized, and economically disadvantaged youth in public art-making to gain the inspiration, tools, and agency to take ownership of their futures. Our vision of community change is to encourage dialogue and activism, in participation with organizations that share our values and aspirations. Our vision of public art is to link personal expression to community activism, resulting in high quality work that conveys compelling messages about the concerns of our participants and partners.
Website: https://www.groundswell.nyc/volunteer
Email: info@groundswell.nyc
Phone: 718-254-9782
What volunteers do:
help paint murals
staff events
assist in the office
Mission: The Harlem Educational Activities Fund, Inc. (HEAF) is a comprehensive not-for-profit supplemental education and youth development organization that supports and assists dedicated students to develop the intellectual curiosity, academic ability, social values and personal resiliency they need to ensure success in school, career and life. HEAF identifies scholars in middle school and supports them until they are successfully admitted to four-year colleges through a variety of after-school, Saturday and summer programs. HEAF’s Academic Continuum is a multi-year, sequential program that includes academic advancement, leadership, and character development. Students attend after-school, Saturday, and summer classes in math, language arts, humanities, science, and the fine arts. Students also take youth development classes and participate in retreats and service projects where they learn communication, negotiation, and leadership skills through a variety of enjoyable team-building activities. Our tutoring program supports high school students who need assistance meeting HEAF academic standards.
Website: https://heaf.org/volunteer/
Email: Kelli Goodman, kgoodman@heaf.org or Keisha Boatswain Kboatswain@HEAF.org (tutoring ) or Michael Ferron, Mferron@heaf.org (college success coaching)
Phone: 212-663-9736 x420
What volunteers do:
speak at career days or college-decision days
middle-school tutors assess students in core academic subjects and assist with homework, projects, and test prep (minimum commitment one semester, Saturdays from 2:30-3:30)
high-school tutors assess students in core subjects (math, English, science, AP, SAT prep, social studies) and assist with homework, projects, and test prep in at least one core subject (minimum commitment one semester, meeting once a week from 4:00 to 6:30)
college success coaches work with students through entire college-application process including research on colleges, preparing for SAT and ACT, personal statements and essays, understanding and applying for aid, communicate weekly with student by phone or on line and meet in person monthly (minimum commitment one year)
FYI:
commitment can be one-time, short-term, or long-term
for tutors, orientation, training meetings, and documentation of student progress required
for tutors, some college coursework with advanced skills in English, math, science, and/or social studies and experience tutoring required
bilingual English/Spanish speakers and Master’s in Education students especially encouraged to apply as tutors
college success coaches must be 21, B.A. required, reside or work in NYC metropolitan area, complete screening process including background check and three professional references
orientation and training, two-hour college-success workshop, participation in online coaches’ forum, and attendance at program events and supervision meetings required for college coaches
field experience in education, academic advising, counseling, and or college admissions very helpful for college coaching
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Harlem RBI is a year-round youth development program based in East Harlem, New York. Since its founding in 1991, Harlem RBI has grown to serve more than 1,700 boys and girls annually in both East Harlem and the South Bronx, ages 5-22, providing them with year-round sports, educational and enrichment activities. Harlem RBI provides inner-city youth with opportunities to play, learn and grow. We use the power of teams to coach, teach and inspire youth to recognize their potential and realize their dreams.
Website: http://tinyurl.com/gq8wnsz
Email: volunteer@harlemrbi.org
Phone: 212-722-1608
What volunteers do:
tutor middle-school students one-on-one or in small groups (at least one 2.5 hour session per week Monday-Thursday, 4:00-6:30pm for a minimum of 3 months) teaching or tutoring experience a plus
coach softball/baseball (4-8 hours/week on nights and weekends for the full season)
coach t-ball (1.5 hours for six Saturday mornings or afternoons)
Borough: Manhattan, Bronx.
Mission: Founded in 1893 by social work and public health pioneer Lillian Wald and based on Manhattan's Lower East Side, Henry Street Settlement delivers a wide range of social service, arts and health care programs to more than 50,000 New Yorkers each year. Distinguished by a profound connection to its neighbors, a willingness to address new problems with swift and innovative solutions, and a strong record of accomplishment, Henry Street challenges the effects of urban poverty by helping families achieve better lives for themselves and their children.
Website: http://www.henrystreet.org/get-involved/internship-and-individual/
Email: brosales@henrystreet.org
Phone: 212-766-9200 x230
What volunteers do:
tutor high-school students one on one or in small groups in algebra, geometry, physics, chemistry, or social sciences (weekly commitment 4:00-6:00 p.m. Mon, Tues, Wed, or Thurs)
tutor students ages 11-19 once a week between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Mon, Tues, Wed, or Thurs
(background check and orientation required to work with students)
staff senior café on Sunday 10-3 or 11-4 (serve, set up, socialize with seniors, wash up, staff coffee station) Spanish and Chinese a plus
FYI:
needs vary over time but often involve working with students or seniors
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Since its founding, Hetrick-Martin Institute has grown from a small, volunteer-led grass-roots advocacy organization into a leading professional provider of social support and programming for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) youth. HMI youth members, ranging in age from 13 to 24, come from over 300 zip codes throughout all of New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area. They are of all colors and sizes, come from all kinds of backgrounds, and their enthusiasm and creativity is boundless.
Website: http://hmi.org/getinvolved/volunteer/
Email: Seton Davey sdavey@hmi.org
Phone: 212-674-2600 x252
What volunteers do:
assist HMI staff in serving dinner to our youth community (4:45 p.m. – 6 p.m)
monitor and assist in youth-services resource center (computer, resume, homework help) 1 day/week, M-F, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. or 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
tutor in math, ASL, SAT prep 1-2 days/week commitment, M-F; 4 p.m. or 5:50 p.m.– 7:15 p.m.
graphic design
finance
fundraise
IT
staff development
photography
videography
plan events
join one-time special-event list
Mission: Hour Children® was named to acknowledge the important hours that shape the life of a child with an incarcerated mother – the hour of their mother’s arrest, the hour of their visit, and the hour of her release. Hour Children’s mission is to help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children successfully rejoin the community, reunify with their families, and build healthy, independent, and secure lives. To accomplish this, Hour Children provides compassionate and comprehensive services and encourages all to live and interact with dignity and respect. Hour Children’s vision is to break the cycle of intergenerational incarceration.
Website: http://hourchildren.org/?page_id=858
Email: lmanzione@hourchildren.org
Phone: 718-502-8689
What volunteers do:
daycare (weekdays, 7:30-6)
afterschool program (weekdays, 3-6)
mentor teens (Tuesdays, 5-7)
working women re-entry program (weekdays, 9-5)
help in food pantry (M, 1:30-5, Th 3:30-6, Fri 10-12:30)
help in thrift shop (daily, 10-7)
tutor children (weekdays, 3-6)
tutor women (weekdays 9-5)
social media/office support (weekdays, 9-5)
mentor child of an incarcerated woman (training session required, 1-year commitment of four hours/month)
FYI:
application/background check required
Borough: Queens
Mission: The Hunts Point Alliance for Children works with families to support the educational progress of the children of Hunts Point from birth to college. Our Alliance members provide resources for the intellectual, social, emotional and physical health and well-being of children. HPAC’s vision is that every child in Hunts Point is ready for kindergarten, ready for elementary school, ready for high school, and ready for higher education. The Hunts Point Alliance for Children is a strong voice for the children of Hunts Point, a conduit for resources to support the schools and organizations in this community, and a provider of programs that are meeting critical school and college readiness needs.
Website: https://huntspoint.org/volunteer/
Email: volunteer@hpac10474.org
Phone: 718-620-2824
What volunteers do:
support community-based events
tutor in after-school program
share specialized skills with students
Borough: Bronx
Mission: The mission of the “I Have A Dream” Foundation - New York (IHDF-NY) is to motivate and empower children living in low-income communities to reach their educational and career potential by providing a long-term program of academic support, mentoring, enrichment and tuition assistance for higher education. One day, all children in the New York metro area will have the opportunity to pursue higher education and to fully capitalize on their talents, aspirations, and leadership to have fulfilling careers and create a better world.
Website: http://www.ihaveadreamny.org/volunteer/
Email: Irene Lee, ilee@ihaveadreamny.org or Terrence Stokes tstokes@ihaveadreamny.org (high-school Physics tutoring) or Karlisle Honore, khonore@ihaveadreamny.org (high school English tutoring) or Matthew Wright, mwright@ihaveadreamny.org (career-related volunteering)
Phone: 212-293-5480
What volunteers do:
tutor reading/math and test-prep for 3rd-6th graders, work one-on-one or with a pair of students, one hour/week between 2:30 and 5:30, semester-long commitment
mentor a 4th-6th grader one-on-one, every Monday or every other Monday from 3:30 to 5 pm. tutor/homework help for 12th graders in physics or English (including college essays), Tues or Wed. from 5-6 pm
tutor first- and second-year college students in math, psychology, other subjects, 1.5 hours/week minimum
scholarship research for students, flexible hours
career coach for student interested in a career related to yours, meet once a month in person or by phone or video chat
host job-shadow day for students (dates flexible, full 8-hour workday)
FYI:
for tutors, application, training, background check required
Mission: Our model harnesses the power of long-term, personal relationships to help students succeed. We partner with high schools in low-income communities, where a majority of students served will be first-generation college graduates. We match every student in our partner schools with a college-educated mentor, who commits a minimum of three years to a single student. Mentoring pairs have the option to continue their relationship through college completion.
Website: https://imentor.org/get-involved/become-a-mentor
Phone: 212-461-4330 x55
Email: mpolaner@imentor.org
What volunteers do:
mentor for college readiness, meet student once a month in person, more frequently online (commit three years to get student to college)
Mission: IndyKids was formed in 2005 by a group of independent journalists, students, parents, teachers, and activists who saw the need for a progressive, ad-free news media to be presented in a way that would interest and engage young kids. Since publishing its first black and white issue in the fall of 2005, IndyKids has grown into a vital, multi-platform current events and social justice news source that is produced by kids, for kids. Our work encompasses the free, nationally distributed print edition of the IndyKids newspaper published five times a year, an active website with exclusive articles, interviews, podcasts, open dialogue and resources, workshops for kids to learn journalism and media literacy, and support for educators with teaching guides and classroom visits. Through our programs, we inspire a passion for social justice and learning to empower the next generation of critical thinkers, community leaders, journalists and activists.
Website: http://indykids.org/main/get-involved/volunteer-with-us/
Volunteer application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQMx07M-CbgBROJ6aX3H0RqO-4qwEb8mbQeRQVgZ_tst8Crg/viewform
Email: volunteer@indykids.org or malik@indykids.org for distribution volunteering
Phone: 212-592-0116
What volunteers do:
mentor kid reporters (ages 10-13) through brainstorming, research, writing and editing articles (commitment of three three-hour Saturday sessions from noon-3 p.m.)
edit articles for IndyKids newspaper (commitment two-five hours every two months and attend one editorial meeting at the Manhattan office)
distribute the newspaper at local cafes and libraries
participate in Saturday “bundling” parties to hand-pack issues of the newspaper for national distribution (kids and parents welcome)
artists and graphic designers help produce newspaper
plan fundraising events, reach out to donors, subscribers, and foundations
FYI:
background in writing, journalism, or editing required to mentor reporters
experience with AP style a plus for editors
Mission: Inwood House believes in and values the potential and promise of all young people. We envision a time when every young person has the confidence, ability, and optimism necessary to make active, responsible decisions about the future and whether to become a parent. Inwood House is dedicated to helping teens become healthy, self–reliant adults. We help teens take charge of their lives by facilitating the development of the knowledge, skills, and self-esteem needed to set life goals, make responsible decisions, and avoid teenage pregnancy; providing a continuum of care for pregnant and parenting teens in foster care that builds on their strengths and moves them toward self-sufficiency; and being a source of hope, guidance, and opportunity.
Website: https://inwoodhouse.com/get-involved/volunteer/
Email: Zankhana Shukla zshukla@inwoodhouse.com
Phone: 646-895-8062
What volunteers do:
mentor or tutor
take youth groups on cultural field trips
Time with Tots (play with babies)
assist with resumes
college counseling
arts/craft activities with youth
painting/gardening
IT support
website design
systems design
marketing
fundraise
project management
doula
videography
photography
digital Strategy
produce events
media
human resources
FYI:
application required; background check optional
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: The Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center is a non-profit, multi-service organization focusing primarily on the needs of children and low-income families, out-of-school and out-of-work youth, and aging New Yorkers including the isolated and homebound elderly. Throughout our 50-year history, we have sought to develop programs of quality and distinction in response to the evolving needs of the community we serve.
Website: http://www.isaacscenter.org/lend-a-hand
Email: info@isaacscenter.org
Phone: 212-360-7620
What volunteers do:
start a game club for seniors
serve lunch or deliver meals on wheels to seniors
lead class in health and fitness for seniors
teach seniors technology
teach enrichment activities (visual and creative arts, drama, dance and music) at youth center
lead health and nutrition workshops for youth
help with homework
tutor
sponsor a book drive
mentor in workforce program
lead life skills workshop in workforce program
develop outdoor garden
plan and host holiday celebrations
serve Sunday suppers
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement is a community-based, non-profit organization providing comprehensive services and programs to youth, families, immigrants and seniors in the western Queens community. The mission of Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement is to build and strengthen underserved communities in Western Queens and to act as a catalyst for change.
Website: http://www.riissettlement.org/volunteer-your-time/sign-up-to-volunteer/
Email: info@riissettlement.org
Phone: 718-784-7447 x133
What volunteers do:
conversation partners and tutors for adult English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) learners in the Immigrant Services program
tutoring, homework help, and group project supervision in Riis Academy (after-school and summer youth development program)
tutor for K-12 students between 3-9 weekdays, minimum one hour/week, six-month commitment
mentor older students 6:30-9 weekdays, minimum one/hour/week one-year commitment
collect donations, plan events
translate for non-English speakers at senior center
one-time opportunities include service days, art projects, holiday meals and celebrations, painting at community center, revitalizing community garden
Borough: Queens
Mission: The Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC) supports and empowers adults, youth and children to lead safe and healthy lives based on dignity, compassion and mutual respect. We are committed to preventing and ending domestic violence, sexual assault, and relationship abuse, and creating a violence-free society. Our counseling, education and advocacy programs for individuals and families in the New York Tri-State area are provided in a culturally and linguistically appropriate setting.
Website: http://kafsc.org/volunteer
Signup form: http://form.jotform.us/form/32595194185160
Phone: Ji Ye Kim at 718-460-3801 x34
Email: jiye.kim@kafsc.org
What volunteers do:
staff hotline evenings, weekends, holidays (5-week training provided, must be bilingual Korean-English)
assist with children 5-13 in afterschool program
mentor teen youth clients
pro-bono lawyers accompany clients to court to obtain orders of protection, child support, child custody (must be bilingual)
Borough: Queens
Mission: L.O.V.E. supports and empowers young Latinas to strive both in school and in life by providing positive role models. L.O.V.E.’s vision is that all Latinas graduate from high school, attain higher education, and live successful lives. The L.O.V.E. Mentoring Program recruits volunteer female university students to support, guide, and be a role model to young Latinas during their high school years. Through a series of structured mentoring and group activities that concentrate on personal empowerment, developing study skills, and college access, the L.O.V.E. Mentoring Program aims to provide a space in which young Latinas can learn how to strive personally and academically through positive reinforcement, consistency and understanding. L.O.V.E. is a curriculum-based program that consists of three core components: personal empowerment, study skills, and college access. Each session has its own focus area and theme. Each mentoring session is a collective gathering of mentors and mentees, where participants engage in both group activities and one-to-one interactions, guided by a workshop.
Website: http://www.lovementoring.org/application/
Email: claudia@lovementoring.org
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
college-age women mentor a high-school age mentee (help with homework, college applications, or give suggestions/feedback for long-term or short-term educational or personal goals) in ongoing relationship with weekly meetings and other shared activities
FYI:
application, interview required
Mission: Learning Leaders is New York City’s largest and most experienced organization dedicated to engaging families and communities to support student success. Serving NYC public schools since 1956, our programs are proven to enhance student achievement by providing individualized tutoring and assistance to schools and increasing parents’ ability to foster their children’s education. Our interactive family workshops inform parents about how the public school system works, ways to facilitate learning at home, and how to further their own personal and educational development.
Website: http://www.learningleaders.org/volunteers/
Phone: 212-213-3370
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:
tutor within a public school, training provided (commitment of two hours/week for a full school year)
Mission: Let’s Get Ready provides low-income high school students with free SAT preparation, admissions counseling and other support services needed to gain admission to and graduate from college. Services are provided by volunteer college students who also serve as role models and mentors. Let’s Get Ready envisions a future in which students from all socioeconomic backgrounds have the support they need to attain a college education. Community professionals offer support with career exploration, completion of financial aid forms, application essays, and successful transitions.
Website: http://letsgetready.org/get-involved/
Email: info@letsgetready.org
Phone: 646-808-2760
What volunteers do:
on career days, share workforce experiences with college students, help students practice networking, give resume feedback
on college-application days, help high-school students fine-tune essays and application forms, and provide guidance on scholarships and financial aid
Mission: In 1999, Soren Gordhamer began teaching yoga, meditation and mindful martial arts in the adolescent unit at Rikers Island, the city’s largest jail. His scope quickly expanded to include Jobs Corps centers, New York City Department of Juvenile Justice detention centers for youth ages 10-16 in the South Bronx, and ‘locked’ group homes operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. The organization’s leaders developed a comprehensive curriculum, in which each session is theme-based and includes yoga, meditation and discussion relating to life skills. Our work has shown that yoga, meditation, and mindfulness can teach youth with behavioral difficulties to: use stress management tools that decrease anxiety and depression; manage anger and frustration; develop positive relationships with family, friends, and community; and self-reflect in order to gain control over their actions and change unhealthy behaviors.
Website: http://www.lineageproject.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-application/
Phone: 646-479-3996
Email: gabrielle@lineageproject.org
What volunteers do:
train youth in mindfulness practices at jails/detention centers, alternative sites, sites for suspended students (20-hour training required)
Mission: Little Essentials improves the health, safety and wellbeing of children living in poverty by providing urgently needed resources and parenting education to families in crisis. Little Essentials offers at-risk families living in poverty urgently needed children’s supplies and parenting education to promote the health, wellbeing and safety of their children under five. Through our partners, Little Essentials provides urgently needed items such as warm clothing, car seats and strollers and promotes Safe Sleep by providing cribs, bassinets, and pack & plays. From mothers and children living in domestic violence shelters to homeless families and teen parents raising babies while living in foster care, the families we serve often have nowhere else to turn. Little Essentials is often the difference between a premature baby on oxygen support sleeping on a shelter floor, or in safe and comfortable crib; between a teen mother interviewing only for jobs that her two-year-old child can walk or be carried to, and being able to travel city-wide because she has a stroller.
Website: http://www.littleessentials.org/partners/
Email: info@littleessentials.org
Phone: 646-850-3611
What volunteers do:
sort donations
Mission: Made in Brownsville is a youth creative agency and innovation hub providing a gateway for young people to learn marketable hard skills in STEAM, access post-secondary education, achieve economic mobility, and engage in placed-based community revitalization. Modeled as a creative service agency, our projects teach design thinking, art, multimedia, tech and communication skills to give young people the technical and leadership tools they need to compete in the innovation economy and to be leaders in their community. MiB offers studios and mentorship in 3D design, printmaking, painting, 3D modeling and fabrication, photography, coding/WDD/robotics, graphic design, video and animation. Design mentors collaborate with youth on projects that impact the vitality of the community as well as client-commissioned creative projects.
Website: https://madeinbrownsville.org/getinvolved/volunteer/
Email: contact@madeinbrownsville.org
Phone: 718-513-1115
What volunteers do:
lead design studios and workshops (photography/videography; apparel/fashion design; 3D fabrication/rapid prototyping: engineering; web development/design/UX/UI architecture & construction; graphic design; painting; industrial/furniture design; robotics; animation/gaming)
build 1-1 mentoring relationships to help participants network in the creative and innovative tech fields
marketing/advertising
IT
administrative support
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: The Educational Alliance’s historic East Broadway headquarters has been transformed into the Manny Cantor Center: a settlement house of yesterday and a community center for today, and tomorrow. Offering exciting events, award-winning programs, and critical services for people ages 0 to 100+, the Manny Cantor Center is a hub of diversity and inclusivity, of health and fitness, of education and of excellence. We hope the Manny Cantor Center will provide a space for growth, achievement, enjoyment and connection for all Lower East Siders today.
Website: http://mannycantor.org/volunteer/
Email: info@MannyCantor.org
Phone: 646-395-4280
What volunteers do:
serve lunch to older adults (set tables, take tickets, serve, clean) M-F, 11-1
serve dinner to seniors (assist with kitchen prep/cleanup, greet and interact with seniors) 4:30-6:15, M-F, demand highest Mon and Tues
sort and organize donated materials for use in children’s educational programs
pick up donations
assist teachers in school and family workshops using donated materials
discuss careers with teens
work in English conversation group with Chinese speakers, Thursdays, 1:00-2:00
work at theater ticket desk for seniors, once/week, 12:00-2:30
translate school materials into Cantonese or Mandarin, 8-10 hours/month
assist in ESOL classes for low-income parents of young students, commit weekly to either 9:30-11:30am or 11:45-1:15pm shift
tutor core high-school subject areas (English, Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry, Trignometry, Earth Science & Living Environment, Global & US history, Regents/Test Prep) either one-on-one or in small group (commit one day/week, M-Th, either 4-5pm or 5-6pm)
FYI:
application required for all volunteering (needs change; current needs always posted on site)
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Masa partners with Mexican and Latino children, youth, and families in the South Bronx to develop strong learners and leaders who fully participate in and contribute to the larger community. We envision a community that is civically engaged, empowered, and educated. Masa offers a broad range of direct services and referrals; supports children from 18 months through college and beyond, through each stage of their development; and promotes civic engagement and community organizing while delivering services.
Website: http://masany.org/volunteers/
Phone: 646-481-5890
Email: volunteeropportunities@masany.org
What volunteers do:
tutor and provide homework help to elementary and middle-school students (training provided) Mon-Thurs, 6-8
pre-K playgroup, Mondays, 6-8
assist in literacy program
assist in robotics program
support teen students from a high school for new immigrants, Mondays, 3-5
Borough: Manhattan, Bronx
Mission: In the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Center empowers women and their families in the South Bronx to liberate themselves from economic poverty. We promote their right to an improved quality of life by addressing the needs of the whole person, developing skills for healthy family living and economic advancement, and building a community of respect, hospitality, and non-violence.
Website: https://www.mercycenterbronx.org/volunteer
Email: info@MercyCenterBronx.org
Phone: 718-993-2789
What volunteers do:
ESOL instructor/ESOL conversation partner (prior teaching experience preferred) Morning, afternoon and evening classes, Monday-Saturday (commitment: 2 days/week, 2-3 hours/day)
computer instructor (English and Spanish-speaking) for basic computer skills and concepts as well as Microsoft Office (English Monday & Wednesday afternoons and evenings, Saturday afternoons; Spanish Tuesday & Thursday afternoons and evenings; Saturday afternoons; commitment: 1-2 days/week)
assist with tutoring/homework, computer tutorials, field trips (museums, cultural sites) and other enrichment activities for children grades K-8, Monday-Thursday, 3:15 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (commitment: 1-4 days/week)
one-on-one or small group reading instruction for children, grades K – 5, who are reading below grade level (Saturday morning sessions; prior teaching experience a plus)
babysit ESOL participants’ children while they attend class (Tuesday-Friday, morning and late afternoon sessions; childhood education experience a plus)
screen potential naturalization applicants, assist with naturalization application completion, help naturalization candidates prepare for citizenship interviews. Spanish required. (Monday-Friday; commitment: 1-3 days/week, 4hrs+/day)
facilitate small-group conversations for parenting classes (experience facilitating small groups or working with parents preferred, especially in multicultural environments) Wednesdays, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Borough: Bronx
Mission: While most mentoring organizations provide one mentor for one mentee, Minds Matter mentees are provided with an entire team of highly skilled professionals from various industries. Each student is assigned to two mentors who they meet with weekly: a team leader; and SAT/ACT test preparation, writing, critical thinking and math instructors. In addition, students are supported by volunteer program directors and counselors as well as full-time staff. This structure provides unparalleled support for our students, enabling them to benefit from collaborative learning opportunities as well as individualized attention tailored to their specific academic and social need. The organization also thoroughly addresses their need for guidance through the college admissions and financial aid processes. As first-generation college-bound students, many of them would otherwise have little support through this complicated process. At Minds Matter we believe that as we help our students (or mentees) earn a college education, we are also cultivating them to be the next generation of leaders.
Website: http://www.mindsmatternyc.org/volunteers/
Volunteer application: https://www.tfaforms.com/310839
Email: info@mindsmatter.org
Phone: 212-626-6534
What volunteers do:
writing & critical thinking advisors work on writing skills with small groups of sophomore students or give weekly essay assignments to juniors and seniors, including review of summer-program and college application essays (commitment 2-3 hours/week, including Saturday sessions from 2:00-3:30)
mentors work in pairs with students to help with their current school assignments and must be available 3 Saturdays each month (commitment 2-3 hours week, including Saturday sessions from 11-12:30)
test-prep instructors use a Kaplan curriculum to prepare small groups of students for the SATs (commitment 2-3 hours/week including Saturday sessions from 12:30-2:00, from October through May)
team leaders oversee teams of mentor-mentee triads
serve on or direct leadership teams
FYI:
mentors must be college graduates
all volunteers help with recruiting future volunteers; mentors assist with fundraising
Mission: Our mission is to increase the self-sufficiency of homeless LGBT youth, enabling them to go beyond the shelter system and transition into stable adult lives. We do this by providing case management, education services, life skills groups, community-building recreational activities, opportunities for self-expression, and support services for HIV+ youth. Our guiding principles are harm reduction, youth development, and empowerment. This is the place for young people to bring their problems. None are too big or small. Arrest warrants, finding a long-lost relative, applying for disability benefits, returning to high school or college, back taxes... We help with all of it!
Website: https://www.newalternativesnyc.org/get-involved
Email: info@newalternativesnyc.org
Phone: 718-300-0133
What volunteers do:
prepare meals
run life-skills training groups (HIV prevention, anger management, nutrition, dealing with conflict in the workplace)
tutor for GED, SAT
assist with college applications and financial aid paperwork
assist with youth registration
assist case managers at drop-in clinic (Fridays, 1 pm-6pm)
host fundraising events
FYI:
greatest volunteer need is on Sunday evenings from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: The New York City Mission Society has been on the frontlines of the war on poverty for more than 200 years. Today, our progressive portfolio of educational, workforce development, cultural enrichment, and community-building programs make a positive, long-term impact on children, youth, and families in the City’s most underserved communities. New York City Mission Society envisions a city in which every New Yorker thrives in a safe and loving environment, contributes to the overall well-being of the community, and receives the support needed to achieve a joyful and independent life. New York City Mission Society values kindness, compassion, dignity, respect, and excellence. We demonstrate these values by delivering services that encourage critical thinking, self-confidence, and resilience in the children, youth, and families we serve. Our programs include free musical instruction with academic enrichment for students in grades 6-12; supporting students in transfer schools to prepare them for college and work; academic support and enrichment activities (community service, arts, recreation, and character education) after school, and during the summer and school holidays.
Website: http://www.nycmissionsociety.org/how-youcan-help/volunteer/
Email: development@nycmissionsociety.org
Phone: 212-674-3500 x210
What volunteers do:
assist with one-day special events (e.g. Halloween party, Thanksgiving dinner and turkey drive, annual holiday toy drive, and the Harlem Family Health Conference and Fair)
provide administrative support
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1869 as a home for abandoned children, The Foundling today offers an expansive array of services for underserved children, families, and adults with developmental disabilities. Whether it’s an abused child in need of a foster home, a young mother who lacks the skills to care for her child, or a young person lost in the juvenile justice system, The Foundling provides the resources necessary to rebuild lives and rebuild families.
Website: https://www.nyfoundling.org/volunteer/individuals/
Email: volunteer@nyfoundling.org or erin.greenbaum@nyfoundling.org for tech volunteers
Phone: 212-633-9300
What volunteers do:
event photography
organize a supply drive to build ‘baby bundles’ of necessities for families with newborns
host a teen for a day at work
volunteers with tech skills lead youth workshops in digital inclusion program
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: NMIC is a community-based, nonprofit organization founded in 1979 that serves Washington Heights and Inwood, working to stabilize the community and help residents build a better life. We achieve this by preserving affordable housing through legal services, community organizing, and building weatherization; by promoting economic self-sufficiency through adult education and workforce development; and by stabilizing families through social services, health education, and domestic violence intervention. From its inception, NMIC has worked hard to empower our community's poorest residents through education, training, organizing, and support. All our services are free and bilingual English-Spanish.
Website: http://nmic.org/Volunteer.html
Email: volunteer@nmic.org
Phone: 212-453-5398
What volunteers do:
adult literacy with Spanish speakers
tutor in pre-GED,TASC (formerly GED) and College Access programs (small group meetings, 1.5 hours week, day or evening)
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: OneGoal supports students who are underserved by existing school programs and whose college prospects are extremely limited by providing them with the daily support of an excellent teacher who is committed to ensuring that they make it to and through college. In doing so, we offer our OneGoal partners a unique complement to the work already being done by school college offices and guidance counselors. We won’t rest until all students—not just a chosen few—have a real opportunity to graduate from college. We believe in: the solvability of this problem; the ability of all students; and the importance of building a fully inclusive, diverse, and anti-racist movement.
Website: https://www.onegoalgraduation.org/communities/new-york/
Email: https://www.onegoalgraduation.org/contact/ or nikki.thompson@onegoalgraduation.org
Phone: 646-837-9732
What volunteers do:
offer feedback to high-school juniors on their college essays
FYI:
content training and support provided
OneGoal estimates that each essay takes 20-25 minutes to read and provide feedback
if no in-person session is currently scheduled in NYC, volunteers can assist juniors in other cities remotely
Mission: Founded in 2000 by actors and educators, Opening Act seeks to level the playing field for our students by specifically partnering with NYC schools that have lower than average graduation rates (as few as 33% of students graduating in four years) and an evident lack of theater programming. Opening Act gives high school students opportunities to develop leadership, community, and commitment through its innovative, high quality, free after-school theater program. We strive to remain a consistent and positive force in our students’ lives, regardless of fluctuating school budgets and priorities.
Website: http://openingact.org/volunteer/
Email: info@openingact.org for general volunteering or Marcus Denard Johnson, associate director of programs & student development at marcus@openingact.org for guest artists
Phone: 646-418-7088
What volunteers do:
professional actors, dancers, directors, techies, and designers work with Opening Act’s students as guest artists
work at student shows
assist with fundraising
mailing, data entry, general office support
FYI:
guest artists should email a resume and brief statement of interestto Marcus Denard Johnson
Mission: For every 100 low-income students, fewer than eight will graduate college and secure jobs. This is a crisis, and it is leading to unrealized potential for an entire generation of talented, motivated young people. Our work to address this crisis is rooted in these core beliefs about the career readiness gap. Strong education-to-career connection leads to better student engagement, lower drop-out rates and higher college persistence rates. College and career readiness can no longer operate in separate, parallel dimensions. Career development cannot be an implied goal of—or tacked onto—college access and success programs. Career development must be an explicit goal and interventions must be early, consistent and sustained. Workplace learning opportunities during high school and college lead to stronger academic performance and full-time jobs upon college graduation.
Website: https://opportunitynetwork.org/support-us/volunteer-engagement/
Volunteer sign-up form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcdTwCvrWI3u6Zc5qaZ3wun2UVsu2VY6LdGyjqVeLwsAUgXA/viewform?formkey=dEgwR2d5VndoSFlWR2t4ZEVGb09TVVE6MQ#gid=0)
Email: https://opportunitynetwork.org/contact/
Phone: 646-237-4090
What volunteers do:
participate in speed networking events wherestudents practice their personal elevator pitches, exchange business cards and network
help edit student resumes for summer internships and post-collegiate job searches
conduct simulated job interviews
participate in writing workshops
sit on industry-specific career panels on workday evenings
FYI:
speed networking events last 90 minutes, typically 6:00-7:30 on a weeknight, or 60 minutes for high-school freshmen, 6:00-7:00 on a weeknight
over the course of the year, career panels typically include: arts; business, finance, and professional services; social change; communications, marketing and outreach; health professions; international careers; legal careers; public service; and writing and media
Mission: Osborne has an 85-year history working with currently and formerly incarcerated men, women, and children and families affected by incarceration. The Osborne Association offers opportunities for individuals who have been in conflict with the law to transform their lives through innovative, effective, and replicable programs that serve the community by reducing crime and its human and economic costs. We offer opportunities for reform and rehabilitation through public education, advocacy, and alternatives to incarceration that respect the dignity of people and honor their capacity to change. Osborne offers a wide range of direct services to justice system-involved people and their children and families.
Website: http://www.osborneny.org/about/volunteer/
Volunteer signup form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJ48yVGX4yzPjCt24aCWGI8luM0wlY7WotO8hO5FClIpzoPQ/viewform
Email: mpowell@osborneny.org
Phone: 718-707-2600
What volunteers do:
children's education and field trips
young adult education and college prep
adult education
socialize with older adults/seniors
job readiness and career prep
health education and outreach
advocacy
event planning
fundraising
FAQ:
application and reference required
in-person or online volunteer orientation required
commitment can be one-time, full day, full weekend, weekly, or monthly
Desired skills include:
arts/crafts
cooking/culinary arts
computers/technology/social media
construction/carpentry
education/tutoring/teaching
finance/fundraising
performing arts/theater
photography/video/film
writing
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan (and in correctional facilities)
Mission: The Petey Greene Program supplements education in correctional institutions by preparing volunteers, primarily college students, to provide free, quality tutoring and related programming to support the academic achievement of incarcerated people. The Petey Greene volunteer experience will inspire our alumni to advocate and take on leadership roles that will re-imagine the criminal justice system. We envision a world in which all incarcerated people have access to high quality academic programs.
Website: http://www.peteygreene.org/nyc
Volunteer application: http://www.peteygreene.org/volunteerapplication
Email: nyc@peteygreene.org
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
provide one-on-one support for incarcerated youth and adults preparing for GED/TASC, pre-GED, CUNY assessment tests
work alongside Board of Ed faculty in high-school classrooms on Rikers
support incarcerated students in pre-college math, writing, and college-level writing
support ESOL students
FYI:
all volunteering is a weekly commitment for a full semester (except for exam periods and vacations), generally in two-hour blocks
background check required; clearance can take 1-3 months
volume of applicants is high, and you may be deferred to the next semester if there are no openings
requirements vary by location but all volunteers must be over 18, and in some cases over 21 and must have government-issued ID; some locations require a completed bachelor’s degree
tutoring at Edgecombe Mondays and Wednesdays 6-8, Saturdays 9 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., and 12:30 p.m-2:30 p.m.; tutoring at MDC Brooklyn Monday Friday, 8 a.m. -10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. and Mondays 6 p.m.-8 p.m.; tutoring at MDC New York Monday-Saturday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m, as well as 5:45 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. on Tues Wed, Thurs; tutoring at Rikers Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. with some flexible hours evenings and weekends
transportation reimbursed
Borough: Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan
Mission: Bedtime is a vulnerable time for every child, but for millions in America, it is especially sensitive. For these children who don’t know a loving home environment or who live unstable lives in unsafe situations, the treasured bedtime ritual most of us grew up with is unknown. Our goal is to change this part of their day with loving, magical gifts that offer a new reality — and, in the process, change their nights, their days and their lives. We want every child to feel the love and comfort that lets them escape into peaceful sleep, and to awaken empowered with the energy and resilience that can change every one of their days for the better. We accomplish this with the rather magical gifts of pajamas and books, ordinary objects that transform bedtime into a ritual of love, warmth, imagination and fun.
Website: http://pajamaprogram.org/volunteers/volunteer/
Email: Najamah@pajamaprogram.org
Phone: 212-716-9757
What volunteers do:
read to children in ACS/foster care
host a pajama/book drive
FYI:
application and background check required to work directly with children
Mission: THE POINT is dedicated to youth development and cultural and economic revitalization of the Hunts Point section of The Bronx. We work with our neighbors to celebrate the life and art of our community, an area traditionally defined solely in terms of its poverty, crime rate, poor schools and substandard housing. We believe the area’s residents, their talents and aspirations, are THE POINT’s greatest assets. THE POINT's Theory of Change is the guiding principle behind all of its programs and projects: "People in the community create the community in which they want to live." Through justice-based arts and service learning activities, THE POINT's Arts and Advocacy Youth Development Program aims to support the academic and pre-professional, artistic and positive social development of young people and engage them as leaders in sustainable community development.
Website: http://thepoint.org/jobs.php
Email: http://thepoint.org/contact.php
Phone: Isabel Figueroa 718-542-4139 x129
What volunteers do:
tutor in K-8 academic afterschool program (literacy, math, science, creative skills)
support afterschool arts (art, music, dance)
FYI:
afterschool runs Mon-Thurs, 2:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., October – June
bilingual Spanish/English a plus
references and resumes and interview required
previous experience or interest in youth development helpful
time commitment flexible
Borough: Bronx
Mission: We leverage digital learning to transform schools in low-income communities, promote educational equity, and help students excel in school. Our program supports schools through professional development and family engagement services. Our professional development helps educators integrate new instructional approaches and deepen school-home connections. Our family engagement services empower parents to become stronger learning partners for their children, and also provides families with free home learning center computers. This comprehensive approach helps students take full ownership of their learning and puts them on the path to academic and lifelong success.
Website: http://powermylearning.org/learn/locations/new-york-city
Email: NYC@PowerMyLearning.org
Phone: 917-677-5506
What volunteers do:
train families at Family Learning Workshops, designed to give families the ability to help support their children academically through educational software and technology
conduct outreach for family workshops at volunteer call banks
refurbish donated computers for families at warehouse (must be able to lift up to 25 pounds)
Borough: Queens (Long Island City)
Mission: PLOT mentors demonstrate leadership qualities and act as positive role models in the lives of young mentees, juvenile and criminal justice involved youth. Mentors work with mentees for a minimum of one year, spending 4-6 hours per month in their communities. Whether they go to a basketball game, meet with a local leader, or grab a bite to eat, the mentor and mentee work together to build rapport and inspire trust. When mentees need additional support, PLOT will make referrals to various specialists within its network. Overall, PLOT believes that all youth can avoid incarceration or re-incarceration through realizing their personal and educational goals. PLOT mentors believe that the time to give up on a child is never.
Website: http://www.plotforyouth.org/join-plot/
Email: http://www.plotforyouth.org/contact-us/
Phone: n/a
Mentor application: https://mentors.mentorcore.com/plotforyouth/index.php?section=application&action=new&fwID=808
What volunteers do:
mentors spend 4-6 hours a monthwith their mentees for a minimum of one year
FYI:
currently seeking male mentors over 21; female mentors coming soon
references and background check required
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Publicolor is a long-term youth development program that engages high-risk students in their education throughout the year with a continuum of design-based programs that mentor them for success in college, career, and life. Our work begins with the simple act of picking up a paintbrush. As students complete the colorful revitalization of their own school, they create a learning environment filled with a sense of pride and safety, and a warm and welcoming space for an entire community. Paint Club, our gateway program for middle and high school students, is the first step in a continuum of programs guiding at-risk youth through high school and into college—an innovative approach that applies color, design and design thinking to promote academic success, job readiness and community service. Paint Club is an afterschool youth development program that uses research-driven strategies to encourage school connectedness, build resiliency, self-esteem, and increase civic-engagement in at-risk students while teaching commercial painting and transferable work habits bringing color, energy, and life into NYC public schools thereby creating a sense of safety. In Paint Club, students spend Tuesday through Friday afternoons and all day Saturday learning the basics of commercial painting while they paint warm, inviting colors in public areas of their school. In the process, students learn creative problem solving, leadership skills, and how to work as a team – important skills for success in school, career, and life.
Website: http://publicolor.org/join-us/paint/
Email: jose@publicolor.org (for non-painting volunteering)
Phone: 212-213-6121
What volunteers do:
spend a Saturday (painting takes place every week during the school year) from 9:45 to 3:00 working alongside public-school students to paint their school hallways and have informal conversations with them about your education/career path and choices
tutor struggling students Tuesday afternoons at 4 at the Publicolor office
mentor pre-college students
lead a career-exposure workshop about your industry
invite students to shadow you at work for a few hours one afternoon
help students prepare for job interviews
Borough: painting in all boroughs, tutoring in Manhattan
Mission: We’re a Brooklyn-based nonprofit dedicated to building strong, confident readers. At READ 718 we provide individualized literacy instruction and mentorship to low-income students in grades 3-8 who are reading below grade level. Our after school program participants (READers) are in grades 3-8 and come from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The majority attend school in Brooklyn’s Districts 13 and 15, and come from many Brooklyn neighborhoods including Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Sunset Park and Clinton Hill. Over 95% of our READers are eligible for free lunch at school.
Website: http://read718.org/volunteer/
Volunteer application: http://read718.org/volunteer-application/
Email: info@read718.org or http://read718.org/contact-us/
Phone: 718-576-3228
What volunteers do:
work one-on-one as a literacy tutor with a child in grades 3-8
technology services
administrative work
edit newsletter
photography
plan events
FYI:
experience with children in grades 3-8 preferred
minimum commitment 10 weeks
sessions either 3:10-4:30 or 4:45-6:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays
must be 18 or older; however, students in grades 9-12 can apply to tutor a 1st-3rd grader on Saturdays between 11:00-12:00 (must commit to 8 Saturdays and participate in a two-hour training)
30-minute orientation, 3-hour training initial session and later 1-hour training session required
application, fingerprinting, and background check required
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Reading Partners mobilizes communities to provide students with the proven, individualized reading support they need to read at grade level by fourth grade. We know that reading is the foundation for all future learning, and the ability to read transforms lives and empowers children and communities to reach their full potential. Research shows that students who read at grade level by fourth grade have a greater opportunity to succeed in school and in life. We partner with under-resourced schools and engage volunteer reading partners to work one-on-one with students who struggle with reading. An evidence-based and community-driven organization, we recruit and train volunteers to work one-on-one with students following a structured, research-based curriculum. Our program model works and is backed by evidence-based research which proves that our students make significant gains in reading. On average, Reading Partners’ students more than double their rate of learning while in the program.
Website: https://nyvol.my-trs.com
Email: volunteerNY@readingpartners.org
Phone: 646-395-3831
What volunteers do:
work with a single student for a minimum of an hour a week, preferably two 45-minute sessions (generally M-Th between 9-5)
FYI:
background check and orientation session required
curriculum, in-person training, and on-site support provided
substitute tutors do not need to make weekly commitment
Mission: The Red Hook Art Project is a tutoring and mentoring project that organizes professionals to volunteer to provide gifted underserved children and youth with free classes and tutoring in visual art, music, and homework help. RHAP's mission is to help underserved children and youth who have shown previous dedication to their creative talent to develop their self-esteem, self- expression, creativity, and sense of responsibility through education-based relationships with working artists, musicians, and writers.
Website: http://redhookartproject.org/rhap-volunteer/
Email: redhookartproject@gmail.com
Phone: 347-889-4098
What volunteers do:
based on professional background, teach art, music, or help with homework
FYI:
resume and references required; one-month trial period
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: RHI believes that social change to overcome systemic inequities begins with empowered youth. In partnership with community adults, we nurture young people in Red Hook to be inspired, resilient and healthy, and to envision themselves as co-creators of their lives, community and society. We envision a Red Hook where all young people can pursue their dreams and grow into independent adults who contribute to their families and community. Youth development, community building and our model of community hiring are at the core of RHI’s approach to strengthening Red Hook’s future. In our youth empowerment pipeline, which runs from middle school through young adulthood, we endeavor to collaboratively interrupt cycles of injustice and to build hope.
Website: http://www.rhicenter.org/
Phone: 718-858-6782
Email: info@rhicenter.org
What volunteers do:
activities vary by month but include tutoring and institutional support
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Reel Works provides free filmmaking programs for NYC youth. Using a one-on-one mentoring model, we challenge at-risk youth to tell their stories and have their voices heard. In turn, they build vital skills of literacy, leadership and self-confidence to create productive futures. Reel Works programs are designed to engage youth through intensive in-school or after-school filmmaking workshops and to provide a safe community and a continuum of learning opportunities that extend from middle school to high school to college and beyond.
Website: http://www.reelworks.org/participate/mentor/
Phone: 718-768-9000
Email: alissa@reelworks.org
What volunteers do:
supervise a student filmmaker in weekly one-on-one sessions for up to five months
FYI:
professional documentary or narrative filmmaking experience required
Borough: Brooklyn office
Mission: Too often, the voices and priorities of youth impacted by poverty are ignored when developing responses to social and community problems. This not only further disempowers young people, it also often results in community and policy responses that are not truly responsive to their needs. RAP believes that young people have a real role to play in responding to the problems that they see in their communities. We work to give them the skills, confidence and support to improve their own lives and to play a leadership role in their communities. We believe that the way to break cycles of poverty is to make sure that children and youth can access the educational, economic, and health resources they need to make a healthy transition into adulthood and out of poverty. In practice, this means both that low-income youth are able to advocate for access to anti-poverty resources; and that they are really engaged as real stakeholders in system-level efforts to improve the laws impacting them.
Website: http://resiliencelaw.org/get-involved/
Phone: 646-776-3169
Email: Elisa Kaplan kaplan@resiliencelaw.org
What volunteers do:
group facilitators run youth leadership and peer advocacy training programs that train young people to identify social justice issues they are passionate about, and to design and launch Community Impact Initiatives that create positive change in their communities (workshops are 1.5 hours and run for 8-10 weeks)
research, writing, marketing, and communications
Borough: Office help in Brooklyn; youth groups in all five boroughs.
Mission: Since we started offering services to seniors in Bushwick 50 years ago, we’ve expanded into a holistic community partnership serving people of all ages. RiseBoro was awarded the first Innovative Senior Center in Brooklyn by the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA). The program recognized for its programming that already offered an extensive calendar of Health Management, Physical Exercise and Nutritional Programs, coordinating with many local hospitals and universities. Our youth center provides local youth and their families with the opportunity to develop new skills, talents and interests, form positive attachments with adult mentors, and have a positive space for continued growth.
Website: https://riseboro.org/program/volunteer-program/
Email: volunteer@riseboro.org
Phone: Jasmine 347-717-5783
What volunteers do:
pack Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
sort and distribute food at RiseBoro’s Food Pantry
mentor 5th-12th grade youth, helping them develop and enhance skill sets and providing support and guidance through individual and group counseling.
paint, landscape, renovate and beautify senior centers
visit a senior weekly (in person or remote)
deliver meals to homebound seniors
light clerical duties: answer phones, file, manage emails.
FYI:
food pantry shifts are Tuesday 1pm-4pm Wednesday 11am-1pm and Thursday 11am-1pm.
youth mentoring shifts are Tuesdays and Thursdays 3pm-6pm
beautification shifts are available Monday-Friday, 9:30-4. Weekend shifts available with advance notice.
senior citizen visiting takes place Monday-Friday, 9-5 and can be in-person or remote
to deliver meals, must have valid driver’s license; vehicle preferred
meal delivery shifts are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Row New York began in 2002 with the simple idea that competitive rowing paired with rigorous academic support for underserved youth could change the trajectory of their teen years and beyond. We have since taught thousands of young people the sport of rowing, and through it the values of tenacity, focus, teamwork, and confidence. Row New York teams have medaled at the New York State championships for seven years in a row, and regularly hold their own at regional regattas against athletes who have every advantage. Nearly 100% of our graduates go on to higher learning, most on scholarship. And virtually all our student-athletes report an improved lifestyle and newfound pride and purpose. We now serve 230 middle schoolers and high schoolers in our year-round intensive program, and more than 2,200 across all our programs, including PE classes in NYC public middle schools, summer camps, para-rowing for athletes with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, and programs for adults: fitness classes, learn-to-row sessions, training at both recreational and competitive levels, and corporate team-building days.
Website: http://www.rownewyork.org/volunteer/
Email: info@rownewyork.org
Phone: 718-433-3075
What volunteers do:
work with high-school students and/or disabled students, and/or disabled adults as tutor, coach, coxswain, rower, driver
office support (finance, communications, operations)
Borough: Manhattan, Queens
Mission: Sanctuary for Families is New York's leading service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and related forms of gender violence. We work to end gender violence through three key strategies: direct services, outreach and training, and systems-change advocacy. Through high-quality service provision and rigorous evaluation practices, we impact over 10,000 adults and children every year.
Website: https://www.sanctuaryforfamilies.org/support-us/volunteer/volunteer-form/
Phone: 212-349–6009
Email: info@sffny.org
What volunteers do:
assist staff in children and youth services program by providing tutoring support with arts and crafts, participating in outings or spending time with a child in childcare groups (various times Monday-Friday)
assist with document translation (can be done at home and completed via email) and more infrequently, in-person interpreting (most often Spanish, French, Chinese, and Hindi, other languages as well)
assist with planning and execution of fundraising benefits and other special events (short-term commitment)
clerical assistance with administrative tasks including photocopying, data entry and filing
law students or individual attorneys assist Sanctuary's legal staff in the legal challenges facing survivors of gender violence
Mission: Serving over 7,600 children and teens and 1,000 adults and families each year at 23 program sites, SCAN-Harbor is the largest youth-service provider in Harlem, East Harlem and the South Bronx. Traditional youth- and family-service providers typically target their client’s problems and then terminate program delivery at the resolution of the presenting problem. SCAN-Harbor considers the traditional “service termination” as just the beginning. With programs as diverse as early childhood education, substance abuse treatment, violence prevention, performing arts, literacy programs, LGBTQ support, afterschool activities and events, employment skills training, and youth leadership, SCAN-Harbor’s positive approach builds on individual, family, and group strengths. We employ an empowerment-focused service approach, inspiring our children and their families to achieve positive goals.
Website: https://www.scan-harbor.org/ways-to-help/volunteer/
Email: Geoff Knight, gknight@scan-harbor.org
Phone: 212-289-8030
What volunteers do:
tutor 1st graders – 5th graders in reading
teach performing arts (dance, choir/song, theatre, piano, violin, percussion, guitar)
coach sports (soccer, basketball, hockey, baseball/softball)
help students prepare for ACT/AST (math/English/writing)
support IT training for teens/young adults
FYI:
commitment is 3 hours/week, either 3 pm – 6 pm or 6 pm – 9 pm
IT certification helpful to work in the IT program
volunteers working with youth aged 13 and under on a regular basis must pass a background check, including fingerprinting, and have a medical exam with their own doctor
Borough: Manhattan and Bronx
Mission: Seeds in the Middle, named by fourth graders, inspires parents, educators, students and their community to access all opportunities, beginning with improving their health, enhancing arts education, and greening their environment. We are joyful, respectful, educational and engaging. Our innovative strategy to fight obesity and combat health disparities initiates at schools. We weave proven programs into a comprehensive package to turn around ills driving down opportunity and advancement. Our pilot Hip2B Healthy schools are in central Brooklyn, a neighborhood with one of New York City's highest obesity, diabetes, and heart disease rates. We have run community farmers’ markets and founded Soccer for Harmony tournaments, inspiring social change through soccer. At Seeds in the Middle, we partner with faculty. We teach how to grow, market, access and prepare nutritious food, how to exercise and engage in the arts, all the elements needed to promote life-changing lifelong health. Our partners come from all walks of life: chefs, athletes, educators, artists, builders and more. We cross cultures. We transform gray into green, destitution into inspiration.
Website: http://seedsinthemiddle.org/getinvolved.html
Email: info@seedsinthemiddle.org
Phone: 917-697-3745
What volunteers do:
professional chefs guide school chefs and host joyous dinner parties to demonstrate healthy cooking
builders and gardeners support indoor and outdoor healthy growing
food vendors and financial experts support Hip2B Healthy Market
educators support teachers, curriculum growth, students
athletes, writers, and artists inspire parents and students
professional mentors partner with children
experienced PTA officers guide parents
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: At Sheltering Arms NY, we believe that every child and family deserves an equal chance at future success. Our mission is to strengthen the education, wellbeing, and development of vulnerable children, youth, and families across the New York metro area so that everyone has the support and opportunity needed to maximize their potential. Through innovation and partnerships, we enable low-income children and families to take steps toward brighter futures, free from the cycle of generational poverty. We have maintained an unwavering commitment to our mission since 1831.
Website: http://shelteringarmsny.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Email: Info@ShelteringArmsNY.org
Phone: 212-675-1000
What volunteers do:
early childhood literacy
teach financial literacy
share professional skills
teach fitness and health
teach music, dance, visual and creative arts
ongoing mentorship
beautification (paint a mural, plant a garden, build benches)
pack kits (college prep kits, personal hygiene kits or back to school supplies)
host a holiday party / be a 'Santa' for a child in foster care
office work
translate
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens
Mission: SAYA aims to foster a strong sense of belonging in youth and provide them with tools to thrive academically, professionally and personally. SAYA youth come from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. Our youth who identify as South Asian or belong to the region’s diasporas trace their ancestries to countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Guyana, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Website: http://www.saya.org/volunteer/
Email: fatima.malik@saya.org
Phone: 718-651-3484
What volunteers do:
teach dance (e.g., Bollywood, Hip Hop or classical Bharatnatyam)
tutor/mentor youth
archive and document materials
assist with events
help with marketing
provide media training to youth and staff
Borough: Queens, Brooklyn
Mission: South Bronx United uses soccer to engage community youth and support the South Bronx community. We serve more than 900 boys and girls aged 4-19, combining recreational and competitive youth soccer with academic enrichment, college prep, mentoring, health and wellness promotion, leadership development, immigrant legal services, and other social services. The South Bronx is one of the poorest districts in the entire nation. It also has the hunger rates and the obesity rates among the highest the country. Together, the school districts perform the lowest in the state. At the same time, the borough, and the South Bronx in particular, have the fastest growing immigrant population in the city. South Bronx United aims to make a difference in this community by engaging at-risk and immigrant youth through their passion for soccer.
Website: https://www.southbronxunited.org/getinvolved/volunteer
Email: info@southbronxunited.org
Phone: 718-404-9281
What volunteers do:
tutor youth in math and ELA (2 hours/week, group of 2-3 students ages 10-15, M-F 4-6, M & W 6-8)
college prep mentor (2 hours, one evening a week for the school year, work with 2-3 seniors on college applications, SATs, Regents, M or W 6-8)
college prep tutor (2 hours, one evening a week, for the school year, tutor math and/or ELA, M or W 6-8)
ESOL tutor (2 hours/week for the school year, work with 2-3 ELL students ages 11-18, Tues, Thurs 4-6, Mon, Wed 6-8)
travel coach
recreational coach
after-school coach
photography
videography
web support
pro bono legal assistance on immigration issues
event planning
waitstaff and bartenders at annual fundraiser
FYI:
orientation and training provided for tutors and mentors
Borough: Bronx
Mission: SEO Scholars is a free eight-year academic program that gets underserved public high school students to and through college—with a 90% college graduation rate. In high school, we offer intensive year-round academic preparation via a carefully calibrated, rigorously assessed course of supplemental education. Our Saturday, summer, and weekly after-school classes provide the equivalent of 2.5+ years of instruction in English and 1.5+ years of instruction in math. In college, we continue to support students through each of their four years, providing one-on-one academic, personal, and career exploration support. We believe that with rigorous out-of-school-time academic support and advising, underserved public school students can attend and excel at America’s top colleges and universities despite their economic circumstances. We believe that America’s economic future depends on ensuring that students from all walks of life get the education they need to make a substantial contribution to our society.
Website: http://www.seoscholars.org/support/mentor/
Email: Samantha Moreno smoreno@seo-usa.org
Phone: 212-647-7010
What volunteers do:
project-based mentoring (e.g. researching and applying to summer enrichment programs; the college application process, including writing personal statements and researching colleges; and building professional skills, including practice interviews, writing resumes, and networking)
FYI:
mentoring opportunities open up each academic year
mentoring commitment is 9 months, consisting of 12 Saturday sessions (6 per semester) of 1.5 hours each
mentors must be college graduates
criminal background check, interview, and mandatory training in August or September required
Mission: For over 75 years, Edwin Gould’s Community of Care has addressed the complex and often overwhelming issues that confront society. Rooted in a history of services focused on the needs of orphaned children during the early years of the twentieth century, our programming now includes a comprehensive array of services incorporating evidence-based practices to address those in need across the life-span. Our cornerstone foster care and adoption services are joined by community-based preventive services designed to assist at-risk families; programming focused on the prevention of domestic violence, intervention to assist victims of such violence, and advocacy toward policy change; criminal justice services; school-based programs; health and mental health services; vocational, and economic empowerment programming; and group living environments for developmentally disabled adults who wish to live independently.
Website: http://www.egscf.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Email: mrichardson2@egscf.org
Phone: 212-437-3500
What volunteers do:
paint
assist with child care
after-school homework help
development – events and proposal writing
graphic design
newsletter production
organize holiday gifts
general office assistance
Borough: Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan
Mission: We serve students who have the desire and potential to graduate college, but who may not be able to due to under-resourced environments and internalization of oppressive systems that promote negative attitudes and beliefs about themselves and their belonging in an academic environment. We’ve seen that with the right support and opportunities, students from low-income backgrounds can earn a college degree and change the face of leadership in our communities. During our 7–9 years together, we provide a circle of support customized for every student, including a combination of mentoring, summer experiential opportunities, and start-to-finish college advising. Along the way, our students begin to tell a new story for themselves, rooted in the emerging discovery that the power to chart their own course has been inside them all along. It’s a long-term investment. And it works.
Website: https://www.summersearch.org/getinvolved/volunteer
Email: nyc@summersearch.org
Phone: 212-248-7401
What volunteers do:
career coaches meet with college students one on one once or twice a month from January through August to help them make the transition from college to internship or career
meet with students to talk about career paths
work alongside students in community service events
host fundraisers
offer internships
provide office support
FYI:
two-hour workshop required for career coaches
Mission: Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) is a multi-service, community-based, not-for-profit agency that provides programs for individuals of all ages. Our Youth and Family Services provide educational enrichment to children, teens, and young adults. We help to engage parents as partners in their children’s education, providing them with the tools they need to work with their children’s teachers and to plan for college. For adults, we offer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses and Home Health Aide Training. Our senior services help people to stay healthy, active, and independent as they age. Our Center for Active Older Adults offers 30 fitness, arts, educational and recreational activities each week, plus hot, nutritionally-balanced meals. We provide home care services for those with limited mobility and support for individuals caring for an ailing senior as well as social adult day programs for individuals with Alzheimer's disease, dementia or physical impairments. As peoples’ needs change over time, we work to provide seamless and ongoing support.
Website: https://www.scsny.org/programs/volunteer/volunteer
Email: info@scsny.org
Phone: 718-784-6173
What volunteers do:
tutor, homework assistance
educational enrichment in youth programs (pre-school through college)
prepare or serve meals in senior center
teach senior classes
help screen seniors for entitlement benefits
assist in day program for cognitively or physically impaired seniors
teach fitness to seniors
visit homebound elder adults (six-month commitment)
administrative support (filing, data entry)
Borough: Queens
Mission: The TEAK Fellowship believes that motivation and potential, not economic circumstances, should determine a student’s future. TEAK unlocks access to outstanding education and transformative experiences for exceptional NYC students, who use these opportunities to change their lives and the world around them. TEAK is a free program that helps talented students from low-income families achieve their potential. Through intensive after school and summer classes, TEAK prepares middle school students to get into the nation’s most selective high schools and colleges. TEAK’s strong support system ensures that students thrive in their independent (day and boarding) high schools and graduate from college, ready to pursue their professional goals and positively impact the world.
Website: https://teakfellowship.org/get-involved/
Phone: Wyndy Wilder Sloan at 212-288-6678 x107 (general volunteering) or Andrew Barber at 212-288-6678 x113 (prospective tutors) or Vanessa Greer at (212) 288-6678 x120 (prospective mentors)
Email: wsloan@teakfellowship.org or abarber@teakfellowship.org or vgreer@teakfellowship.org
What volunteers do:
mentors offer insight, advice, and encouragement and provide perspectives on high school, college, and career paths, meeting three times per year in person and contacting mentee once a month by phone or email (5-year commitment that begins when student is in 7th grade)
tutors work one on one with students on subject and skill proficiency, future college admissions, and the transition to college-level work
professionals provide career advice, grant informational interviews, conduct practice interviews with students, and review resumes and cover letters for program alumni
FYI:
mentor program opens up each fall
application and information session required for mentors
prospective mentors not matched in a given year get priority the following year
middle-school tutors tend to work on study skills and writing
high-school tutors tend to work on math and science (specifically, chemistry, physics, trigonometry, and calculus) with occasional need for writing tutors
Mission: TEALS pairs computer science professionals from across the industry with classroom educators to team-teach CS in high schools throughout the U.S. Started in 2009 by Microsoft employee Kevin Wang, who developed and ran the program in his spare time, TEALS was embraced by Microsoft in 2011 and has been supported by the company ever since as part of its global YouthSpark initiative, which aims to increase access to CS education for all youth around the world. TEALS helps high schools teach computer science by providing trained volunteers – industry professionals in CS – to partner with a classroom teacher and work as a team to deliver CS education to students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to learn CS in their school. Over two years, the classroom teacher gradually takes over the responsibilities of teaching the course without volunteer support. The team-teaching and volunteer system of TEALS creates a strong ripple effect: it empowers teachers who can multiply the impact by providing computer science education to hundreds more students over the years.
Website: https://www.tealsk12.org/volunteers/
Email: https://www.tealsk12.org/contact/
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
help prepare a classroom teacher to teach Intro to Computer Science Principles, AP CS A (Java Programming), or an AP CS Principles course on their own
volunteer teachers serve on a teaching team led by a classroom teacher, 2-3 classes/week, often first period – 7:30 a.m.- 9:30 a.m. (answer student questions; grade assignments; inspire students to continue pursuing computer science in college or career; meet as a team to track student progress and plan upcoming classes; adapt lesson plans from the TEALS curriculum for use in your class and deliver lessons)
assistants help students with lab work, grade assignments, deliver guest lectures, (1-2 classes/week)
consultants support teacher remotely by discussing class, assisting with curriculum and grading, delivering guest lectures, inspiring students via visits or video conference to continue pursuing computer science in college or career
FYI:
CS degree or equivalent job experience required
info sessions available in person or online
commitment for full school year
3-4 volunteers assigned to each school; volunteers expected to be present for 50% of classes
assistants work in teams of one or two
mandatory summer training program (20 hours of online and in-person training sessions, plus 20 hours working with teaching team and preparing for the school year)
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens
Mission: The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
Website: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/pages/volunteer
Phone: n/a
Email: siobhan.mangal@thetrevorproject.org
What volunteers do:
staff phone crisis hotline or instant-messaging crisis hotline (four-session training required)
serve on committees for pride events, fundraising, and education
admin help
Mission: Turning Point Brooklyn serves as a stepping stone for the “at-potential” residents of Greater Brooklyn who’ve decided to seek ways to improve their everyday lives. Through integrated housing, education, health and social service programs, Turning Point Brooklyn provides the comprehensive support and quality care necessary for clients to take control and turn their lives around. Our vision is to be an agent of support for all those seeking to build a better Brooklyn. We do this by offering an integrated array of comprehensive services designed to restore hope and human dignity to individuals within the Sunset Park and Red Hook communities.
Website: http://www.tpbk.org/get-involved.html
Phone: 718-360-8108
Email: rjennings@tpbk.org
What volunteers do:
mentor young woman seeking employment, independence (three-month commitment)
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Unchained At Last is the only nonprofit in the US dedicated to helping women and girls leave or avoid arranged/forced marriages and rebuild their lives. Unchained also is the only nonprofit in the US dedicated to creating social, policy and legal change to end forced and child marriage in America. Unchained is also the only nonprofit in the US dedicated to promoting social and policy change to prevent forced marriage. Unchained raises awareness about forced marriage and advocates for relevant legislation. Unchained At Last envisions a world where every woman is free to choose whether, when and whom to marry — and whether to get divorced.
Website: http://www.unchainedatlast.org/get-involved/
Email: n/a
Volunteer application: http://www.unchainedatlast.org/volunteer-application/
Phone: 908-481-HOPE
What volunteers do:
career counseling
financial planning
lawyers provide pro-bono services to clients
psychotherapists provide pro-bono services to clients
FYI:
two professional references and resume required
separate applications for lawyers and psychotherapists
Mission: Union Settlement is an on-the-ground resource for East Harlem residents of all ages, and a passionate advocate for the needs of underserved communities. Since opening our doors in 1895, we have brought education, wellness, and community-building programs to our neighborhood, empowering New Yorkers with opportunities to better their lives. By helping our neighbors realize their goals, we build the vitality and success of East Harlem. Our offerings—from youth and adult education classes, to Meals-on-Wheels, mental health services and programs for senior citizens—span more than a dozen locations across the neighborhood. They are designed to touch every member of a family and support the interdependent needs of every generation and culture in our neighborhood.
Website: https://unionsettlement.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Email: Cristina Valbuena-Castor cvalbuenacastr@unionsettlement.org
Phone: 646-672-5082
What volunteers do:
homework help with children ages 5-12, M-F, 3-5
help special-needs children with homework, M-F 3-4 (must have special-needs experience)
GED program assistant (commit to a trimester, reading M, W, noon-3; math Mon-Thurs, noon-3)
literacy partner for adults work one-on-one or with small group, one morning shift per week (bilingual a plus)
develop and implement recreational activities for seniors, mornings, commitment at discretion of volunteer
friendly visiting with seniors (3-4 hours/month for 3-6 months)
senior phone chat (2-4 hours/month for 3-6 months)
beautification and maintenance
file, data entry (2-5 hours/week)
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: UCC is a social justice driven community center that has been serving the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn for over 60 years. Our mission is to work together with residents of all ages and cultures to address our community’s challenges, celebrate its strengths, and provide services that improve lives. Our current programs include: the Morris L. Eisenstein (MLE) Learning Center for 110 pre-school children; services for immigrants which include immigration assistance, English classes, and civics/ citizenship preparation classes; Protecting the East, a project that conducts women’s sexual and reproductive health workshops, community-wide condom distribution and HIV/STDS prevention education and outreach; East New York Farms!, an urban agriculture project that includes a youth internship program and the largest youth-run farmers market in the country.
Website: http://ucceny.org/get-involved/
Email: http://ucceny.org/contact-us/ or for farm: roy@eastnewyorkfarms.org
Phone: 718-649-7979
What volunteers do:
work on UCC Youth Farm
contribute muffins/cakes to bake sales or food for fish-fry sales
assemble condom packages for neighborhood distribution
community outreach (distribute flyers)
tutor/homework help for children ages 5-10 one-on one while their parents attend classes (6 p.m.-8 pm. Tues and Thurs)
repaint building/facilities
FYI:
farm hours are 1st and 3rd Saturdays from April to October, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
tutors/homework helpers must commit to come once a week and have a high-school education
Mission: Nearly 130 years ago, University Settlement launched an innovative movement that changed New York City and the country. With University Settlement leading, settlement houses established the idea that immigrants and low-income families deserve basic services like quality education, decent housing, access to open space for exercise and health, and support for the aging. They proved that with a little help, these families could get a foothold on the American dream. Providing social services that give families a helping hand has become part of our national fabric. University Settlement has continued to set the standard and invent best practices for others to follow in America. Today, University Settlement has remained true to its first principle: to strengthen a community, you must strengthen families. And to strengthen a family, you must provide a range of services and support. Not just childcare. Not just after-school programs. Not just education for adults or meals for seniors.
Website: http://www.universitysettlement.org/us/support/volunteer/
Email: info@universitysettlement.org
Phone: 212-453-0257
What volunteers do:
tutor
mentor
lead workshops on college and/or job readiness
work with pre-schoolers
tutor after-school
teach a specialized workshop
help at special events
advocate on housing issues
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Unlocking Futures is committed to transforming the chaotic lives of young people through persistent and compassionate mentoring. Since 1985, Unlocking Futures has committed to transforming the lives of disadvantaged youth who exhibit maladaptive behaviors such as truancy, violence, gang membership, physical and verbal violence, and at-risk sexual activity. To decrease the at-risk behavior of youth and to enhance the effectiveness of the people who live and work with them. Unlocking Futures provides both prevention and intervention programs. All services and programs Unlocking are based on our Curriculum of Possibilities, an evidence-based model that has been independently evaluated by three universities; Texas, Columbia, and City College. CFP uses a cognitive approach, and an ontological design aimed at altering one’s self-perception to allow for breakthroughs in areas of challenge in our lives or help establish new goals and a plan to accomplish them.
Website: http://nyunlockingfutures.org/volunteering/
Volunteer application: http://nyunlockingfutures.org/volunteer-application/
Email: info@nyunlockingfutures.org
Phone: 212-791-4927
What volunteers do:
after training in the Curriculum for Possibilities, work as mentor-coach one-on-one with youth or parent-child pair to encourage new practices and momentum to accomplish personal projects within a set timeline (Spanish and Kreyol speakers very helpful)
social media designers and practitioners increase branding and visibility
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Uptown Stories inspires kids to to discover and develop their inner voices in a diverse community of writers. Based in upper Manhattan, we offer small-group writing workshops for children ages eight to fifteen, led by master teachers and professional authors. To ensure our workshops are accessible to all children, tuition is pay-what-you-can. Uptown Stories creates an exciting, challenging, and supportive community in which young authors thrive.
Website: http://uptownstories.org/volunteer/
Email: info@uptownstories.org
Phone: (929) 27-STORY
Volunteer signup form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc70MEB9L9efQ0rfN4osXjcP81FwATh_KgDofCVLVnvirzJHw/formResponse
What volunteers do:
Solicit donations for toys and fidget-spinners
Communicate with school administration, literacy teachers, PTA, and parent community
Edit student work and help students polish stories
Order and maintain snack inventory
Maintain supply inventory, solicit donations of supplies
Assist young writers in entering Scholastic writing awards
Maintain laptops
Design t-shirts, mugs, stickers, backpacks for students and donors
Connect with local businesses to solicit support
Write grants
Plan fundraisers
Review contracts (lawyers only)
Provide classrooms support
Create monthly MailChimp newsletter and write workshop registration emails
Maintain social-media presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Help with upgrades of physical plant (e.g., paint library, replace carpet)
Maintain SEO of website
Edit and lay out the end-of-semester anthology
Stock the student library
Solicit book donations and corporate book grants
Support student cartoonists and illustrators
Select excerpts of student writing to share online
Maintain WordPress site
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Urban Upbound’s mission is to break cycles of poverty in public-housing neighborhoods by providing residents with the tools and opportunities necessary for self-sufficiency and economic mobility. The Financial Fitness Program offers a wide array of financial empowerment services to help clients tackle debt, overcome an immediate financial crisis, develop realistic budgets, and save and invest in their future. The Urban Upbound Federal Credit Union offers safe and secure financial services including access to capital, asset building vehicles and ownership stakes for its members. The College Access Program provides comprehensive college preparation services with a focus on SAT preparation, career exploration, mentoring, and financial counseling services to achieve our goal of increasing college graduation rates for disadvantaged students in our communities. Urban Upbound is also working to ensure that public housing neighborhoods have access to basic goods and services — including fresh food, high-quality retail, and mainstream financial services.
Website: http://urbanupbound.org/donate-now/#volunteer
Email: Dan Ping He danping@urbanupbound.org (financial literacy program in the Bronx) or carly@urbanupbound.org (tax prep, youth programs in Long Island City and Astoria)
Phone: 718-541-4116
What volunteers do:
distribute flyers about financial literacy and consumer protection
outreach and tabling about financial literacy programs
present workshops on financial literacy and consumer rights
mentor high-school-aged youth in College and Career Access program, providing knowledge and support surrounding the college application process, financial aid, and the workforce
mentor disconnected youth in Exploration in Careers program
provide workshops on job readiness or workplace etiquette
adult career-counseling support (one-on-one assistance with resumes, practice interviewing, and motivation towards completion of secondary and postsecondary credentials
help clients define savings goals and develop realistic action steps, putting on budgeting and saving workshops
certified tax preparers help clients file returns
Borough: Bronx, Queens
Mission: Urban Word NYC champions the voices of New York City youth by providing platforms for critical literacy, youth development and leadership through free and uncensored writing, college prep, and performance opportunities. Urban Word NYC serves aspiring young writers from across New York City’s five boroughs. Its target population reflects the makeup of the public institutions from which they are largely drawn (40% African American, 20% Latino, 18% Asian/Pacific Islander, 15% White, 5% Middle Eastern and 2% Other), over 95% of whOM attend Title I schools (free or reduced lunch). In addition, UW also serves youth in homeless shelters or alternative incarceration facilities and hosts events for young people in a range of community centers, religious spaces, and commercial venues across the city.
Website: http://urbanwordnyc.org/volunteer/
Email: Program Director Shanelle Gabriel at shanelle@urbanwordnyc.org; for poetry slam, Shannon at shannon@urbanwordnyc.org
Phone: 718-246-2775
What volunteers do:
staff events
judge annual teen poetry slam
Borough: all
FYI: poetry slam judges must be 22 or older and must provide a short bio
Mission: Writopia Lab fosters joy, literacy, and critical thinking in children and teens from all backgrounds through creative writing. We provide young people with the creative inspiration and intellectual environment that may not be available to them at school. We help students become comfortable expressing themselves on paper and to ultimately cultivate (or maintain) a love of writing in each of them. We create and sustain a diverse community of young writers who find commonalities in a shared passion for ideas and expression. We provide an open, safe, and nurturing space for young people who are highly engaged in creative and intellectual endeavors. We provide an open, safe, and nurturing space for young people who struggle with verbal and written expression. We identify ways that creative youth who struggle academically can use their gifts to further their academic success.
Website: http://www.writopialab.org/who-we-are/join-the-team#volunteer
Email: info@writopialab.org
Phone: 212-222-4088
What volunteers do:
with degree in English or education, mentor and support young writers (nine-month commitment, 2-10 hours/week plus monthly meetings and professional development sessions)
with experience in Regents and test prep, GED, resume building, admissions essays, work with older teens transitioning out of foster care or treatment facilities for incarcerated youth
mentor within creative-writing workshops in afterschool programs for low-income youth (60-90 mins once a week on M, T, W or F)
FYI:
application and training session required
Borough: Manhattan, Brooklyn
Mission: World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. World Vision is known for a global commitment to community development, disaster response, and child well-being. Since 1981, World Vision has also served children and youth living in poverty in the U.S. World Vision serves greater New York City, focusing on the South Bronx and Washington Heights. Our programs include Essential Supplies, Teacher Resource Center, and Building Materials.
Website: http://worldvisionusprograms.org/new_york_volunteer.php
Email: nyprograms@worldvision.org
Phone: 718-292-5600
What volunteers do:
sort donated items
stock shelves
assist with product distributions and special events such as school supply drives
assemble backpack, caregiver or disaster relief kits
general warehouse support
FYI:
calendar of available volunteer shifts on site
Borough: Bronx
Mission: Year Up envisions a future in which every urban young adult will have access to the education, experiences, and guidance required to realize his or her true potential. Our mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. We achieve this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college credits. Our program combines hands-on skills development, courses eligible for college credit, and corporate internships to prepare students for success in professional careers and higher education. Our holistic approach focuses on students’ professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency.
Website: http://www.yearup.org/get-involved/ways-to-help/?location=new-york/
Email: n/a
Phone: 855-932-7871
What volunteers do:
mentor (email or call mentee weekly; meet face-to-face monthly for 8 months; help mentee build professional network; review resume and college forms; encourage continuous learning and problem-solving; attend Year Up graduation and recognize your student)
tutor academic subjects
speak to a class about careers
Borough: Manhattan