Working Together for Wake County Students
You can play an important role in helping more North Carolina students graduate from high school. Here are some ways to get involved:Volunteer Opportunities with WCPSS. The Wake County Public School System has numerous community partners who volunteer in our schools each day, working one-on-one with students to help them reach success. Volunteers serve as tutors, mentors, and business partners, providing valuable support to our schools. We urge the entire community to get involved in our schools to help us better serve all of our students.
Make a difference in the life of a child--volunteer today! Contact Toni Cooper, Administrator, Volunteers/Gifts to the System at 858-3239.
Mentor a child. Schools, community organizations and well-known programs such as Communities in Schools of Wake County or Big Brothers/Big Sisters all offer opportunities to share yourself with a child who needs adult attention. Call your local school district for information on school-based mentoring programs. Or check out Futures for Kids to learn about how to be a career mentor online.
Tutor a child. Virtually all K-12 public schools are in need of tutors to help students in reading, math and other subjects. You don’t need a college degree in to tutor in most subjects. Learn more.
Participate in the NC Graduation Project as a mentor or project judge. Beginning in 2010, students will need to complete a project in order to graduate. This new requirement will help students connect their studies to the real-world. Students need mentors in their chosen field of study as well as judges to help grade their finished projects. Learn more about how you can get involved by contacting the high school nearest you.
Help your house of worship or civic organization set up an after-school tutoring or homework program. Most school-based tutoring occurs during the school day. Houses of worship can offer after-school programs that help with homework and provide extra support for students at risk of falling behind. Contact Darryl Fisher at 858-3229 or email dtfisher@wcpss.net.
Our schools are looking for business partners. Companies and offices can work with neighboring schools to provide support through job shadowing, short-term work experiences, co-operative learning, internships, and apprenticeships, as well as taking part in mentoring and tutoring. You can learn more here.
Consider the portion of your taxes that support human services programs as an investment. Dropouts are a drain on society: They contribute less to the tax base and are more likely to be incarcerated, lack health insurance, and be unemployed. Supporting at-risk families to help prevent kids from dropping out of school is a lot less expensive than paying for problems on the back end. Click here for statistics about the high cost of dropouts.