Volunteer Opportunities

As KIPP LA Schools expands, our need for volunteers is growing as well. Volunteer activities at KIPP LA cover a wide spectrum that includes working with students and teachers in the classroom, mentoring students, and lending specific expertise to help the organization grow and thrive.

Our volunteers are professionals, college students, graduate students, and parents – anyone with a desire to make a difference by helping propel students to college. KIPP LA has volunteer programs suited for most schedules and interests; please read on to learn about the current opportunities at our three campuses.

If none of these programs seems like a good fit for you, we welcome suggestions for new programs. In fact, many of our volunteer programs were developed and are coordinated by volunteers themselves.

For up-to-date schedules, more information, and to sign up, please contact Kirsten Peterson by emailing kpeterson@kippla.org, or by calling (213) 489-4461 x111.

You want to volunteer? Start here:

Mentoring and Other Long-term Opportunities

High School Prep Mentoring (KIPP Academy of Opportunity)

A key part of preparing our KIPPsters for college is making sure they attend a college-prep high school. All seventh and eighth grade students are enrolled in a “high school prep” class, which involves test prep, high school research, and individual counseling. Mentors provide an additional layer of support, helping students prepare and submit applications, practice for interviews, and stay on top of the high school application process.

Mentors meet with students in person once per month, either during the week or at Saturday school, for a total of approximately 7 meetings per year. Between in-person meetings, mentors and students communicate via email. Mentors work with as many mentees (usually 2-4) as their schedule permits.

Mock Trial Mentoring (KIPP Academy of Opportunity)

The year-long Mock Trial program will give KAO eighth grade students the opportunity to explore the field of law and will challenge them to develop their critical thinking and public speaking skills. Students will write opening and closing statements, question and cross examine witnesses, and gain an understanding of the judicial system as a whole. At the end of the school year, the case will go to trial with the young lawyers presenting their arguments to a panel of seventh grade “jurors.”

We invite volunteers with a background in law to teach the students the basic guidelines and practices needed to try a case, help them compile evidence, and formulate their arguments for trial. The student-lawyers will meet with mentors one to two Saturdays per month from 9 AM to 1 PM during the school year.

Short-term and Medium-term Opportunities

Enrichment Time (KIPP LA Prep)

Though KIPP LA Prep’s KIPPsters will be spending plenty of time reviewing the quadratic equation and writing essays all year long, they’ll also have ample opportunity to pursue their individual interests outside of the core curriculum. On Tuesdays through Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:30 PM, students will be building skills and expanding their awareness in a specific extracurricular area—from engineering to poetry to singing and dancing.

The opportunities for volunteer involvement in this program are many: volunteers with specific expertise could guest teach, those interested in serving as a teacher’s aide in a subject of interest could do so long-term. Teachers are also open to incorporating projects led by volunteers. Please contact Kirsten for more information on all the exciting classes with which you could volunteer.

Guest Teaching and Other One-time Opportunities

Life Skills Guest Teacher Program (KIPP Academy of Opportunity)

The Life Skills Guest Teacher Program is designed to expose KAO students to a wide range of avenues to success, with an emphasis on the educational and experiential pathways toward pursuing a given career. Volunteers can participate by making presentations about their current and past work experience to students in grades five to eight. Each session consists of an orientation and presentation in two to three classrooms, and lasts about four hours total. The remaining 2009-10 Life Skills Guest Teacher Days occur on Wednesdays, and fall on the following dates: January 27; February 24; March 24; April 28; June 16.

“Our Community” Guest Teacher Program (KIPP Raíces Academy)

At KIPP LA’s elementary school, guest teachers are invited to speak during “Our Community” time, a weekly program on Thursday or Friday afternoon that introduces students to the community in which they live. “Our Community” guest teachers give a 45-minute presentation that can focus on their jobs, families, hobbies, a favorite childhood book, or any other interesting aspect of their lives. As Raíces currently serves only kindergarteners and first graders, we ask that presentations be interactive– 45 minutes can be quite long for a five-year-old to sit in one place.

Career Day (KIPP LA Prep)

This winter, KIPP LA Prep is hosting its first-ever Career Day, an entire day focused on providing students with the opportunity to learn about ways they can direct their education and career. Volunteers are invited to share their individual career path, from their first thoughts of pursuing their current career, to the teachers and role models who helped them achieve those dreams, to the nitty-gritty of their everyday responsibilities. Volunteers will begin the day with a brief orientation and present to three or four classes. Career Day has yet to be scheduled for 2009-10. The date and time will be published online shortly.

Mock High School Interviews (KIPP LA Prep, KIPP Academy of Opportunity)

A critical component of the high school application process is an interview between high school admissions officers and the applying student. In order to ensure that our KIPPsters are putting their best foot forward, a number of Mock Interview sessions will be held at both middle schools. Volunteers will question students as to their academic interests, personality and background, preparing students to field questions with poise. The schedule for the 2009-10 school year is still in progress; dates will be added as they are established.

Development Opportunities

Development Committee (KIPP LA Schools)

The KIPP LA Development Committee’s mission is to provide the necessary leadership, strategy, and volunteerism to create a consistent, sustainable fundraising platform that will allow KIPP LA to continue to strive for educational excellence and grow to 14 schools by 2015.

Committee activities include organizing cultivation and fundraising events, identifying and cultivating major gift prospects, and fostering KIPP LA’s presence in the community through developing relationships with members of the media and the community.

Events Committee (KIPP LA Schools)

KIPP LA’s Events Committee is charged with supporting the KIPP LA development staff in planning and executing cultivation and fundraising events throughout the year. Event Committee duties include soliciting sponsorships and conducting outreach to expand KIPP LA’s network of friends.