Volunteer Opportunities: Education Programs (EP)

ESC is seeking interested women and men to join its corps of volunteer mentors and advisors.

ESC applies the insights and skills of volunteer executives and professionals to address issues specific to developing teens, young adults and other individuals. Our volunteers have assisted many individuals increase their chances of getting a job, going on to college, and/or learning more about the world of science.

ESC's Education Program (EP) is divided into three main areas:

Mentoring  

Science

Job Preparation

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions.

1. What is the role of a volunteer?
2. What are the most important skills that an ESC volunteer needs?
3. How does one become an ESC volunteer?
4. How does ESC prepare new volunteers?
5. How are volunteers assigned to students/JPW projects or science fairs?
6. What level of commitment is expected of ESC volunteers?
7. Do volunteers find participating in ESC rewarding?

1.  What is the role of a EP volunteer?

The role of the EP volunteer depends mainly on which program you wish to participate:

For a senior mentor, the role is that of a one-on-one mentor. In addition to meeting as a group to discuss various topics that are pertinent to the senior (financial aid, the importance of grades and scholarships, high school vs. college life, and others), the senior mentor is encouraged to interact more directly with his or her mentee, and to participate in various "senior" activities: beginning of the year picnic, cultural event (dinner and a theatrical performance), company and college tours, and the year-end May luncheon. At this luncheon, all students (juniors included), their parents, mentors, and administrators are invited to gather to celebrate the successes of the year and to encourage each student, one last time, to pursue his or her dreams. Also, qualifying students are awarded various scholarships- ranging from one time gifts of $500 to $1,000, to a full four-year tuition.

For a junior mentor, the role is more general and structured. Mentors will meet at the school twice a month in a group setting to discuss topics such as study habits, time management, goal setting, and others.

For a science advisor or science fair judge the role is that of assisting schools to conduct science fairs, helping students prepare science projects, and then to help judge the fairs. The main objective for this program is for students to become more interested in the world around them, to begin to think scientifically, with the hope that one day they will able to apply that knowledge to real world problems.

For a job preparation (JPW) presenter, the role is that of preparing individuals for the workforce. This is accomplished through structured modules:

1. Resume and Application

2. Interview Skills

3. Practice Interviews

4. Strategies for Success

The role of the JPW volunteer would be to understand the contents of each module and to effectively apply that knowledge in a setting ranging from one or two individuals to groups of twenty individuals. The main objective is for the participant to complete the module feeling more confident about his or her employment opportunities. 

2. What are the most important skills that an ESC volunteer needs?

ESC volunteers come from a variety of professional backgrounds. Be new or seasoned professionals, educators, business executives, public sector managers or nonprofit leaders, the most important skills a volunteer needs are the ability to listen, relate to the individual, communicate effectively, and be interested in improving the lives of other individuals. Particularly for the science program, the volunteer needs to be able to interact with elementary and middle school kids.

3. How does one become a volunteer?

The best way is to contact Trecia Holloway to set up a meeting. The meeting allows ESC to get to know the candidate and allows the candidate to get to know ESC, its purpose and procedures. If there is a fit between the candidate's interests and abilities with ESC's educational program needs, the candidate will be invited to participate in an orientation and other appropriate training programs.

4. How does ESC prepare new volunteers?

Although some of ESC's volunteers have had experience as volunteers, others have not. From time to time, ESC will provide various workshops on Science Fairs, Mentoring, and the Job Preparedness program. We encourage all volunteers to participate in as many formal trainings as possible. Many times though, a new volunteer can learn from other volunteers or by observing actual sessions. 

5. How are volunteers assigned to students, JPW projects or science fairs?

For one-on-one senior mentoring, at the beginning of the school year, each volunteer is assigned to a senior student based on both the student's wishes for a mentor and on the particular mentor's skills, experience, interests, availability and geography. For group mentoring, volunteers are assigned to a school based on the needs of each school. Of course, if a volunteer wishes to participate at a particular school, every  attempt will be made to accommodate him or her.

For JPW, volunteers are notified of various opportunities via email, phone calls, or by mail.  The volunteer can either agree to participate in the session or decline. All volunteers will be continually notified of new opportunities and can make decisions based on their availability.

For the science program, volunteers are notified of opportunities through a number of means. As with the JPW program, a volunteer can decide to participate or not to participate in one or more fairs or science advisories based on their individual availability.

6. What level of commitment is expected of ESC volunteers?

The level of commitment greatly depends on the volunteer and the program. Some volunteers prefer to dedicate a tremendous amount of time while others volunteer only for specific programs or projects. You may participate in all of the education programs or one. For the mentoring program, the time commitment is greater during the school year and less during the summer. The science program is very active during the months of Jan-March and the JPW program is consistent throughout the year.

7. How do volunteers find ESC rewarding?

Most ESC volunteers are initially motivated by the desire to give back to the larger community; once they start volunteering for ESC they find great satisfaction from their service.

If you are interested in becoming an ESC Education Program volunteer, please contact Trecia Holloway.