Academic Volunteer Program

Volunteers must fill out an interest form for each school year. Our form is currently closed for the 2023-2024 school year. If you would like to volunteer for the remainder of the current school year, please email Heather Schnier. The form for the 2024-2025 school year will go live at the end of July. 

VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORM COMING SOON

We accept two types of background checks:

• Current background checks issues through the Centerville City Schools Board of Education Office (such as for coaches, substitutes, CCS staff and retired staff)
• Current background checks through SecureVolunteer-BIB

If you do not have a currently valid screening through either of the above, you must submit a request for a criminal background check through SecureVolunteer-BIB by clicking the button below. The SecureVolunteer-BIB screening is paid for by the district at no cost to the applicant. Please be sure to select "Academic Volunteer" as your screen type.

REQUEST A BACKGROUND CHECK THROUGH SECUREVOLUNTEER-BIB

Individuals who have never volunteered at a building will need to attend an orientation for that school. Your building coordinator(s) will contact you with orientation information. These typically occur in September, with makeups available throughout the school year.

If you are a returning volunteer, orientation is optional, but you will still need to receive any building updates for the current school year from your building coordinator before you begin volunteering. Please contact your building coordinator(s) with any questions.

Each building offers unique opportunities to volunteer. Please visit our Positions Description page for a full list of opportunities and the requirements for each. Also check out the difference between AVP and PTO volunteer opportunities listed below to help you find what you're looking for.

With the exception of one after school opportunity, AVP opportunities occur during the school day and involve working directly with children. Please view our Position Descriptions page for a full listing.

The PTO coordinates some in-school special events, such as holiday parties, book fairs, fun runs, field days, and other fundraisers. They also coordinate after-school carnivals, socials, fundraising, and teacher appreciation events. You do not need to fill out the AVP form and background check to volunteer with the PTO.

Find your school's PTO website to learn more about PTO opportunities at your school.

While we have classroom opportunities, particularly in the primary and elementary schools, please understand that not all classroom teachers request a volunteer. Needs vary by classroom to classroom, and even year to year. If the class you wanted is not an option, we hope you might consider assisting in a different area in your child's school.  You are always welcome to reach out to your building coordinator if you have any questions about currently available positions.

If you are interested in helping in your child's classroom holiday parties, please contact your school's PTO.

There are a variety of opportunities that offer flexibility with different schedules.

Ongoing classroom and tutoring positions typically require a weekly commitment, though some may be every other week or a couple times a week.

There are other positions, such as in many of the integrated arts, lunch & recess, where volunteers can choose which classes or days work for them.

Short term projects may just be for a day, or require a commitment of several days in a short period of time. This is a great option for volunteers that can't make a weekly commitment.

Academic Volunteers are expected to abide by the AVP Volunteer Handbook. Please review the handbook before you begin volunteering. Section 3 details volunteer expectations while Section 4 explains what you can expect the district to provide for you as a volunteer.

Building orientations will also provide volunteers with information about how things operate in the building, as well as go over logistical considerations a volunteer might have.  

Training may be done individually with your teacher prior to your first volunteer shift, during or directly after building orientation, or as a separate group training, depending on the opportunity.

There are some opportunities at the middle schools and high school that require a specific skill, such as playing an instrument, speaking a foreign language or being comfortable with a specific subject matter . Most of our opportunities with our younger learners are accessible to anyone with a willingness to help children learn and grow.

The school district uses Secure Volunteer-BIB (Background Investigation Bureau) as a background check for many of our volunteer and chaperone positions (please note chaperoning is separate than the Academic Volunteer program). Any volunteer who does not have a current background check through the district central office (subs, coaches, and other school employees) will need a background check through BIB. Some common questions:

• Secure Volunteer BIB background checks are valid for 2 years.
• They are paid for by the district, at no cost to the volunteer.
• They check criminal history. Credit history will not be checked.
• You will receive an email from BIB after your background check has been approved. (Please note this is a change from previous years when volunteers would receive a card in the mail.) 

Raptor is a visitor management system that our district uses for school security. Please visit our district's Raptor FAQ page for more information.