Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers develop relationships with students and serve as positive role models.
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities at Breakthrough. Please contact Cooper at: volunteer @breakthroughaustin.org to sign up to volunteer. We greatly appreciate your time and energy!
WORK DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS
Academic Coaches (year round):
Work directly with a specific middle or high school student to support their academic progress. Possible activities may include: meeting with the student once a week during lunch or after school at their campus, encouraging good study habits and organization, tutoring if able, helping student research high school or college options, and communicating regularly with the Breakthrough Case Manager about the student’s academic progress.
Level of commitment: Meet with a student once or twice a week for an hour over the course of a semester or school year. Meetings take place at the student’s school or the Breakthrough office. The number of hours varies depending on the student’s academic needs.
Availability: Meetings take place Monday through Friday during after school hours (between 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm) and will be planned by the student and Academic Coach according to their shared availability.
Training: Academic Coach will receive initial training and support around first meeting with student and following meetings, and be in regular communication with Breakthrough Case Manager by email, phone, or face-to-face.
Transportation: Academic Coaches need reliable transportation to the student’s school campus or the Breakthrough office.
After School Homework Helpers or Tutors (fall & spring):
Help students build their academic skills by providing them with the tools to be successful students. Possible activities may include: helping student study for a math quiz or understand a science problem, or motivating a student to meet deadlines on time and keep up their grades.
Level of commitment: Successful homework helpers and tutors commit to a once a week schedule to tutor students during after-school hours at Breakthrough office or at a school campus.
Availability: Tutoring sessions take place Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at the Breakthrough office or Mondays through Thursdays at school campuses in Austin. The sessions are coordinated to respond to Breakthrough students’ needs. Volunteer shifts are usually 1 – 2 hours each session.
Training: Breakthrough provides an initial training, introduction to student, tips for building rapport with students, and other resources to support tutoring.
Transportation: Tutors need reliable transportation to the Breakthrough office or a middle or high school campus in Austin.
High School or College Application Coaches (fall & early spring):
Support our students by reviewing their high school and college applications. Possible activities may include: offering application feedback, guiding student through essay writing and revision process, and keeping students on a step-by-step timeline for achieving these goals, and assisting student applicant and their family at one or more fall workshop events.
Level of commitment: Successful Application Coaches meet with student or multiple students once a week, either at the Breakthrough office or at a student’s school. Application Coaches help students meet submission deadlines by breaking down steps to meet the application goals.
Availability: Students and Application Coaches will agree on meeting days and times based on their shared availability. Typically, Application Coaches meet students during after school hours at the Breakthrough office.
Training: Breakthrough provides an initial training for Application Coaches detailing the application processes, financial aid process, and how to work with each student. Breakthrough Case Managers provide continued support.
Transportation: Application Coaches need reliable transportation to the Breakthrough office, the student’s school, or a public library.
SUPPORT STUDENT PROGRAMS & DEVELOPMENT
Bilingual Volunteers (year round): Help facilitate communication between Breakthrough and Spanish-speaking families by translating live during Breakthrough events and workshops, translating Breakthrough newsletters and other written communications into Spanish, and translating conversations between staff members and students’ families. Volunteers should be fluent in both English and Spanish and feel comfortable translating both written and verbal communications.
Phone Bank Callers (year round): Make phone calls to Breakthrough families and students two to three times per month as needed to inform and remind them about upcoming events or activities. Volunteers who are fluent in both English and Spanish would be especially helpful. Typically, calls are made in the late afternoon a day or two before the event. The time commitment can vary depending on the availability of the volunteer.
Design & Media Volunteers (year round): Breakthrough needs a few project-based volunteers to help create recruitment brochures, revise and edit articles for newsletters and the website, and format layouts. Volunteers are also needed to update our website with new articles, events, and announcements. We are in particular need for a volunteer with knowledge of WordPress website design or video production.
Technology Volunteers (year round): Breakthrough utilizes numerous computers and assorted other technology to facilitate student learning. Volunteers are needed for computer inventory, troubleshooting, updating, and maintenance. Ideal candidate will make a continuing commitment to support our technology on a monthly basis.
Salesforce Database Support (year round): Breakthrough manages all student data with a Salesforce online database. Volunteers are needed for customizing this database to meet our needs.
Project and Special Events Supporters (year round): Provide critical support to a host of projects and events such as celebrations and workshops throughout the year. This opportunity is especially convenient for tutors looking for a shorter-term commitment, a more flexible schedule, or a particular project to support.
Administrative Assistants (year round): Support Breakthrough staff with daily tasks, projects, outreach to families, workshop planning and resource preparation. Successful associates commit to a regular weekly schedule; however, the number of hours varies depending on the schedule of the volunteer.
DIRECTIONS AND LOCATIONS
Breakthrough volunteer opportunites take place at a variety of locations in addition to the Breakthrough office.
Directions by car, bus, or bike can be found on Google Maps. Specific bus routes and schedules can also be found on www.capmetro.org. Tutoring sessions at schools typically meet in the library. Check with Breakthrough staff to confirm session location.
Locations
Summer Sites for Volunteering:
University of Texas at Austin
Manor New Tech High School
School Year Sites for Volunteering:
Breakthrough Office (1050 East 11th Street, Suite 350, Austin, TX 78702)
Austin ISD Middle and High Schools
Manor Middle and High Schools