Volunteer: Community Circle Program (Youth Social Emotional Learning)

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Community Circle - the Social Emotional Learning Program at Maple Counseling! For over 50 years, this vital program has played an important role in helping the community by partnering with elementary and middle schools to develop essential life skills for the whole family. Such skills include: emotional awareness, empathy, conflict resolution, healthy communication, responsible decision-making, and more. The program volunteers are people from the larger community who care genuinely about the well-being of others and have the time to help (2-3 hours/week). They are of varying ages, backgrounds, and professions: retired doctors, retired teachers, retired nurses, other retirees, parents, recent college graduates, and more. About the Role: As a volunteer, you will work directly with the schools to conduct engaging and interactive lessons designed to help students, parents, teachers, and staff build social and emotional skills. These lessons have been taught by Maple for 50 years and come alive with engaging exercises. Your role is primarily to facilitate these experiences and your creativity is welcome as you adapt the lessons to your own style. Opportunities & Time Commitment: We have a weekly supervision meeting on Tuesdays from 12:15 pm to 1:30 pm for each volunteer in our in-person LAUSD and BHUSD program (550 students enrolled) to report on their lesson and share best practices. The meeting is hybrid (held in person at Maple Counseling and also via Zoom) and open to all Community Circle volunteers. We are also recruiting for one-time trainers to teach 30-minute Behavioral Health Basics courses to students, teachers, parents, and staff. Additional Requirements: A background check is required for all volunteers who will be working directly with children. Schools require a TB test and Live Scan (fingerprints). If working in a LAUSD school, you are required to apply as an LAUSD Volunteer by filling out an online application and submitting proof of the TB test results and Live Scan. Next Steps: Please answer the following questions as best as you can. You will have the opportunity to elaborate more in the interview. Once you have submitted this application, a member of our team will be in touch to set up an interview. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and interest in making a difference in the lives of children!