Volunteer at Sacajawea

Thank You for considering becoming a volunteer and supporting our Sacajawea students!  Most
parents find that getting involved is a great way to meet other families and to make a strong
connection to our school. Other positive effects of parental involvement include:

• Higher grades, test scores & graduation rates
• Better attendance
• Increased motivation & self-esteem

Sacajawea thrives because parents contribute their time and resources. There are many ways to
participate – at school or from home.  We look forward to working with you at Sacajawea this year!

Volunteer opportunities are listed on our PTA website SACPTA Volunteering

Any questions? Contact Charlene Shanahan at  cyshanahan@seattleschools.org

News and Information for Volunteers

COVID-19 update: Volunteers will be required to follow health and safety protocols. In order to reduce risk to students, all volunteers will be required to be vaccinated.

All School Volunteers:  please note the requirements for Seattle School District Volunteer requirements. When you come to school to volunteer: Please sign in and out at the school office when volunteering at school, and please wear a volunteer badge.  We need to know the location of everyone in the building in case of an emergency. Also sign in for hours spent on field trips or any work you do at home–we love to see those volunteer hours add up each year!

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Getting Started as a School Volunteer

Learn more about the application process.

How to Apply to Volunteer with Seattle Public Schools

Why Volunteer in Your Child’s School?

• Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates
• Better attendance
• Increased motivation & self-esteem

Checklist for New Volunteers

Visit our volunteer website to:

• Review volunteer handbook
• Complete online training
• Apply securely online
• Background check required

Questions? Contact your school office or visit the SPS Volunteer page to learn more.

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Additional Steps for Certain Volunteer Roles

The following volunteer roles require a national background check, regardless of how long the volunteer has resided in Washington:

1. Unsupervised volunteers who work with children regularly (including remote/virtual volunteers).
2. Volunteers chaperoning overnight field trips longer than three days.
3. Volunteers involved in any sports or gym activities coordinated by the school (for Athletics see *).

If situations 2 or 3 apply to you, visit the volunteer website to learn more.

* Important: Athletic coaches must apply via SPS Athletics Department.

Sports Safety

All gym and sports volunteers must be current on CPR, First Aid, Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Concussion Courses.

Field Trips

Field trip volunteers supervise students. Once approved to volunteer, request additional forms from the field trip organizer to review and acknowledge your important responsibilities.

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Keeping Students Safe

Child Abuse Prevention

Nationally, one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before age 18. Volunteers help to protect children by learning to recognize and report potential abuse.

At SPS, each volunteer completes an online Sexual Misconduct Prevention training before start of their service.

Criminal Background Check

• If you have lived in Washington State for the past three (3) years, SPS will complete your state background check at no cost to you.
• If you came to Washington from another state in the past three years, you will need to purchase a one-time national background check.

New or newly returned to the U.S.?

Visit the SPS Volunteer page for more information.

Why is there a fee for out-of-state background checks?

Unlike our state, the federal government does not provide schools with free screening tools. SPS selected a vendor to offer secure, affordable background checks for the volunteers who need them ($21 in most cases).

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Frequently Asked Questions

I completed an online application last year. Do I have to reapply this year?

Your online application is on file so please do not create a new application. On your second volunteer anniversary, you will receive an email with login instructions to renew your application.

Can I use my smart phone to apply?
Our online volunteer application is smart-phone friendly.

Thank you for helping create safe schools, and for your generous donation of time and talent!