Each April, lots of moms and dads #TakeYourKidstoWorkDay! More than just what does mom or dad do at work all day, this day is intended to showcase the value of education and help kids envision their future work-life through hands-on activities, at your place of work.
Here's the rub; this "national holiday" is a one-day event. At 5pm, it's done until next year! However, being an in-person Project Leader with Tucson Family Volunteers can be a weekly, monthly or quarterly activity, offering you and your kiddos ongoing opportunities to lead, learn and engage together.
Not a "job" in the traditional sense
This is not a 9-5, sit in a cubicle, clock out kind of "job". Instead, this gig is:
Short time commitment - as in two hours, max
Chill and low key - you just need to show up and lead the project
Break from the mundane - engage in something fun and different from the M-F grind
Being an in-person Project Leader for our weekend in-person projects is also a great way to engage your kids in:
✅ Project Management
📷 Event Planning
🏆 Leadership Skills
A volunteer Project Leader reading book to Kid Volunteers ahead of a give-back project.
Volunteer ways to teach your kids skills
Everybody gets something when you sign up to help lead a weekend in-person project, especially your pint-sized assistants:
1. Teach your kids how to run a project Every (volunteer) project needs to be managed, from arriving early to ensuring the space is setup, overseeing that the 60-90 minute project runs smoothly to preempting any problems. "Being able to see the big picture is a valuable skill to learn. My kid will often come up and whisper to me when they foresee something they think needs to be tweaked," says one Project Leader.
2. Teach your kids how to put on an event Engage the kids in laying out the project supplies and arranging the Kid Volunteer snacks to post-event cleanup and breakdown. Says one Project Leader, "My daughter will often come behind me and rearrange the supplies. Truthfully, her way is usually better!"
3. Teach your kids how to engage and be a leader The world is built on relationships. Learning to make small talk and interacting with people you don't know is an invaluable skill to learn at a young age. "I always tell my kids in advance of a volunteer project that they are "ambassadors". Meaning that they have the special job to help the younger Kid Volunteers and engage them in conversation."
4. Spend time together doing something different from the norm When you lead an in-person project, your kids inevitably lead as well. It's time spent together outside of the typical M-F grind of school-work-extracurriculars. The kids get to see you, Project Leader, from a different lens and you get to teach the kids life skills in an interactive, hands-on, fun way.
Project Leaders are an invaluable part of our team. We do all the heavy lifting of planning the volunteer projects; we just need awesome folks (like you) to sign up and lead the project. We provide you with everything you need to be successful: project supplies, snacks and a curriculum.