Amazing Prince George's County Parents!

In Reach, Inc., Celebrates

Prince George’s County, Maryland Amazing Parents

On April 27, 2012, In Reach, Inc., held its first Annual Celebrating Amazing Prince George’s County Parents Awards Program, an event honoring the outstanding work of parents with children currently enrolled in a Prince George’s County Public School.

 “While most of our work centers on students, I wanted to do something that recognized the least celebrated group of people – the parents. Our parents are, and could, undoubtedly, use more support and encouragement.  And that is what this event was meant to do – show appreciation for all that our parents do,” said executive director Ms. Toni Smith.

Congratulations again to our three final Amazing Parent Award recipients:

Ms. Jaminah Wortham, recipient of the Ingrid M. Turner Amazing Parent Award for demonstrating a strong sense of community as a volunteer, coach and mentor.

Ms. Kristan Hayes, recipient of the Parks and Recreation Amazing Parent Award for being an awesome and dedicated bridge builder in the lives of children.

Mr. Abiodun Babayemi, recipient of the In Reach, Inc. Amazing Parent Award for being a selfless individual, active volunteer in the school and community, and an awesome husband and father.

A special thank you to Council Member Ingrid M. Turner (District 4), an active and dedicated advocate for children and families; the Prince George’s Department of Parks and Recreation, our guest speaker Mr. Jaracus Copes, president and CEO of New Destiny LLC, who delivered an inspirational message on “success parenting,” In Reach Board of Directors and our sponsors for making our Awards program a successful and memorable event, we could not have done this without your support. 

In Reach would also like to thank all the 2012 nominees: Mr. Abiodun Babayemi, Mrs. Angela Crocker Brown, Ms. Wendy Graham, Ms. Kristan Hayes, Ms. Akilah Jefferson, Mrs. Valencia Brooks-Jones, Mrs. Cynthia Proctor, Ms. Rajistrue Ramsammy, Mr. William E. Rogers Jr., Ms. D'Vorolyn M. Talley, Ms. Ruth Tazanu, Mr. Ronald A. Williams, and Ms. Jaminah Wortham.

In Reach is looking forward to holding this signature event next year and is putting finishing touches on its Parent Project which focuses on engaging parents in activities that increase their knowledge about post-secondary education and the many opportunities available to their children.

About the Maryland State Assessments (MSA)

Compiled by Tanaya Gable

Maryland State Asessement (MSA) Reading and Mathematics Test  Administration

Grades 3 – 8 in Reading and Mathematics:  March 12-21, 2012; 

(Make-up Testing) March 22-28, 2012 

The early years of a child’s education are very crucial. These years of education are geared towards building a solid ground of educational understanding. As children advance to middle school they are then prepared for the more rigorous work ahead in high school. If you are a parent or educator, the term MSA (Maryland School Assessment) is probably not foreign to you. Every student will take Maryland School Assessments (MSAs) as part of the elementary and middle school experience. These statewide assessments are one of the many measures to gage how well a child is learning. The MSAs, paired with other measures (like homework, class work, quizzes, and projects), provide parents and educators with information about students’ academic progress so that every student has the adequate support and opportunity to succeed.

Aspects of the Test:

• Multiple-choice questions and questions requiring written responses.
• Measures basic as well as higher level skills
• Students test for approximately 90 minutes each day. There are four days of testing––two days for reading and two days for math.
• The testing vendor send scores for individual students to local school systems. The school systems then distribute the scores to parents

The MSA scores show how well students learned the reading and mathematics skills in the State Curriculum. (A "norm-referenced" score is also provided to show how students performed compared to other students across the nation.)

READING

The reading section takes place over two days with 90 minute sections per day. Each testing session withing is broken into smaller time blocks. Tests for all grades evaluate general, informational, and literary reading processes.

The Reading section of the MSA has 2 types of questions:

• Selected Response Items (SR) -- offers students (usually) four answer choices
• Brief Constructed Response Items (BCR) -- requires students to write answers consisting of a sentences or paragraphs

MATHEMATICS

As with the reading test, the math test takes place over two days. Testing takes approximately 90 minutes each day; each testing session being broken into smaller time blocks.

And as with the reading test, the math sections have various kinds of questions. In addition to the Selected Response Items and the Brief Constructed Response Items that all students receive, the math section poses additional forms of questions to students depending on the grade level being tested. Students in grades 5 through 8 also get Extended Constructed Response Items (ECR) that require students to write a longer, more complete answer. 7th and 8th graders will have Student-Produced Responses (SPR) which require them to record all answers on a grid by shading in the circles that correspond to the numbers of their answers.

The state provides calculators for students, though some sections allow the use of calculators and others do not. The state also provides scrap paper, graph paper and a dual scale ruler (or two separate rulers) for all grades 3 through 8, a protractor for grades 5 through 8, and a compass for grades 7 and 8.

SCORING & ASSESSMENT

The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that every state measure reading, math, and science achievement at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Maryland fulfills NCLB by reporting MSA and HSA scores to the U.S. Department of Education. For more information about NCLB, go to www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml.  

Statewide tests are useful for:

• guiding school-wide curriculum development efforts
• creating or modifying classroom lesson plans
• understanding a child’s academic progress
• developing individualized strategies for that child
• providing information on where a child may need extra support.

PARENT CONCERNS

How will I know how my child did on an assessment?  All parents receive a Home Report with their child’s scores. Contact your child’s school or the Local Accountability Coordinator for the local school system to find out when your child's Home Report will be sent. For a list of local school system websites, go to www.MarylandPublicSchools.org/MSDE/schoolsystems.

    

Where can I find out how my child’s school is doing on statewide assessments? Information about the progress of particular schools, counties, and the state are doing is printed in an annual “report card” (the Maryland School Performance Report). This online report provides an Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) chart for each school that demonstrates whether or not a school made all of its performance goals. To find your child’s school information, go to www.MdReportCard.org  and use the navigation bar at the top.

Note: Parents are sent a Home Report with their child’s MSA scores from the local school system. Reading and math scores are made available over the summer. Science scores are available the following September. For more information about the MSAs go to www.MdReportCard.org or www.MdK12.org.  

FAMILY SUPPORT

The Take 15 for the Family and Take 15 for the Health of It initiatives are just one way MSDE helps families become more engaged in education. Daily tips and ideas of activities to do at home, as well as tips on how to talk to your child about a variety of health-related topics can be found online at www.marylandpublicschools.org/msde/programs/familylit/take15health. Check out http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/msde/ for other helpful sources and updates.

Ready at Five, in partnership with MSDE, has an online series called Parent Tips that has information about how parents can help build a child’s skills and abilities, which can be found at www.ReadyatFive.org  Maryland’s Early Childhood Curriculum Project provides information and resources to child care and other nonpublic early childhood programs for disabilities, birth through 6 years old. For information about materials and how you can be assured that your child is learning

the skills needed to start kindergarten on the right foot, go to www.MarylandPublicSchools.org/MSDE/divisions/child_care/preschool_curriculum.

The Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) includes a kindergarten-level assessment, which teachers complete for each student, as well as a set of indicators of what children should know and be able to do. The information collected allows teachers to plan instruction that will help develop the skills, behaviors, and abilities necessary to meet kindergarten expectations and move on to the first grade. For more information about the MMSR, go to www.MdSchoolReadiness.org.

For more information about MSDE’s various programs, go to www.MarylandPublicSchools.org/MSDE/divisions/studentschoolsvcs.  

For information about specific programs and initiatives in place locally, contact your local school system or your child’s school. A list of local school system websites can be found at www.MarylandPublicSchools.org/MSDE/schoolsystems.  

Additional information about parent involvement can be found at www.Mdpta.org  or www.mdpirc.org.

Sources:

www.marylandpublicschools.org

www.ed.gov

www.mathandreadinghelp.org

Generational Illiteracy Part II | Poverty and Illiteracy: Old Friends

“The new data on illiteracy rates is a cry out for help to our school systems, policymakers, funders, and community members. Nothing short of a very strong investment in literacy through funding, diverse community partnerships, grassroots efforts, additional recruitment of qualified faculty, volunteerism, and allocation of other resources will help turn these numbers around in Prince George’s County." 

-Tony Johnson, Executive Director of the Literacy Council of Prince George’s County, Maryland

By Tanaya Gable

What You Probably Didn't Know

More than one-third of American children enter kindergarten without the basic language skills they will need to learn to read. Those critical early literacy skills include recognizing the letters of the alphabet, understanding that books move from left to right, and being able to understand and tell stories. Despite the billions of dollars Americans have invested in remedial reading programs, those millions of children who enter school unprepared are highly likely to never catch up. In fact, 88% of first graders who are below grade level in reading will continue to read below grade level in fourth grade (Juel, 1988). In addition, reading difficulty contributes to school failure, which increases the risk of absenteeism, drop outs, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and teenage pregnancy - all of which perpetuate the cycles of poverty and dependency.

So What's the Connection?

There is a correlation between poverty and illiteracy. Statistics show that on both a national and global level, nations with the lowest literacy levels are also the poorest. Poverty leaves many households struggling to stay afloat. In worst case scenarios, children of those struggling households are forced to drop out of school to work and help support the family. This, unfortunately, keeps many illiterate people stuck at the lowest levels of the work force and thus they remain in poverty. Through this cycle, illiteracy reinforces poverty, and poverty is cyclical in families.

Growing Statistics in the County and State

According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, the basic literacy rate in Prince George’s County, MD for adults (parents) jumped from 12 percent to 22 percent between the early 1990s and  early 2000s making Prince George's County home to the largest number of adults in the state and the metropolitan area who are unable to perform simple and everyday literacy activities. The January 2009 report puts the below basic literacy rates for Washington, D.C., Arlington County, VA, Baltimore City, MD and Montgomery County, MD at 19, 17, 16, and 11 percent respectively.

A study conducted at the end of 2011 by the Census Bureau confirmed that Maryland hit a poverty rate of 10.8 percent, the highest in nearly two decades. While these statistics are well below the national rate of about 15 percent, the state’s poverty rate increased 12.5 percent from 2009 to 2010 and continued to rise in 2011. In December 2010, Maryland was named the wealthiest state by the Census Bureau. However, research shows that pockets of suburban wealth help to conceal the rural and urban poverty that really exist in the state thus putting a blinder on the reality of state-wide poverty. A regional study from early 2011 showed more than 7 percent of Prince George’s County residents were living in poverty, the most of any Washington-area suburb.

A combination of a rapidly growing foreign-born population in Prince George’s County, decreasing graduation rates for African American and Latino students in county schools, and insufficient educational resources likely contributed to these growing rates.

County Poverty by Race

What is also interesting is the growing percentages of poverty among individual races. Take Hispanics for example, who make up a dynamic portion of the county and state population. For the first time since these statistics have been gathered, there are more Hispanic children in America living in poverty than white children. In the DC area, about 130,000 young people live in poverty, with blacks accounting for half of those numbers and Hispanics about a quarter, but moving up quickly. That number amounts to nearly 40,000 young people in the DC region. Thirty percent of poor children in Prince George's County are Latino, about the same number as in Montgomery County, MD, Fairfax, VA and Prince William, VA. Statistics are even worse in Arlington County, VA, where 40 percent of poor kids are Hispanic.

Prince George’s County Council member and Chair, Andrea Harrison (District 5) of Springdale has said that the county is very much aware of the statistics of poverty within the region. In her opinion, county reps should be stressing that more be done to equip non-profits that provide social services. In an economy that has shifted greatly from manufacturing to service, businesses cannot find the secretaries, clerks, bank tellers, and other entry-level employees they need because too many applicants cannot read, write or add well enough.

Poverty is, in most cases, generational as well. Adults who felt forced to drop out of school are less likely to reinforce the value of an education in their own children, who probably face the same economic and educational hardships as they did. As a result, these individuals may not value the importance of academia, scholarship and literacy, and are often less likely to flourish. Children whose parents consistently set high standards work harder and do better in school.  

Current education and literacy programs in Prince George's County – like Prince George’s Community College and community-based organizations like Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church of Suitland, United Communities Against Poverty of Capitol Heights, and Glenarden Apartments – only scratch the surface of the problem.

Before any change can come, we have to have a collective understanding of how damaging illiteracy can and has been for people all over the world, even those who are not illiterate themselves. The problem affects everyone. Becoming literate is not a direct path from illiterate to semi-literate to literate, but a messy process of acquiring skills without formal and consecutive learning. However, with the efforts of parents, educators, community organizers and even someone like you, who is simply reading this blog, illiteracy can be overcome.

Coming in March, Part III and the final installment of the Generational Illiteracy series.  

Helpful Websites:
ProLiteracy Worldwide
Eldis Literacy
Literacy.org,
World Education
First Book
International Reading Association (IRA)
Joining Forces
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL)
Raising Readers
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)

Sources:

www.nytimes.com
www.wamu.org  
www.riverdalepark.patch.com
www.washingtontimes.com
www.eric.ed.gov
www.reachoutandread.org

Generational Illiteracy: Part I

Understanding the Problem: the Truth behind the Secret

By Tanaya Gable

If you would have approached me with the topic of generational illiteracy back when I was in high school, I probably would have had a harder time understanding it. For as long as I can remember, literacy has been a focal point in my life. I recognized my desire to be a writer as early as 5^th grade, and understood quickly, the importance of academics, vocabulary and literacy, as a whole. It wasn’t until I went away to college and began to take interest in new things that I really started to understand the harsh reality of illiteracy. If you are reading this blog there’s a good chance that you’re no stranger to literacy. You probably read every day, both for work and enjoyment. You, more than likely, retain new information from a host of sources, regularly, and understand the importance of words and how they enrich our world.

That probably makes it harder to imagine the large numbers of children and adults who are only semi-literate, drowning in a world they can't process the way you and I can. The first summer after I received my B.S. in Journalism and English Liberal Arts, I spent several months teaching a Journalism course at a nonprofit in Philadelphia. My class was a small group of about 15 high school students, ranging from freshmen to seniors.  In order to assess their skill levels and writing potential, I assigned a short essay asking each student what they hoped to gain from the Journalism program. That night, as I was going over the students’ work, I could hardly believe it. About half of the students, if not more, were writing on elementary school levels. In time, I found that many of the students had little to no understanding of some of the very novice rules of language arts, reading and writing. This was only the beginning. Soon after, I was faced with meeting the parents of many of the students, (those who I could persuade to meet with me) and I found that many of them were dealing with same literacy struggles.

In 2002, before the Subcommittee on Education Reform Committee on Education and the Workforce, United States House of Representatives, actor James Earl Jones testified:

"92 million Americans have low or very low literacy skills - they cannot read above the 6^th grade level. To be illiterate in America - or anywhere for that matter - is to be unsafe, uncomfortable and unprotected. For the illiterate, despair and defeat serve as daily fare. Can any of us who do know how to read really understand the sadness that is associated with the inability to read? Can we truly relate to the silent humiliation, the quiet desperation that can't be expressed, the hundreds of ways that those who cannot read struggle in shame to keep their secret? The struggle out of illiteracy ... is still a part of the story of America."

Today, our nation faces an epidemic that is destructive to our overall progression and our future. Functional illiteracy has become a disease. According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), it has overtaken one-third of America's children as early as the fourth grade. This percentage includes two-thirds of African-American students and almost half of all children living in the inner cities. Beyond the basic definitions, there is significance in the shocking statistics about the functionally illiterate.

Think about all of our day-to-day tasks that require a level of literacy. Things like reading the directions on a medicine bottle, reading a bill, finding and keeping a job, or reading to a child. Things that are very routine to you or I can be a struggle for someone with weak literacy skills.

For a long time, many educators, politicians and even parents viewed illiteracy as social and educational issue - someone else's problem. However, more recently we have come to understand the economic consequences of the lack of literacy skills for America, Americans and American business.

Illiteracy has a significant impact on the economy as well. 15 million adults holding jobs today are functionally illiterate. The American Council of Life Insurance reports that three quarters of the Fortune 500 companies provide some level of remedial training for their workers. Yes, Fortune 500 companies! And, a study done by the Northeast Midwest Institute and The Center for Regional Policy found that business losses attributed to basic skill deficiencies run into the hundreds of millions of dollars because of low productivity, errors and accidents.

In the late 1980s, one-half of all adults in federal and state correctional institutions could not read or write at all. About one-third of those in prison today have completed high school. Evidence indicates that the problem begins at home. Illiteracy is an inter-generational problem, arising from a parent-child pattern. Poor academic achievement and high school dropout rates are far too common among children of illiterate parents.

The adult non-reader may have left school early, had a physical or emotional disability, had incompetent teachers or simply may have been unready to learn at the time reading instruction began. Because they are unable to help their children learn, parents who can't read often perpetuate the inter-generational cycle of illiteracy. Without books, newspapers or magazines in the home and a parent who reads to serve as a role model, many children grow up with severe literacy deficiencies. There is no single cause of illiteracy.

Consider some of the major issues in our communities and our nation; family dysfunction, drugs, AIDS, homelessness, poverty – all of which could be better if more people could read, write and understand.

Now is the time to start devising a plan that can help illiteracy become a part of our past, not our present.

Stay posted for Generational Illiteracy: Part II - Attacking Poverty through Literacy.

Sources:
National Center for Educational Statistics
Education and the Workforce Committee

Reasons to Care: Parent’s Edition

Becoming a Legislative Advocate for Your Child’s School

By Tanaya Gable

In the month of November, the media was buzzing about the recent plan of action surrounding the agriculture appropriations bill; a bill that, essentially, made it easier to count pizza sauce as a serving of vegetables. The decision immediately drew widespread outrage from consumer advocates to critics and on to parents, who saw “pizza is a vegetable” to be bizarre.

As time went on, the public learned more about the agriculture appropriations bill and discovered that the fight was less about serving pizza and more about the actual tomato paste.  Specifically, the fight about how a specific amount of the product could count as one serving of vegetables.  Congress blocking change to the bill essentially meant that tomato paste would continue to receive credit as a serving of vegetables, thus, leaving one-eighth of a cup to be counted as something about four times larger.

This makes it easier, and cheaper, for pizza manufacturers to produce a product that includes a serving of vegetables. But it by no means declares the pizza itself a vegetable. Schools lunches are still measured by federal regulations for calories (no more than one-third of daily recommended value) and fat content (less than 30 percent of the meal), which limits how much pizza students can be served. A cafeteria worker can’t just pile a slice of pizza on a plate and say she’s serving salad.

Making the Connection

So what’s all the fuss about right? Still wondering how this concerns you? Draw your attention back to the initial controversy. Whether you agree that a smaller serving of tomato paste has equal footing with a half-cup of other fruits and vegetables, whether you believe Congress is ridiculous for their decision, or even if you had never even heard about the story, if you are a parent, you have a voice. Your opinion counts and you have the right to be involved whenever your children are involved. This goes for issues in your community and issues that are nationwide. If you find yourself completely disapproving of a piece of legislation passed, affecting your child, would you even know how to take action?

Where Should I Begin?

Your state and federal legislators want to hear from you. Personal letters make a wonderful impact but that is not to dismiss emails, phone calls and even online advocacy. When contacting officials it is best to have a specific piece of legislation or issue to address. It also helps to have a strong number of followers and supporters who share the same ideas about what you are addressing and seek to change as well. Check out the PTA at your child’s school. Here you may find coordinators who work to organize campaigns when a particular bill begins to draw heavy attention, or perhaps you can organize a campaign.

When writing legislators remember to clearly state your purpose, use specific examples and keep your letter concise. More information on how to take legislative action can be found in In Reach’s first ever soon-to-be-released Advocacy Toolkit!

A Step Further: Finding a Cause to Support

Apart from contacting your local and state representatives it is also important to find a cause that supports your vision. In matters concerning what is served in your child’s school cafeteria, there are several support groups and organizations that can help open doors for you and your family. Take the National Farm to School Network, for example. This organization gives you the opportunity to join ranks with millions of other Americans who are in support of bills that wish to restore the right of all children to access good food in school; that educate and inform communities about healthy food and its impact on the wellbeing of children; and that connect farmers, school districts, food service companies, and great ideas to the food system delivering school lunch.

In addition to finding support, familiarize yourself with local and state policy, as well as national legislation. Stay on top of what occurs in your county and explore how national policy decision trickles down into your neighborhood.

Still wondering why you should care? Check out the links below to get a jumpstart.
The Community Food Service Coalition
Maryland's Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program
National School Lunch Program

Other Sources:
The Washington Post
The Inside Scoop SF

True Love, True Reality

“One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit,

slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.”

By Toni A. Smith

Although Domestic Violence Awareness Month has ended, the work to prevent domestic violence continues. In Reach’s Youth Ambassadors at Parkdale High School are gearing up to implement the initial stages of their Crossroads Project. The Crossroads Project addresses teen dating violence and teen parenting. At full implementation, the Crossroads Project will consist of an awareness assembly, educational and outreach materials, and an informative and engaging resource and referral website focusing on Prince George’s County teens.

Staggering statistics tell us

§  Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence -- almost triple the national average.

§  Violent behavior typically begins between the ages of 12 and 18.

§  The severity of intimate partner violence is often greater in cases where the pattern of abuse was established in adolescence.

§  About 72% of eighth and ninth graders are “dating”.

§  Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.

The Youth Ambassadors selected dating violence and parenting issues out of concern for the dating experiences and choices their friends are making. Research tells us that only 33% of teens who were in a violent relationship ever told anyone about the abuse and a teen’s confusion about the law and their desire for confidentiality are two of the most significant barriers stopping young victims of abuse from seeking help. Incidents of dating violence are happening in their peer group more than adults know. Eighty one percent of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue. Youth Ambassadors also feel that the young parents they know do not receive enough support to keep them in school, even when they want to be there.

Using the performing arts and technology, Youth Ambassadors will launch the Crossroads Project with their True Love, True Reality Awareness Assembly. The assembly will highlight the warning signs of domestic violence, where teens can go and who they can talk to if they are currently in a domestic violence situation, and information on making better and healthier lifestyle choices.

In preparation for the Crossroads Project, Ambassadors disseminated a survey to their peers in 2010. A follow-up survey is currently underway. Based on 188 responses, when asked

§  if they knew someone who has experienced dating violence, half (51%) of the students responded “yes”  

§  about the gender of the person experiencing the dating violence, almost half (45%) reported female

§  do you think your school/community would benefit from having a “safe” place for teens experiencing or who have experienced dating violence, 68% responded “yes”

§  do you know someone still in high school who has a baby, an overwhelming 92% responded “yes”

The True Love, True Reality Awareness Assembly will be presented in 2012.

For more information on teen dating violence, visit www.loveisrespect.org (@loveisrespect). If you know a pregnant or teen parent who is in need of help, contact St. Ann’s Teen Mother-Baby Program, 301.559.5500, www.stanns.org.

Data from www.loveisrespect.org, except where indicated.

Advocacy, Grassroots and Community Leadership!

By Tanaya Gable

Ever wanted to strike change in your community but felt clueless on how to jump start your idea?You’re not alone. In Prince George’s County, there are many people just like you who have visions for evolution. Did you know that more than half of all community-based organizations in our county start from the ideas of regular citizens like you; parents, educators and in some instances, young people who could no longer sit idly, quiet and unfulfilled?

In Reach strives to help not only young people, but all members of the community to realize the extent of their potential to make change. Here are a few proven points that can guide you in becoming a part of the moving train that is advocacy, grassroots and community leadership.

Discuss them in your workplace, with your family and with your friends. No one has a reason to remain inactive. Change in our community starts with a change in us. Let’s spark that change now!

1. Research the causes and issues important to you. Look for a group centered on issues you feel strongly about. You might already be giving money to one of these organizations, and that might be a good place to begin your volunteer experience. If you can't find such an organization, here's a challenging and intriguing thought: why not start one yourself? Rally neighbors to clean up that vacant lot on the corner. Patrol the neighborhood. Paint an elderly neighbor's house. Take turns keeping an eye on the ailing person down the street. Form a group to advocate for a solution to that dangerous intersection in your neighborhood. There is no end to the creative avenues for volunteering, just as there is no end to the need for volunteers.

2. Consider the skills you have to offer. If you enjoy outdoor work, have a knack for teaching, or just enjoy interacting with people you may want to look for volunteer work that incorporates these aspects of your personality. Many positions require a volunteer who has previous familiarity with certain equipment such as computers, or who possess certain skills, such as ability in athletics or communications. For one of those positions, you might decide to do something comparable to what you do on the job during your workday, or something that you already enjoy as a hobby. This sort of position allows you to jump right into the work without having to train for the assignment.

3. Try something new. Perhaps you would like to learn a new skill or gain exposure to a new situation. Consider seeking a volunteer opportunity where you'll learn something new. For example, volunteering to work on the newsletter for the local shelter will improve your writing and editing abilities, skills that may help you in your career or volunteering can simply offer a change from your daily routine. For example, if your full-time job is in an office, you may decide to take on a more active volunteer assignment, such as leading tours at an art museum or building a playground. Many non-profits seek out people who are willing to learn. Realize beforehand; however, that such work might require a time commitment for training before the actual volunteer assignment begins.

4. Combine your goals. Look for volunteer opportunities that will also help you achieve your other goals. For example, if you want to lose a few extra pounds, pick an active volunteer opportunity such as cleaning a park or working with kids. If you've been meaning to take a cooking class, try volunteering at a food bank that teaches cooking skills.

5. Don't over-commit your schedule. Make sure the volunteer hours you want to give fit into your hectic life, so you don't exhaust yourself, frustrate your family, disappoint the organization you're trying to help, or neglect your job. Do you want a long-term assignment or something temporary? If you are unsure about your availability, or want to see how the work suits you before making an extensive commitment, find out whether the organization will allow you to start volunteering a limited number of hours until you get the feel of things. Better to start out slowly than to commit yourself to a schedule you can't or don't want to fulfill.

6. Non-profits may have questions too. While most non-profits are eager to find volunteer help, they have to be careful when accepting the services you offer. If you contact an organization with an offer to volunteer your time, you may be asked to come in for an interview, fill out a volunteer application, or describe your qualifications and background just as you would at an interview for a paying job. It is in the organization's best interest and more beneficial to the people it serves to make certain you have the skills needed, that you are truly committed to doing the work, and that your interests match those of the non-profit. Furthermore, in volunteer work involving children or other at-risk populations, there are legal ramifications for the organization to consider.

7. Consider volunteering as a family. Think about looking for a volunteer opportunity suitable for parents and children to do together, or for a husband and wife to take on as a team. When a family volunteers together at a non-profit organization, the experience can bring them closer, and teach young children the value of giving their time and effort. It can also introduce everyone in the family to skills and experiences never before encountered, and give the entire family a shared experience as a wonderful family memory.

8. Virtual volunteering? Yes, there is such a thing! If you have computer access and the necessary skills, some organizations now offer the opportunity to do volunteer work over the computer. This might take the form of giving free legal advice, typing a college term paper for a person with a disability, or simply keeping in contact with a shut-in who has e-mail. This sort of volunteering might be well suited to you if you have limited time, no transportation, or a physical disability that precludes you from getting about freely. Virtual volunteering can also be a way for you to give time if you simply enjoy computers and want to employ your computer skills in your volunteer work.

9. I never thought of that! Many community groups are looking for volunteers, and some may not have occurred to you. Most of us know that hospitals, libraries, and churches use volunteers for a great deal of their work, but here are some additional organizations you may volunteer with:

• Day Care Centers, Neighborhood Watch, Public Schools and Colleges
• Halfway Houses, Community Theaters, Drug Rehabilitation Centers
• Fraternal Organizations and Civic Clubs
• Retirement Centers and Homes for the Elderly, Meals on Wheels, Church or Community-Sponsored Soup Kitchens or Food Pantries
• Museums, Art Galleries, and Monuments
• Community Choirs, Bands, and Orchestras
• Prisons, Neighborhood Parks, Youth Organizations, Sports Teams, and after-school programs, Shelters for Battered Women and Children
• Historical Restorations, Battlefields, and National Parks

10. Give voice to your heart through volunteering! Bring your heart and your sense of humor to your volunteer service, along with your enthusiastic spirit, which in itself is a priceless gift. What you'll get back will be immeasurable!

Find information on local volunteer opportunities by visiting www.1-800-volunteer.org.