Thank you so much for volunteering your time to help Read Ahead appreciate and support the incredible educators we are fortunate enough to work with.
The email you received confirming your participation in this project includes important information, including the name of a specific teacher / educator you will be dedicating your project to. If you did not receive this email, or if you have any additional questions, please reach out to the Read Ahead team at development@readahead.org.
Need some inspiration getting started? Click here to see a sample of a completed project!
Background
Read Ahead works closely with hundreds of educators to make our reading-based mentoring program possible. NYC public school staff are stretched thin, even in the best of times. The COVID pandemic has added inumerable additional challenges to the work of educators, including schedule disruptions, the challenges of online learning, and addressing the trauma experienced by students, families, and communities.
Read Ahead’s Teacher Appreciation Project is designed to support & brighten the days of educators at Read Ahead’s New York City public school partners. By creating personalized notes of support, appreciation, and inspiration, volunteers will be sure to put a smile on the faces of these deserving and hard-working educators.
Before you begin
Read Ahead will host a 20 minute Zoom kickoff event with your company / volunteer group – please refer to your confirmation email for details. During this call, we’ll review relevant details and answer questions. The Read Ahead team will also be ‘on call’ following the kickoff to support you if needed.
This project will take approximately 30 – 60 minutes to complete.
Supplies needed:
- Your computer – access to PowerPoint strongly preferred (Google slides may be used, but isn’t ideal due to formatting issues)
- Optional: simple art supplies (crayons, markers, paper, etc.) + your smartphone camera
Project instructions
If you are using PowerPoint:
- Select the template you would like to use – you only need to pick one!
- The templates include questions / prompts for you to respond to – replace the prompts with your own answers
- Create & photograph a personalized sign to add to your project! Instructions for how to do this are included in the template & some examples of creative sign making are included below
- Before finishing, please double check that you have added your teacher’s name where indicated and deleted all question / prompt text
If you are not using PowerPoint:
- Please download instructions here
To submit your project
Please email your completed project to development@readahead.org by the date included in your email confirmation. If using our templates, please send as a PowerPoint document (do not save as a pdf).
After the project
Read Ahead will share your note with the educator it is addressed to, and we look forward to sharing more about the impact of your project with you and your team!
Thank you again for volunteering!
