Explore the information below and reach out to us if you have questions or need assistance. We're here to help you every step of the way.
Thank you for considering becoming a volunteer. Caring adults like you make a meaningful difference in the lives of youth!
Project Cornerstone engages with local preschools, elementary schools, and middle schools with parent engagement programs. These programs increase the number of caring adults in schools, parent engagement, and help build caring and welcoming schools. To read more thorough descriptions of these programs visit the School Based Programs page.
Each program includes mandatory training and all volunteers must meet the volunteer policies of their school and school district and YMCA Project Cornerstone. These brief descriptions explain level of commitment for each program.
The Preschool program is a 3 hour monthly commitment to attend a training, prepare, and deliver the lesson in a classroom. The program has been developed to provide introduction and early instruction to Developmental Asset Framework for parents, caregivers, teachers and students. This program features reading early childhood literature monthly to provide students with a set of skills and attitudes that promote a strong desire to learn. Lesson plans and books are in English and Spanish. Training for program volunteers is also available in both languages.
ABC is a 3 hour monthly commitment to attend a training, prepare, and deliver the lesson in a classroom. This parent engagement program has a kindergarten and elementary school strand. Volunteers are trained in the developmental assets model for positive youth development, and prepared to read a specially selected children’s book and lead related activities and discussions in classrooms each month.
Los Dichos is a 3 hour monthly commitment to attend a training, prepare, and deliver the lesson in a classroom. The program has a kindergarten and elementary strand. This program helps Spanish-speaking parents become involved in their children’s education and instill a sense of positive cultural identity. Los Dichos volunteers are trained in Spanish and read specially selected bilingual books monthly in the classroom and lead activities and discussions about topics including tolerance, family pride, peaceful conflict resolution and other important values.
Middle School Programs includes a variety of program to engage parents at the middle school level. The Middle School Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum delivers SEL lessons to middle school students and is a 3 hour monthly commitment to attend a training, prepare, and then deliver the lesson in the classroom. There are additional clubs and programs with different levels of commitment.
Find out if your school is a Project Cornerstone partner by contacting us at 408-351-6482 or at [email protected].
All volunteers must complete an online Volunteer Application where you will state that you have read and understand the Code of Conduct and Volunteer Policies, and complete the Assets 101 training module.
Click here to access the Volunteer Application.
Project Cornerstone materials are password protected. School Partners in good standing with Project Cornerstone will receive the password and be able to access these materials. The lead volunteer at each site will share the password with volunteers at their site that have met all school and Project Cornerstone requirements.
If you do not know who the lead volunteer is at your site, please contact your school office for assistance.
No, just once as a preschool/elementary/Middle School volunteer. This online module is embedded as part of the Volunteer Application.
Yes, the TIP workshop covers the developmental assets, but does not cover what it means to be a volunteer and the policies and procedures that volunteers must follow.
Each school/school district has different requirements for their volunteers. These may include fingerprinting, TB test, orientations, or other items. The school lead at each site will help volunteers to understand what volunteer requirements must be completed before they can volunteer in a classroom.