WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!
ECS values our volunteers and recognizes the positive impact they make in a child’s development. Whether our volunteers are reading to children or creating experiences, they are helping to make everyday moments fun opportunities for learning. Our volunteers work together with our staff to help children live happier, healthier lives. We need volunteers who are interested in working with children between the ages of 2 and 5 years old.
Please complete the volunteer application below so we can connect you with the appropriate opportunity.
VIRTUAL/ON SITE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
A Stitch in Time – Crochet for Classrooms
Do you enjoy crocheting but perhaps it’s a new hobby? Make a “Bird In a Nest.”
Virtual /On-Site Classroom Support
Share your love of children for ages 2-5 by creating a video of you in uniform! Explain what you do for a living and make it fun and exciting for our children.
Virtual /On-Site Arts & Crafts
Can you create a step by step video for children age 3-5? We would love for you to show our classroom how to create a beauty through arts & crafts.
Virtual /On-Site Readers
We need fun and enthusiastic volunteers to help our children ages 0-5 by virtually reading a story or making videos of your favorite children’s character. Keep the children engage with creative, fun, and interesting stories. Opportunities to read online to our children via our ECS Reads! program are available as well.
Virtual Book Drive
Host a book drive at your favorite location (School, church, library, neighborhood etc.) for ages 0-5. Please take pictures! Once we receive the books and photos, we will give you and your team a warm thank you on our social media platforms!
Gardening
Do you have a green thumb you’d like to put to good use? Here at ECS, we make health, nutrition and agriculture an important part of our curriculum. If we can teach our children the skills necessary to live healthy productive lives and to appreciate the beauty of nature, they can make a lasting impact on the environment for years to come. We are seeking volunteers to plant and/or help maintain vegetable or flower gardens at our centers. Gardening volunteers may have an opportunity to assist the children in learning how to plant and care for their very own garden, while creating an agricultural space for ongoing learning.
Landscaping
Our children and families always come first. But, landscapes are important too, even if they do sometimes get overlooked. At ECS, we believe our facility grounds are the aesthetic trim work on all that we do. We are seeking volunteers who don’t mind getting their hands dirty to complete grounds cleanup, mowing and landscaping projects.
Special Talent
Do you have a special talent that would provide wholesome fun for our children? Maybe you’re a gifted face painter, caricature or balloon artist, or a theatrical storyteller. Do you have a magical singing voice? Are you a puppeteer seeking a captivated audience? Maybe you’re a creative photographer or videographer. ECS conducts ongoing events throughout the year at our centers and at larger venues and we are always seeking talented volunteers to help entertain our little ones or to capture fun memories to ensure our events are truly unforgettable.
Diapers/Wipes or Supply Drive
At ECS, we love having our volunteers on-site! But, we also know it is sometimes not possible due to scheduling limitations. Diapers and wipes and classroom supplies are an ongoing need, here at ECS. One of the best ways to directly impact our children and families is by hosting a drive to collect these essential items. Some of the most successful drives have been hosted by businesses and agencies concerned about the health and well-being of members of their local community.
Virtual/On-Site “Share Your Experiences
Have you traveled to interesting places? Do you love your career? Or, maybe you had a multi-cultural adventure you’d like to share. Our children love making new friends and learning all about their interesting experiences. Not only is it loads of fun, it helps broaden their perspective of the world around them, and beyond! ECS is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to share their stories with our curious little kiddos.
Tabletop Greenhouses
At ECS, we love having our volunteers on-site! But, we also know it is sometimes not possible due to scheduling limitations. One of our most unique off-site volunteer opportunities is making tabletop greenhouses to support our classroom Science curriculum. Here, at ECS, we are especially fond of finding ways to teach our children about the environment, including plant growth and development. The tabletop greenhouse is a great way to offer children this opportunity through caring for their very own mini garden inside the classroom! Click on the links below for examples and information on what it takes to build a tabletop greenhouse.
*Greenhouses must not be made of glass or contain harmful elements.
Facilities
Our HS/EHS locations have playgrounds that are in need of an extra set of nurturing hands (sweeping, raking, debris removal, etc.) All locations will supply the tools for the playgrounds. Our goal is to keep the playgrounds free of debris and keep our children learning through outside play. Our playgrounds are full of excitement, laughter, joy, and children with big hearts.
No Preference
ECS volunteer opportunities through United Way of Northeast Florida.
ECS volunteer opportunities through United Way of Marion County.