The District is pleased to welcome back our volunteers to school campuses for the 2021/22 school year. All volunteers are asked to complete a new application for the upcoming school year at browardschools.com/volunteerapplication.  

View the Volunteer Services Disclosure.

A BCPS volunteer is an individual with a sincere interest in contributing to the education of our students. Volunteers actively serve during regular hours at one or more schools or departments, several hours at a special one-time activity or event or work on school projects at home. Under the supervision of school or department personnel, a volunteer provides supportive assistance, which complements and enriches the environment.

• Complete and submit a volunteer application.
• Check application status. Wait one week and contact the school or department you selected to check your approval status.
• Get a volunteer badge at the school or department. This badge may be used at any District location during the school year.

Note: To become a BCPS student volunteer, contact Jennifer Hamilton in the Athletics and Student Activities department at 754-321-1201.

Student records, also known as education records, created and/or maintained by The School Board of Broward County, Florida, are official and confidential documents protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance Portability Act (HIPAA), Florida Statutes, Public Records Law, School Board policy 5100.1 (Student Records: Confidentiality and Family Educational Rights), and other School Board policies.

• School Board policy 5100.1 states that only school officials* should have access to student information which may include students’ grades, academic performance, and behavior during school hours (including but not limited to behavior observed in a classroom setting, cafeteria, etc.), disabilities, personal matters and family matters.
• A school official is a person employed by the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health and medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the district has contracted to perform a special task that would normally be performed by SBBC personnel (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant or therapist); a clerical or paraprofessional staff member assisting another school official in performing his or her professional tasks.

CAUTION: Volunteers (including parents assisting at the school) and students assisting teachers and other staff are not “school officials” and are not permitted to have access to other students’ personally identifiable information.
 
The District is committed to protecting student records from unauthorized disclosure and honoring the privacy rights of our students and their families. For more information about the District’s privacy standards, visit the Privacy Information page.

Do

• Complete an online application form before helping in the school.
• Assist in the class to which you are assigned.
• Set a good example for students by your manner, appearance and behavior.
• Sign in and out when entering and leaving a school campus.
• Wear a volunteer badge when helping with school activities.

Don’t

• Give students medication.
• Access or divulge any student’s grades, records and abilities, which are governed by confidentiality rules and policies.  
• Supervise a classroom or discipline students. These actions are the responsibilities of the teacher and school.

Broward Couty Public Schools has many opportunities available to help our students. Available opportunities include: 

• Bridge2Life Volunteers assist 12th graders and their parents to complete FAFSA applications.
• Cafeteria Aides assist with cafeteria duties.
• Career Shadowing/ Internship helps secondary students learn about various jobs and careers.
• Communication Ambassadors distribute school communications to school-based stakeholders.
• Concierge Volunteers greet school visitors, assess their needs and provide the appropriate referral to the corresponding resource or school administrator.
• Classroom Presenters discuss personal areas of expertise in a classroom setting. Topics might include careers, hobbies and travel.
• Classroom Assistants work regularly with a classroom teacher. They help students and assist with projects and field trips.
• Coaches* work regularly with students participating in athletic or arts programs to achieve their potential.
• Document and Video Editors** review/edit school-based documents and video recordings under the supervision of school personnel.
• Exceptional Education Support provide personalized attention to students in the exceptional student education program by assisting with character building and social skills; assisting students with physical disabilities to transition throughout school or community; tutoring students in core curriculum subjects; and providing feeding assistance.
• Health Room Aides* help with the management of a school’s health room with a focus of providing comfort to students and helping with a student health screenings.
• Interpreter Volunteers provide language assistance to non-English speaking students by assisting with their transition into the District. These volunteers also provide verbal interpretation and interaction at community or school events.
• Listening Partner* act as supportive adult friends to students identified by guidance counselors. NOTE: Parents or grandparents cannot be Listener Volunteers in their own child’s school.
• Media Center/Library Volunteers help students select books, work at the circulation desk and shelve books. 
• Meet The Masters Volunteer works with a program designed to show and discuss 
• Pen Pals** email inspirational messages for school personnel to share with students.
• Read Aloud Volunteers inspire students to be readers by helping them learn to appreciate stories and books.
• Special Projects Volunteers help with a specific project at a school or at a District office including curriculum fairs, student competitions, screenings and productions.
• Literacy Coaches* tutor adults and children who are learning to read.

For a complete list of our volunteer opportunities, please download the volunteer manual.

* Volunteers serving in this capacity need Level 2 security clearance. For more information about the Level 2 process, speak with your School Volunteer Liaison.

**Virtual volunteer opportunity

Level 1 Clearance – All volunteers must complete an application and receive approval as Level 1 volunteers before service begins at school.

Level 2 Clearance – Additional screening is required ONLY for volunteers participating as:

• Overnight field trip chaperones (excluding Grad Night)
• Athletic coaches
• Band coaches

NOTE: Level 2 screening is requested by the school administration and is completed every five years. However, all Level 2 cleared volunteers must renew their personal information annually. To renew the Level 2 clearance, visit www.fieldprintbrowardschools.com. You will be prompted to enter a Fieldprint code for renewal. The code is FPBCPSScVolAnRen.

All volunteers, including BCPS employees, must complete the volunteer application. BCPS employees, however, are exempt from the Level 2 clearance requirements and do not need to be fingerprinted, if required for volunteer duty.