Seeking Volunteers to Fix Up Schools

Almost every school faces the need to reduce expenditures and deal with shrinking resources. In order to maintain a strong instructional program fewer resources may be available to maintain the building and school grounds.

Howard Johnston recently prepared a Research Brief for an Oregon GEAR UP principal about how to seek volunteers to help fix up his school. Here's a summary of the brief.

"There isn't much research on how to secure volunteers to participate in school clean-ups and fix-ups, but some key ideas can be found in anecdotal examples from many communities around the nation. The first recommendation is that securing volunteers is easier when the school has a solid, active community relations program in place. If people are familiar with the school and its mission, they are more likely to volunteer when the call goes out for help. Secondly, people are more likely to volunteer if asked to do something specific. Finally, communicating with key groups is likely to build support within the group (e.g., alumni, churches, local businesses, service clubs) to help out. That makes the school an integral part of their public service agenda, and usually puts their volunteer efforts at the school's disposal."

You can read the entire Research Brief here. We'd be interested in hearing from you about ways you work with your community to maintain your school campus.