La Oportunidad welcomes volunteers to partner with us in our mission to champion the development of Latino individuals and families to create a strong, peaceful community.Our volunteers often co-facilitate groups with a staff member, gaining hands-on experience in lesson planning, classroom management, bilingual education, and learning from the youth and adults that participate in our programs.Our small staff would not be able to have the reach and impact that we do without the partnership and commitment of our volunteers. In 2014 we welcomed 78 volunteers who contributed 1,452 hours of their time and energy to our programs.
(Volunteer Application)
Open Volunteer Positions:
- Youth Program Co-Facilitator
- Peace Conference Intern
- Padres Program Co-Facilitator
- Jóvenes Profesionales Program Co-facilitator
- El Camino Program Co-Facilitator
- Early Literacy
- Board of Directors
Application Process:
- Volunteer Application
- In-person interview at our office
- Criminal background check
- Placement (in a specific volunteer role that provides the best fit for both you and our organization)
- Training (coordinated and provided by your assigned program coordinator)
- Note: volunteers must be 18 years of age or older
Volunteer Program Brochure:
Contact:
If you are interested in applying for any of the above volunteer opportunities, please complete and return the Volunteer Application. Please feel free to contact us with any questions at 612-872-6165 or elizabetu@oportunidad.org.
(If you are interested in joining our Board of Directors, please contact Executive Director Eloisa Echávez at 612-872-6165 or eloisae@oportunidad.org.)
A Volunteer Story:
I initially started volunteering at La Oportunidad to meet a class requirement. At first, I figured I would view this weekly commitment as a way for me to get class credit and practice my Spanish a little bit. It quickly turned into something so much more for me. The El Camino program not only allowed me to converse with cute little kids in Spanish, but it also gave me the opportunity to develop my own lesson plans and learn about the Latino culture and community. I was more than just a volunteer coming in unnoticed, counting the minutes until I could go home. My ideas were noticeably valued by my supervisor and my presence was valued even more by the kids in my class. Coming to El Camino was something I looked forward to each week. Even though my class requirement ended in December, I continued volunteering with El Camino for the rest of the year. I couldn’t have asked for a better volunteering experience!
–Michelle, 2013/2014 Volunteer
