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Apply or Renew

Apply or Renew Volunteer Application

10/30/24: Volunteer application volume has doubled this year, causing a ten-business-day delay in email response times and a 15-day delay in volunteer background check processing. Due to budget cuts, staff capacity is very limited (one staff member for 19,000 volunteers). 

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Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Seattle Public Schools! Volunteer opportunities vary by school. We recommend that you complete the following application process after receiving confirmation from a school staff member about your volunteer role. Whether you are a parent, a family member, or a community member, the following resources will help you prepare to volunteer with our students.

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SPS serves 50,000 vulnerable children and youth. We are committed to carefully screening volunteer candidates to ensure student safety as required by law, SPS policies, and the Washington Schools Risk Insurance Pool (our insurance provider).

If you do not have access to a computer or internet at home, please see the “Online Applications” section of our FAQ page.

Returning Volunteer? Check Your Status, Update, or Renew via the Volunteer Portal

SPS launched online volunteer applications in September 2018. Please do not create a new application if you created a volunteer account in our application system in the past.

What type of volunteer role are you applying for?

At SPS, the volunteer application process varies depending on the setting and area of service:

School Volunteers – Category A, B, or C

Category A Volunteer:  All school and remote volunteer roles that support the school, staff, or students. This volunteer role can include direct student contact if the volunteer is supervised. District personnel must be on-site and within view if the volunteer will interact with students. Alternatively, another approved adult volunteer must participate in the activity and always be present. The standard volunteer onboarding process applies to Category A volunteers. 

Examples: classroom or library assistance, field trip planning, office or recess support, and school newsletter editor. 

Category B Volunteers can chaperone field trips longer than three days, e.g., Nov 5 departure and Nov 8 return. Category B volunteers can also perform all Category A volunteer roles.

Category C Volunteer:  All school and remote volunteer roles that involve contact with students without SPS staff or additional approved Category A volunteers present at all times. Additional screening is required for Category C volunteers. Please only apply for Category C if SPS staff specifically requested it. Category C volunteers can also perform all Category A and B volunteer roles.

Examples: math club coach, one-on-one tutor (including remote/virtual), mentor.  

Field Trip Chaperones & Drivers

Field trip chaperones and drivers: Only approved Category A, B or C volunteers can be recruited to serve in chaperone or driver roles.

Additional steps (chaperones) and screening (drivers) are required – check with the field trip organizer and/or review the Field Trips Procedures page.

Athletics & Club Sports

Athletic volunteers who work with student-athletes apply directly to the Athletics Department. Please do not proceed with the steps outlined below – apply through the SPS employment portal.

Athletic sports include Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Slow Pitch, Soccer, Softball/Fast Pitch, Swim, Tennis, Track, Track & Field, Ultimate Frisbee (Middle School only), Volleyball, Wrestling.

All Club Sports Coaches are onboarded by the school as Category C school volunteers with extra requirements (CPR & First Aid, Concussion, and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Courses).

Volunteer Enhancement Projects (formerly Self-Help)

Volunteer Enhancement Projects volunteers (formerly named Self Help Projects) are coordinated by the Facilities Department. One-time Volunteer Enhancement Projects volunteers must complete a short Event Volunteer registration. Volunteers who care for learning gardens or provide other projects support to schools on a regular basis, must be approved as Category A school volunteers (see above). Please review more instructions from Volunteer Enhancement Projects.

Review the SPS Volunteer Handbook for more information about volunteer categories and application types.

Two-Three Weeks Minimum Required for Approval

For the following reasons, volunteers must submit or renew their applications at least two (2) weeks before the expected volunteer service start date. One month is recommended for overnight field trips.

  • SPS receives up to 15,000 volunteer applications and renewals each year. Approval of each volunteer requires action by your school’s Volunteer Program Liaison (VPL) and one central office staff member.
  • Due to budget cuts, many school office positions were cut by 50% or eliminated, and central office staff are absorbing additional duties.
  • VPL duties are carried out by a member of the school office staff with a number of other primary duties.

Step 1: Online Training – Preventing Sexual Abuse of Children and Youth

Nationally, 1 in 4 girls & 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before age 18. Through this course, you will help protect children by learning to recognize and respond to sexual abuse.

Step 2: Volunteer Handbook

Carefully review our online Volunteer Handbook to learn about laws and policies volunteers are required to follow, volunteer rights, and tips for successful volunteering. 

Step 3: Volunteer Application (includes Background Check)

Complete the volunteer application
  • Volunteer applications are processed online. Every year SPS volunteers save 14 trees by completing and/or updating their applications online. Thank you! 
  • Once you are approved as a volunteer in our online system, your application materials will stay active for as long as you volunteer with SPS. Every two years, we will ask whether you would like to stay active and, if so, request your permission to complete a new background check.
  • If you experience problems creating your volunteer application, visit our volunteer portal guide for tips.
  • For former residents of New York State, please review the important information here.

Determining your Background Check Type

SPS is committed to providing students with a safe educational environment. This includes ensuring every volunteer and staff member completes an appropriate criminal background check.

  • SPS screens all volunteer applicants via the state criminal records database. This database is accessible to SPS for free via Washington State Patrol (WATCH). This background check is sufficient for all Category A volunteers who have lived in our state for three years.
  • WATCH does not produce criminal records outside of our state, and unfortunately, the federal government does not provide an equivalent database. Therefore, Category A volunteers who have lived in other states or countries during the last three years must purchase their background check from our partner vendor, Sterling Volunteers – the fee is usually $21. 
Additional Screening for Category B and C Volunteers
  • If your volunteer role will involve spending unsupervised time with students (including as a remote/online volunteer), or you will chaperone 3+ day overnight field trips, you must complete the national background check even if you are a long-time resident of Washington.
  • School staff also checks references for volunteers who will serve in one-on-one tutoring or mentoring roles.

Selecting an incorrect background check type will delay your approval. 

Financial Burden

Every parent or caretaker should have the opportunity to participate in their student’s education. If you face barriers to completing the online background check, please review “Background check affordability” for information about assistance.

Background Results
  • If your state background check is clear, you will be notified immediately via email.
  • If you purchase a national or international background check, you will receive your results directly from Sterling Volunteers, usually within a few days.
  • If there are any records on your background check or your report shows possible duplicates (criminal records of other Washington State residents with similar names to yours), the school volunteer program liaison will process your background check manually. Expect an additional week for processing. 

Please note: While all volunteers must be screened through the background check, a criminal history does not automatically disqualify an applicant from volunteering in the schools. If you would like to know if your criminal records may affect your ability to volunteer with SPS, please review this flow chart used by schools to determine eligibility.

Step 4: School Approval (Approved Volunteer List)

To ensure student safety, every school is required to approve volunteer applicants individually.

  • If your volunteer dashboard lists your status as “Eligible,” your school can now review your application and add your name to the Approved Volunteer List if applicable.
  • If you selected more than one school on your application, you must go through step 4 at every school separately.

Before you sign up for your first volunteer shift, the school volunteer program liaison must review your application and verify that:

  • you provided a complete answer to the ASMP course question on the application (three sentences),
  • selected the correct background check level and clearance category,
  • your name, DOB, and likeness match those on your photo ID.

If your volunteer application did not include the following, please provide them to your volunteer program liaison in person or via email:

  • Government-issued photo ID
  • Proof of 3-year residency in Washington State (needed only if you did not complete the national background check and your Washington State ID was issued less than 3 years ago).
    • Examples: older/expired WA State ID, lease agreement, utility bill, bank records, school records. Make sure this document was issued at least three years ago and features your full name and a Washington State address. If your child has attended SPS for over three years, office staff may be able to use your child’s school registration records (not all staff have access to them). 

Once these steps are completed, your volunteer program liaison will add your name to the Approved Volunteers List for their school.

If you have questions about your application or background check, call the school office or email the school volunteer program liaison.

How is volunteer information protected?

  • SPS and Samaritan Technologies signed a memorandum of agreement for collecting, maintaining, and storing volunteer data to ensure volunteer information is rigorously protected and meets or exceeds accepted industry practices, including specifically the International Organization for Standardization’s standards ISO/IEC 27001:2005 (Information Security Management Systems- Requirements), ISO-IEC27002:2005 (Code of Practice for International Security Management).  Review Samaritan Technologies Terms of Service.
  • At the school level, each volunteer program liaison (VPL) receives volunteer application data for their school only and maintains a list of Approved School Volunteers. This list shows names of approved volunteers and their contact information so school staff can identify volunteers available to support their classrooms, field trips, or programs. Only SPS employees working at the school can utilize this list.