Here's what you can expect as a volunteer:
RUIBAL offers weekly opportunities for volunteers to travel to Philadelphia schools and community centers to serve at their after-care programs as tutors and mentors. Each group is led by 2-3 sophomore leaders who coordinate all the logistics of service: they drive the RUIBAL group to and from a school, serve alongside you, and lead the group in reflection and conversation during the van rides. While your group is not at service, RUIBAL Leaders facilitate a strong sense of community within the group, lead the group in reflection opportunities, and facilitate group bonding.
Volunteers are assigned to serve at one of our five partner sites. Each site is unique in terms of how volunteers spend their time serving. At one school, we serve through one-on-one tutoring with homework or whatever subject the teacher assigns. In others, it is a mix of homework help, helping with snack/crafts/clubs, and playing with the students during free time. As a whole, our service is based on creating real, life-giving relationships with the students.
Groups serve Monday-Friday and volunteers are assigned to serve once a week. Depending on the school, RUIBAL volunteers will leave campus at either 2:30 or 3 pm and will return to campus by 6 PM (with the exception of one group on Tuesdays that serves from 1:45-4:45 pm each week). In the application process, you tell us your schedule, and we will assign you to a site accordingly, if a slot is open (keep in mind, you must have the full 3 hour time chunk available in order to be placed). Placements are first come, first served.
