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-school 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 serve alongside their volunteers.
Volunteers are assigned to serve at one of five schools. 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, all of sites are based in creating real, life-giving relationships with the students.
Volunteers go once a week to their site. They leave campus in vans driven by RUIBAL student leaders at 3 PM and return to campus by 6 PM. In the application process, you tell us your schedule, and we will assign you to a site accordingly, if a slot is open. Placements are first come, first served.
What united our volunteers was the opportunity to come together as a community, get to know each other, serve together, and reflect on service. Groups served weekly, attended RUIBonding events (Scavenger Hunt and RUIfest!), participated in Social Justice Forums (a panel on Racial Justice, and an interactive 30 Hour Famine), and enjoyed each other's company as we all navigated this totally new and unprecedented semester together!
Want to learn about what RUIBAL "normally" looks like outside of a pandemic? See below:
Two or three sophomore leaders drive a RUIBAL group to and from a school, serve alongside you, and lead the group in reflection and conversation during the van rides.
