Volunteer
Volunteers have a special place at Cristo Rey Boston High School. Whether you want to support our students academically, through enrichment activities, or through our Corporate Work Study Program, we welcome you!
Volunteer Process
Once you review the opportunities below, complete and submit THIS FORM. Our volunteer program director will reach out to discuss next steps.
All volunteers must complete a CORI/SORI form and the prevention and awareness training Protecting God’s Children.
Schedule & Frequency
- Volunteers engage in a combination of virtual and in-person meetings with students throughout the week. We work with volunteers to create a schedule that meets both of our needs.
- Academic mentoring occurs Monday - Thursdays, throughout the school day.
- Subject area tutoring takes place Mondays - Thursdays from 12-1pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-4:30 pm.
Volunteer Opportunities
- ACADEMIC MENTORS-- from October- May, mentors are paired with individual students to provide 1:1 support, 1 x per week; mentors work with the same student/s over the course of the academic year, gradually building trust. Mentors are role models as well as tutors, providing support with homework, but focusing on developing good academic habits and addressing the social-emotional needs of the student.
- TUTORS – Tutors are paired with students for 1:1 support in a subject area. Tutors may also work as classroom teacher assistants in these subjects, supporting teacher efforts to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of each student.
- ENRICHMENT volunteers– teach piano, guitar, chess; support the robotics club; chaperone field trips. Query us about another enrichment activity you’d like to share with our students.
Volunteer Organizations Supporting Cristo Rey Boston High School
(You do not need to be a member of one of these organizations to volunteer)
- PULSE, Boston College
Boston College PULSE students act as 1:1 mentors to each of our 9th graders for the duration of their freshmen year. From the PULSE program website, “The mission of the PULSE Program is to educate our students about social injustice by putting them into direct contact with marginalized populations and social change organizations and by encouraging discussion on classic and contemporary works of philosophy and theology.”
- 4Boston, Boston College
4Boston volunteers act as 1:1 tutors and classroom assistants, providing academic support to students in grades 10-12. Boston College’s largest weekly service organization, 4Boston volunteers serve 4 hours each week of the academic year with community partners in the social service, health care, or education sectors, and engage in one hour of group reflection centered on community, social justice, and spirituality.
- CP Mentors College Perspective Mentor Program
Cristo Rey Boston is fortunate to be partnered with the College Perspective Mentor Program, which provides juniors and seniors the extra guidance they might need to reach their goal of obtaining a college degree. Mentors range in age from late 20s to early 80s, and have a wide range of backgrounds and career expertise. But one thing they have in common is that they are all prepared to answer questions about the college process, offer advice for the future, or to simply lend an ear when things get stressful. Please visit cpmentors.org to learn more.
- MIT
Cristo Rey Boston students are supported by a group of dedicated post-doctoral students at MIT. Our MIT volunteers tutor and assist in the Math classrooms.
- The Notre Dame Mission Volunteers AmeriCorps Program
The Notre Dame Mission Volunteers AmeriCorps Program at Cristo Rey Boston High School provides college graduates the opportunity to serve urban young people through an innovative, Catholic educational model. Corps members serve at least one academic year with an option for a second year and live in a community in Dorchester, Massachusetts, a short walk to our school. Learn more about AmeriCorps and apply.
- Ignatian Volunteers
Cristo Rey Boston High School is a proud placement for Ignatian Volunteers (please see http://www.ivcusa.org/ Ignatian volunteers are persons age 50 and older, who have considerable experience and expertise to offer. Ignatian volunteers work two days per week in areas of need across the school building. Every attempt is made to place volunteers in roles that draw on their unique abilities.
- Leadership Advisory Council (LAC)
The LAC is a dedicated group of young professionals who contribute to the mission of the school by helping secure job placements for our students, introducing new friends, helping plan friend-raisers and fundraisers, and tutoring. The group meets quarterly, and particularly assists the school in preparing its annual Academic Signing Day event. Click here for a brief overview of the group, a current listing of our members can be found here. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Ieva Smidt, Director of Development, at [email protected] .
- Lunch Servers
We need adult volunteers to help serve lunch to our students from 11:30-1:00 PM Mondays through Fridays. If you can come in for any or all of these times, please contact Celia Williams, Business Manager at [email protected] .
Testimonials
Here's a sampling of what last year's academic mentors said about the experience:
"I learned that in these student-mentor relationships, there is as much to be gained by the mentee as there is for the mentor. Arlenis taught me about accountability, she helped me develop stronger soft-skills, and she helped me develop a more nuanced perspective on the education gap and those affected by it."
"I am proud of the ways I was able to inspire my mentees to take responsibility for their work. I had a phenomenal experience serving at Cristo Rey, as I developed a strong passion for education as a social justice issue."
"I learned about what it means to really put in work and prepare to help someone else."
"I learned that in these student-mentor relationships, there is as much to be gained by the mentee as there is for the mentor. Arlenis taught me about accountability, she helped me develop stronger soft-skills, and she helped me develop a more nuanced perspective on the education gap and those affected by it."
"I am proud of the ways I was able to inspire my mentees to take responsibility for their work. I had a phenomenal experience serving at Cristo Rey, as I developed a strong passion for education as a social justice issue."
"I learned about what it means to really put in work and prepare to help someone else."
"I've learned how much fun and fulfilling helping these kids can be. Seeing them succeed is such an amazing feeling, and I know that I've only furthered my passion for equity in education through this program."
"Over time, my mentee became comfortable with sharing personal details of her school and family life with me. The more that our relationship had improved with each session, the more my mentee showed up for our next sessions."
"I really think I’m going to miss working with students. Especially when I was having a difficult time with my college classes my tutoring sessions always provide a nice escape and reminded me what was really important in life, helping others."