“Serving as a volunteer classroom trainer has been a life-changing experience. The ‘aha moment!’ on a student’s face was instantaneous feedback that this is a powerful thing we are doing.”

Volunteers

Trained volunteers – parents, students, seniors and other community residents – are the heart and soul of the Understanding Our Differences (UOD) program.

In Newton, Massachusetts alone, 350 volunteers are assisting in the delivery of the program in the city’s 15 elementary schools – leading discussions with children in the classrooms, researching curriculum, and training other volunteers.

Many of the UOD volunteers are introduced to the program when their child is in the third or fourth grade or by a friend and quickly become “hooked” into the UOD community.

Volunteers say they are inspired by the energy in the classrooms, the satisfaction of making a real difference in the lives of young children, and the opportunity to make new friends who share some of the same interests, values and concerns.

All volunteers receive one to three hours of training, including workshops by Resource Specialists who are experts in their field and trained in the UOD curriculum. Workshop participants who are educators are eligible for Professional Development Points for continuing study.

You will receive a comprehensive curriculum guide for any of the disabilities you want to teach and personal guidance and on-going support on how to encourage class participation and answer challenging questions.

If you are interesting in learning more about volunteering with UOD, please call 617-559-6075 or email info@understandingourdifferences.org.